Guangdong Province, China's southern economic powerhouse, will continue to act as a reform pioneer and work steadfastly to enrich local residents' lives, materially and culturally, said the provincial Party chief, Wang Yang.
In an annual online question-and-answer panel discussion on Friday (June 2), web-cast live on Southcn.com, People's Daily Online and Xinhuanet.com, Wang, who also sits on the powerful CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau, said that Guangdong will spearhead in reforms on narrowing wealth divide, increasing workers' compensation, eradicating the restrictive household registration regime, and strengthening the province's cultural and Cyberspace industries.
Wang promised to the province's 48 million netizens that he will solicit their opinions on Guangdong's development, do more to enrich the province's northern impoverished residents, in implementing the "scientific and harmonious development "principle outlined by Beijing.
The 55-year-old Wang has been an Internet darling among high-ranking Chinese officials for his closeness to the Cyberspace. He made a fame by admitting to the wealth gap in Guangdong. In March, he declared that it is "a shame" that the province is home to both the poorest and the richest in China. From then on, he vowed to do his best to narrow the income gap.
He said that the fact that some people get rich first should never be an excuse for more people living in poverty. All people are entitled to benefit from reform and opening-up, initiated by Mr Deng Xiaoping, he said.
Wang said that it is very important for local governments to find out their own "shame", such as economic underdevelopment, people living in poverty or people living without dignity. Only after they feel the shame can they serve the people better.
At the conclusion of the online discussion session, Wang put forward another hope that Guangdong muse lead the country in producing advanced cultural products. He called on the province to make use of the modern-day telecom and Internet technologies, in an effort to build up a strong cultural province of Guangdong.
