Recently, authorities and experts in China have acknowledged that income inequality between urban and rural areas is increasing and that it presents a tremendous challenge for achieving “common prosperity.” “Common Prosperity” is a propaganda slogan coined by Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. It promises economic stability to all Chinese citizens and is at the same time a vital prerequisite for cementing Xi’s continued leadership during the coming years. At the 2022 Tsinghua Forum on the Three Rural Issues held earlier this month, Wei Houkai, director of the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that the income inequality between urban and rural residents continues to rise. According to Wei, the rural per capita disposable income in 2020 was about 17,000 yuan ($2,703), and is behind that of urban households by 11 to 12 years. His conclusion was similar to the data published by the National Bureau …