Foreign Media Spotlight China's Growing Emphasis on Happiness

Chinese lawmakers and political advisors' enthusiastic discussion on building "a happy China" during two ongoing important meetings has attracted great attention from foreign media.

"Making people happier" will be the key theme of the Chinese government's work in the future, press outlets from across the world have noticed while covering this year's plenary meetings of China's top legislature and political advisory body, known as a whole as the annual "two sessions."

On the eve of the gathering, "the chatter has been noticeably less on GDP growth and more on happiness," noted American monthly The Atlantic in an article published days before the 12-day political event began Thursday.

The overarching theme of China's 12th Five-Year Plan, crafted to guide the country's 2011-2015 development, is the shift of focus from growth to development and people-oriented growth, said the article, adding that the Chinese government has repeatedly stressed the need to emphasize people's livelihoods and quality of life over fast growth.

While noting the rapid growth of China's GDP, South Korean media pointed out that bringing benefits to more people is an important task of the Chinese government and that the focus of this year's "two sessions" is how to build "a happy China."

Britain's Daily Telegraph noted that Beijing has begun evaluating its officials' performance by their ability to make people happy, instead of by the economic growth they create.

Chinese Biz News, a US newspaper published in Chinese language, said in an editorial that happiness has become a frequently used term of the thousands of delegates to the "two sessions."

During local "two sessions" convened before the national meetings, how to raise people's happiness index was also a prominent topic, the newspaper added.

The ongoing national "two sessions" will open the door for a balanced and sustainable development of the Chinese economy, and the ensuing prosperity will surely benefit China's 1.3 billion population, it said.

Japan-based Chinese-language newspaper Jnocnews said that the grand development plan formulated during the "two sessions" will further broaden the "Chinese path" and continue "the Chinese miracle" and that the Chinese public's expectation for development is the very expectation for a stronger country and a happier life.

During the next five years, China will forge ahead under the guidelines of putting people at the first place and developing in a scientific manner and open up a "Chinese path" that features a more harmonious society and a happier public, said France-based European Times.