Impressions of Milan: How far are we from a modern, good life?

Modernization as a national storyline

China’s dominant narrative for decades has been catch-up modernization — to look and live like developed countries. Deng Xiaoping’s quip that China’s technology in 1979 was roughly “1950s-level” in the West set the tone: modernization is a process of closing gaps. Beijing’s stated benchmarks — notably the goal to “basically achieve socialist modernization” by 2035, with per‑capita GDP reaching middle‑developed country levels — make the metric clear. By headline numbers the gaps remain large: it has been reported that 2025 U.S. nominal per‑capita GDP will be roughly $90,000, while Italy’s 2024 per‑capita GDP was about $40,226 versus China’s roughly $13,303. But do those macro figures map onto everyday life?

Milan through a Chinese guide’s eyes

A Chinese guide from Changzhou (常州) who studied and lived in Italy for years offered a ground‑level counterpoint during a recent trip to Milan. She described a city of grand history and high fashion — Duomo, La Scala, Prada and Armani headquarters — yet one where many ordinary incomes are modest: typical take‑home pay often runs €1,500–2,200 a month, some service jobs pay €1,200–1,500, and even middle managers’ net pay can look small after taxes and high housing costs. Milan’s average declared income is higher than many Italian cities, but the guide highlighted slow job turnover, youth difficulty finding stable employment, and rising living costs — exacerbated, she said, by energy price shocks tied to the Russia‑Ukraine war. She also noted practical signs of globalization: hotels creating China‑facing roles where basic Chinese fluency is a hireable skill, and young Italians trying influencer work on platforms like TikTok — it has been reported that past EU trials of in‑app storefronts stumbled on logistics and cost, limiting monetization.

Metrics versus lived experience

What emerges is a familiar tension for Chinese readers: metrics say Shanghai (上海), Beijing (北京), Shenzhen (深圳) and other coastal cities are catching up, and many young Chinese reportedly feel life in China’s biggest cities rivals Western counterparts. Yet Milan’s case shows that high per‑capita GDP or cultural prestige do not erase job precarity, housing pressure, intergenerational dependency or regional malaise — problems also visible in parts of China. Geopolitics matters too: energy and supply shocks from the Russia‑Ukraine conflict, and broader trade and sanctions dynamics, reverberate through costs and industrial prospects on both sides. So how far are we from a “modern, good life”? The answer depends on which yardstick you choose — national GDP or the textures of daily life — and on whether policy focuses on aggregate wealth or the distribution and stability that shape people’s everyday modernity.