File photo shows a view of the Lujiazui area in Shanghai, east China.(Photo: Xinhua)

Senior officials of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said it should be fully understood that achieving common prosperity is a long, tough and complex task which needs continued efforts, and that pushing for common prosperity does not mean "robbing the rich."

At a press conference held in Beijing on Thursday, the CPC released a key publication introducing the Party's historic mission as well as its past and future contributions to the country and the rest of the world. 

Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said at the conference that common prosperity means the prosperity of all people, not the prosperity of a few. "It means that the people are both materially and spiritually rich, not merely materially rich but spiritually empty. The common prosperity still has a certain gap, but is not the equal prosperity of neat and uniform egalitarianism."

The fundamental way to achieve common prosperity is hard work. China should encourage people who work hard, operate legally, and have the courage to start their own businesses to become rich. 

"We should allow some people to get rich first, who then inspire and help others to become rich. Achieving common prosperity does not mean 'robbing the rich to help the poor,'" Han said, noting that China aims to provide fairer environment and better education, improve development opportunities for the people to get rich. 

Han also warned that China must make solid progress in ensuring equal access to basic public services, do our best and do what we can, and avoid falling into the trap of welfarism. "We cannot afford to wait for what we need or feed the lazy."  

Han stressed that China should fully realize the long-term, arduous and complex goal of achieving common prosperity. It is a dynamic process that cannot be achieved overnight or simultaneously. "We should tackle one thing after another, year after year, and make substantive progress in promoting all-round human development and bringing common prosperity to all of our people in the new era."

At the press conference, in response to attention on China's anti-monopoly policies, including regulations on internet platforms, Han stressed that countering monopoly is a common practice in market economy countries. China's economy is expanding and there are more and more large enterprises, which may lead to monopoly. Therefore, it is an important and regular task of the Chinese government to fight monopoly and unfair competition, which will help foster a market environment with fair competition.

Han pointed out that it is a global issue to strengthen the supervision of large technology enterprises such as internet platforms and prevent monopoly and disorderly expansion of capital. 

"On the one hand, we need to set up 'traffic lights' for capital, improve the negative list management system for market access, and strictly control the trends of reckless development and harmful factors in the past to protect data security and personal privacy, safeguard national security and public interests; on the other hand, we should give full play of the platform economy to its positive role in optimizing resource allocation, promoting scientific and technological progress, bringing convenience to people's lives, and participating in international cooperation and competition," Han said. 

The policy of regulating internet platforms is non-discriminatory, and it targets violations of laws and regulations, and does not aim at private or foreign-funded enterprises, Han stressed.