ICEP CSS – PMS

E – Magazine

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Contents
1)Hike in Fuel Prices ...................................................................................................................................... 3
2) Climate 2020: ............................................................................................................................................ 3
3) Decline in Terrorism:................................................................................................................................. 4
4) Another US Adventurism: ......................................................................................................................... 6
5) Iran Nuclear Deal: ..................................................................................................................................... 6
6) Iranian Response: ..................................................................................................................................... 8
7) Iran-US Climb-down: ................................................................................................................................. 9
8) Bleak economic outlook: ........................................................................................................................ 10
9) Roadblock for Tapi: ................................................................................................................................. 11
10) Child Protection Bill: ............................................................................................................................. 12
11) Kashmir is still a nuclear flash point: .................................................................................................... 13
12) The Real Cost: ....................................................................................................................................... 14
13) A Harmful Mistake: ............................................................................................................................... 15
14) Iran Plane Disaster: ............................................................................................................................... 16
15) Expulsion of Saudi personnel from US:................................................................................................. 17
16) Indian sabre-rattling: ............................................................................................................................ 18
17) Easing tensions: .................................................................................................................................... 20
18) US-China Trade Deal: ............................................................................................................................ 20
19) Another Jolt to Tehran: ......................................................................................................................... 21
20) Kashmir in UNSC: .................................................................................................................................. 22
21) US-China trade truce:........................................................................................................................... 23
22) SCO Invitation: ...................................................................................................................................... 24
23) Water Shortages: .................................................................................................................................. 25
24) Increase in FDI:...................................................................................................................................... 27
25) Crisis time for PTI: ................................................................................................................................. 28
26) Flour prices provide food for thought: ................................................................................................. 29
27) U.S-Taliban deal: ................................................................................................................................... 30
28) Demand from the US: .......................................................................................................................... 32
29) Decline in oil import:............................................................................................................................. 33

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30) The new chief election commissioner: ................................................................................................. 34
31) Wheat Flour Crisis: ................................................................................................................................ 35
32) US on CPEC:........................................................................................................................................... 36
33) Agenda of Climate Change:................................................................................................................... 38
34) UN’s Intervention Needed: ................................................................................................................... 39
35) Dealing with Coronavirus:..................................................................................................................... 40
36) Opposing a Progressive Bill: .................................................................................................................. 41
37) Baghdad Protest: .................................................................................................................................. 42
38) Trump’s Peace Plan:.............................................................................................................................. 44
39) Indian Bellicosity: .................................................................................................................................. 45
Sociology Mcqs ........................................................................................................................................... 47
Key:.............................................................................................................................................................. 58
U.S. Relations With China ........................................................................................................................... 59
1949 – 2020 ................................................................................................................................................ 59

