麻豆约拍

Justin Rowlatt goes in search of the elusive Chinese consumer - and finds him with a bucket full of beer bottles in bar in a picturesque mist-shrouded ancient town in Hunan province.

The consensus is that the country cannot rely on exports alone - it needs to tap into the buying power of its vast population. Dr Liu Qia, the deputy director for the China forecasting service at the Economist Intelligence Unit, highlights the challenges in getting the famously spendthrift Chinese to start shopping.

Plus, if a consumer-led revolution in China is just around the corner, it is still a great market for overseas investors to get into. So long as you know what you are doing. Our newest commentator, the Chinese American writer Eveline Chao, has some "how to" advice for the novice Western investor.