My wife works with a woman born in China. She and her mother (who hadn’t been there for many years) return to China for a visit. She couldn’t believe the wealth in the cities. Expensive cars, clothes, jewelry, homes, etc. She was stunned by their love of high quality expensive stuff.
Of course, most of the rural areas still suck pond scum for a living.
My neighbor says the same.
Last year, my kids went to school with quite a few expat kids and families who had just returned from China. They all said the same thing — they saw wealth they never knew existed. Sheer opulence.