East Consolidates As West Fumbles: The Economic Times
Even as the summit of the G7 hosted by Canada ended in acrimony (resentment) and a photograph of a standing German Chancellor Merkel seemingly lecturing a sitting US President Trump going gleefully (in an exuberantly or triumphantly joyful manner) viral, the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) pioneered by China, with Russia, four Central Asian States and India and Pakistan as other members, and leaders of Iran and Afghanistan as invitees, concluded with a joint statement that obliquely (indirectly), but unambiguously (clearly) criticised American unilateralism (an doctrine that supports one sided action) and batted for a rules-based world order.
Trump’s suggestion to invite Russia to the G7 club and make it G7 plus 1 met with a cold response. But Russia, the power that straddles (take up or maintain an equivocal position) the region linking Europe and Asia, is a comfortable member of SCO—a metaphor (representative of or a symbol) for the shifting of the balance of power from the West to the East, captured by the phrase, Asia’s century.
The SCO communiqué (statement) stopped short of directly calling out the United States. However, it called for continued implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, rebuffing (rejecting) the US withdrawal from the deal, to which China and Russia, both SCO members, are party. The communiqué also criticised unilateral protectionist moves, and expressed strong support for the World Trade Organization. In effect, President Trump’s protectionist moves were criticised by both the non-US members of the G7 and the SCO.
While the grouping did not directly broach (discuss) the subject of challenging the dominance of the US dollar in global finance, the SCO commitment to use national currencies for settling trade within the group, which accounts for a fifth of world GDP, is nothing but a move in that direction.
China’s concerns over the potential for deployment of anti-missile systems to upset balance and stability in Korea found articulation (clear message) in the communiqué, as did Russia’s opposition to destabilising the Syrian regime.
The text of the communiqué includes SCO support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, but India has reservations on this, because of its projects in Pak Occupied Kashmir. However, the SCO is another forum for India to work with countries.
IMPORTANT WORDS FOR ARTICLE & THEIR MEANING
1. Consolidate (Verb) – Unite; Make physically stronger or more solid; Combine into a single more effective or coherent whole (समेकित)
Synonyms – Merge, Integrate, Unite, Amalgamate, Fuse, Blend, Mingle, SynthesiseAntonyms – Disperse, Dissuade, Scatter
2. Fumbles (Verb) – Groped; Handle something Clumsily (गड़बड़ाना)
Synonyms – Stumble, Blunder, Flounder, Lumber, Bumble, Stagger, Totter, Lurch
Antonyms – Succeed
3. Acrimony (Noun) – Resentment; Bitterness ( कटुता)
Synonyms – Rancour, Bad Blood, Animosity, Hostility, Enmity, Antagonism
Antonyms – Benevolence, Civility, Courtesy, Flattery
4. Gleefully (Adverb) – In an exuberantly or triumphantly joyful manner (प्रसन्नतापूर्वक)
Synonyms – Blithely, Brightly, Gaily, Genially, Gladly, Gleefully, Merrily, Optimistically, willingly
Antonyms – Grudgingly, Unwillingly
5. Obliquely (Adverb) – Indirectly, Not in a direct way (टेढे तीर से)
Synonyms – Slantwise, Sideways, Sidelong, Aslant, Athwart
Antonyms – Directly
6. Unambiguously (Adverb) – Clearly; In a manner that is not open to more than one interpretation (स्पष्ट रूप से)
Synonyms – Actually, Categorically, Definitely, Doubtless, Exactly, Positively, Precisely
Antonyms – Dubiously, Uncertain, Indefinite, Partially
7. Unilateralism (Noun) – A doctrine that supports one sided action (एकपार्श्विकतावाद)
8. Straddles (Verb) – Take up or maintain an equivocal position; to favor both sides of an issue (दोनों ओर फैला होना)
Synonyms – Bestride, Hedge, Mount, Sprawl, Stride
9. Metaphor (Noun) – Representative of or A symbol of something
Synonyms – Emblem
10. Communique (Noun) – Statement (विज्ञप्ति)
Synonyms – Bulletin, Message, Missive, Report, Notification, Announcement, Declaration, Proclamation, Pronouncement
11. Rebuff (Verb) – Rejecting someone or something in an abrupt or ungracious manner (नकार)
Synonyms – Rebuke, Rejection, Reprimand, Snub
Antonyms – Praise, Approval, Compliment, Inclusion, Welcome
12. Broach (Verb) – To discuss (चर्चा चलाना)
Synonyms – Raise, Introduce, ring up, Hint at, Moot
Antonyms – Dissuade, Refuse, Stop, Take back
13. Articulation (Noun) – Clear message (ग्रंथन)
Synonyms – Diction, Delivery, Enunciation, Expression, Pronunciation, Saying, Speaking, Statement
Antonyms – Disconnection, Mispronunciation
