The rise of China’s middle class is a compelling embodiment of the vision of common prosperity and the Chinese path to modernization. Today’s Chinese middle class combines forward-leaning economic dynamism, strong patriotism, and a broad global outlook. At the same time, they offer independent and keen assessments of globalization, the waning of Western hegemony, and the turbulence in U.S.–China relations, and they possess the capacity to deliver frank, direct counsel. The rapid and explosive growth of China’s middle class will drive domestic development and directly shape China’s external posture.

As China’s modern “gateway” to the outside world, a “bridge” between East and West, the “locomotive” of the Yangtze River Delta’s economic development, and a “key” to understanding the drivers of China’s rise, Shanghai plays an indispensable, pathbreaking role. To understand Shanghai is essential to understanding contemporary China.

Drawing on social, economic, academic, and artistic perspectives, Professor Li Cheng introduces and analyzes the lived realities of China’s middle class, represented by the middle class in Shanghai. Grounded in extensive data analysis and surveys, the book takes a sober view of China’s rise and development, focusing on the dual lenses of “middle class” and “Shanghai,” and situates the discussion within the broader context of current U.S.–China relations and the evolving landscape of globalization.