Who cares about the Chinese: when you have...

...the Indian's to be friends with?

Luke Johnson, Chairman of Channel4 and former Pizza Express guru has written one of his brilliant columns in the The Sunday Telegraph again today, entitled: "India will out pace China - in the long term"

I have always thought that India was the real star of the rising nations, and as Johnson points out the key issues:

India is the world's largest democracy - where as China is a totalitarian state, how ever many Ferrari's/Rollers they sell

India enjoys the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a framework of established property rights - the basics of a capitalist economy. Where as, who really own's anything in China except the State or the Army?

India is younger and its population is growing faster than China's. Almost 70 per cent of its population is under 35 - where as China faces the same problems as the West, with more of it's population over 50 than under 20

Johnson goes on to point out the number of Indian's who have travelled abroad and become financially independent, where these people are (there are more Indian's in Silicon Valley than American's!!), the fast expanding free media, and most importantly - the fact that, as the world has globalised in an American lead economy, they hold the key card: English is the main secondary language, and the choice of those who want to develop themselves.

True, India has problems - the key being the lack of investment in infra-structure of transport, utilities, and health care. But compared to becoming democratic, like China has: hey, those are minimal!

I have nothing but admiration for China - but I believe, like Johnson, that Indian will win out to become leader of the twenty first century: no contest.