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how the populace believes that not
1)Hike in Fuel Prices
corruption but inflation is the biggest
problem of the country right now. With
such a scenario at hand, it is important to
provide relief to the consumers especially
when the Pakistani rupee now stands at a
better position in the market ever since the
government decided to depreciate its value.
At the same time, to avoid market forces
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority
from influencing these prices, the
(OGRA) has suggested an increment in the
government can also work towards finding
price of petroleum products by 3.2 percent
local means for the production of
for January 2020. The final decision lies with
petroleum products that are largely being
the Finance Division, who will decide
imported into the country.
whether or not this increase will be
implemented. There are certain aspects
that the government might need to keep in
check before implementation. The
consumers are already facing the burden of
inflation in this country, with costs of living
going up and with salaries barely managing
to keep up. In such a scenario, the rise in
the prices of petroleum products not only
means that the costs of production will go
up but products will also become costly for
consumers to buy. The implementation of
the increment will mean a lot of hue and cry
from the producers and the consumers in
this country. The government is already
trying to provide subsidies to a lot of
producers in the country; however, the
rising costs balance the equation. Several of
the consumers also shifted to using petrol
as opposed to CNG due to its wide shortage
in the country. The increase in its price will
impact them, adding another group
agitated due to the policies of the
government.
The recent survey by Gallup highlighted 2) Climate 2020:
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THE decade past had begun with
predictions of an impending climate change
catastrophe, and it has ended with the
reality of not paying closer attention to
those warnings. Apocalyptic scenarios had
been imagined by evidence-backed
scientists — and not doomsday merchants
— who foretold that the extreme weather
patterns would only worsen in the coming
years, as global temperatures kept
increasing and sea levels continued to rise.
Ten years ago, extreme heatwaves were
documented in parts of Africa, the Middle
East and Russia; a drought gripped the
Amazon River basin; and heavy snowstorms
swept across North America. In Pakistan,
powerful floods caused by heavy rainfall led
to over 2,000 deaths, while millions of
others were displaced. They were forced
into becoming climate change refugees, as
their homes and livelihoods were swept
away by the waters. Now, as we enter the
new decade, rising global temperatures
have broken all previous records, with many
countries recording extreme weather
patterns. In 2019, hurricanes struck the
island of Puerto Rico; Europe suffered two
deadly heat-waves; and cyclones
devastated the Bahamas and Japan.
Meanwhile, thousands of fires gripped the
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Amazon rainforest in Brazil and bordering
Bolivia in August. And ferocious bush fires
first sparked in November continue to rage
in Australia.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that
climate change has been the burning issue
of the previous decade, at a time of other
great social and political upheaval. In
September 2019, millions of people from
150 countries participated in the Climate
Strike. But despite all the talk and the
meetings, and despite increasing awareness
and activism around the issue, it does not
seem like the change we need is here yet. It
is time to reimagine our global economies,
because the current systems for creating
wealth are simply not sustainable. Right
now, as wildfires sweep through some parts
of the world, other areas are suffering from
extreme cold. In just a few days, Bangladesh
has witnessed over 50 deaths this winter. In
Pakistan, a cold wave is sweeping through
the country, particularly hitting hard the
northern areas, with the prime minister
directing his party’s governments in KP and
Punjab to provide temporary shelter to the
homeless. As we welcome the New Year,
the world’s leaders and decision-makers
must put climate at the forefront of their
agendas. May 2020 is the year of decisive
action, and not merely words.
3) Decline in Terrorism:
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PAKISTAN is making reassuringly steady
progress out of the grip of militancy.
According to the latest report on terrorism-
related violence in 2019 by the Centre for
Research for Security Studies, 518 people
died in around 370 terrorist attacks last
year. The
number of fatalities — which includes
civilians, security and government
personnel, and militants — is 30pc less than
in 2018, when 739 lives were lost in
approximately 400 attacks. The extent of
improvement is even more starkly
illustrated when compared with terrorism-
related fatalities in 2013 that, as per the
CRSS, numbered over 4,600.
Suicide attacks have similarly shown a
precipitous decline, plunging from 26 in
2018 to nine last year — with 295 and 56
deaths, respectively. 2019 also marks the
first year since 2004 in which no drone
strike took place. Of the 141 militants
arrested last year, the highest number was
from the TTP (32) followed by the Lashkar-i-
Jhangvi (11). The conclusion is
incontrovertible: after nearly two decades
of gut-wrenching violence that claimed
thousands of innocent lives and left a trail
of devastation in its wake, Pakistan has
turned a corner. This has much to do with
the kinetic operations that the security
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forces have undertaken in the northern
areas. Consider the rate of decline in civilian
fatalities: in 2014 — the year that Zarb-i-
Azb was launched — they numbered 2,590
— including the 141 who perished in the
APS massacre. In 2015, by which time
terrorist groups like the TTP were under
pressure and many of their fighters on the
run, 1,146 civilians had been slain.
However, the seeds of militancy will
continue to produce their deadly harvest
until each and every vestige of their
existence has been rooted out. That takes
patience and diligence from all segments of
society. It was only last week that the
Punjab CTD, after an operation in
Gujranwala, claimed to have busted a
media cell of Al Qaeda in the Indian
Subcontinent. A few months ago, the Sindh
CTD announced it had busted a splinter cell
of the AQIS in Karachi. According to the law-
enforcement agency, the group comprised
individuals who had returned from
Afghanistan and were planning to carry out
attacks in the city.
Earlier, on March 22, there was
an assassination attempt on well-known
religious scholar Maulana Taqi Usmani, in
which three of his aides were killed. There
are also geopolitical factors that in tandem
with ideological objectives can spill over
into our country, such as when Pakistan
became a theatre for sectarian violence in a
proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran in
the 1980s.
Presently, the never-ending strife in
Afghanistan and the foothold that the
militant Islamic State group has found
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there, particularly in provinces contiguous
with Pakistan, are cause for concern. We
are fighting an implacable enemy and, while
the latest figures are encouraging and show
that the country is headed in the right
direction, complacency is not an option.
4) Another US Adventurism:
The assassination of Iranian general Qassem
Soleimani, Tehran’s top security and
intelligence commander, is an act of war by
Donald Trump. The action was carried out in
Baghdad, violating all agreements with the Iraqi
government. Both Iran and Iraq will retaliate.
Trump has been heading for war since tearing
up the nuclear deal with Iran, and if he succeeds
will create a bigger war than we have seen in
the Middle East. It will draw in major players
across the region including Israel, Saudi Arabia
and possibly Russia.
It’s hard not to see the recent attacks and
now the assassination of Iran’s top general
Soleimani as a way for Trump to distract
from impeachment but if that’s the case, he
and the Pentagon may have just made the
biggest mistake since the Gulf of Tonkin in
Vietnam. And Iran has
already made it clear that the assassination
will not go unaccounted for. Soleinami had
been the head of the Quds Force for more
than two decades. He was one of the men
most responsible for defeating the Islamic
State (IS) in Iraq and Syria. And Tehran’s
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anger is understandable as the assassinated
leader was the second most powerful
figure. The echoes of threat revenge from
the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mean
that the situation in the region will escalate
dramatically. Unfortunately, most
Americans won’t understand the gravity of
the drone attack. After this high profile
killing, the political, security and military red
lines of the region will be transformed.
Instead of condemning the attack, the
American media, in general, is fanning the
flames. The recent article in one of the
leading newspaper, i.e., The New York
Times by Michael Crowly, Falih Hassan and
Eric Schmitt is a textbook case study of war
propaganda. Sadly, the cheerleader of the
liberal media, the paper will question Donal
Trump on everything. However, when it
comes to war with Iran that could inflame
the entire region, it broadcast the
Pentagon’s statement almost word for
word without questioning of it. For Trump,
the gamble makes perfect sense because he
is sure of the role media will play should
any war or conflict surfaces. He can go to
dangerous limits, thanks to the war hysteria
successfully created by the American media
and the incompetence of a Democratic
party that has done nothing to oppose it.
The regrettable and misplaced sense of
petty revenge that drove the attack will
have far-reaching consequences for the
region.
5) Iran Nuclear Deal:
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ONE of the more ominous developments in
the aftermath of Gen Qassem
Soleimani’s killing in Baghdad last week has
been Iran’s announcement on Sunday that
it will no longer abide by the restrictions
placed on it by the 2015 nuclear deal.
President Donald Trump had all but sealed
the fate of the deal after unilaterally
withdrawing the US from he multilateral
agreement in 2018. Now, with Tehran’s
latest announcement, clearly in reaction to
Soleimani’s assassination, the deal is
practically dead.
Iran was already not getting any major
economic benefits from the historic accord,
hailed as a triumph of international
diplomacy when it was reached between
Iran and the P5+1 — the five permanent
UNSC members plus Germany. The main
reason for this was that global firms were
afraid to trade with Iran fearing other US
sanctions. Sure enough, with the arrival of
Mr Trump in the White House in 2017, the
future of the Obama-era deal seemed
murky, as the incumbent president had
promised to withdraw from it in the run-up
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to the presidential campaign. Subsequently,
America’s exit led to a crippling regime of
sanctions that has done major damage to
Iran’s economy. Now, as the Washington-
Tehran confrontation enters extremely
dangerous territory, Iran’s decision to end
its commitments may give the Trump
administration an excuse to up the ante
against the Islamic Republic even more.
In such dangerous times Iran must act with
prudence and foresight. There is indeed
great anger and sorrow in the country over
Gen Soleimani’s assassination. This can be
gauged by the massive crowds that have
taken to the streets to pay their last
respects to the Quds Force commander.
However, Iran’s reaction to the provocation
must be mature and keep the interests of
its people in mind. In case of a full-blown
war, the Islamic Republic will have to face
even greater hardships, something it cannot
afford with an already enfeebled economy.
Tehran has a right to respond and defend
itself, but its actions must be proportionate
and keep ground realities in mind.
While Iran needs to reconsider its departure
from the nuclear deal, the world
community must do more to censure Mr.
Trump’s reckless comments. For example,
his brash threat to target “52 Iranian sites
important to Iran & the Iranian culture” is
beyond the pale. Does the US leader intend
to target religious or historical sites in Iran?
If this is the case then — as Human Rights
Watch and other observers have noted — it
may constitute a war crime. This deeply
disturbing notion is a far cry from what
Mohammad Khatami, Iran’s former
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president, once advocated in the form of
the ‘dialogue among civilizations’. Instead
of dialogue, warmongers in Washington are
preparing a casus belli against Iran based on
very shaky foundations. Iran must resist this
dangerous provocation and act with
prudence.
6) Iranian Response:
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Iran’s leadership vowed to avenge the
death of the slain general, Qasem
Soleimani. And the vow was not an empty
threat. In the early hours of Wednesday,
Iran’s attack on two airbases of the United
States (US) was not unsurprising. It was
apparent to all those who know the
relations between the two countries that
Iran would retaliate for the killing of its top
commander. Tehran felt doing so necessary
to deter the US from future adventurism.
Will the score between the two countries
settle with this? Or has the Iranian attack
escalated the already volatile situation
further?
Understandably, Iran will hail the attack as
the most appropriate response to the killing
of its top commander. The strike will sooth
the public anger and calm down the
emotions. This much is evident from the
statement of Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Khamenei who termed the attack
“a slap in the face” for the US. Maybe the
Iranians think that the attack will help to
end the escalation. But probably this is
what the US wanted from Iran. Perhaps,
Iran took the bait by attacking the US
installments in Iraq. And if there are any
casualties, especially US’s, then the Trump
administration will exploit the opportunity
to paint Iran as the aggressive and rogue
state. The US, along with its allies, will try to
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depict the Iranian government that has little
to no regard for international law and
norms. Nevertheless, what is most
important right now is de-escalating the
tensions. But which countries can play a
constructive role here? The United Kingdom
(UK) is not in that position. Its partisanship
is visible from the latest statement of Prime
Minister Boris Johnson, where he is
suggesting that Iran needs to pursue urgent
de-escalation. But he does not want to
criticize the US for its killing of General
Soleimani. Instead, he remains adamant
that the “man had the blood of British troop
on his hands.” Likewise, other US allies lack
the courage to call a spade a spade.
And it is this lack of courage on the part of
the US’s allies that the US is becoming more
and more belligerent against Iran. If the
major players do not carry out sincere
efforts to de-escalate the tensions, then it is
the beginning of a very prolonged
confrontation between Iran and its proxies
and the US and its allies. To avoid an all-out
war between the two hostile states, the
responsibility of mediation lays on the
shoulders of the European powers to
resolve this “man-made crisis”.
7) Iran-US Climb-down:
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AFTER several days of high drama in the
Middle East following America’s
assassination of Iranian Gen Qasem
Soleimani in Baghdad last week, where at
one point it seemed the region was poised
on the brink of another disastrous war, the
temperature came down several notches on
Wednesday.
The day had started with a bang, quite
literally, as news broke of Iranian missile
strikes targeting two American bases in
Iraq. It seemed the moment many had
feared was here. However, later in the day
Donald Trump — whose rash decision had
ignited this latest episode — spoke to the
cameras, declaring that “all is well”. It may
have been an anticlimax, but a welcome
one, and the international community
heaved a sigh of relief. Iranian media
reported “80 American terrorists” had been
killed in the strikes; Trump claimed “all of
our soldiers are safe”. Regardless of the
true picture on the ground, it was clear that
both sides had made their public
statements and backed down, for now. The
Trump administration has, till date, been
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big on bravado and light on solid strategic Islamic Republic will soften its tone.
policy, with the US president’s Twitter Moreover, Tehran should reconsider leaving
statesmanship confounding allies and foes the nuclear accord; and it should keep the
alike. However, in this case perhaps wiser doors of dialogue open, as in the arena of
members of the administration have international relations situations can and do
prevailed on their boss that a full-blown change very quickly. The danger of conflict
war with Iran is not in America’s interest. has receded, but by no means is the
Though there is no match where situation in the Mideast back to normal.
technological advantage and firepower
between the American and Iranian
militaries are concerned, with the former
having a clear edge, Trump’s generals know
that Tehran can cause major havoc to US
interests in the Mideast. The Iranians have
said previously that American bases in the
region are within their reach, and a brief
preview of this was witnessed in the Iraq
strikes. Moreover, there are also signs that
America’s Gulf Arab allies are genuinely
panicked that if the situation escalates,
Tehran’s missiles could rain down on US
bases on their territory. On the other hand,
the Iranian establishment must also have
realised that while it needed to take public
action to avenge Soleimani’s death, total
war against America would be inadvisable
considering Tehran’s feeble economic
position and relative weakness compared to
the US military machine. Therefore, both
sides have managed to save face and avert
a bloody showdown.
From here on, the international community
will need to play a greater role to de-
escalate the situation between Washington
and Tehran. If the US continues to advocate
for regime change in Iran and tighten an
already suffocating sanctions regime 8) Bleak economic outlook:
against the country, it is highly unlikely the

