Why the world is fixated on modern China

Global media coverage of the ongoing two sessions in Beijing has taken my mind back to the pre-internet era of the early 1980s.

Back then, studious high school students in India, where I come from, used to glean "general knowledge" from the mass media, trivia books and almanacs. The goal was to become well-informed as well as win prizes in interschool quiz and debate competitions.

We enjoyed memorizing trivia. From a "Third World" perspective, the West seemed fascinating - and learning more about it was considered natural, even expected. So: What's the capital of the United States? Washington. What's the currency of the United Kingdom? Pound sterling. What's the lower house of the British parliament called? The House of Commons. Where's it located? Westminster.