Race to the Top: China vs India

Race to the Top: China v. India

Introduction

In the mid 1940’s China and India received a second chance to revive their Golden Ages of the past. Both countries saw the rise of new governments; India’s came after the end of colonization and China’s began after civil war. The first goal on both agendas of these countries was to grow their economies and population. Since this rebirth both countries have had incredible progression, which is evident by the latest rankings of countries by GDP. With China at #2 and India at #9, they have broken into the top ten and many predict this growth to continue for years to come. However, there are a few barricades standing in the way of success for these countries. China’s depletion of its natural resources and India’s widespread poverty consuming over half of the country are surely speed bumps along their path to reach the top. It is important that these two economic powerhouses find a way to mend these flaws or their outlook will look a lot less bright.

India: 1930 - Present Day

After World War I, India became under the control of British rule. Many Indians were repressed by the colonization efforts and very little growth occurred. During the 1930’s India made a push to gain its independence through non-violent movements led by Mohandas Gandhi. India joined the fight of WWII by declaring war on Nazi Germany in 1939. It would not be until after the Second World War that India regained its independence from the Brits in 1947. Finally in 1950, India established its independence by completing the constitution and implementing its Federal Parliamentary Constitutional Republic. India established itself through several wars, playing a leading role in the decolonization of other countries, and maintaining strong relationships with Russia and France. They have developed nuclear weapons with a “no first use” clause in place and are 6th in the world regarding nuclear weapon states. Since the end of the Cold War,...