For the last few weeks, Chinese leaders and US politicians have been addressing their chief domestic audiences. The main difference is that while the Americans see their middle class as an endangered species, Chinese leaders see them as saviours of the nation.
Last week the Communist Party journal Qiushi published a commentary by Vice-Premier Li Keqiang , widely expected to become China's premier next year. In it, Li stressed the need for China to enlarge its share of 'middle-income earners'.
The phrase 'middle class' is still something of a heresy to the old school of Marxism-Leninism, so official documents and propaganda use the easy replacement of 'middle-income earners'. And, implicitly, whether the middle class constitutes a social stratum is not an issue officials want to discuss now.
They prefer to treat it as an economic issue, as does Li. He calls for officials to be more aware of the importance of consumption - whether to help tide China over its present difficulties or to boost its long-term economic health.