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2020 as macroeconomic stabilization efforts
weigh on activity.” What is to be
blamed for the economic nightmare
unfolding in ensuing years? While external
factors such as slowdown in major
economies and regional geopolitical
tensions are out of our control, the
A couple of days after the State Bank itself
government should blame itself for its own
predicted an economic slowdown, the
lackluster performance and its many
World Bank has also come up with a rather
compromises. Though the World Bank did
grim forecast for Pakistan’s economy in the
not touch upon the domestic inflation rate,
wake of regional and global troubles. Then
the State Bank’s forecast, based on the
there is continued domestic monetary
Consumer Price Index, is 11 to 12 percent
tightening, which will impact country’s
by the year end. This will also fluctuate
growth rate projections directly and
given external factors like global and
indirectly in the current fiscal year and next
regional tensions, which mainly hit oil and
two years. Lowering the earlier projected
power prices. The burden is passed on to
growth rate of three percent to 2.4 percent,
consumer without any thought. The
the World Bank in its latest report ‘2020
government has not announced its policy to
Global Economic Prospects’ says the growth
manage both the pace of economic growth
rate will touch three percent in 2021 and
in the remaining months of the fiscal year
3.9 percent in 2022. The International
and the inflation rate. It needs to stick to
Monetary Fund and the Asian Development
the set of reforms it had envisioned at the
Bank have also sorrowful adjectives for the
outset of its term, besides showing a strong
projected growth rate, despite their
resolve to meet revenue collection targets.
continued affirmation that Pakistan’s fiscal
policies are set in the right direction. The
World Bank says lower growth projection
represents a 0.2 percent decline in global
growth rate in 2020-21 and 1.5 percent
decline in the South Asian region. Pakistan
is not alone in bearing the brunt of this
slowdown of sorts, as India’s growth rate is
set to decline to four percent in 2020-21
from five percent of 2019-20 amid enduring
financial sector issues. Only Bangladesh
stands out with retaining above seven 9) Roadblock for Tapi:
percent growth while “growth in Pakistan is
projected to languish at 3pc or less through
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The multi-billion-dollar Turkmenistan-
Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) Pipeline
project is facing yet another issue before it
actually starts benefitting the economy. For
two stakeholders, India and Pakistan, the
gas prices being offered are 5 to 10 percent
higher than the rate at which Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG) is imported from Qatar
and other countries. The entire idea behind
the project was to supply gas at nominal
rates with the help of Turkmenistan. If the
project ends up being a financial liability
due to the charges being offered, there are
chances that the project will not materialize
anytime soon. Prime Minister’s Special
Assistant on Petroleum Nadeem Babar was
the first person to point out this problem at
the meeting of the Economic Coordination
Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet.
Both countries have separately made
requests to Turkmenistan to reconsider the
prices being offered to them. On
Wednesday, Pakistan formally constituted a
five-member price negotiation committee
(PNC) to begin talks with Turkmenistan for a
price cut. Turkmenistan has also agreed to
reconsider the price being offered.
Meetings with the relevant stakeholders
will take place next month because, without
this regulation, the project will not see
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completion. This again is one of the flaws in
how megaprojects are signed up. The price
points needed to be discussed in order to
analyze their feasibility. Whatever project
any government undertakes, the decision
making should be done in a manner that is
holistic and takes into account every detail
that might impact the country’s economy,
its society, and its policies.
Collective diplomatic efforts are required on
part of India and Pakistan in order to
convince Turkmenistan to lower their
prices. A team is being sent to Pakistan next
month to address this issue. Pakistan needs
to have ample data to show that we cannot
afford piped gas being more expensive than
the LNG we ship in. The feasibility of the
project now depends on Turkmenistan,
whereas, for Pakistan, there needs to be a
team dedicated to understanding mega
projects in the country. This will help avoid
such mistakes in the future and all relevant
aspects of the projects will be discussed
before the project materializes in order to
ensure the convenience of all the parties
involved. Governments require help from
experts in dealing with projects. A team
dedicated to this will only make the
government’s job easier.
10) Child Protection Bill:
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can change the on-ground situation. The
law will be an addition to the complex
framework of legislative tools at our
disposal, which the state often fails to
utilize effectively to curb the growing
phenomenon of child abuse. Nevertheless,
Two years after the gruesome murder of a
the passed bill is a specialized one
nine-year-old rape victim Zainab Ansari the
specifically aimed at deterring the
National Assembly (NA) approved the
predators from abusing children will surely
Zainab Alert, Recovery and Response Bill,
help in reducing the cases of rampant child
2019 on Friday. The bill is a piece of
sexual abuse. Surely, there
legislation with the primary objective of
was a dire need of specialized legislation for
tackling the issue of widespread sexual
ensuring the protection of our children; the
abuse of the children in the country. On the
issue will not subside by making laws only.
one hand, it is an attempt to discourage and
There is no simple way forward to curb this
curtail the menace of child abuse by
menace. The solution needs to be multi-
detailing out the punitive measures against
pronged. Now that the government has
the offenders. On the other, the bill also
come up with a law that solely deals with
recognizes lethargic and negligent behavior
the issue of sexual abuse, the next step
on police’s part, as it proposes taking action
should be the initiation of a public dialogue
against officials who try to cause
against the issue at hands. Last but not
unnecessary delay in investigating such
least, the national curriculum needs to be
cases.
redesigned to educate children about child
However, the bill is yet to be passed in the abuse and its various forms in a better way.
Senate. Senate’s approval of the bill will This way, the society and state by pointing
pave the way for setting of Zainab Alert out the fault lines and working together can
Response and Recovery Agency where fix the problem of child abuse.
missing child cases will be reported and
which will generate an automatic alert.
Hopefully, the Senate will pass the bill
without further delay. It is worth
mentioning that child abuse, particularly
sexual violence, is one of the most pressing
social issues facing our nation. Such crimes
are tragic reminders of the failure of the
state and call for a complete overhaul of
our intent towards child protection, but, 11) Kashmir is still a nuclear
only time will tell if the bill aforementioned flash point:
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As the world breathes a sigh of relief after a
little ease in tension between Iran and the
US, it now must try to avert a ‘disastrous
war’ between Pakistan and India, which is
looming if India undertakes any provocative
action or false flag operation. Pakistan has
asked the United Nations Security Council
(UNSC) and UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres to act decisively. Pakistan’s
ambassador the UN Munir Akram said in
the UNSC that the council should wake up
to the grave human rights violations in
occupied Jammu and Kashmir. So far, the
UN has acted somewhat disappointingly
even after more than 150 days of curfew in
the valley, which has crippled the lives of
eight million people. Even the Indian
Supreme Court has declared the Internet
shutdown as a violation of basic human
rights. UN diplomats seem to have learned
that Kashmiri leaders remain in jails across
India, while women are being subjected to
sexual harassment. Thousands of young
boys have been abducted, arbitrarily
detained, tortured and maimed.
Even though Indian authorities claim they
have eased restrictions like the restoration
of postpaid mobile phone services and
lifting roadblocks, life under curfew is far
from normal. For this reason, India has
made the occupied valley a no-go area for
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Indians as well as foreigners. Recently, it
tried to arrange a PR tour of diplomats from
the European Union, but they refused to
take the guided tour. They sought freedom
to meet people unescorted, and some of
the diplomats said they would like to meet
detained leaders, civil society members and
government officials. Though India was
successful in taking a group of European
Parliament members to occupied Kashmir,
the exercise largely failed as the 30 MPs
were all from extreme right-wing parties,
lacking any credibility, the situation in
unlikely to ease despite, the Indian
Supreme Court’s order to review all
restrictions on Internet services in the
region. The court ruled that temporary
suspension of Internet and curtailing basic
freedoms of citizens should not be arbitrary
and is open to judicial review. While the
Indian government is mindful of the
domestic pressure, stern calls from
international forums like the UN and major
powers may bring about a change in
Kashmir as well as the region.
12) The Real Cost:
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The United States has reacted to the Iranian
missile attack with yet another barrage of
sanctions, in the hopes of further damaging
their economy. Whether the missiles in the
Iranian retaliation on January 8 deliberately
avoided dealing the US any casualties or if it
was sheer luck is irrelevant; the level of
hostility could have been much higher if
American lives had been lost. It would
be overly optimistic to hope that this round
of sanctions and Iran’s announcement of
resuming its nuclear programme will be the
end of this conflict. But the US sanctions
themselves do indicate that for now, both
sides are content with not become too
embroiled in increasing violence action. On
the surface, targeting the construction,
mining, textile, metal and manufacturing
industries is a clear and vindictive attempt
to cripple Iran’s economy even further, but
experts question whether this latest round
is really damaging the economic prospects
any more than before. Many of these
sectors were already sanctioned in large
part, as were the individuals that were
added to the updated list. Duplicate
sanctions over each sector do not make
things exponentially worse; by re-imposing
existing sanctions the US is essentially
telling global traders to not do business
with those that were already blacklisted.
What has been clear from the day since the
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US pulled out of the nuclear deal is that
arriving at this point was all but inevitable.
Pushing Tehran would have ultimately
resulted in them pulling out of the nuclear
deal, and now all that remains to be seen is
how the rest of the world powers will react.
Their complete inaction and inability to get
both parties to the negotiating table has
resulted in things going this far in the first
place, now blindly condemning Iran would
result in further isolating the country.
After using force to open up hostilities the
US is now using all of its economic and soft
power to isolate Iran. But what the US
government does not realize is that its
disagreements with the Iranian state ends
up affecting the lives of innocent citizens for
no reason. They are nothing but
unfortunate bystanders caught in the
crossfire, and economic instability in the
country will only be danger to the lives and
properties of innocents, while the powerful
continue to be protected from the brunt of
the hard times.
The international community must wake up
to this reality and reject the move punish
civilians to make government’s follow the
agendas of world powers. The real cost of
this remains un-discussed and unaccounted
for.
13) A Harmful Mistake:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
protesting people at the moment. Fast-
tracking the investigation of the incident
needs to be made a priority. General Amir
Ali Hajizadeh of the Revolutionary Guard
has already come out and admitted that
one individual was responsible, whether
Iran’s accidental downing of a Ukrainian this was truly the case needs to be looked
commercial flight has brought up new at transparently. The state must also look to
wrinkles in the relationship with the US and compensate the families of those lost, as
created fissures between the government best as it can.
and the people at home as well. What The people of Iran are the ones bearing the
happens now is anyone’s guess; the US can brunt of the economic sanctions imposed
use this instance as an excuse for further on the country by the US. And now, they
violence, using the botched attack as are the ones dealing with the loss of their
evidence of Iran’s misconduct in conflict. loved ones, due to the Iranian forces own
Add this to the massive failure involved in hasty attempts at retribution. The
this attack, many western experts are government must look to show its people
theorizing that the Revolutionary Guard’s that it stands with them through these
command and control is riddled with tough times, and at the very least it will
problems, and Iran is hence incapable of guarantee avoiding bloodshed especially
ensuring the safety of a nuclear bomb, if when its own people might be caught in the
completed. This quite obviously gives the crossfire.
US more ammunition against the Iranian
Administration, and judging by the outbreak
of protests in Iran, the US is no longer
alone. Tehran admitted – albeit belatedly –
of bringing the flight down by accident, but
this has not improved public perception
regarding the incident.
The economic instability, allegations of
dictatorship and now a fatal mistake –
leading to deaths of Iranian, Canadian and
Ukrainian civilians alike – has
understandably led to greater antagonism
against the current government.
Tehran cannot undo mistakes made, but a
genuine attempt to make amends might, at 14) Iran Plane Disaster:
the very least, be sufficient for its own

