Even though it's a foreign source and like all sources it needs to be taken with caution, the article will give you some details about your question.

As a "normal" expat, I can just say that the cost of life is increasing dramatically in China; at such a speed that sometimes I wonder how young people or young couple manage to deal with the current costs.....

Very simple, tour in China when you don't need to go the scenic spot, you go to the mountains u can understand.

The disparity is very large. The other thing about it is the amount those with money spend on the trappings of wealth like designer goods and foreign cars, while contributing nothing to help or having what apears to be little empathy for those who struggle. The government needs to find a way to tax the new rich much more effectively as they obviously have more money than they need and to distribute that money to social justice programs that assist the poor. If they dont solve this issue there will be unrest in the future.

One of the worst in the world...

Go to the upscale neighborhoods of Shanghai with its million dollar apartments and then go to the rural areas of Henan. You'd think you were in 2 different countries.

Well if you are a numbers person who goes by the stats then China and America pretty much have the same probably - moreso than any other two countries with two big exceptions... Because there are no oversight committees, budget reports published, or a GAO in China, we can never trust the government statistics to be anywhere close to accurate. Secondly while the 1-5% of the populations of each country has 98% of the wealth, the Chinese political leaders account for about 80% of that wealth whereas in America corporate America and the Banksters has the 80% and their Washington "sub-contractors" (some might say "puppets") are at about 20% - still a great commission for deceiving the public by any standard of measure.

It's pretty bad

If you read this article http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-china-toy-factories-2012-12?op=1 and then look around you to see all the Lexus', Mercedes etc on the streets of the bigger cities.  

The disparity between the coastal well-developed cities and the inland provinces is to say the least quite notorious.

Quite clearly the disparity is enormous but the situation is exacerbated by the extremely selfish "me,me,me" mentality of many of the people. Though some of the rich and super rich in China have so much money they cannot possibly need it, they just carry on unashamedly exploiting and cheating others, The poor fight endlessly to make enough money just to clothe, feed and educate their children whilst the so called elite in China remorselessly pursue wealth creation through both legal and grey channels.

This above everything else, will come back to kick to government up the backside big time because of the unsettling effect it will have on the Chinese population. When 20% of the population enjoy such a opulent lifestyle whilst 80% fight poverty, something has to give. When it does, the consequences are not going to be pleasant!

neat fact you can  eat old books if you dampen them, and you do not need to use water.

neat fact you can  eat old books if you dampen them, and you do not need to use water.