The China Model

摘要

On a steamy saturday after-noon just outside Shanghai, Zhang Yi is in a blessedly cool General Motors showroom, kicking the tires of the company's newer models. He's not there to beat the heat. He drives a small Volkswagen and wants to upgrade. A middle manager at a state-owned steel company, Zhang has no worries about his job or China's economy. "Things are still pretty good. I have no problem now affording one of these," he says, nodding toward the array of gleaming new Buicks nearby.