It is wrong to imagine that residents with grievances against these growing pains will welcome the same kind of political turmoil that is occurring in North Africa and the Middle East. And it would be naive and silly to believe that such unrest would solve all the nation's problems and bring about a more fair and just society.

In fact, any dissent is more apparent than real thanks to the increasingly open and critical media and the much freer flow of information on the Internet.

In the current annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), NPC deputies and CPPCC members are actively involved in discussions and debates about how some government policies need to be adjusted in favor of letting more and more ordinary residents share the fruit of economic growth and social progress.

Minister of Finance Xie Xuren said at a sideline press conference of the NPC session on Monday that two-thirds of the central government expenditure this year will be used to improve residents' livelihoods and that the issues of healthcare, social security and affordable housing will be addressed. All these suggest that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the central government are concerned about people's well-being and trying their best to tackle the problems that affect people's quality of life.

There is no development and progress that is without problems and there is no government that faces no problems in its governance. What matters is whether a government can listen to public opinion and address the root causes of their grievances accordingly.

All that the Chinese government has done and is doing sends the message that it is a government that is concerned about the people and is striving to give them a better life. In such circumstances, there is no reason for social unrest.

The author is a writer with China Daily.