The new social stratum is the first beneficiary of the 30 years of reform and opening up, 36-year-old woman billionaire Liu Yingxia said on Saturday.
Liu was one of the five CPPCC members, representing the new social stratum, who spoke to journalists at a press conference.
The other four were woman lawyer Liu Hongyu, Dalian Wanda Group board chairman Wang Jianlin, Chuanhua Group board chairman Xu Guanju and investment banker Han Fangming.
The CPPCC interpretation says: "The new social stratum is mainly made up of people from the non-public economy sector and self-employed professionals".
The new social stratum is about 75 million strong and includes individual industrial and commercial households, private entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants, certified public valuers and tax agents, who contribute nearly one-third of the government's revenue. The figure is likely to increase to 50 per cent by 2010.
"I believe Chinese society will become more affluent in general as more and more people of the new stratum shoulder their social responsibilities," Liu Yingxia said.
"Most of the members in the new social stratum used to be common people," said Wang. "I was a soldier before becoming an entrepreneur, so I don't feel this stratum is divorced from society."
Not all people in the new social stratum are rich, Liu Hongyu said. The yearly income of 70 percent of the 16,000 lawyers in Beijing was less than 100,000 yuan ($14,060) last year.
"As lawyers we speak on behalf of the people. We have set up a foundation in Beijing to provide legal aid to migrant workers. This time, I have come with a proposal to urge the government to take more effective steps to help those shifted from the Three Gorges Dam area," she said.
Han, who is executive director of TCL group, said he submitted 32 proposals during the five years he served as member of the last CPPCC National Committee, and related departments have already adopted some of them.
"For the new social stratum, undertaking the social responsibilities also include participating in the democratic life," Han said. "Our participation is part of the people's participation."
Questions:
1. According to the CPPCC the new social stratum refers to which people in Chinese society?
2. What is the estimated number of this grouping in Chinese society today?
3. How much do they contribute to the government’s revenue?
Answers:
1.People from the non-public economy sector and self-employed professionals such as private entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants, certified public valuers and tax agents.
2.Approximately 75 million people.
3.About one third.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
