Passage
Despite meeting for more than two hours, foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi don’t seem to have made much progress in finding a resolution to the border standoff in eastern Ladakh. A five-point joint press statement issued at the end of the meeting was quite uninspiring in that it called for further talks at the military and diplomatic levels, promised to abide by all existing agreements and protocols on the border issue, and committed to create conditions for disengagement. In other words, China has neither agreed to pull back immediately nor committed to restore the status quo ante at the border.
Which means that Indian troops most likely have to stay deployed in the forward areas throughout the harsh winter. With no easy solutions in sight to China’s aggressive territorial claims, India needs to be prepared for the long haul. It has to recognize that it is now in the midst of a complex strategic tussle with China where Beijing is seeking to wear New Delhi down through its economic and diplomatic heft. The only way to counter this is through tie-ups with likeminded countries.
In this regard, it is welcome that India has now inked a reciprocal military logistics pact with Japan which will allow them to support each other’s warships and aircraft. India and Japan geographically bracket the key segment of the Indo-Pacific. Therefore, their mutual cooperation is essential for the success of the Quad and other initiatives to ensure freedom of navigation and over flight, as well as push back against China’s hegemonic designs in the region. China presents a serious strategic-security challenge for the whole of East Asia. All regional stakeholders must come together to form an effective counterweight to an expansionist Beijing.
(Extracted from “Jaishankar Wang Meet” The Times Of India, September 11, 2020)
Questions
1. What can we infer from the above passage?
a) India and china issue will resolve immediately
b) India and china are currently having friendly relations
c) India and china issue will take time to resolve
d) None of the above
Ans c)
Rationale– After reading the passage one can easily get an idea that china and India issue is a long term matter which will take time to resolve.
2. After the foreign minister meet what can we conclude?
a) The meeting provided a quick solution
b) The meeting proved a major success
c) Disengagement of the military will start immediately
d) China has neither agreed to pull back immediately nor committed to restore the status quo ante at the border.
Ans d)
Rationale A five-point joint press statement issued at the end of the meeting was quite uninspiring in that it called for further talks at the military and diplomatic levels, promised to abide by all existing agreements and protocols on the border issue, and committed to create conditions for disengagement. In other words, China has neither agreed to pull back immediately nor committed to restore the status quo ante at the border.
3. What’s the best possible solution the author provides in the above passage to counter Chinese economic and diplomatic heft?
a) India and china must pair together
b) India and north korea must come forward
c) India should stand still
d) India should tie up with likeminded countries
Ans d)
Rationale: India has to recognize that it is now in the midst of a complex strategic tussle with China where Beijing is seeking to wear New Delhi down through its economic and diplomatic heft. The only way to counter this is through tie-ups with likeminded countries.
4. Which of the following can’t be concluded from the above passage?
a) China’s hegemony has been increasing in the region
b) Forming a quad is the only solution for India
c) India must tie up with countries like Japan
d) All of the above are true
Ans b)
Rationeale: Though forming Quad is one of the solutions to counter China , it is not the ‘only’ solution available for India
5. Which of the following expresses the main point of the passage?
a) India and china should come together and cooperate in defense areas
b) Indo-china issue is a long term matter and china is increasing its hegemony in the region, so India should pair with likeminded countries to counter china
c) Japan and India are not friends
d) China has been shown as a weak country in the above passage
Ans b)
Rationale-When we summarize the above passage we only get solution (b)