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of the airliner has rightly caused alarm in
the region at a time when the threat of war
still looms. Iran may have
staved off greater international pressure by
admitting its “unforgiveable mistake” but it
appears as if the regime with its damaged
THE accidental shooting down of the credibility might have to make further
Ukrainian passenger aircraft, and the concessions in the face of mass public
aftermath of the incident, has exposed the protests in the country. Iranians are
weaknesses in Iran’s defense strategy. justifiably infuriated at the incident that left
Together, international isolation and the a large number of Iranians and Iranian-
domestic blowback have put the regime in a Canadians, among others, dead, and at
catch-22 situation. The tragic blunder that their leadership’s initial effort to deflect the
resulted in the death of 176 people on blame. Cracking down on the protesting
board has called into question the ability of public, that is also driven by domestic woes,
Iran’s military and civilian leadership to is not going to help the regime. The focus
tread with caution in a potentially explosive must now be on a transparent inquiry and
situation. Why aerospace commander Brig- cooperation with international authorities,
Gen Ali Hajizadeh’s earlier request that the especially the affected countries, who want
area be declared a no-fly zone had been a thorough investigation.
rejected is puzzling. In times of such
heightened tensions, the regime should
have closed off Iranian airspace for
commercial flights — many international
airlines themselves had decided to avoid
flying over the country. What is also of
concern is that Iranian defenses failed to
distinguish between a hostile and
commercial aircraft, or mistook the plane
for a missile. The fact that the passenger
aircraft had taken off from Tehran airport
and was not coming from outside Iran’s
borders should have been enough reason
not to flag it as an immediate threat,
especially when all of the country’s defense
systems were on full alert; hours after Iran
had struck two Iraqi bases housing
15) Expulsion of Saudi
American military personnel. The downing
personnel from US:

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It has yet to be seen if the expulsion of at
least a dozen Saudi military students from
the US for serious charges like links with
extremists and child pornography will affect
Riyadh-Washington ties. The mass
expulsion came in the wake of a probe into
a shooting rampage by a Saudi officer in
Florida in December. The Saudi trainee
officer, Mohammed Alshamrani, killed
three American sailors and injured eight
others in a classroom at the Pensacola
Naval Air Station. He was in the US on a
Saudi military training programme. The
eviction of a dozen or more Saudi trainee
officers on charges of having extremist
mindsets, being in touch with extremist
movements and possessing child
pornography, should prompt a moment of
reflection for Saudi authorities about the
state of affairs of their security forces. The
US probe, carried out by the FBI, also
blamed Alsharmani’s colleagues for not
alerting the authorities about his troubling
behavior before the attack. The attacker’s
tweets called the US an evil nation
responsible for “crimes not only against
Muslims but also humanity”. After the fatal
attack, their training has been halted.
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Currently, there are 850 Saudis on training
missions in the US.
The deadly shooting, followed by the
expulsion of Saudi officers, will damage
Saudi authorities’ struggle to improve the
country’s image as a progressive state. After
9/11, the oil-rich kingdom has constantly
been under the public spotlight in the US,
all for bad reasons, as 15 out of the 19
terrorists were Saudi nationals and had links
with Al-Qaeda. Such facts, however, have
never affected government to government
ties. Saudi Arabia has been able to find
friends in the Pentagon and White House
because of its ability to indulge in billion-
dollar businesses, and of course help with
matters like the ongoing tension with Iran.
This has helped Saudi Arabia get away with
war crimes in Yemen and the murder of
Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi
in 2018. The policy of the White House to
ignore the wrongdoings of Riyadh, however,
does not sit well with most US lawmakers.
Saudi Arabia has not commented on the
eviction and it is very likely that its royals
will not show any reaction. Nor will such
issues affect the US military deployment in
Saudi Arabia. *
16) Indian sabre-rattling:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
Playing dangerous games:
The new Indian
Chief of Army Staff, Gen Manoj Mukund
Naravane, put his foot in his mouth right at
the beginning of his tenure, saying that if
the Indian Parliament approved, the Indian
Army would move to take Azad Kashmir.
Commenting on this statement, which
appeared in the Indian press, DG ISPR Maj
Gen Asif Ghafoor said that such ‘routine
rhetoric’ was meant to divert attention
from ongoing turmoil. He added that
Pakistan’s armed forces were fully prepared
to respond to any act of aggression. That
India is undergoing internal turmoil is
hidden from no one. Even as the Indian
COAS spoke, protesters against the
citizenship amendment act demonstrated in
Kolkata against Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s visit to the city. Meanwhile, in the
territory General Naravane seemed so
concerned about, Jammu and Kashmir (the
Indian-occupied part), the lockdown
imposed since August 5, when the BJP
government changed its status, continues,
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and the expected outburst of outraged
feeling there is still to be unleashed.
It is perhaps worrisome that General
Naravane was detailed to make this
statement, instead of a politician, either Mr
Modi himself, or someone else, because it
should not be forgotten that Mr Modi is
unstable enough to threaten regional
peace, as he did last year over the Pulwama
incident. Because the Indian plan went
fearfully wrong, as its air force failed to
deliver, instead getting its planes shot
down, because the Pakistan government
tried, and because the world powers
intervened, peace was preserved. However,
Mr Modi’s instability is matched only by US
President Donald Trump’s, which was on
show in the Iranian crisis, which he
produced all on his own. Instead of reining
him in, General Naravane seems to think he
should pander to his basest instincts with
this display of bellicosity. This statement
also shows that the new Indian higher
defense organization, with General
Naravane’s predecessor as COAS, Gen Bipin
Rawat, the first Chief of Defense Staff, has
not taken root, for otherwise no COAS
could make such a statement which
apparently excludes the Air Force, which
would provide air cover for any ground
operations. This shows that the Indian
armed forces are not able to cooperate with
each other in peace, and thus the latest
changes have not yet taken effect as they
should. General Rawat as COAS, made
many such statements, but now he needs
to rein in his subordinate.
 ICEP CSS-PMS
17) Easing tensions:
Pakistan’s limited role in the Middle East
situation
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi,
on the directions of Prime Minister Imran
Khan, went to Iran and Saudi Arabia to offer
Pakistan’s full support to both countries in
resolving the situation forming in the
Middle East. It is unlikely that the FM’s visit
will result in any de-escalation; rather the
two back-to-back trips are simply symbolic
in nature. Special Assistant to Prime
Minister on National Security Division and
Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yusuf said
as much during a talk, that ‘Pakistan’s
engagements in the region aim to convince
rival countries to de-escalate’. Iran, as it had
warned after the US killed its top general
Qassim Soleimani, responded with missile
strikes on US bases in Iraq. Within an hour
of the attack Iran also shot down a
Ukrainian commercial airliner over its
airspace, claiming days later that it was an
‘unintentional mistake’. The incident has
since sparked protests in the country and
brought international blowback as well. A
series of rocket and mortar attacks has
since followed on US-army sites in Iraq. No
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one has claimed responsibility for the
strikes that have come after the initial one,
which is why the US is blaming Iran-backed
militias. As
the situation unfolds, it can easily
dangerously escalate, as it has just in the
past one week. Pakistan needs to be much
better prepared diplomatically for that
possibility in order to stay out of any
conflict, which is its stated policy. Recent
foreign policy and diplomatic faux pas have
not helped our credibility or dependability
in providing effective mediation between
any of the main parties involved; US, Iran
and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan pulling out of the
Malaysia Summit at the last moment on
Saudi Arabia’s insistence made it
embarrassingly clears to Iran how much we
are dependent on Saudi aid. The US exerts
the same amount of control through the
IMF and the FATF grey listing. The trip is
therefore, a formality, a courtesy call, and
nothing more than a way to show the world
that, we too are an important part of the
region, and are as concerned as everyone
else.
18) US-China Trade Deal:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
perspective, which questions exactly what
progress the Trump Administration really
made in its efforts to get ‘more’ out of this
bilateral trade relationship. For China, the
boon will be seeing the tariffs currently
imposed by the US cut to half, alongside an
agreement to not impose any additional
Trade relations between the US and China import taxes. Whether both sides manage
finally appear to be heading in a positive to hold up their end of the bargain remains
direction as the Trump administration to be seen – the deal isn’t really
reversed its move to officially designate enforceable in any way – but the reception
Beijing as a currency manipulator. This is to this treaty has been positive
one of several measures taken by both internationally. This is an end – or at least a
sides’ just days before they sign what has pause – to the trade war, which has been
been dubbed the “phase one” of a new ongoing since 2018. Global markets will not
trade deal. have to consistently manage expectations
According to this agreement, China will buy and look to anticipate how either country
more agricultural goods – up to $ 40 billion will retaliate. We can only hope that this
per year from the previous high of $ 27 peace between the two trading rivals lasts.
billion – and crack down on intellectual
property thefts. The $ 40 billion figure has
been a key point from President Trump’s
side as he has promised this boost to his
voters from the farming industry, but
experts question whether China can
actually manage to import these vast sums
without oversupplying its markets.
Intellectual property rights have taken
Centre stage as both countries compete for
supremacy in the international
technological market. Advancements in
Artificial Intelligence and 5G and their
strategic capabilities entails that the US
wants the ability to be able to raise its
grievances against China in the event of any
perceived misconduct. Having said that, this
clause in the trade deal has also been 19) Another Jolt to Tehran:
touted by many as too weak from the US

