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Why Prefer China to India?

Why are so many people so very enthusiastic about the economic rise of China, but decidedly lukewarm about the economic potential of India? China is a repressive one-party state, constantly cracking down on dissent and limiting the ability of the Chinese to surf the web. There are certain areas under Chinese control, such as Hong Kong, where the ?one China, two systems? policy has made inroads, but for the most part China?s economic growth has not been matched by the growth of a civil, democratic society or government.

Contrast that with India, which is the world?s most populous democracy and which, according to some projections, will surpass China by 2015 as the world?s most populous nation. The major difference between the Chinese and Indian economies, other than the nature of their governments, is the fact that China has had a head start worth a couple of decades, while India only started its economic reforms and growth in the last decade of the 20th century.

India, while a democracy, during the years of the Cold War shared a warm relationship with the Soviet Union, and it has taken some time for Washington to warm up to New Delhi. Even so, with the help of the United States, India should be seen as the more preferable of the two (China and India) to reach economic greatness first. As for why some people prefer China to India, well?maybe Bollywood is to blame?