共同富裕
马克思提出，在新的社会制度中“社会生产力的发展将如此迅速”，“生产将以所有的人富裕为目的”。恩格斯在描述社会主义时也指出，“我们的目的是要建立社会主义制度，这种制度将给所有的人提供健康而有益的工作，给所有的人提供充裕的物质生活和闲暇时间，给所有的人提供真正的充分的自由”。
中国共产党自诞生之日起，就以消除贫困、改善民生、实现共同富裕为使命，谋求通过建立社会主义制度而从根本上消灭贫困问题。邓小平在不同场合多次提及共同富裕，他指出，社会主义与资本主义不同的特点就是共同富裕，不搞两极分化。在改革中，我们始终坚持两条根本原则，一是以社会主义公有制经济为主体，一是共同富裕。走社会主义道路，就是要逐步实现共同富裕。共同致富，我们从改革一开始就讲，将来总有一天要成为中心课题。社会主义不是少数人富起来、大多数人穷，不是那个样子。社会主义最大的优越性就是共同富裕，这是体现社会主义本质的一个东西。
对于坚持共同富裕这一社会主义理想，习近平明确指出：“共同富裕是中国特色社会主义的根本原则，所以必须使发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民，朝着共同富裕方向稳定前进。”脱贫攻坚战正是实现这一理想的必由之路。只有补齐了经济社会发展的“短板”，中国特色社会主义事业才能一往无前，共同富裕的理想目标才能最终实现。
Common Prosperity
In describing his prediction of a new social system [of socialism], Karl Marx said that the development of the social productive forces would grow so rapidly and that production would be calculated for the wealth of all. In the words of Frederick Engels, "Our aim is to bring about a Socialist System which will give healthy and useful labor to all, ample wealth and leisure to all, and the truest and fullest freedom to all."
From its very beginning, the CPC has taken eliminating poverty, improving wellbeing and achieving common prosperity as its mission, and worked to end poverty fundamentally through development of socialism. Deng Xiaoping had more than once talked about common prosperity:
"One of the features distinguishing socialism from capitalism is that socialism means common prosperity, not polarization of income...."
"In the reform we have consistently followed two fundamental principles. One is the predominance of the socialist public sector of the economy; the other is common prosperity…."
"To take the road to socialism is to realize common prosperity step by step...."
"Since the very beginning of the reform we have been emphasizing the need for seeking common prosperity; that will surely be the central issue someday. Socialism does not mean allowing a few people to grow rich while the overwhelming majority live in poverty. No, that's not socialism. The greatest superiority of socialism is that it enables all the people to prosper, and common prosperity is the essence of socialism."
Regarding the socialist goal of common prosperity, Xi Jinping pointed out, "Common prosperity is the fundamental principle of Chinese socialism - this is why we must ensure that all the people share the fruits of development in a fair way, and move steadily toward common prosperity." The battle against poverty is a pathway toward this goal.