SM,

You have a lot to say about China, but nothing about India, which has an even bigger problem. As my Old Man would say; "I'd rather be the average Chinaman, than the average Indian." That was 50 years ago, but it still applies today.

I agree, in their headlong race to embrace sudo-capitalism, combined with authoritarianism, I don't call it Communism, China has made many mistakes. Overall they are better off, but a small minority of elites have gained disproportionately at the expense of the majority. China, like the West have realised that without the creation of a substantive middle class there is nothing to be gained for the majority from increased national wealth.

The earth is not overpopulated, a minority of us take up too much room. In any case, birth rates are mostly high in places with a low footprint on the earth, as a form of retirement insurance. In the west, birth rates are plummetting.

Anyone who wants to make a stand on the issue of 'world overpopulation',
- Can put their beliefs where their mouth is and volunteer to demonstrate suicide booths.

Don't wait, DO IT NOW!

When the world does start to reduce in population due to lower birth-rates
More and more of the worlds wealth will continue to fall into the hands of the few, not the many.

Paul,

You keep raising India as a foil to China as if by comparison this will wipe clean all the problems that China has.

India has many problems of which corruption is a major one. However, what we can say about India is that it hasn't been threatening its neighbours, trying to annex the territory of other countries, oppressing and persecuting its citizens or using trade to punish countries it doesn't like. India's economy is also now growing faster than China's, it has a far younger population which now equals China's. It has a working democracy and a judiciary that is independent of the state or religion.

China as a semi-capitalist autocracy most closely resembles a fascist regime whose state meddling in the economy is the prime cause of all its present troubles.

SM,
"threatening its neighbours"

India has been involved in several wars since independence, mainly boarder wars with Pakistan and China. India joining with Australia, US and Japan in whats called the Quad, should be of great concern to its neighbours as America tries to instil its dominance in the region.