But such things now seem quaint and of little value to today's Chinese, who have been financially empowered by China's opening-up and reform policies established in the late 1970s.

Living in a newly decorated three-bedroom apartment near the Asian Games Village in Beijing, Ding now has a 29-inch color TV, a DVD player, a hi-fi home-video unit and a piano, the dream combination for millions of families in today's China.

"Having the wherewithal to buy the latest commodities, a decent job, a stable income and a pleasant family life, this is my idea of the good life," said Ding in an interview yesterday.

Living a better-off life, or xiaokang in Chinese, has become a rallying inspiration for millions of Chinese urban householders, and is now spreading throughout the country with one-fifth of the world's population.

Gone are the days of more than two decades ago when urbanites had to stand in long queues, simply to buy a bit of pork, beef or rice to impress visiting guests or for special family celebrations.

All these staple foods were rationed, and could only be purchased with coupons issued by the State.

And all retail outlets were State-owned food suppliers, department stores and State-run markets.

Deng Guangzheng, a 70-year-old retired military officer in Beijing, said in an interview yesterday that demand ran away ahead of supply, and with all the prices fixed, there was little chance to haggle with the surly clerks.

"For me, the last 20 years have been really earth-shaking," said Deng. "Now if you have money, you can buy everything, yes, everything."

According to official statistics, there are 500,000 to 600,000 kinds of commercial goods available in the Chinese market, ranging through luxurious furniture, limousines, beverages and even condoms, with foreign and domestic brand names competing for a piece of the pie.

Analysts envision an increased flow of products now that China is a member of the World Trade Organization.

And the situation is now tipping in favor of the consumers.

Since 1997, consumer prices have been steadily dropping at an average rate of nearly 10 percent annually, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

As consumers increase their consumption leverage, their attitude toward consumption is also being reshaped.

Food and clothing, which were long the dominant focus of household spending, are now giving way to recreational expenditures for such things as travel, health care clubs, beauty salons, work-out programs, dancing classes, English learning and overseas study, to name just a few.

(China Daily November 6, 2002)