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 ICEP CSS-PMS
Tehran was left with very few options once
the US had walked away from the
agreement and re-imposed the sanctions.
But Tehran could have and should rely on
the power of dialogue. Active engagements
with the rest of the members of the deal
should be Iran’s strategy to exert pressure
on the US for joining the agreement again.
The three European Union (EU) countries, True that the EU powers’ failure to bring
Britain, France and Germany, have decided the US back to the deal leaves little for
to begin the dispute mechanism process Tehran to believe in these countries’
against Iran for failing to observe the terms commitment to preserving the deal.
of the 2015 nuclear deal. If the joint However, Iran must re-engage with the EU
commission finds out the allegations of the members and deliberate on the options it
EU members correct, Tehran may face has to bring the US back to the deal.
international isolation. It will lose the upper
hand, which it has maintained so far against
the United States (US) in the nuclear deal.
The purpose that Iran wanted to achieve
from intensifying enrichment was to
pressurize the remaining parties to the
nuclear deal. However, with the recent
move of the EU members, it is evident that
Tehran’s move has backfired. Moreover,
Tehran saying that it had little faith in
Europeans’ determination “to work with all
participants to preserve” the landmark deal
will add more fuel to the fire.
What options does Iran have at the
moment? Iran, right now, needs not to lose
its allies. Worth remembering is the fact
that the three EU members did make some
efforts to preserve the deal. France, in fact,
in the recent past, tried to engage both the
US and Iran on the nuclear issue. However,
Tehran’s frustration with the impasse
cannot be ignored. Given that the US was
the most important party to the deal, 20) Kashmir in UNSC:

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 ICEP CSS-PMS
Strengthening Pakistan is best help to
Kashmiris;
On Wednesday the situation in Indian
Occupied Kashmir (IOK) came under
discussion in the UNSC a second time after
August 16. Without the crucial help of
China, it would not have been possible to
take the issue to the most powerful world
forum. As the meetings were held behind
closed doors, nothing was officially given
out to the media. Ambassador Zhang Jun,
Chinese permanent representative to the
United Nations, however confirmed to the
journalists that the Council had reviewed
the situation in the Occupied Kashmir as it
received a briefing on the situation from its
secretariat.
A second Security Council meeting in five
months to discuss the situation in IOK
indicates that despite Indian propaganda,
the international community remains
concerned about the developments in the
region. Even though there was no tangible
outcome of the moot, the most powerful
UN forum is obviously not content with the
Indian stand that none other than the two
neighboring countries has a right to discuss
the matter. The meeting would definitely
boost the morale of the Kashmiris
struggling for their rights.
There is a need on the part of Pakistan to
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continue to steadfastly extend its moral and
political support for the Kashmir cause and
to raise the issue at all world forums. The
government however needs to take into
account the ground realities. As things
stand, China has a clear stand on Kashmir
and is willing to stand by it publicly. As
ambassador Zhang put it, China recognizes
Kashmir as disputed territory and supports
Islamabad’s demand for a plebiscite.
Pakistan’s Arab friends have extended loans
to Pakistan when it needed them urgently
and supplied oil to Pakistan on deferred
payment. They are however unwilling to
displease India where they have invested
heavily. This explains why the OIC has not
gone beyond making ineffectual statements
on the issue.
The Kashmir issue will take time to resolve.
A Pakistan commanding international
respect on account of a strong economy,
internal unity buttressed by a genuinely
federal governance and a democratic set up
with civilian supremacy will be of greater
help to the Kashmiris than a poor country
carrying a begging bowl and ridden by
internal dissensions.
21) US-China trade truce:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
An example of how trade talks can help
peace;
The US-China trade agreement, signed on
Wednesday, has left no losers. As it is only
the first phase, and the second is expected,
it represents a truce rather than peace, in
what had developed into a full-fledged
trade war between the world’s two largest
economies, and the greatest single bilateral
trading relationship. Started by US
President Donald Trump in fulfillment of
populist campaign promises, the trade war
did not just affect the USA and China, but
the whole world. Particularly affected were
the European Union and the two countries’
as mutual trading partners, like Taiwan and
Japan. An important consideration was how
the trade war disrupted supply chains. A
product shipped from a third country grew
pricier because it was supplied to one
country by the other as part of a
subassembly for the exporting country.
Another dimension was the search by
importers in both countries for new
supplies, such as the Chinese hunger for
South American soybean to replace US
soybean, priced out of the market by tariffs.
Soybean went from $12 billion imported
from the USA to just $3 billion.
The deal requires China to import $200
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billion worth of US goods over two years.
During President Trump’s setting off the
trade war, some economists expressed
concern that the USA was using its
economic power instead of leaving the
markets to determine relative positions. It is
true that President Trump has brought an
element of mercantilism to the free market,
but his agreement is an indication that the
trade war was hurting the US economy
enough for him to be concerned about his
re-election, due at the end of this year.
Apart from trade problems, the USA and
China have got security issues because of
Chinese disputes with US allies over islands
in the China Sea. There is also a naval
confrontation between the two in the South
China Sea. Yet that did not stop them from
hammering out this interim trade deal,
which will lead to a final one. India and
Pakistan could profit from this example. The
Indian government in particular should note
how President Trump did not let his anti-
China election rhetoric from making a deal.
Both Pakistan and India could settle trade
issues for greater mutual prosperity, leaving
security issues for another time.
22) SCO Invitation:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
WHERE bilateral efforts to improve
relations fail in the Pakistan-India context,
multilateral forums can offer a ‘safe’ space
for dialogue to pursue peace. In this
perspective, the prospect of Pakistan’s
participation in the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization summit to be held in India
later this year has brought up the possibility
of forward movement where the currently
frozen bilateral ties between the two
countries are concerned.
As reported, when asked whether the prime
minister of this country would be invited to
the SCO moot, an Indian external affairs
ministry spokesman told the media that “all
eight countries and four observers will be
invited”, indicating in a rather lukewarm
tone that Pakistan would be asked to
participate.
Pakistan and India became full members of
the SCO in 2017; the grouping — under the
stewardship of Russia and China — brings
together the Central Asian states as well as
observers such as Iran and Afghanistan.
Though no miracles should be expected
(the moribund status of Saarc is before us),
were the prime minister to participate and
interact with his Indian counterpart,
perhaps the ice between Islamabad and
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New Delhi could be broken.
However, there should be no illusions;
unless the core issues affecting the
Pakistan-India relationship are addressed, a
mere photo op between the two leaders
will be of little use.
The Indian lockdown of Kashmir must top
the agenda, as New Delhi should realize
that its siege of the held region is
destroying all chances of peace in the
subcontinent. Further, Pakistan has valid
concerns about the Islamo-phobic laws
India has introduced to disenfranchise
millions of its Muslim citizens. And the
recent bellicose, anti-Pakistan statements
by Indian generals have further poisoned
the atmosphere. If there is to be peace,
such jingoism must be reined in. That said,
the fact is that the only viable option for
Pakistan and India to pursue is constructive
dialogue that paves the way for peace.
Irresponsible war talk and chest-thumping
only serve shrill anti-peace lobbies; the
people of the subcontinent deserve
prosperity and friendship. Let India extend a
proper invitation to Pakistan with respect.
Thereafter, the prime minister should take
up the opportunity and try to take matters
forward.
Pakistan has over the past few years taken
several steps for peace, yet the response
from the other side has been less than
enthusiastic. The SCO summit can prove to
be a chance to change things for the better.
23) Water Shortages:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
THE Senate standing committee that was
informed about water being ‘unutilized’
downstream of Kotri should disregard these
words, and focus, instead, on getting
Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal
Vawda to answer its summons. During a
hearing, the standing committee on water
was told by the Member Punjab of the
Indus River System Authority, Rao Irshad Ali
Khan, that water worth $29bn flows
downstream Kotri Barrage into the sea
‘unutilized’ every year. Mr. Khan urged the
construction of more dams for water
storage so that this water could be utilized
for irrigation purposes. His argument, as
well as the calculation he presented, is
entirely flawed and should be ignored. The
more important observation during the
hearing was made by the committee’s chair,
when he noted that the water minister
seemed to have plenty of time for making
himself and his government appear absurd
thanks to his controversial stunts on TV talk
shows, but had no time to appear before
parliament, which is his constitutionally
mandated duty. It must be emphasized
again and again that dams are not the
solution to Pakistan’s growing water
challenges. Pakistan’s per capita availability
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of water is only slightly above 1,000 cubic
meters per annum, which is considered the
threshold below which a country can be
defined as ‘water scarce’. Water
withdrawals from the country’s river system
and groundwater reservoirs are staggeringly
high by any standards. The United Nations
has estimated that 74pc of the country’s
renewable water supply is withdrawn,
whereas a value of 25pc is considered high
stress. The same percentage in Iran is 67pc,
India 40pc, Afghanistan 31pc and China
19.5pc. Clearly, Pakistan is squandering its
water resources, and an increased amount
of water withdrawal from the system will
only aggravate the problem, not solve it. In
December 2019, the World Meteorological
Organization noted that a new tool to
estimate the likelihood of conflict due to
water scarcity showed Pakistan to be at
“significant risk” of experiencing water-
related conflict in some parts within the
next 12 months. Time
and again, those who have taken a close
look at Pakistan’s water economy have said
the problem is not lack of storage, but the
wasteful utilization of this precious
resource. The existing irrigation system
collects less than a quarter of its operation
and maintenance cost from water charges
(abiana), with the rest having to come from
government resources. The lack of proper
pricing is at the heart of the water
economy’s dysfunction. But for water
pricing to work, a proper system of
measurement across the irrigation system
down to the farm is required. The Senate
committee ordered such a telemetry
 ICEP CSS-PMS
system to be installed. The Irsa bureaucracy
needs to focus its attention on these
solutions rather than constantly ask for
more dams. And the senators should brush
aside any demands for more water
withdrawal infrastructure, and insist on
sound measurements as a start.
24) Increase in FDI:
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According to the State Bank of Pakistan
(SBP), Pakistan has made a significant
improvement in attracting foreign direct
investment (FDI) during the first half of the
current fiscal year (FY). The FDI inflows, in
the first half of the current FY jump 68.3 per
cent in comparison to the figures in the
same period last year. The increase in FDI
means that the government is succeeding in
making Pakistan an attractive place of
investment for foreign businesses. Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rightly deserves
appreciation for this. The government’s
focused efforts, to bring about reforms and
positive impacts in the ease of doing
business area, are bearing fruits in the form
of an increase in FDI. Hopefully, the
government policies will see further
improvements, and, as a result, more FDI
inflows will come to the national kitty in the
future.
That much said it is, however, essential for
the government to make more and more
sectors attractive for foreign investments.
Since, the significant chunk of this year
investments was concentrated in two major
sectors, i.e., telecommunication and power
and electrical machinery sectors. Many
untouched sectors can be attractive areas
for FDI, chemicals, pharmaceutical and
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fertilizer; oil and gas; and banking and
finance, to name a few.
It is correct that significant improvements in
the country’s overall macroeconomic
environment and sound policies have
helped attract relatively large inflows of FDI
in Pakistan in the first half of the current FY.
However, the government has to travel a
long distance, especially in going up further
on ease of doing business index. Perhaps,
this government is well aware of the fact
that a conductive investment climate is a
must for attracting foreign investment by
providing a more facilitative institutional,
policy and regulatory environment for
businesses to operate. Expectantly, the
increase in FDI will boost the government’s
morale, and it will enhance its efforts to
attract more foreign capital inflows in the
country.
25) Crisis time for PTI:
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TROUBLE seems to be brewing within the
ruling coalition. First the political allies of
the government began to grumble. Then PTI
members started voicing their own
grievances. Soon an MQM minister, Khalid
Maqbool Siddiqui, resigned from the
federal cabinet. A few days later, PML-Q
minister Tariq Bashir Cheema opted out of a
federal cabinet meeting. Before long, the
PTI’s own minister Fawad Chaudhry fired off
a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan
complaining about the manner in which the
Punjab government was being run by Chief
Minister Usman Buzdar. Suddenly, it
seemed the ruling coalition was on the
verge of splintering. Initially, the
government did not take matters seriously,
but once the fissures started appearing in
public, Mr Khan launched a damage-control
exercise. PTI delegations led by Federal
Minister Asad Umar and Mr Khan’s close
aide Jahangir Tareen started calling on allies
from the PML-Q, MQM, GDA and the BNP-
M to hear their grievances and find an
amicable solution. Recently, a PTI
delegation held talks with the MQM in
Karachi but was unable to convince Mr
Siddiqui to take back his resignation. Not
only do these hurried moves signal panic
within PTI ranks, they have also revived
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concerns that the consensus around Mr
Khan’s government may be loosening.
These concerns have increased with
ministers such as Mr Chaudhry becoming
very vocal in their criticism of the
government. It is only with the support of
its allies that the PTI has been able to form
governments at the centre and in Punjab.
The numbers game in Islamabad and Lahore
paints a precarious picture for the PTI, and
if its allies abandon their support, both PTI
setups could face an existential crisis.
So what has triggered this sudden crisis?
Tension between political allies is a fairly
common phenomenon but in Pakistan
ruling parties have had enough resources to
negotiate their way through such times. The
surprising aspect this time, however, is why
three key government allies — the MQM,
PML-Q and the GDA — have chosen to air
their grievances almost simultaneously. The
timing of this crisis has triggered
speculation that the allies’ unhappiness
may be coordinated to exert maximum
pressure on the PTI. This pressure is felt
most by the Punjab government. Calls for
Mr Buzdar’s ouster have been steadily
growing but the prime minister has refused
to replace him. Will Mr Khan be forced to
make compromises in order to find a way
out of this crisis? That will depend on who
blinks first.
26) Flour prices provide food
for thought:
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Pakistan is never short of crises. The latest one
in the making is the shortage of flour and
subsequent rising prices in Punjab and other
parts of the country. Since 2008, after the
Pakistan People’s Party increased wheat prices
from a paltry Rs450 per 40 kilogram to Rs1,000,
the country witnessed a remarkable
improvement in the wheat yield production,
resulting in surplus stocks. Guarding a surplus
stock is far better than living with food
insecurity. After the 2008 price push, the
government of the PML-N paid little regard to
wheat prices which gradually diminished
farmers’ interest in cultivation. In 2019, the
government had to take extra measures to stop
middlemen from buying wheat so that the
governmental target could be achieved.
Unexpected rains in March and April last year
also played havoc with the crop. After almost a
decade of creating disinterest among wheat
farmers, we are now at a point of wheat flour
shortage. No government can afford the
availability issue of the staple food. After
reports of price of flour increasing, the Punjab
government has started action against mills and
chakki owners and warned them against
unapproved increase of Rs 6per kg in wheat
flour. On the other hand, flour millers and
chakki mill owners are complaining about the
short supply of wheat from the Food
Department. If the flour price is not controlled,
roti price is bound to go up, which will trigger
public backlash. So far, tandoor owners have
only set a seven-day deadline for the
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government to control the flour price otherwise
they will increase the rates of roti and naan.

