Abstract:

Common prosperity is a long-term and systematic project, which requires macro guidance from top-level governments and differentiated design and implementation at the local level.Given the strategic framework of the central government, how do local governments set goals and select pathways for common prosperity policy according to local conditions? Based on a text analysis of the “Implementation Plan” for the construction of common prosperity in 11 municipalities in Zhejiang Province, this paper finds there are three types of goals for common prosperity in Zhejiang: comprehensive development, model construction as promoters, and leaping forward by leveraging comparative advantage.Nine pathways have also been formed: deepening innovation-driven development, developing the private economy, promoting ecological construction, promoting public services, coordinating urban and rural development, smoothing dual circulation, improving digital governance, facilitating regional collaboration, and achieving spiritual prosperity.Local competition under provincial demonstration is the underlying logic of the construction of the Zhejiang Common Prosperity Demonstration Zone.This model has important implications for other localities to advance common prosperity and for understanding the complex governance of policy implementation in contemporary Chinese government.

Key words: common prosperity demonstration zone, goals setting, pathways selecting, “Implementation Plan”, text analysis