A smile for the future

Persistent reform and opening-up efforts have deeply changed the image of the country and its people. Xinhua News Agency has released a photograph of a woman in a street in Dalian, Liaoning province, which was taken 22 years ago. The picture of the woman wearing a miniskirt and flashing a warm smile at the camera is widely seen as an evidence of the changes in ordinary people's lives thanks to reform and opening-up, says an article from xinhuanet.com. Excerpts:

Before reform and opening-up, Chinese people wore almost the same kind of clothes. It wasn't until the reform and opening-up policy that ordinary people started to dress fashionably. By the 1990s, miniskirts had appeared, although they were not seen very often on the streets, and entering the 21st century people wear a wide variety of styles.

The changes in what people wear can be seen as a manifestation of the progress of the economy as well as the openness of society. Taking a broader view, reform has touched upon a series of systematic moves and adjustments, while from a narrower perspective, the fruits of reform lie not only in the country's economic achievements, but also in the betterment of ordinary people's lives. Today, China is at a new turning point in its reform and opening-up. Reforms are expected to bring changes and tangible benefits to every individual, every family. But the reforms will not be carried out successfully without the support and participation of every ordinary citizen.

(China Daily 11/21/2013 page9)