Chinese man carries dog in designer purse in Beijing

A Chinese shopper texts on his smart phone as his dog sits in a large designer purse at an upscale, international shopping mall in Beijing on June 21, 2015. The explosive growth of China's middle class, a group which has mushroomed from just 4 percent in 2000 to 68 percent in 2012, is luring more and more foreign companies to establish bases, partnerships and joint-ventures in China. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI