Summary of the Key Points
This article compares the development paths of China and India, pointing out that the current negative perception of India in Chinese public opinion is somewhat biased. China and India once started as similar “poor friends,” with China narrowing the gap through reform and opening up. However, India is now accelerating its progress. The ridicule of Indian “bad habits” (such as cleanliness issues and weak rule-of-law awareness) reflects a forgetfulness of China’s own past problems. We should view India objectively, as this also serves as a reflection on our own development.
I. Public Opinion towards India: From Rational Comparison to Complete Denial
Initially, discussions about India were relatively rational. For example, there were mentions of the large number of Indian executives in Silicon Valley compared to Chinese workers in lower-tier positions, and there was some reflection on the different levels of community cohesion between the two countries. However, the tone shifted dramatically when videos emerged showing Indians defecating on Canadian beaches, removing their shoes while sitting on the ground in China, and using wheelchairs at airports for free services. Combined with bloggers’ complaints about the dirty and chaotic conditions in India, public opinion turned to complete mockery, labeling India as a “hell on earth.” Even bloggers who tried to present a clean side of India were criticized. Negative experiences in business cooperation further deepened these negative impressions.
II. China and India in the Past: Similar “Poor Friends”
In the 1980s, both countries were established around the same time with similar economic levels. In 1982, China’s GDP was slightly higher than India’s (205 billion vs 200.7 billion US dollars), but India had a higher per capita GDP (278 USD vs 236 USD), and its urbanization rate was also ahead (24% vs 21%). More importantly, many of the issues currently criticized in India were also present in China: for instance, the Italian singer Pavarotti brought 1,500 bottles of mineral water when visiting China in 1986 due to concerns about water safety; the Suzhou River in Shanghai was so polluted in the 1990s that it was almost unbearable; and toilets in western Sichuan provinces had frozen feces over a meter high. These details show that we were once just as “poor and chaotic” as India.
III. Different Paths: China Narrowed the Gap through Reform and Opening Up
Although the two countries were similar in the early 1980s, China’s growth rate began to exceed India’s (9% vs 3.5%). By 1992, when China established a market economy and joined the WTO in 2000, the gap widened significantly:
- In 2000, China’s GDP was 2.3 times that of India, and its per capita GDP nearly doubled.
- China became the “world’s factory,” with improving infrastructure (highways, high-speed railways, power grids), while India struggled with power shortages and underdeveloped infrastructure.
The key factor is that there can only be one “world’s factory,” and China seized this position first, making it difficult for India to catch up.
IV. India is Accelerating Its Pursuit: The Gap is Narrowing
In recent years, India’s growth rate has surpassed China’s (5.5% vs 7.5%). This is reflected in the data:
- The ratio of China’s GDP to India’s has decreased from 5.5 to 4.6 times.
- The ratio of per capita GDP has also decreased from 5.5 to 4.8 times.
Although India still faces many challenges (poor infrastructure, poor business environment, inefficient administration), these are problems that China has overcome in the past. If China could do it in 20 years, why can’t India do it in 50?
V. Reflection: Mocking India is a Forgetfulness of Our Own Past
The article concludes by pointing out that ancient Indian culture (such as Buddhism) has had a profound influence on China, with terms like “kshana” (moment) and “samsara” (destiny) originating from Sanskrit. Modern China and India are like mirrors of each other. Our current mockery of India is similar to the attitude of newly wealthy individuals looking down on their poorer peers—forgetting the dirt we once had on our own legs. What we should really focus on is that India is catching up, and we need to remain sober, rather than using prejudice to avoid reflection.
The purpose of this article is not to “whitewash” India’s image but to remind us that development is a process. We should not use our current advantages to deny others’ past and future, nor should we forget the path we have traveled ourselves.