More help for Chinese 'sandwiched' class

Chinese mainland urban residents who envy "goodies" in annual budgets in Hong Kong and Singapore may find comfort in the fact that the idea of greater financial assistance for the middle class is gaining traction in the nation's capital.

Since the two sessions began, a handful of delegates have suggested raising the lowest rung of the income-tax ladder from 3,500 yuan ($560) to 5,000 yuan, which is roughly the minimum monthly salary to consider oneself middle class.

The public responded with glee when Dong Mingzhu, a successful air-conditioner maker and National People's Congress deputy, called for a "Robin Hood" tax that would target the country's wealthy business owners, while offering a more generous tax break to employees.