If India were bigger and st­ronger than China, ma­ny things would look different not only for India but also for the rest of the wo­r­ld. Some things might be be­tter and others worse. Ten ye­ars ago, when the new millennium started, China was the me­asure of all things. Today, the world is still fascinated by the economic miracles of the Middle Kingdom, but India has caught up. From Japan to Germany, bu­sinesses and in­ve­stors have begun to appreciate the real strengths of the Indian eco­nomy and society. Th­is is bor­ne out by economic data, which show, for exam­ple, that the gap in foreign di­r­ect investments between In­dia and China has narrowed.

But let us for the sake of ar­gument discuss the questi­on: What would have happened and what might happen, if India were bigger and stronger than China, econo­mically, financially and militarily. It has become fashionable to speculate about a new emerging world order, in wh­ich the US and China rule the roost. The G-2 is the face of things to come. What benefits would India have by be­ing a part of the G-2? The att­ention given to Delhi by all the influential political forces in Washington would be mu­ch greater than it is today. In­dia could stake its own geo­political interests in much st­ronger terms. Delhi could st­art marginalising Pakistan, as China has done with Taiwan, it could react on Kashmir as rigidly as China is reacting on anybody supporting the cause of Tibetans or Uighurs. Ba­rack Obama would be eager to be the chief guest on Re­public Day.

Economically, the Indian ru­pee would be in the focus of international currency ma­rkets as a potential future lead currency of the world. India would be the world’s lar­gest trading power and thereby exert ever more influence on inter­national insti­tutions such as the Inter­na­tional Monetary Fund, the World Bank and World Trade Organisation.

Indeed, as India, unlike Ch­ina, is such a diverse, ad­aptive society, Delhi could make its international presen­ce felt even more strongly th­an Beijing with its self-limiting focus on a sino-centric wo­r­ld. This would certainly be to the benefit of the world, which is rightly uneasy about some of the cultural and political implications of Chi­na’s rise to the top.

Then there is the issue of the UN Security Council. The world has been talking for a lo­ng time about increasing the number of permanent me­mbers in the Security Co­uncil. India, Japan, Brazil, Germany have been menti­oned as potential candidates. Some present members have made positive noises about such a possibility. In reality, nobody who belongs to this exclusive club wants its membership to be enlarged. Th­erefore, the issue can be considered a

red herring.

If India were bigger and stronger than China, the qu­es­tion would not arise. India would be a proud permanent member of the UN Security Council. But so what? Since the re-emergence of Asia, the UN has lost much of its significance. It is like the Bret­ton Woods institutions, which need a profound overhaul. The world of the 21st century is profoundly different from the world that had been sh­aped by the outcome of World War II and Cold War. An in­formal forum like the G-20 has gained importance, and In­dia is, of course, already an influential member of this body.

Closer home, if India was bigger and stronger than Ch­ina, its population would have significantly higher living st­an­dards, its GDP would be se­veral times bigger than what it is today. It would have im­pressive highways connecting major cities in the country. Mumbai would have the glittering skyline of Shanghai and Delhi would have the fabulous ring roads of Beijing. The country would be in the process of totally overhauling its railway network. The pros­pect that one day the journey time between Delhi and Mumbai could be reduced to four hours would not be far-fetched. Hundreds of millions of people would be lifted out of poverty.

Fairness demands, however, that one looks at the implications of all these “what ifs”. Many of China’s strengths — the fabulous infrastructure and material progress are en­viable. But one mustn’t forget that many Chinese achie­vements are built on foundati­ons and sacrifices that few in India would accept. Think of the gulags, think of the totalitarian one party state and all that it implies; think of the ruthless censorship and the ar­bitrary legal system. The Ch­inese miracle has extracted its price and is still de­manding a huge price.

And, in any case, there are areas in which India is al­ready stronger and bigger th­an China: Cultural diversity, freedom of expression, higher education and science and all the institutions that are the mark of a civil and civilised society? Here it is China that needs to catch up!

The writer is the Far East correspondent of Swiss daily Neue Zurcher Zeitung