中國自中共實行改革開放以來，經濟得到了迅速的恢復和發展，從而使得中國成為世界第二大經濟體。這個客觀事實非常具有迷惑性，讓很多人誤以為中共對中國經濟的發展是有突出貢獻的，甚至還有人進一步得出「如果沒有中共今天的中國祇會和印度差不多」的結論，以呼應中共充滿邪教意味的宣傳口號，所謂「祇有共產黨才能救中國」。但是事實真的如此嗎？
要探討這個問題，就不得將中共掌權前後的中國拿出來與周邊國家橫向對比而非縱向對比，這樣才能排除時代和科技的因素，最為客觀地得出結論。當然，考慮到中國國土面積遼闊，各地發展差距較大的問題已經是成百上千年的歷史，若用整個大中國與周邊那些小國乃至城市去比較，確實不太公正。因此，為了公平起見，本文僅用中共掌權前和掌權後的今天都是總合來講經濟最為發達的上海一地來和其他國家或城市對比，儘量避免其他干擾因素。
中共掌權前的上海，特別是被日本佔領前的上海，到底是什麼樣子呢？中華民國大陸時期的上海是當之無愧的遠東第一大都市，有東方巴黎，十里洋場的美譽，是亞洲第一的金融和商貿中心，也是亞洲最國際化，最多元化的城市，在文化和藝術方面的成就更是世界前例。
紐約時報上登載的介紹上海歷史的文章是這樣描述那時的上海：
In its heyday, Shanghai was the place to be-- it had the best art, the greatest architecture, and the strongest business in Asia. With dance halls, brothels, glitzy restaurants, international clubs, and even a foreign-run racetrack, Shanghai was a city that catered to every whim of the rich. But poverty ran alongside opulence, and many of the lower-class Chinese provided the cheap labor that kept the city running. The Paris of the East became known as a place of vice and indulgence.
（大意：上海有亞洲最好的藝術，建築以及商業，還擁有舞廳，國際俱樂部，奢華的餐廳乃至賽馬場等一系列新潮的玩意。但同時，上海也有很多窮人，他們為上海提供者廉價的勞動以維持城市的運轉。）
擁有新加坡國立大學歷史學位的Ching Yee Lin也對那時上海的繁華有如下描述：
Standing at the crossroads of influences from the east and the west, Shanghai in the1930s was best remembered because of its vibrant nightlife. In this city that never slept, there were hundreds of cabarets, nightclubs, and elite ballrooms. Perhaps the most famous of all was The Paramount, an elite nightclub that attracted Shanghai's rich and famous. Built in1933, the Art Deco landmark was the biggest ballroom in the city situated at the iconic Bubbling Well Road. While its English name paid tribute to its colossal size, its transliterated name in Mandarin read as Bai Le Men, meaning Gateway to100 Pleasures.
In the spirit of innovation, inclusiveness, and commercialism, being Haipai included embracing new forms of Western-style consumerism and mass entertainment. Unlike their more conservative comrades in other parts of China, Shanghailanders were known to enjoy urban life and all that it had to offer. They frequented department stores, enjoyed reading novels and magazines, and reinvented traditional opera performances. Therefore, they became the main target audience of mass advertising.
上海更是在1908年就開通了第一條電車路線，而紐約的第一條地鐵開通也不過是1904年。在戰爭前夕，1937年的上海已經開通了多條市內電車路線，以滿足市民的日常出行。
作為當時亞洲第一的金融和商貿中心，上海更是早在1860年代就開始了股票交易，隨後在1891就有了股票經紀人協會。在幾十年的發展中，上海的金融市場可交易的品類繁多，在民國時期就已經可以交易股票，期貨，債券乃至外匯等。可惜的是，被中共統治了幾十年的中國人在幾十年後再次看到這些東西時，已經顯得非常驚訝和新奇。
