In the West, Europeans and Americans have dominated the world scene for so many centuries that they're uncomfortable with the notion of someone else claiming the throne of global hegemony.

Although India has long been tipped as the most likely threat to US academic supremacy, the study found it now lags well behind China.

There are moments – moments of crisis for the hegemonic discourse – when one should take the risk of provoking the disintegration of appearances.

To what extent it is capable of leveraging these powers to upend Western hegemony of technology is a truly fascinating question.

Of course, China disavows any desire for military supremacy or economic tribute, and perhaps it should be taken at its word.