>> Sreenivasan: FOR MOST OF THE
LAST CENTURY, GETTING RICH IN CHINA WAS AGAINST THE RULES.
THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT'S PLANNED ECONOMY SAW TO THAT.
BUT THINGS CHANGE IN THE 1980s WHEN THEN LEADER DENG XIAOPING'S
RALLYING CRY WAS "TO GET RICH IS GLORIOUS."
TODAY, PRESIDENT XI JINPING'S ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN HAS
RESULTED IN A CRACKDOWN ON OSTENTATIOUS DISPLAYS OF WEALTH.
IT COMES WITH ONE CLEAR MESSAGE: A LIFE OF LUXURY MUST COME
SECOND TO COMMUNIST PARTY LOYALTY.
ALL THIS AS CHINA PRODUCES BILLIONAIRES FASTER THAN ANY
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE PULITZER
CENTER WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES, "CHINA: POWER AND PROSPERITY"
WITH NEWSHOUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT KATRINA YU
REPORTING FROM BEIJING. >> Reporter: THEIR PACING IS
PRECISE, THEIR SPACING IS SEAMLESS, AND THEIR POURS ARE
PERFECT. THIS IS CHINA'S FIRST BUTLER
ACADEMY AND THEY'RE PRACTICING THE EXACT VINTAGE POUR.
THEIR SIX-WEEK COURSE INCLUDES CENTURIES-OLD TRADITIONS.
BUT THESE STUDENTS AREN'T BEING TRAINED TO SERVE OLD WEALTH.
THEIR FUTURE EMPLOYERS WILL BE MEMBERS OF CHINA'S NEW RICH.
IN COMMUNIST CHINA, MILLIONAIRES ARE BEING MINTED FASTER THAN
ANYWHERE ELSE. THEY'RE FILLING HARBORS WITH
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR YACHTS, WATCHING LASER LIGHT SHOWS AT
$3,000 A NIGHT HOTELS AND BUYING LUXURIES.
SARA JANE HO KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES AND PRESSURES OF
BEING WEALTHY IN CHINA. >> AVERAGE PRICE HERE IS
PROBABLY $1,000 U.S., NOT TOO EXPENSIVE AT ALL.
>> Reporter: THE 34-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN CALLED CHINA'S "MILLENNIAL
MARTHA STEWART," AND FOUNDED THE COUNTRY'S FIRST FINISHING
SCHOOL. MANY OF HER STUDENTS ARE SECOND
GENERATION RICH, BORN IN THE 80s AND 90s, AND BORN INTO MILLIONS.
>> IN NO OTHER COUNTRY THAN CHINA HAVE YOU HAD SUCH A
GREAT AMOUNT OF CHANGE IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND NOW THEY HAVE SO MUCH MONEY THAT THE LAST THING THEY WANT TO
DO IS SEE THEIR KIDS GO THROUGH ANY KIND OF HARDSHIP.
FOR THE KIDS, A LOT OF IT IS ABOUT INDIVIDUALITY.
THEY WANT TO SPEND ON SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE.
>> Reporter: SARA JANE IS AN EXPERT ON WHERE TO SHOP, WHAT TO
WEAR, AND WHERE TO BE SEEN. AT AN UP-MARKET ITALIAN
RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN SHANGHAI, SARA JANE SHARES HER
MICHELIN-STARRED MEAL WITH HER SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS.
>> TASTES SO GOOD. GOES WITH ROSE WINE.
SEA URCHIN TACO. >> Reporter: LUNCH COSTS ABOUT
$400, THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF A MONTHLY MIDDLE-INCOME SALARY.
>> WHEN YOU MAKE SO MUCH MONEY IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME,
IT ACTUALLY PLACES A LOT OF PRESSURE ON AN INDIVIDUAL.
THERE'S NO OLD MONEY IN CHINA BECAUSE OF HISTORICAL REASONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE VERY POOR, I MEAN EVERYBODY WAS VERY POOR,
UP UNTIL THE 90s. >> Reporter: ACCUMULATING WEALTH
IN COMMUNIST CHINA WAS ONCE CONSIDERED COUNTER
REVOLUTIONARY. MAO ZEDONG CAME TO POWER IN 1949
VOWING TO ELIMINATE CLASS AND ABOLISH CAPITALISM.
AFFLUENT FAMILIES LOST THEIR WEALTH AND MANY LOST THEIR LIVES
AS MAO PURSUED HIS UTOPIAN VISION OF COMMUNISM.
THAT VISION RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF TENS OF MILLIONS FROM
FAMINE, AND LEFT ALMOST 90% OF THE POPULATION LIVING IN EXTREME
POVERTY. THAT ALL CHANGED IN THE 1980s,
WHEN LEADER DENG XIAOPING LOOSENED STATE CONTROL OVER
CHINA'S ECONOMY AND PERMITTED PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, REFORMS
WHICH WOULD TURN THE COUNTRY INTO THE WORLD'S SECOND LARGEST
ECONOMY. 40 YEARS LATER, CHINESE CITIES
HAVE BECOME SHOPPING MECCAS CATERING TO CHINA'S RAPIDLY
EXPANDING MIDDLE-CLASS, AND UPPER CLASS.
