Diversity is China. Major eastern cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Guangzhou - look like or surpass those found in the advanced frontier economies. And in many areas provide better services - think of the crap public transport in major cities of the USA. But a few hours by car can take you 20-30 years back in time. Guizhou has an average level of schooling of 7 or so years, compared to Beijing or Shanghai with about 12 years; in 2010 the workforce had an average schooling level of 8.8 years, equivalent to Japan in 1960. When people talk of China becoming the leading economy remember 70% of the workforce are in effect high school drop outs, they have not completed high school and may have barely managed to get out of middle school.