Nostalgia is a funny thing. Some of the veteran expats I meet yearn for the good old days when the spidery network of hutong in Beijing defined the capital city. They like to tell of the time long ago when a kebab cost a few fen rather a couple of yuan, and they get all misty-eyed at the thought of people riding around on bicycles rather than in cars.

Meanwhile, locals are busy moving into towering apartments, and while they don't like inflation, they aren't going to complain if their wages keep up with or even exceed the upward spiral of prices. Bicycles are no longer a precondition of marriage, but a new house and SUV are.

It would appear that while some Westerners want China to stay the same, the Chinese themselves are welcoming the future with open arms and a few swipes on their Made in China iPad.