Do you have any data to support that idea?
I should have said outside of the major cities.
90% of Chinese poverty is outside of the cities. It would be 99% if those who have moved into the city from the rural areas were included. (citing: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2009/04/13/facts-about-poverty-in-china-challenge-conventional-wisdom/)
I guess the electricity thing might have been true 15 years ago but I am reading about a massive electrification effort that the Chinese have been doing. Now they are even giving subsidies to rural residents to buy appliances (13% of the price).
How dare you make me go look stuff up! lol.