2021年11月5日，第四届虹桥国际经济论坛“中国现代化与世界新机遇”分论坛成功举行。中国人民大学重阳金融研究院（人大重阳）作为承办方之一承办了6日“推进共同富裕与增进人类福祉”专题研讨会。英国著名学者、中国问题专家、中国人民大学重阳金融研究院外籍高级研究员马丁·雅克在会上发言。以下为演讲实录：

视频时长约6分30秒，以下为发言实录：

感谢主办方邀请我在此次共同富裕研讨会上发言。我认为，随着时间的推移，共同富裕将被视为中国改革开放以来最重要的举措之一。在这里，我想和大家分享四点。

首先， 1978年中国的基尼系数仅为0.28，自此以后，不平衡急剧扩大。现在基尼系数已增长至0.47，略高于美国。而这种不平衡的加剧是不可避免的。中国在发展战略中由于资源非常有限，只能将有限的资源集中在经济增长前景最好的南部和东部地区。这不可避免地导致了严重的区域发展不平衡，中国中部和西部远不如南部和东部发达。中国在这个时期的主要任务是消除绝对贫困，其实2020年已经成功实现了这一目标。目前的重大任务是解决发展不平衡问题。这是创建一个更加平衡的现代化的关键，进而为政治和社会稳定提供条件，并确保国家的统一。不平等对团结与稳定的威胁，绝不能低估。

第二，没有一蹴而就的解决办法。建设一个更为公平的社会是一项长期工程，需要极大的耐心、毅力和创造力。我们谈论的不是一个平均主义社会，而是一个更加公平、更加包容的社会。收入和财富是不平等的核心，但造成这些不平等有许多不同的原因和驱动因素。它在社会的许多不同领域都有表现，最终几乎在所有领域都有体现。它以各种方式塑造着社会。在过去几个月里，我有一件印象深刻的事情足以印证这个观点：比如说在私立学校的学费是极其高昂的，也是造成不平等的主要原因；科技行业也有各种各样新的、严重不平等的现象。而不平等带来的一大弊端是社会出现了固化和分层，很多穷人发现自己处在社会边缘，甚至成为被驱逐在社会之外的群体，这就是为何消除贫困会如此重要。与此同时，无论是科技行业还是娱乐业的超级富豪，可能会变得越来越超然，他们生活在跟其他人完全不同的社会当中，这也是为什么我们一直强调富人要给社会做出根本性的贡献。

第三，共同富裕需要转变社会文化价值观。邓小平的天才之处在于，他理解当时中国的社会主义同时需要国家宏观调控和市场经济，从而鼓励全社会创业、个人成为冒险者，使其相信致富的可能性。结果，社会价值观发生了转变，财富拥有了极高的地位，不平等被认为是必要的，甚至被鼓励。现在那个时代结束了，我们需要新的平衡与和谐，中国如今在迈向现代化的新阶段，我们必须朝着更公平、公正、包容、更加开放的方向发展。

第四，面临不平等挑战的远不止中国一个国家。自1980年以来，在新自由主义、全球化和新技术的共同影响下，不平等问题在西方迅速加剧，在美国表现得最为明显。这是一个全球性的问题。但在中西方之间有一个本质区别：在美国和英国等其他西方国家，有强大的既得利益集团在抵制日益增长的压力，以解决长期存在的、使人衰弱的不平等问题。其结果是，迄今为止取得的成果甚少。像纸上谈兵，多空谈，少行动。中国提出了共同富裕的目标，并且在消除不平等方面成为了全球的领导者，这是至关重要的。自1978年以来，中国一直是经济发展的领头羊。在抗击新冠肺炎疫情的过程中，中国以其优异的治理能力为世界树立了一个绝佳榜样。通过共同富裕，中国向世界表明21世纪的新型社会可以更加平等、更加公平、更加包容。

谢谢。

以下为英文版发言实录

I would like toexpress my thanks to the organisers for inviting me to speak at this symposiumon Common Prosperity. I think in time Common Prosperity will come to beregarded as one of China’s most important initiatives since the beginning ofthe reform period. In these brief remarks, I want to make four points.

First, inequalityhas grown dramatically since 1978 when the Gini coefficient was just 0.28. Todayit is 0.47, slightly higher than in the US. Such a rise in inequality wasinevitable. Bereft of resources, China had no alternative but to concentratewhat little it had in those parts of the country, namely the south and then theeast, where the prospects for growth were greatest. Inevitably this led togreat regional inequality, with central and western China much less developedthan the south and east. China’s primary focus in this period has been theabolition of extreme poverty which it finally succeeded in doing in 2020. Nowthe great task is to address inequality. This is the key to creating a morebalanced modernisation, providing the conditions for political and socialstability, and ensuring the unity of the country. The threat posed byinequality to unity and stability should never be underestimated.

Second, there are no quick fixes. Building a fairer society is along-term project that will require enormous patience, persistence, andcreativity. We are nottalking about an egalitarian society, but rather one which is much fairer andmore inclusive. Income and wealth are central to inequality, but there are manydifferent causes and drivers of inequality. It finds expression in manydifferent areas of society, ultimately in virtually all. It shapes society in athousand and one different ways. One of the things that I have found mostimpressive in the last few months is a recognition of this fact: privatetuition and private schools, for example, as key drivers of inequality; thetech sector as the source of a new and very acute form of inequality. One of themost harmful effects of inequality is the way that it segments society; thosewho are poor can find themselves on the edge or even outside society. That waswhy the poverty campaign was so important. Meanwhile, the super-rich, be they inthe tech sector or entertainment, for example, can become increasingly detached,and living in a separate world from, the great majority. That is why theemphasis on the rich contributing in fundamental ways to society is soimportant.

Third, CommonProsperity involves and requires a major shift in social and cultural values. DengXiaoping’s genius was to understand the need for Chinese socialism to embrace boththe state and the market, thereby to encourage society to becomeentrepreneurial, to urge every individual to be a risk-taker, to believe in thepossibility of becoming rich. In consequence, the values of society shifted, beingrich came to endow great status, inequality was regarded as necessary and even encouraged.That era is now over; a new balance and harmony is required. China is moving toa new stage of modernisation that will involve a significant shift in values witha stronger emphasis on fairness, equity, inclusivity and social provision.

Fourth, thechallenge of inequality is far from being China’s alone. Inequality has beengrowing apace in the West since 1980, in its most extreme form in the UnitedStates, under the combined impact of neo-liberalism, globalisation, and latterlytechnology. It is a global problem. But there is a fundamental differencebetween China and the West. There are powerful vested interests in the US – andin other Western countries like the UK – that are resisting the growingpressure to address the chronic and debilitating problem of inequality. As a result,very little has so far been achieved. There is talk and rhetoric, but preciouslittle action. China, with its Common Prosperity initiative, is becoming theglobal leader in the fight against inequality. This will be of enormousimportance. China has been the leader in economic development ever since 1978.In its fight against Covid-19, it has set a singular example to the world inthe sheer competence of its governance. And with Common Prosperity, it can showthe world how society can be more equal, fairer and more inclusive, a new kindof society for the twenty-first century.

Thank you very much.  

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