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.


Yunnan appoints Hubei heavyweight as governor
发布者Point of the question is that I don't think being 'educated' is proof against gangsterism, nor do I think that being 'uneducated' is a requirement for it.
Yunnan appoints Hubei heavyweight as governor
发布者Gangsters, perhaps, but I'm not sure they're 'uneducated' - anybody know details on the education of such folks?.
Kunming trees and utilities still suffering from January cold
发布者Is Kunming currently still suffering from drought?
DJ DSK, in nod to hip-hop's roots, releases vinyl 7-inches
发布者My ignorance: what are the advantages of vinyl?
Fall from grace complete, Qiu He sentenced to prison
发布者When power is concentrated in the hands of a few, is it somehow surprising that many of the few become corrupt?