I don't buy your definition of need and luxury, but I agree that words like 'need', 'desire', and 'want' should be defined a bit more clearly. Yeah, my use of the word 'need' is perhaps a bit vague, but these words are used in a vague sense all the time.
Let's just say that working to produce things you can't afford to buy annoys a lot of people.
I think the discussion has started off topic in that it's about materialism - consumerist-materialism, anyway - in China specifically and the discussion (that I guess I veered off into) is about the consumerist-materialist impulse in China specifically.
If you want to discuss the subject in general terms, by all means start a thread, I'll be happy to kick in my point of view.


Urban re-greening effort to include 37 new Kunming parks
发布者In 2017 I think it's become a questionable dream.
University in Yunnan requires students to run 240 kilometers for graduation
发布者Folks, it's just about running.
Urban re-greening effort to include 37 new Kunming parks
发布者Great plans, good idea, but US$1 billion is a lot of money. Important to think of priorities, not just in Kunming, but in Yunnan generally.
Forgotten Flying Tigers headquarters and barracks found in Kunming
发布者Think you might be right, Peter. Anyway, hope they don't make it into some kinda showy shiny Glorious Patriotic Chinese-American Friendship sort of thing. If they keep it real, as a museum, that's fine.
China cracks down on pyramid scheme "epidemic"
发布者Might be - it's big, anyway. Was present in Taiwan as early as 1992 or so, I had a couple friends who were into it.