CHINESE CONSUMERS MAKE UP A THIRD OF THE $1.3 TRILLION
GLOBAL LUXURY MARKET. AND LUXURY SPENDING IS EXPECTED
TO GROW BY OVER 10% THIS YEAR. IT'S A TREND TAO LIANG HAS IN
THE BAG. THE 26-YEAR-OLD IS KNOWN AS "MR.
BAGS," AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP ONLINE
INFLUENCERS. HE HAS MILLIONS OF LOYAL FANS
WHO HANG ON HIS EVERY RECOMMENDATION.
DURING AN ONLINE CAMPAIGN LAST YEAR, HIS COMPANY SOLD HALF A
MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF BAGS IN JUST SIX MINUTES.
>> DEFINITELY SOME CHINESE GIRLS BUY BAGS BECAUSE THEY WANT BIG
BRANDS, THEY WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THEY'RE RICH, THEY WANT PEOPLE
TO KNOW THEY'RE TASTEFUL. BUT NOWADAYS, I THINK A LOT OF
CHINESE WOMEN WHEN THEY BUY BAGS THEY REALLY BUY BAGS BECAUSE
THEY WANT TO PURSUE HAPPINESS. >> Reporter: INTERNATIONAL
BRANDS ARE WORKING HARD TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HAPPINESS AND
HANDBAG COLLECTIONS OF CHINESE CONSUMERS.
BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT.
LAST NOVEMBER, DOLCE AND GABBANA STOKED FURY AFTER RELEASING THIS
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN IN CHINA. CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA USERS
ACCUSED THE BRAND OF REINFORCING RACIST STEREOTYPES.
CONSUMER BACKLASH RESULTED IN DOLCE AND GABBANA BEING BANNED
FROM CHINESE ONLINE RETAILERS. LAST MONTH VERSACE, GIVENCHY AND
COACH ISSUED APOLOGIES AFTER PRINTING T-SHIRTS DESCRIBING
HONG KONG AND TAIWAN AS SEPARATE FROM CHINA.
FALL OUTS WITH FOREIGN FASHION LABELS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE
POWER OF CHINA'S INCREASINGLY WEALTHY POPULATION.
BUT BEING WEALTHY IN CHINA HAS ITS LIMITS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, BEING TOO RICH CAN
BE RISKY. CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING HAS
LAUNCHED AN ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN AND OVERSEEN
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE COUNTRY'S WEALTHIEST AND MOST
POWERFUL. MORE THAN 100,000 HAVE BEEN
JAILED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT AND BRIBERY, OTHERS FIRED FOR
THROWING LAVISH PARTIES AND INDULGING IN EXPENSIVE LIQUOR.
OSTENTATIOUS WEALTH IS REGULARLY DENOUNCED ON STATE MEDIA AND
PRIMETIME TV. THE HIT TELEVISION SHOW "FATHER
WHERE ARE WE GOING?," WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF ITS
PORTRAYAL OF SPOILED SECOND GENERATION RICH CHILDREN.
COMMENTATOR AND ACADEMIC ZHU DAKE SAYS IT'S IN THE
GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST TO REIGN IN "CRAZY RICH" BEHAVIOR.
>> (\translated\): THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT KNOWS THAT IF RICH
PEOPLE SHOW OFF THEIR WEALTH TOO MUCH, IT WILL DEEPEN THE
IMPRESSION OF THE SOCIAL POLARIZATION BY ORDINARY PEOPLE.
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES RICH PEOPLE TO BE LOW-KEY, AND
POOR PEOPLE TO BE CONTENTED WITH THEIR LIFE.
THEN THE COUNTRY WOULD BE STABLE.
>> Reporter: CHINA'S ULTRA-WEALTHY MUST CLOSELY ALIGN
THEMSELVES WITH THE GOVERNMENT. JACK MA, A TECH TYCOON WITH AN
ESTIMATED $40 BILLION FORTUNE, IS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST
PARTY. >> I LIKE-- I FEEL PROUD, FOR
WHAT PRESIDENT XI SAID YESTERDAY.
>> Reporter: MOVIE STAR JACKIE CHAN ROUTINELY DEFENDS BEIJING,
AND ATTACKS INTERNATIONAL CRITICS.
LAST MONTH, THE HONG KONG RESIDENT DESCRIBED PRO-DEMOCRACY
PROTESTS IN THE CITY AS "SAD AND DEPRESSING," AND CALLED HIMSELF
A PROTECTOR OF THE CHINESE FLAG. >> (\translated\): YOU MUST
FIRSTLY BE ON THE SAME SIDE AS THE GOVERNMENT, SO THE
GOVERNMENT CAN FEEL THEY MADE YOU SUCCESSFUL.
ALL OF THE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE SHOULD STAND ON THE SAME SIDE
WITH THE GOVERNMENT. IF YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THEM, THEY
WILL MAKE YOU UNSUCCESSFUL. >> Reporter: THE GOVERNMENT HAS
VOWED TO ERADICATE POVERTY BY 2020, SAYING IT'S LIFTED 83
MILLION RURAL POOR OUT OF POVERTY OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS.
BUT ACCORDING TO THE WORLD BANK, MANY MORE REMAIN BEHIND.
27% OF THE COUNTRY'S POPULATION, 500 MILLION PEOPLE, CONTINUE TO
LIVE ON LESS THAN $5.50 A DAY. AND WHILE SOME STRUGGLE TO PUT A
ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD, OTHERS BUILD ROOFS, FOR THEIR DOGS.
ZHOU TIANXIAO SPENT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS ON A PET
PARADISE FOR HIS BORDER COLLIE SYLAR.
COMPLETE WITH A TRAINING GYM, A DOG-THEMED PARTY SPACE, AND AN
INDOOR DOGGIE POOL. ZHAO TIANXIAO GREW HIS FORTUNE
SELLING PET PRODUCTS ONLINE. HE SHOWED US A WALL DECORATED
WITH PHOTOS OF HIS BEST FRIEND WHO HE CREDITS WITH LIFTING HIM
OUT OF DEPRESSION. >> (\translated\): IT'S LIKE
RAISING A CHILD. I HAVE DEEP AFFECTION FOR MY
DOG, I RARELY TAKE PHOTOS OF MYSELF.
WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME, HOW SHOULD I INTRODUCE YOU, I SAY "CALL ME
SYLAR'S DAD." HE'S INTEGRATED INTO EVERY PART
OF MY LIFE. >> Reporter: IN CHINA, THE
RICHEST 1% OWN A THIRD OF THE COUNTRY'S WEALTH.
ZHOU SAYS HE'S BOMBARDED ONLINE BY CRITICS WHO QUESTION HIS
CHOICE TO SPLURGE ON A DOG WHILE MILLIONS MUST FIGHT TO SURVIVE.
BUT THE ONLY OPINION HE CARES ABOUT IS SYLAR'S.
>> (\translated\): HE NEVER CARES ABOUT WHO YOU ARE OR YOUR
SOCIAL STATUS. PEOPLE THINK I'M SOME
SILVER-SPOON KID WASTING MY PARENT'S MONEY BY GIVING MY DOG
A LIFE OF LUXURY. THAT'S NOT TRUE.
I'VE WORKED HARD AND EXPERIENCED CHALLENGES.
>> Reporter: AND AS THE GAP BETWEEN CHINA'S RICH AND POOR
CONTINUES TO GROW ZHOU REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR HIS LIFESTYLE.
>> (\translated\): IT'S NORMAL TO BE CRITICIZED, I DON'T CARE.
PART OF THE MONEY YOU EARN PAYS FOR THE CRITICISM YOU BEAR.
MY MIND IS AT PEACE. >> Reporter: IN CHINA, IT SEEMS
THERE'S VERY LITTLE MONEY CAN'T BUY.
FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR, I'M KATRINA YU, IN BEIJING.
These are all children and relatives of the chinese communist party.
Duh, it's where Whiterose and the Dark Army are headquartered.
Slavery produces profits. Hey everybody
All party high ranking officers I assume.
Communist by name only.
Communism or Neo Feudal Autocracy?
Of course they have the most billionaires they have 18 % of the world's population. So they have the most of pretty much everything. Except freedom and privacy.
If your country has billionaires but also has people without shoes who do nothing but farm 16 hours a day to feed the cities?
Guess what, Marx isn't a fan and you aren't Communist. It's an economic model and you're basically doing none of it in practice.
When things devolve into single party totalitarian rule, then THAT is what you are. Nazi Germany, USSR, DPRK, and China. That is what they are/were.
This is why pro-China (meaning pro-CCP) "communists" and leftists are so unbelievable. They go on and on about how greedy and evil American billionaire class is, but when it's about obscenely wealthy people in China, it's suddenly something else. Pro-China left does some amazing mental gymnastics to prove how China is the success story of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. And they eat every piece of Chinese propaganda, no matter how obvious it is. They are so willing to lick boot of any Chinese cop.
They really seem to think that the "dictatorship of the proletariat" means the rule Chinese billionaires. I am myself a left-wing anarchist and it makes me ashamed that in Reddit some of the most visible "leftist" subs are ruled by Chinese bots or/and "useful idiots" calling themselves Marxist-Leninists (although they don't obviously have any idea what Marx or Lenin wrote). The ideal outcome of socialism is not a corrupt, one-party state ruled by billionaires. China is not communist. Even a shortest textbook-definition of communism proves it. Just because they call themselves communist doesn't mean that they are it.
Oligarchy or fascism are better terms to depict what is going on in China.