A disproportionate imbalance

Who would win the battle between China and India? An interesting proposition to explore

Who would win if Dumbledore took on Gandalf in a magical duel? Some Youtube channels promote fantasy fights like this. Someone dreams up the contest, puts down relevant data — for example, Dumbledore uses a wand while Gandalf uses a staff — and asks viewers to pick a winner.

It might be interesting to try this format, for India versus China. Start with the history. Circa 1962, the two nations were at approximately the same level of development. Per capita income and GDP were much the same. At that time, India spent less on defence than China, both in nominal