A Strategic Encirclement
India’s political and security establishment needs a strategy in light of China’s naval expansion.
China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper reported last month that the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN’s) second aircraft carrier, referred to as “Type 001A” is nearing completion and that another carrier, dubbed “Type 002”, is also under construction. The Type 002 represents not only a much bigger class of ship but will incorporate modern design and operational features, including a catapult and early-warning aircraft. A senior Chinese official was quoted as saying: “China needs two carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific and two in the Indian Ocean. So we need at least five to six aircraft carriers.”
Other manifestations of China’s unfolding grand strategy abound. It has built runways and fortified seven artificial islands created in the Spratly group in the South China Sea (SCS), thereby leapfrogging the mental and physical barrier posed to the PLAN by the “first island chain”. India is encircled by a growing ring of Chinese power and influence. To the north, garrisons, airfields and missile sites linked by modern road-rail networks underpin China’s dominant posture on the Tibetan plateau. Ominously, the Xining-Lhasa rail link is progressing towards Nepal, where China has made significant political inroads. To our east, China’s Yunan province will gain access to the Bay of Bengal via rail, highway and pipeline, linking it to the deep-water port being built by China at Kyaukpyu in Myanmar.......Continue Reading
IMPORTANT WORDS FORM ARTICLE & THEIR MEANING
1) Catapult (कटपुलट) - Cata-pal
- Meaning - a forked stick with an elastic band fastened to the two prongs, used by children for shooting small stones - Noun
- hurl or launch (something) with or as if with a catapult - Verb
- Synonyms - sling, slingshot
- Example - At the first sound of the alarm clock, I catapult out of bed and race through my morning chores.
2) Manifestation (अभिव्यक्तियों) - Man-fest-tation
- Meaning - an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract or theoretical - Noun
- Synonyms - demonstration, explanation
- Antonyms - hiding, reality
- Example - The identity of the killer was not manifest to the puzzled detective.
3) Leapfrog (मेंढक कूद) - Leap-frog
- Meaning - perform such a vault - Verb
- Synonyms - bounce, drop
- Antonyms - ascent, increase
- Example - They leapfrogged around the courtyard.
4) Dominant (प्रमुख) - Domi-nant
- Meaning - having power and influence over others - Adjective
- a dominant trait or gene - Noun
- Synonyms - main, first
- Antonyms - extra, impotent
- Example - Although there are some English speaker’s French is the dominant language in the country.
5) Endeavour (प्रयास) - En-dev-er
- Meaning - try hard to do or achieve something - Verb
- an attempt to achieve a goal - Noun
- Synonyms - try, attempt
- Example - The council approved a city-wide endeavor to conserve water by planting drought-tolerant plants.
6) Flank (दिशा) - Fla-nk
- Meaning - the side of a person's or animal's body between the ribs and the hip - Noun
- be on each or on one side of - Verb
- Synonyms - hand, quarter
- Example - The enemy attacked on the left flank.
7) Inducements (प्रलोभन) - En-duce-ments
- Meaning - a thing that persuades or leads someone to do something - Noun
- Synonyms - encouragement, desire
- Antonyms - dislike, hate
- Example - Businesses were offered inducements to move to the area.
8) Appeasement (मनौती) - A-pease-ment
- Meaning - the action or process of appeasing - Noun
- Synonyms - conciliation, placation
- Antonyms - difference, irritation
- Example - He denied there is a policy of appeasement.
9) Disseminate (प्रसारित करना) - Dis-semi-nate
- Meaning - spread (something, especially information) widely - Verb
- Synonyms - advertise, publish
- Antonyms - conceal, collect
- Example (English) - These days news is disseminated through not just traditional media such as newspaper and television but also through new channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
- Example (Hindi) - आजकल खबरों का प्रचार केवल अख़बार और रेडियो जैसे परंपरागत माध्यमों से ही नहीं बल्कि फेसबुक और ट्विटर जैसे नए साधनों से भी होता है।
Now considering the article above as a Reading Comprehension question, try to answer the following -
- What are the main conflicts between India and China?
Given below are some words to check your vocabulary you can make sentences with those words in the comment section which will be reviewed by us.
- Unfolding
- Abound
- Dubbed
- Violative