China is not what you think. The Chinese own their property. They have a very active stock market, and they buy and sell futures just like in NYC. If all you read about is doom and gloom, you might get the impression that China is the cardboard cutout that the media has made it out as.
I wrote a personal post about this phenomenon. You can read about it at
Freedom and Liberty in China and also at ...
The Top Ten Misconceptions Americans have about China.
Essentially, I make the argument that the American media has created this fake narrative designed to manipulate Americans to [1] have wars, [2] Pay more taxes, and [3] Live in fear. It need not be that way. When I came to China, I was very surprised at how different everything was from what I expected. I wrote many posts on this subject. These two, I think will help answer your questions.
I find your China narratives difficult to reconcile with my own experience - albeit brief. Are Chinese allowed to travel, settle and work anywhere they wish in China? Is it possible to criticize the ruling Communist Party? Isn’t most of the middle-class comprised of the Communist Party elites or their children?
What kind of religious and political freedoms do the Tibetans have? How would you explain the forced confinement of 1M+ Uighurs?
I know Shanghai rivals any advanced western city. But this and the middle-class elites represent a tiny portion of China.