Japanese Prof Scores Xi Jinping's 'Common Prosperity' Tack

Prof. Akio Takahara of the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy has scored Chinese President Xi Jinping for his precipitate imposition of the “common prosperity” tack in a mistaken ploy to reduce income inequality by relying on the generosity of billionaires while failing to devise a means to distribute the country’s wealth democratically.

Photo Insert: Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking during a forum with close ally, Vladimir Putin

In an opinion piece for the Mainichi Shimbun on Dec. 27, 2021, Takahara said Xi had been enamored with the “common prosperity” slogan since the 18th Party Congress in 2012, and with his apparent plan to be Chinese President for life, he had also maneuvered to appoint his loyalists to top party posts and rewarded his supporters with lucrative assignments to the consternation of party leaders.

Akahara noted Xi was not even the original champion of “common prosperity” since both the US and Japan have been forcefully pushing for higher incomes for the 98%. The Kishida Cabinet touts growth and distribution, while the Biden administration advocates diplomacy for the middle class.

The fact that the governments of these countries have similar goals can only be attributed to the fact that they share the same understanding of the problems of our times.

Xi says that in some countries growing income inequality and the thinning of the middle class brought about social divisions and a flood of populism, which offer a serious lesson for China.

He acknowledged that while the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation are driving economic development in China, they are also seriously affecting employment and income distribution, and effective measures are needed. But cronyism and corruption in high places are basic hindrances to any worthwhile structural change.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic