During the Warring States period, the philosopher Xun Kuang (Xunzi) explored strategies for enriching a state in his 'On Enriching the State' chapter. He proposed that for a state to become prosperous and strong, it must cherish its people and practice '开源节流' (opening up new sources of income and economizing on expenses) in its finances. Only then can the common people live and work in peace, developing production, and enabling the state to thrive.

If resources are wasted without regard for production, the people will suffer severe poverty. Thus, Xunzi famously stated, 'If the lower classes are impoverished, the upper classes will be poor; if the lower classes are prosperous, the upper classes will be prosperous.'