Kakugo,
The “ghost societies” you talk about have actually become "ghost cities’. China’s infrastructure policies have pumped billions into building massive skyscrapes that no one is occupying. China consumes somewhere in the area of 50% of the world’s steel output, and most of that is probably malinvested in “ghost city” projects.
And one quick thing about the Special Economic Zones, in particular cities like Beijing and Shangai; pictures like the one you posted are very misleading. While those aerial shots are nice at showing the impressive and beautiful architecture of China’s cities, what they don’t show you are the one-room shacks made of cardboard and tin that many people live in in those cities. Things are certainly looking up standard-of-living wise for those Chinese lucky enough to live in an SEZ, but the average person living in an SEZ isn’t nearly as wealthy as the average person living in America or Canada.
This is completely off-topic, but I’m learning Chinese and I went to Beijing for two weeks last summer and plan to go back again this summer. I’d definitely recommend visiting the country at least once, and learning the language if you have the time. That’s my little promo for China.
Brian,
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them.