THERE appears to be some movement in

the on-again, off-again Afghan peace
process, as the Americans are currently
talking to the Afghan Taliban in Doha;
meanwhile, there are reports that the
insurgents have agreed to reduce the level
of hostilities against the US forces. In fact, a
longer-lasting peace deal may also be in the
works, ready to be signed by the end of this
month. As there have been several false
dawns on this front in the past, the news
should be greeted with guarded optimism
since both sides — the Taliban and the
Trump administration — are known to be
impulsive and unpredictable. For example,
the Afghan militia have in the past stepped
up attacks even as they sued for peace,
while President Donald Trump ripped up a
deal last year as preparations were under
way to invite the Taliban to the US to sign it.
However, such ups and downs are to be
expected, and the tortured Afghan saga,
which has been continuing for decades,
cannot be untangled in days or weeks.

The days ahead will show if the Taliban

make good on their promise to reduce acts
of violence, and whether or not the
27) U.S-Taliban deal: Americans decide to go ahead and ink a
more permanent peace deal. However, it
should be noted that leaving out the Kabul
government from any permanent Afghan

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settlement is not a good idea. The Taliban insecurity within the country will spell
have said they may initiate an intra-Afghan insecurity in the whole region.
dialogue which could include the Ashraf
Ghani-led dispensation after a ceasefire has
been signed with the Americans. This
appears to be a softening in the militia’s
tone, as previously the Taliban have used
uncharitable terms for the Kabul
government, describing the setup as
puppets of the Americans. The fact is that
all sides in this brutal conflict — the Taliban,
the Kabul government, other Afghan
factions, the Americans and their foreign
cohorts — are visibly fatigued after decades
of war. And most importantly, the Afghan
people have witnessed enough death and
destruction as global powers and their own
compatriots have fought bloody battles in
their forsaken land, taking a heavy toll on
the country and its population. There seems
to be a feeling on all sides that enough is
enough. Meanwhile, even more vicious
actors, such as the local chapter of the
militant Islamic State group, are waiting in
the wings to take advantage of the chaos
and establish themselves in Afghanistan’s
ungoverned spaces.

