Thanks for the link. I missed that article from earlier and I have to admit I was surprised by the incredible demand for American brands in China. That is exactly the kind of trend that's going to make it hard to keep the boys and girls of the PRC on the farm. I don't picture any of these folks waving Mao's little red book while wearing Levi's, Nike's and Noxema and listening to the latest hip-hop on their iPods. The development of this middle-class will further isolate the influence of the CCP.
Another good read is this one announcing that for the first time China had surpassed the US in total consumption of consumer goods. Some people want to believe there will never be a middle class in China but it's already happening.