So did the non elites, of what they were able to see, which is why such a large emphasis was put on concealing the wealth of the commoner westerner. Something that is still huge in China. If the average Chinese person learns that even the poorest of the western world doesn't live in 10sq meter "apartment" and work 9-9/6 the party would lose control.
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese international students have been coming to the US every year for the past decade. I'm sure they've seen homelessness as well as the middle class lifestyle in the US. So far so good
