[FITZ]

Isn't China communist? I wonder if the workers there even get pay checks, have bank accounts, own their own homes etc. Aren't they just working for their state?

[NP-INCOMPLETE]

I think the best term is a totalitarian state with a capitalist economy. Politically, its not too different from the Soviet Union, just somewhat more nationalistic. Economically, the system isn't at all centralized, workers do get checks, have their own bank accounts, and can own homes. You can't have such a fast growing economy without lots of de-regulation by the government and the incentives for the workers to work hard. It just that the incentives that motivates a chinese worker(meat for dinner everyday, an apartment, a DVD player) is far less than what it would take to motivate an American worker.