Yeah, China is actually a country with 15K GDP, and it is like other countries with 15K GDP in wealth distribution.
But due to its cheap prices, purchasing power is equivalent of 32K in the USA.
It has costal region that is at 20K+ GDP nominal (much higher PPP) and hosts closer to 40% people of 1400 million live there, but most advanced education and job opportunities available to them.
China also has 113 cities with more than 1M people; and closer to 500M people live in these cities (nearly 50% more than total USA population) - where there are fast trains, ample electricity and water and education. Most of these cities are manufacturing or technology centers and typical urban facilities great malls, restaurants and parks etc.
It is fact their Infra and Education is world class. They produce quality STEM talent similar in quantity to total western alliance combined.
Their manufacturing clusters are dense. The spawn innovations possible only due to close proximity. Read "What Shenzhen knows". You can not wish China away.
Do not derive false comfort in the fact that some areas are not at high income country level. Every region will get by 2040-2045.