For peace to succeed, all Afghan factions, as

well as the government and foreign forces,
must pledge to end the hostilities. If such
confidence-building measures succeed, a
grand Afghan reconciliation process should
be initiated, so that all legitimate political
players can come together and forge a
peaceful path for their country. All of
Afghanistan’s neighbors, as well as world
powers, must support such a process as

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28) Demand from the US:
Pakistan has an “evolving counter-terrorism
regime” that has to “grapple with structural
impediments to achieving full compliance.”
With such an evolving regime, dismantling
long-established (terrorist) networks
becomes a little tricky. However, the
actions and steps that Pakistani authorities
have taken so far show Pakistan’s sincere
efforts in showing compliance to the
demands by the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF). It is no secret that Pakistani law
enforcement agencies and other
institutions have taken earnest actions
against proscribed groups. The joint group
of FATF will scrutinize Pakistan’s compliance
report in its scheduled meeting at Beijing
from January 21 to 24.
While the Pakistani delegation will have the
opportunity to defend every point written
in its progress report, Pakistan’s FATF
experience underscores the political
dimensions of this organization. If the
commentary by international news media is
any indicator, Pakistan’s placement on
FATF’s grey list is politically motivated. For
instance, even when Pakistan was on the
black or grey list, there was little financial
pressure on the country. It received several
bailouts from the IMF and generous
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assistance from the US. This was due to
American dependence on Pakistan for
counter-terrorism cooperation. It is only
after the growing Indo-US partnership,
especially after Trump’s election, that the
FATF has been used as a means of political
leverage.
Nevertheless, considering the recent thaw
in the Pak US relations, Islamabad “is sure
to get a reprieve,” some experts maintain.
Worth noting in this regard is the visit of
Senior US diplomat Amb Alice Wells, who is
here since Sunday on a four-day trip for
talks on bilateral and regional issues. Yet,
Pakistan must argue its case properly and
guard against India’s malicious diplomatic
attacks. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi played his cards quite
well when he demanded the US to play its
role in getting Pakistan off the grey list of
FATF on his recent trip to the US.
The country’s top military brass and civilian
side put a lot of efforts to comply with all 27
action plans within the envisaged deadline
and made good progress. The authorities
are confident that the FATF will not give
new action plan. At least, it can be said with
certainty that there are no chances that
they decide to further downgrade Pakistan
and put it into blacklist. It is safe to
conclude by saying FATF’s grey listing of
Pakistan in isolation is not the correct way
to look at the issue. The FATF’s actions
against Pakistan must be placed in the
larger picture of US-Pakistan relations that
have had many ups and downs.
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29) Decline in oil import: government has been relying on liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) imports, which have
gone up by almost 34 per cent, this factor
should also be ruled out for the import bill
of petroleum because of the limited
availability of LPG in the country.

He major stakeholder of oil import – the

automobile sector – has also been in the
throes of recession for the last one year.
The sector experienced a 72 per cent drop
in sales in the first half of 2019-20. The
Pakistan’s Oil-Imports Bill, and local sector does not forecast any good days
production of petroleum products declined ahead in the ongoing financial year. Though
by almost 20 per cent and 12 per cent problem is somewhat universal in nature at
respectively in the first half of the current the moment but the Pakistani automobile
fiscal year, according to data released by sector is facing reduced sales issues mainly
the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (FBS). One because of federal excise duty ranging from
the one hand, vital foreign exchange 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent on engines of
spending has been saved, while on the different horsepower, besides additional
other it reflects slowing down of the customs duty on raw material imports and
economy also. According to the PBS data, record high interest rates. Moreover, the
oil imports fell by 19.87 per cent in the first Federal Board of Revenue also keeps
six months (July-December 2019) as tracking the sector. Sad trends in oil import
compared to the same period last year and automobile sector indicate the
despite higher oil prices in the international improved economy has yet to benefit the
market. The government must look for the common man. *
reasons behind the dwindling oil
consumption. It seems people’s ability to
buy fuel has been reduced. After a steep
slide of rupee, local oil prices have gone up
considerably. Less oil import means less
demand in the local market because of
falling transport activity. One factor behind
the reduced activity could be more
operations by Pakistan Railways in the
goods transport sector, but it will be naive
to suggest that such a huge change has
occurred overnight. Even though the
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30) The new chief election
commissioner:
Another thaw has taken place in the
working relationship between the
opposition and the treasury in the shape of
key appointments in the Election
Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Sikandar
Sultan Raja has won the confidence of both
sides to be appointed the new chief
election commissioner (CEC), while Nisar
Durrani and Shah Mohammad Jatoi will be
ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan.
Announcing the names, Federal Minister for
Human Rights Shireen Mazari said the
parliamentary committee worked with a
great responsibility to pick the names and
that parliamentary matters needed to be
decided by the parliament. The name of
Raja, a retired bureaucrat and man of
impeccable integrity, was floated by Prime
Minister Imran Khan. The other two
nominees were Jamil Ahmad and Fazal
Abbas Maken. Opposition Leader in the
National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif proposed
former attorney general Irfan Qadir, Nasir
Mehmood Khosa, brother of former chief
justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa, and
Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar, a former federal
secretary, for the top poll body slot. The
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process should have been completed in
September but it is always better late than
never. Both the opposition and the treasury
never showed keenness on early
nomination against the constitutional posts.
It is the duty of both sides to fill vacant slots
under Article 213 (2-A) of the Constitution.
But in those days, both sides had strained
ties, mainly due to the hounding of
opposition leaders by the government.
Gradually, things improved when the
government showed allowed jailed PML-N
leader Nawaz Sharif to leave Pakistan for
treatment. Then the opposition supported
the government in the passage of the army
act. Now, a new normal exists where the
government is totally focused on resolving a
flurry of crises, such as a forward bloc in
Punjab, the shortage of flour and price hike
in sugar.
It is hoped that in future such
appointments, where both sides have to sit
together and forge an agreement on
nomination, will not be delayed, also that
both sides will show political maturity to
resolve such issues, instead of creating
unnecessary deadlocks. In case parliament
fails to play its role, the space is encroached
upon by other institutions. As was the case,
Senator Sirajul Haq floated a bill proposing
a way forward in case of deadlock over
appointment of the CEC and ECP members.
The bill proposes that the matter should be
decided by a judicial body, consisting of
judges. Yet it is this paper’s considered
opinion that parliamentarians should learn
to resolve issues within it.
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31) Wheat Flour Crisis:
THE current crisis had been in the making
for quite some time. Wheat flour shortages
were looming large as the gaps appeared
obvious. There were clear signs that warned
of disruptions to supply in several parts of
the country; once the projections proved
correct, the increase in the price of wheat
flour was inevitable.
Yet, the authorities concerned remained
silent, showing little inclination to take
steps to protect the consumers from the
rising cost of the staple food. Reports of
growing shortages in major cities were
dismissed nonchalantly by the very people
who were supposed to take action to
remedy the situation. No surprise then that
a full-blown crisis has gripped the entire
country.
The government woke up at the prodding of
the media which showed images of people
queuing up outside shops to buy wheat
flour at exorbitant rates. Since then, we’ve
been told that wheat in large quantities was
being released from the federal stocks and
urgently dispatched to Sindh, KP and
Balochistan — the areas that officials say
face an acute shortage. The Economic
Coordination Committee has also allowed
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the import of 0.3m tons of grain by the end
of March to cover the shortages and
manage market sentiments until the next
harvest. A debate has ensued on the
reasons that might have led to the crisis.
The government and the opposition blame
each other, while the consumers continue
to suffer as a consequence of poor
governance. In fact, no single factor or actor
can be blamed entirely for the crisis, which
originated in Sindh and spilled over to the
rest of the country.
The Sindh government didn’t procure
wheat during the last harvest. It says it did
not lift wheat stocks because of a cash
crunch resulting from the Centre’s failure to
release funds. But that is not quite the
explanation to satisfy an earnest inquiry.
Similarly, Punjab needs to come up with
plausible reasons for its own inaction
against the hoarders said to be responsible
for hiking grain prices in the market. The
abrupt restrictions it imposed on the inter-
provincial movement of wheat and its
products had also halted supply to KP and
elsewhere. Above all, the federal
government cannot absolve itself of blame.
Its decision to allow excessive wheat
exports in summer despite the lower-than-
targeted harvest has forced it to import
wheat to cover the shortages for the next
two months.
Unchecked smuggling of wheat flour across
the porous borders with Afghanistan, and
major supply disruptions caused by weather
conditions and a strike by goods’
transporters played their part in
 ICEP CSS-PMS
complicating matters. More importantly, it 32) US on CPEC:
is poor management and lack of
coordination among different tiers of
government that led the crisis to
overwhelm the poor to low-income
population groups, who are already
struggling to cope with the rising cost of
food. It is they who are suffering the
consequences of the rulers’ indifference.
HIGH-level engagements between the US
and Pakistan on Tuesday resulted in some
interesting outcomes. Meeting Prime
Minister Imran Khan in Davos, President
Donald Trump, who called Mr Khan his
“friend”, said that Pakistan and the US had
never been as close as they were now. But
though this camaraderie is welcome,
speaking in Islamabad, Alice Wells, the
State Department’s senior official looking
after the South Asia file, delivered yet
another critique of CPEC. Ms. Wells made
some very serious allegations, claiming that
firms blacklisted by the World Bank had got
CPEC contracts, adding that Pakistan was
walking into a debt trap laid by China. She
also urged the government to be more
“transparent” about the flagship scheme,
described as a game changer by the state.
On Wednesday, the Chinese embassy in
Pakistan released a rejoinder to the
American official’s criticism, while observing
that Beijing would be “more than glad” to
see the deepening of Pakistan-US ties, it
dismissed the American criticism as
“negative propaganda”. It also pointedly
asked what Washington had done for
Pakistan. Some background is necessary
here. During the Trump administration, ties

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between China and the US have been was walking in lockstep with Washington in
especially frosty, and Ms Wells’s critique of the ‘war on terror’. If Mr Trump really
CPEC must be seen in this geopolitical wants to take the bilateral relationship to
perspective. new heights, then let the US offer this
However, while good advice from our country trade, investment and assistance.
foreign friends is always welcome, they Moreover, if Washington values Pakistan’s
should avoid giving Pakistan lectures on friendship, let it publicly back this country’s
how to conduct its foreign policy. True, stance on India-held Kashmir, FATF and
there are some concerns regarding CPEC, other critical matters.
and this paper has always called for all
projects under the scheme to be made
more transparent, and to benefit Pakistan
in the long run. But for the Americans to
wholly dismiss this giant collaborative effort
between Pakistan and China is
unacceptable.

