Radical changes have happened to the everyday life of people in China over the past one and a half decades. I am a foreigner. I have been in the fortunate situation of being able to observe and experience these changes in the course of my own daily life.

The process of radical change got under day in the 1990s and accelerated in the years leading up to the turn of the century, with China stepping onto the road to Western European living standards, to obtain under Chinese conditions of course, in my opinion.

I am a university teacher, sociologist and soccer coach. I teach language to young people at university. I train talented youngsters to play soccer, using the most modern practice exercises and methods from soccer schools and I write academic doctoral dissertations about economic, social and political life of China.

I would like to write about my more than decennial experiences of the everyday life of Chinese people in a compendious description. My account is founded on my observations in the capital (Beijing) above all but I have been in other cities of China too and I have experienced similar or even better living conditions than in the capital. For example: in Shanghai or in the eastern zones of China, in Guangzhou and in Shenzhen. There are several underdeveloped zones in China too of course but the disappearance of these is merely a question of time.

I like to pay families a visit. Many people already live in nice modern flats. The household facilities in flats are generally modern too. For example: the use of a bathroom is a prime necessity for the majority of families. Electrical installations are also demanded by many families. Even computer are found in a lot of flats.

People's meals have also changed over the course of time: the quantity has increased, as has choice. It is also a fact that more people and families now go to eat in restaurants, where fine dishes and drinks await them.

In the shops, stores and markets there is big choice of goods and the quality is rising. The prices of articles in daily use are within easy reach of everybody. Sometimes the leading shops and stores cut prices in order to increase turnover. People leave the shops, stores and markets with many goods in their hands. Earlier there were few goods or customers, now there are many. Even after people buy many goods, there are still many left in the shops, stores and markets.

When I go out into the streets people's clothing attracts my attention. The people wear nice clothes, with the women dressing especially nicely. This points to the fact that the people have changed not only their tastes but also their financial situation. Richer men can buy from more expensive western clothes too, in special shops.

There are invariably big vehicles in the streets, but change in this area happened over a period of 10-15 years. While bicycles dominated in the streets previously, a lot of cars and buses can be seen in the streets nowadays.

On weekends I go with my daughter to parks where a lot of people can be seen. Parents and children, youths and older men spend their free time in these places agreeably and merrily.

When I go out into the streets, shops, stores, markets and parks of the capital I can see more and more people are as pleased as can be.

As mentioned above I have been living in China for more then 10 years and I have had a chance to observe the changes in the everyday life of the people very well. I would like to finish my opinion with a conclusion. In my opinion the forming of better lives for the people is the most important goal nowadays in China, enabling a positively human-centric society to be developed for people of the whole world in the 21st century.

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