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Happier and healthier
Groups of people exercising outdoors at night continue to swell in Chinese cities. This is, to a great extent, because the air is cleaner. In 2016, average concentrations of PM2.5 — tiny, harmful particulate matter — fell by at least 30 percent in major cities compared with 2013, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.
Water quality in lakes and rivers and soil conditions are improving, with grasslands and forests continuing to expand.
People also have seen progress in other facets of life. Incomes keep rising and more jobs are being created; food safety is no longer a concern to many people; education is getting more support and is more accessible to every child regardless of background; almost all of the public are covered by social security, and they find it easier to get medical service at a lower cost; new housing is more affordable for low-income families.
A symbol of China's public infrastructure, railway networks — especially high-speed lines — have been extended rapidly. The country has more than 22,000 kilometers of high-speed lines, accounting for 60 percent of the world's total high-speed railways.
The progress flows from comprehensive reforms the Party has been implementing under Xi's instructions in the political, social, economic, cultural and military spheres.
One of the most remarkable advances is taking place in rural areas. Nearly 70 million people in underdeveloped regions, mostly in the northwest and southwest, have been lifted out of poverty.
