Decode China：Episode 1

<p>Zhejiang is one of the most developed provinces in China, and was one of the quickest to take advantage of reform and opening up. Its economic aggregate surpassed 1 trillion yuan in 2004 and 5 trillion yuan in 2017, and rose to 8.26 trillion yuan in 2023. Its per capita GDP had already exceeded 10,000 US dollars in 2012, and rose to 17,745 US dollars in 2023. Rapid economic and social development has given the people of Zhejiang a steady improvement in living standards. The gap between urban and rural incomes has narrowed to a ratio of 1.9 to 1, making Zhejiang one of the provinces with the smallest urban-rural income gap in China.&nbsp;</p>