According to legend, silk was discovered when the ancient Chinese empress Leizu was sitting in her garden drinking afternoon tea. A silkworm cocoon fell in her cup and unravelled, revealing a long thread of luxuriously soft silk which could stretch across the entire perimeter of her garden.

But Leizu, wanting to protect the silkworms, kept the secret to herself. Only royals were allowed to wear the new silk clothing, so it stayed among a very small circle, passing hand to hand, until one piece found its way to ancient Rome. When the rest of the world discovered this fine material, it became a highly sought-after luxury good and the Silk Road was named in its honour.

Nowadays, China's approach could not be more different. Rather than hiding its successes from the world, modern China has invested in projects on every continent and has long been viewed as an economic frontrunner, soon to overtake the US as the biggest economy in the world.

But now experts are doing a double take. Amid scrambling attempts to stave off a demographicThe qualities (e.g. age, sex, income) of a specific group of people or population. crisis in China, figures have revealed a drop in the country's population for the first time since 1961.¹

It is a worst case scenario for officials, who have invested heavily in subsidiesMoney given by the state or another body to help keep prices low. and tax breaks for would-be parents. A demographic imbalance such as this means that China's working-age population will decline in the coming decades, making it harder to support the larger proportion of senior citizens who require care and government support. It could stunt growth indefinitely.

It is bad news for China, but some economists think it could open up a vacuum in the global economy, paving the way for a new superpower.

Some claim it could be India, which is due to overtake China soon as the most populous country on Earth, with 86,000 babies born every day compared to China's 49,400. But only one in four of India's graduates are employed, with a staggering youth unemployment rate of 23%.

Others are convinced that African countries will take the reins. Africa has been described as the world's second fastest-growing region. Its population of 1.1 billion will double by 2050, with much of its growth taking place in rapidly developing urban centres. Some are calling it the "fourth industrial revolution".

There are barriers. A huge proportion of Africans live below the poverty line. Economic growth is held back by a lack of infrastructure, corruptionWhen someone abuses their power for personal gain. It often involves bribery. and high unemployment.

But here, too, China is playing a role. China is not only Africa's biggest economic partner, its trade with the continent topping $200bn (£162bn) annually, but also its biggest investor: Chinese investment is responsible for 40% of Africa's infrastructure boom.²

Some are optimistic about China's experienced hand on Africa's shoulder, stating that the kind of infrastructure-based growth that the former enjoyed in the 1990s is exactly what Africa needs now. Others warn that Africa could become "debt trapped", its economic winnings being syphoned off to China before Africans can enjoy the gains.

Yes: Although development across the continent is uneven, Africa is clearly experiencing a huge boom, with rising populations, productivity, and household consumption. Soon there will be nothing to hold Africa back.

No: China is not supporting Africa out of the goodness of its heart. As soon as Africa starts to take off, it will start calling in its debts, and will take a large proportion of Africa's growth for itself.

Or... India will be the next superpower, not Africa. It is soon to have the world's largest population, and some experts think it could have the third biggest economy by 2030.