For Lu Quanyou, 58, who owns a newspaper stand in downtown Beijing, a "harmonious socialist society must have a fine social security system and medical care system."

    Lu and his wife, Chen Kelan, are among the millions of newly self-employed. He said the family are afraid to go see a doctors, because medical services are expensive and they don't have medical insurance.

    The couple earns a monthly income of 2,000 yuan (about 250 U.S. dollars). "We have to work nearly 16 hours every day to earn the money," said Chen who is three years past the usual retirement age for women.

    "This morning I read in the newspaper that one of the goals is to establish a social security system covering both urban and rural residents by 2020. Although the situation can't be changed overnight, I'm happy to see the Central Government trying to improve our lives," he said.

    Twenty-seven year-old Cui Quntao came to Beijing from rural Hubei Province three years ago seeking a better life. Now he's cleaning toilets for 850 yuan (about 106 U.S. dollars) a month and is not sure whether his dreams will come true in the city.

    While peasants see the cost of basic necessities continuing to climb year by year, the prices farmers get for their products remain low, he said.

    "The construction of a harmonious socialist society is a good news for people like me. In fact, the situation has already changed. In my hometown, agricultural taxes have been eliminated and our children now go to school for the first nine years for free," said Cui.

    For Cui, building a harmonious society will require governments to further narrow the wealth gap between cities and the countryside and between different regions in China. "If that can be done, I'll go back to my hometown," he added.

    Meng Lei, 32, a sales manager for Motorola China, said although he has a decent income, his apartment mortgage, the cost of his child's education and potential medical expenses are the "three mountains".

    "To build a harmonious society, the government should help increase white-collar's income or reduce their income tax, provide free compulsory education for children and affordable and adequate medical services," he told Xinhua.

    Bai Yun, a real estate agent in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said, "As far as I know, one of the goals of a harmonious society is to lower the unemployment rate. From this angle, private entrepreneurs like me have made a contribution to the building of a harmonious society."

    She said the social status and influence of private entrepreneurs have been greatly improved in recent years. In building a harmonious society, government should create a more favorable business environment for private entrepreneurs, such as easier bank loans and lower taxes. Enditem