Chinese middle class growing will have little effect politically, any more than all the economic gains in Germany weakened the Nazis.
The only thing the Chinese people have been conditioned to respect is power. And an international boycott of the Olympics will severely weaken their perceived strength in the eyes of the people, and that’s what’s needed to bring down the regime.
Sure, a boycott will light some nationalism fuses, but the first thing that fire will want to burn is not foreigners, but the ineffective leadership that caused the nation to lose face.
That is now happening with the torch relay with all the protests.