For a Better Life

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, aside from a yearning for peace, the greatest aspiration of the Chinese people has been for prosperity and a better life. The Chinese people have endured the consequences of backwardness and stagnation since the Opium War in 1840, and have come to understand that development is essential for a strong and successful nation. Peace and prosperity are fundamentally intertwined; they are two sides of the same coin. Without ending conflicts both internally and externally, there can be no peace, and thus, no development and no improvement in living standards.