bring up the residents' living wages

I assume this is to increase their disposable income? This largely depends on whether the land has any strategic importance? There's minerals in the ground? Turn the entire place into a mining operation, bring in extra labour if the local pool does not suffice, and evict anyone who resists progress. There's nothing in the earth? Lease these land out for sub-market prices to developers or manufacturers to construct factories, get the locals in on it. If the local talent pool is insufficient (ie. poorly educated), then bring in workers from other provinces and evict the locals who resists progress. Congrats, you now have a valuable province/ex-village town that generates a good profit for your administration, your mates in property development/manufacturing, and all in the name of progress and making China strong! What's that? No... Look at the people now living here, they're so happy and have high standard of living! The people who used to be here? No, fuck them! They're traitors to glorious progress!

Now, about those criminal gangs. They only want a piece of the action, right? Will divide up the pie of society and come to a proper arrangement, all in the good name of maintaining a harmonious society so people can focus on running their business - money, is after all, the only and most important thing in a proper modern society! If those bandits resist, then call up your uncle who's a commander at the PLA, they're always looking for opportunities for real-training in preparation for the liberation of Taiwan and the South China Sea. Before China takes its rightful place as the dominant/greatest power in the whole world and all people who are not Chinese must recognise they are barbaric in comparison to China, China must route out all internal elements that cause disharmony! Heck, those internal elements are likely to be external influences from the CIA! Or worst, there are criminals in China because Japan invaded China in WW2! Yes, it must be the evil Japanese! Boy, talking about them makes me very emotional and patriotic! Let's destroy Japan and make them slaves! I think I've said enough now, I'm gonna log off - My favourite anime Attack on Titan is about to start! Don't want to miss that!