The rural-urban divide in China

This divide was frequently referenced during a discussion of China's internal politics on first half hour of Talk of the Nation on NPR today.

Here's a paragraph describing the hour-long conversation between host Neal Conan and Rob Gifford, China editor for The Economist:

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visited the United States last week, a few months before he is expected to take control of China behind current president Hu Jintao. Many considered his visit a test of his diplomatic abilities, but for some, the question of Xi's diplomatic performance was trumped by questions of internal Chinese politics — from human rights to technological development — and how the country will be governed in the future.

Gifford also made many references to class--especially the new middle class and the poor, specifically referring to the disenfranchisement of the latter in both rural and urban contexts. A link to the discussion is here.