Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the goal of doubling the middle-income group in China from 400 million to 800-900 million, aiming for this group to constitute over half of the total population, as discussed by Liu Shijin at the 2025 Sina Finance Annual Conference [3]. Group 1: Income Distribution Reform - Liu Shijin suggests learning from high-income countries with low Gini coefficients (around 0.3) to avoid the "middle-income trap" and aims to reduce China's Gini coefficient to around 0.4 or lower [3]. - To achieve the doubling of the middle-income group, policies should focus on increasing the share of labor compensation in GDP while narrowing the public service gap between urban and rural areas [3][4]. - There is a proposal to convert a significant portion of state-owned capital into social security funds to enhance the income and security levels of low- and middle-income groups, particularly rural residents [3]. Group 2: Taxation System - Liu Shijin advocates for a shift from indirect taxes to direct taxes, optimizing production taxes while increasing reasonable taxation on high-income individuals and their assets [4]. - He argues that increasing tax contributions from high-income groups will incentivize the government to protect property rights, as this is closely linked to tax revenue [4]. Group 3: Economic Growth Framework - The article notes that since early 2010, China's economic growth has transitioned from high-speed to medium-speed, with challenges shifting from supply constraints to demand constraints [4]. - Liu Shijin calls for a new growth framework that prioritizes innovation and consumption over investment and exports, aiming to break free from existing growth models [5]. - There is an emphasis on encouraging experimentation and innovation at local, corporate, and individual levels to facilitate modernization and cross the high-income threshold at a lower cost and in a shorter time frame [5].
中等收入群体如何倍增?刘世锦:推动国有资本转为社保基金
第一财经·2026-01-15 12:09