Survey last year found that nearly 80 per cent of consumers in China’s third- and fourth-tier cities were optimistic about the economy

While county shopping centres might not stock Dyson vacuum cleaners and hairdryers, they have already become part of daily life in households in urban counties thanks to China’s ubiquitous e-commerce networks.

Driving Teslas and eating expensive cherries imported from South America, the expanding middle class in smaller cities and towns is fuelling China’s next wave of consumption.

Your personal data will be processed and information from your device (cookies, unique identifiers, and other device data) may be stored by, accessed by and shared with 88 TCF vendor(s) and 20 ad partner(s), or used specifically by this site or app.

Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in the site menu to manage or withdraw consent in privacy and cookie settings.