Democracy in China by 2017

Few countries with per head incomes of more than $10,000 a year survives as autocratic/authoritarian/totalitarian nations except for oil exporters. Charles Robertson of Renaissance Capital boldly predicts China could be a democracy by 2017:

China, on about $7,500 and growing fast, is approaching the income level when democratic change often begins. There are powerful arguments about why both countries might be permanent exceptions to the democracy rule.