In the land of the xiao zi

"Little capitalists."

That's the literal translation of a term describing people Westerners might call materialists. The "xiao zi" are the front-line generation in the Middle Kingdom's emerging affluent middle class: While their grandparents went through re-education and Mao's decade-long cultural revolution and their parents endured the brunt of post-1978 economic reforms and the 35 million layoffs they brought with them, people born in the past couple of decades have grown up in a China that's relatively wealthy, and with much more freedoms and access to global information than their parents and grandparents had.

In urban areas, and in Shanghai--the "head" of the economically reformed Chinese dragon--especially, these xiao zi seem to be increasingly prevalent. They see less of a need to conform to the conservative and often austere lifestyles of previous generations; mammon is supreme, but more important than that are the trappings that come with it: Starbucks becomes a status symbol of an emerging middle class that favours clothes and accessories emblazoned with eye-catching, sparkly brand names. They're hip and trendy and are both driving and benefitting hugely from China's superlative development (for now, at least).

The term can be an invective--one former Fudan student said it's used as fodder in an ongoing Beijing-Shanghai rivalry: Beijingers fling it dismissively at Shanghainese they see as too hedonistic, shallow or just economically oriented for their more politically focused sensibilities. But the xiao zi are emerging as an increasingly vocal group. Like most Chinese I've encountered, they won't protest or complain about the government openly until something it does (or fails to do) affects their lives directly. But this middle class has something to lose and feels entitled to stability, predictability and freedom to enjoy the wealth it has accumulated. The xiao zi may not be in the streets calling for an end to Party corruption and the right to vote for their government representatives, but they will protest a new high-tech rapid transit line running through their neighbourhood, just like disgruntled middle-class Canadians. And they aren't too pleased when it turns out the biggest powdered-milk producer in China has been selling melamine-tainted infant formula powder, leading to a massive recall allegedly covered up for months as two kids died and thousands got sick from the stuff.

But anyway.

I'm not sure if these xiao zi exist outside of China's urban centres; my guess is they do, but in smaller numbers and very different forms. But as China's economy grows there will be more of them, and they'll be making more demands on the government for things to which they feel entitled. And if the the Red Dragon's overheated economic growth loses some of its flame power and falters, you can bet the CCP will hear from the little capitalists riding its plumes.