People watch a live television broadcast of new members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on a shopping mall's giant screen in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: AP

The week-long 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which outlined policies and development directions for various areas, has greatly inspired the Chinese people, with many placing high expectations on the new era.

Local officials and residents interviewed by the Global Times said that the 19th CPC National Congress has attached great importance to their work and lives. 

During the twice-a-decade congress which concluded Tuesday, the CPC declared a "new era" of socialism with Chinese characteristics, with the aim of building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

"The congress gained enormous public attention, as China greatly developed in the past five years in the economy, technology and society, and also gained diplomatically and militarily. The public cares about how to further improve on the gains," Ye Qing, a deputy director of the statistics bureau of Central China's Hubei Province, told the Global Times.

Ye said that the bureau organized learning sessions on the Party congress since it began, and he attended three of them and took down notes.

"The Party congress significantly aided my work. My main job after the congress will be to focus on the unbalanced and inadequate development in Hubei Province as stated in the new contradiction the country is facing, and determine ways to solve it," Ye said. He added that government officials will face stricter management as the congress also highlighted a sustained anti-graft drive.

General Secretary Xi Jinping said in the report to the 19th CPC National Congress that the principal contradiction facing Chinese society is one between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.

Grass-roots officials involved in poverty-alleviation said they are encouraged by the Party congress and have grown more confident in lifting people out of poverty and achieving prosperity.

"We will learn the spirit of the congress, develop industries suitable for the village and make greater efforts to make sure no villager is left behind on the way towards prosperity," Su Yumin, a village Party chief in Kangle county, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest China's Gansu Province, told the Global Times.

The congress reaffirmed the nation's target to eliminate poverty in 2020 to achieve its goal of a moderately prosperous society. By the end of last year, 43 million poor people mostly lived in rural areas, after 55 million people were lifted above the poverty line from 2012 to 2016.

Touching lives

Xi said Wednesday the Party must remain committed to a people-centered philosophy of development and make steady progress toward  realizing common prosperity for everyone.

Fang Jie, a mother of two daughters in Beijing, said that the Party congress attached great importance to ordinary people's lives.

"I was impressed by President Xi Jinping's report at the Party congress, especially the part when he said 'we must cherish the environment as we cherish our own lives,' and I believe that the governments will work harder to tackle pollution. So there will be fewer days when my children have to stay at home," Fang said.

People will see a fundamental improvement in the environment and the country will reach the targets set for building a "beautiful China" by 2035, Xi said.

China's improved infrastructure has also made domestic travel more convenient, and Fang said she hopes that with the development of Belt and Road cooperation, Chinese people could get to visit more countries visa-free.

Chen Qingqing contributed to this story

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