[benj111]

"now that it has proven to be largely a failure with half a billion Chinese living in poverty"

What?

China has risen to superpower status, and become one of the biggest economies in the world in the space of a generation.

Are they as rich as the US per capita? No, but they're on the right trajectory, and getting there quicker than most other nations did.

Don't forget nearly all these city dwellers are first generation, if they don't remember living in a wood hut, without electricity, running water or toilet, their parents do.

[jostmey]

Many countries have been able to rapidly modernize by copying Europe and the United States. But each country hit a wall after they were out of things to copy, and their economies slowed down. Both Japan and South Korea underwent rapid economic double digit annual growth, which tapered off as their economies matured.

China will probably hit a slowdown sooner than it should and before Japan or South Korea did because of its corrupt, authoritarian government

[benj111]

Yes, that doesn't negate the fact that China's growth so far has been very strong.

[ziont]

> superpower status

says who?

> Are they as rich as the US per capita? No, but they're on the right trajectory, and getting there quicker than most other nations did.

Japan thought the same thing up until 1989

[mikeash]

China was a complete shambles in 1949. If you're implying China is now on par with Japan of 1989, they're doing great.

[matt4077]

Japan is pretty much as rich as the US per capita.

[rfinney]

http://statisticstimes.com/economy/countries-by-projected-gd...

US: $62,152 Japan : $40,849