Chinas high-speed economic growth has created a burgeoning middle class. Despite its relatively low proportion in terms of the total population, its absolute number is considerable given Chinas huge population. According to conservative estimates, the Chinese middle class currently total over 100 million people. Some Chinese scholars predict that the middle class will account for 40 of Chinas population in the next decade, amounting to approximately 400 million. This is a huge number of people, who will exert considerable influence on Chinas social, economic, cultural and political sectors. This key new book gathers together the