Farmers work in a tea garden in Sonyang county in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/China News Service]

Wu Shunze, a deputy to the National People's Congress and the Party chief of Lishui, shared the city's experiences in achieving common prosperity during the ongoing two sessions in Beijing.

Known as China's leading ecological city, Lishui in Southwest Zhejiang province previously struggled to expand income channels for locals due to limited resources and space.

However, by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the income growth rate of rural residents in Lishui had topped Zhejiang's rankings for 17 consecutive years, with the urban-rural income ratio narrowing from 2.05 to 1.85.

According to Wu, Lishui has leveraged its ecological strengths to build a distinctive path toward common prosperity.

The city pioneered the country's first ecological product value realization mechanism and established a regional trading platform, with cumulative transactions exceeding 17.9 billion yuan ($2.58 billion).

Lishui has also cultivated 13 specialized agricultural industry chains, each generating over one billion yuan in output. These industries have created stable job opportunities for locals.

Wu emphasized the importance of targeted measures to raise middle-income groups and increase low-income earnings.

Key strategies included proactive policy delivery and integrated city-level planning. Innovative tools such as vocational training vouchers and comprehensive insurance for agricultural entities have empowered farmers with skills and financial security.

Wu called for more policy support for mountainous areas, expressing hope that Lishui's experience can benefit more people in their journey toward common prosperity.