Just four years after the concept first took shape, the Chinese dream is widening its appeal in and beyond China.
First suggested in November 2012 by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Chinese dream quickly struck a chord with the Chinese people, but it might be set to do much more than that.
A DREAM FOR A COHESIVE NATION
Xi has spoken about the Chinese dream on many occasions over the past four years, and it is widely agreed that the Chinese dream goes hand in hand with the Chinese people leading happy and satisfying lives.
"The Chinese dream is, after all, a dream of the people," Xi said in a speech during his visit to the United States in September last year. "We can fulfill the Chinese dream only when we link it with our people's yearning for a better life."
"As I understand, the Chinese dream is one that every individual is striving for," Wang Zijun, a college student, said.
"Put together, our dreams could function as a driving force for society," Wang said.
For Yu Changyou, a retiree in Tianjin, his dream was simple: Good health for his mother and son.
A salesclerk in Tianjin, who only identified herself by her surname Song, said her dream four years ago was to see greater air quality in the city.
This has come true, to some extent, Song said, "The whole city is cleaner than before and there are more days of sunshine."
But the Chinese dream is still more than just a culmination of individual dreams. It is also a dream of national rejuvenation for the entire people.
"Nowadays, everyone is talking about the Chinese dream," Xi said on Nov. 29, 2012, in Beijing when he first used the concept. "In my view, realizing the great renewal of the Chinese nation is the Chinese nation's greatest dream in modern history."
Through decades of hard work, China, now the world's second-largest economy, is aiming to reach its two centenary goals -- doubling the 2010 GDP and per-capita income of urban and rural residents and completing the building of a moderately prosperous society by 2020; and building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the middle of this century.
Never have the Chinese people been so close to realizing their dreams than today.
For years, the country has seen its people's average income increase faster than economic growth. Reforms in areas concerning people's interests and social justice, such as college entrance exams, household registration, social security and price formation, have had great effect.
But there is still room for improvement.
One of China's 2020 centenary goals is to lift all its people out of poverty.
There are still 50 million Chinese people who live under the poverty line, and China wants to make sure that they are able to take up their rightful place as citizens of a well-off society with the rest of the nation. In Xi's own words, "no one should be left behind."
"The Chinese dream has won wide recognition among the Chinese people and made the country more cohesive," Xie Chuntao, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, commented to Xinhua.
A DREAM LINKING CHINA AND THE WORLD
Ni Shixiong, former dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University, meanwhile said the Chinese dream represents China's upgraded understanding of the world.
"It is a dream with a global vision," he said.
When meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in 2013, Xi said that "the Chinese dream is about peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and it is connected to the American dream and beautiful dreams of people in other countries."
The concept of the Chinese dream inspires China to responsibly share development opportunities with the rest of the world.
China proposed the Belt and Road initiative in 2013. Under the initiative, China is committed to working with relevant countries through an extensive intercontinental trade and infrastructure network.
The results have exceeded many's expectations as the initiative has now over 100 participants and advocates, including countries and international organizations.
Since 2103, over 30 countries have inked agreements with China on the initiative and more than 20 countries along the routes have conducted industrial cooperation with China.
For instance, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will build a 3,000-km economic corridor comprising roads, railways and energy infrastructure, between the ports of Gwadar in Pakistan and Kashgar in Xinjiang.
China-Pakistan cooperation works well for both sides: China is able to effectively reduce its transport costs while Pakistan is effectively improving its domestic infrastructure.
The Chinese dream has actively connected the global aspirations of development, from neighbors to those beyond.
In the meantime, China is also passing on its dream through its proactive engagement in global governance.
China launched institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and BRICS New Development Bank; China also takes part in setting rules on the Internet, anti-corruption and climate change.
More notably, the recent G20 summit -- held in Hangzhou, China, in September -- placed development issues on a prominent position within the global micro-policy framework and formulated an action plan on implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
By doing so, China is helping the G20 transform itself from a crisis-response mechanism to a long-term governance platform focusing on medium- and long-term policies and supply-side reforms.
"China is now a participant, supporter and constructor of the international system," Ni said.
A peaceful and prosperous country as well as a happy and stable society is not just part of the Chinese dream, but a common aspiration of the world. In a way the Chinese dream is not just about China, but represents the common value and ideals of all human beings, he said.
