Explainer: What is China's 'common prosperity' drive and why does it matter?

[superadmin]

BEIJING, Sept 2 (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping has called for China to achieve "common prosperity", seeking to narrow a yawning wealth gap that threatens the country's economic ascent and the legitimacy of Communist Party rule.

"Common prosperity" as an idea is not new in China, but a sharp escalation in official rhetoric and a crackdown on excesses in industries including technology and private tuition has rattled investors in the world's second-largest economy.

Xi, poised to begin a third term in 2022, is turning towards inequality after concluding a campaign to eliminate absolute poverty, pledging to make "solid progress" towards common prosperity by 2035 and "basically achieve" the goal by 2050.

WHAT DOES 'COMMON PROSPERITY' MEAN?

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