Also, the relationship between Islamabad

and Beijing is decades old and has a
strategic dimension, and Pakistan can ill
afford to ditch an ally simply to please
another foreign friend. This country values
its relationship with the US, but as the
Chinese have rightly pointed out, what has
Washington done of recent to help uplift
Pakistan economically, and stand by it in
international forums? Concerning Mr
Trump’s comments, while the US president
is prone to making hyperbolic statements,
his newfound fondness for Pakistan should
be appreciated. As for ties between the
states being at an all-time high, this claim is
debatable. After all, the US and Pakistan
were quite close when it came to dislodging
the Soviets from Afghanistan under Gen
Zia’s watch — though history will judge
whether that endeavour was the wisest
move to make for this country. Moreover,
in the aftermath of 9/11, Gen Musharraf
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33) Agenda of Climate Change:
Climate change is the leading agenda in
Davos 2020 at the World Economic Forum
(WEF). While that may be one of the
leading causes for several activists around
the globe, particularly Greta Thunberg, the
cause does not make it to the list of
priorities of businessmen and government
officials despite the increase in natural
disasters in the last year. Greta Thunberg
and critic President Donald Trump once
again found themselves at different
extremes of the debate with President
Trump completely dismissing the existence
of the phenomenon and declared the
environmental activism as thoughts of fear
and doubt. Despite agenda setting, if
leaders of the world are failing to recognize
the issue then the chances of reviving the
Earth’s environment are a bare minimum.
Several countries across the globe are
facing the wrath of climate change - with
ice caps melting, animals losing their
habitats, vast fires, flash flooding and
earthquakes. If research and experts are to
be ignored, the debate regarding climate
change will always be about whether or not
such a phenomenon exists, instead of being
about fixing climate change.
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Greta in her opening speech reprimanded
global leaders for failing to meet the goals
set in Davos last year. If promises are not
kept, countries across the globe will face
the wrath of climate change. It is a
transnational issue and Pakistan is also one
of the countries that are going to be
adversely affected by it. Each attending
party must pledge to protect the
environment, reduce their carbon footprint
in the environment, and make
environment-friendly policies in business
and government in order to ensure that the
Earth’s geography is not altered anymore.
Several protestors also marched from Land
quart to Davos to protest the inaction of the
global leaders. Activists criticized mass
production, as it is the leading cause of
resources being wasted along with
overconsumption being encouraged. With
pressure mounting from the activists,
leaders need to recognize the will of the
people as well who are interested in saving
their own environment above everything
else. With climate change already in
commotion, there is so much that needs to
be done to reverse the process. It is
important to engage in dialogue to find
solutions rather than sit around and debate
its existence entirely. Awareness campaigns
need to be devised that help people
recognize the steps they can take to
improve the conditions along with
measures that several governments can
take to improve global conditions.
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34) UN’s Intervention Needed:
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has
ordered Myanmar to “take all measures
within its power to prevent the commission
of” alleged genocide of Rohingya Muslims.
For many, the order is of utmost
importance as it acknowledges the
systematic patterns of persecutions of
Rohingya Muslims. But the civilian leader of
the country, Aung San Suu Kyi is not
convinced. She thinks the Rohingya
refugees might have “exaggerated” the
extent of the abuses. Whatever excuses she
makes up to soothe her guilty conscious,
United Nation’s (UN) highest court order is
a ray of hope for many an oppressed
community around the world. Many experts
think that the court can issue a verdict
along similar lines in the case of Kashmir as
well.
Senior counsel Mohammad Akram Sheikh
has urged the federal government to refer
to the ICJ the matter of violation of human
rights and lockdown of Kashmiri people by
Indian forces in the occupied Kashmir.
However, it is not that simple. Although in
1974, India recognised the ICJ jurisdiction as
ipso facto compulsory over all disputes, its
acceptance was qualified by a long list of
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reservations. One of these reservations
concerns disputes with states, which have
been part of the Commonwealth. Yet,
Akram Sheikh has a point. Pakistan can
lobby with friendly nations, which are not
part of Commonwealth, and convince them
to take India to the UN’s top court for its
violations in Kashmir.
That being one of the many options that
Pakistan can exercise, the moral and
political issue before the UN is this: is India
justified in usurping the will of Kashmiri
people who want nothing short of
independence from India. The international
community has said on many occasions that
all colonized and occupied people reserve
the right to self-determination.
Nevertheless, its silence over India’s refusal
to grant Kashmiris the right to self-
determination is beyond comprehension.
This silence over India’s occupation of
Kashmir is securing nothing for any state
but eroding the essence of the UN.
Nevertheless, Pakistan is keen on exploiting
every international forum for solving
Kashmir dispute. A few days back, the Prime
Minister (PM) Imran Khan reiterated that
the UN needed to intervene in the situation
in occupied Kashmir. The Foreign Minister
Shah Mahmood Qureshi has already
announced the launch of a new information
campaign against India’s narrative on
Kashmir. The UN needs to understand that
Kashmir is as much a political dispute as it is
a legal one. And if it does not play its role in
solving it, it is not fulfilling its primary task:
 ICEP CSS-PMS
saving the future generations from the
scourge of war.
35) Dealing with Coronavirus:
Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have long
been considered inconsequential
pathogens, causing the “common cold” in
otherwise healthy people. In December
2019, a pathogenic HCoV, 2019 novel
coronavirus (2019-nCoV), was recognized in
Wuhan, China, and has caused severe
illness and death. This pneumonia-causing
virus in China is creating an alarm.
Being concerned is understandable;
however, an overreaction would be a
mistake, as the ultimate scope and effect of
this outbreak are unclear at present as the
situation is rapidly evolving. The virus has
now spread to many countries, including
France, Australia and the United States
(US).
the spread of the virus. It is to say our
approach must be that of “nipping the evil
in the bud.”
Considering the health sector’s situation in
Pakistan, we need to copy the
precautionary steps that other countries
have adopted to prevent further spread of
the virus. Public health authorities in the
rest of the world have initiated
preparedness and response activities.
Wuhan leaders closed and disinfected the
first identified market. The United States
and several other countries have started
entry screening of passengers from Wuhan
at major ports of entry. Health practitioners
in other Chinese cities, Thailand, Japan, and
South Korea promptly identified travel-
related cases, isolating individuals for
further care. The experts believe that basic
infectious disease principles are vital in
curbing the spread of coronavirus. So
before anything else, the government must
initiate a public awareness campaign. As
suggested earlier, a small preparedness of
the part of the officials and preventive
measures by the ordinary people can
prevent the spread of the virus in Pakistan.

Similarly, a news story surfaced a few days

ago regarding the first victim of the virus in
Multan. The samples of the victims have
already been collected, and further
information on virus’ reach to Pakistan can
be confirmed after the report’s finding.
Pakistani authorities need to be on their
toes. The government and all the concerned
authorities must devise a strategy against
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36) Opposing a Progressive
Bill:
The Senate of Pakistan has passed a very
progressive bill, the Maternity and Paternity
Leave Bill, 2018. According to the bill, the
employers must grant paid leaves to the
employees, as they become parents to first,
second and third child. However, the real
test for the bill is the National Assembly
(NA), as it has become apparent after the
opposition of the government senators to
the proposed law. Such behavior towards
progressive pieces of legislation is
regrettable. Why did the government
senators oppose the bill? Just because an
opposition member presented it! The
opposition to the bill shows that the
government senators cannot think above
petty political point-scoring.
Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad
Azhar in his opposition to the bill says that
the law provides for three-month maternity
leave to female workers. Perhaps, he hasn’t
gone through the recommendations of the
World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the WHO, six months of
exclusive breastfeeding for optimal support
of infant health and development is
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recommended. So the bill that the Senate
approved is not for fun purposes. But the
sad trend in Pakistani politics is that both
sides in the upper and lower houses of the
parliament oppose each other’s legislative
documents for the sake of opposition.
Now that the bill will be presented in the
NA, all need to give an ear to what UNICEF
says in this regard. According to an
evidence brief by the organization title Paid
Parental Leave And Family-Friendly Policies,
“Paid parental leave, both by supporting
lengthier breastfeeding and by providing
needed income, is likely to improve
nutritional outcomes that are essential to
healthy development.” Can one not say that
the bill, in a way, is a practical step towards
Imran Khan’s vision of overcoming stunted
growth among our children? If the
members of the ruling party ever try to not
look at things from a crooked lens, they will
understand the importance of this bill.
The Minister for Economic Affairs overlooks
one fact in his criticism of the bill. The
existing law, beyond limiting coverage to
the employees in the government sector,
does not protect the workers in the private
sector. In the private sector, working
contracts often contain qualifying
conditions such as minimum contribution
requirements, makes the existing law open
to abuse. Moreover, instead of presenting
any objective criticism of the bill, he
confuses general leaves for male employees
with paternal ones. According to UNICEF,
male parents in Pakistan do not have
paternal leaves. It is quite clear that the
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enacted law needs serious revision, and the 37) Baghdad Protest:
Senate–approved bill is one that can rectify
the situation. If the treasury benches want
to oppose it in the NA, it should do so but
only to make it more progressive.

IN its limited understanding of events,

particularly the complex workings of the
Middle East, the Trump administration feels
it has achieved a masterstroke by
assassinating Iranian Gen Qassem Soleimani
in Baghdad earlier this month. However, in
much of the region the hit has galvanized
anti-American sentiment, with the peoples
of the Middle East denouncing
Washington’s brazen disregard for other
states’ sovereignty, with calls for the US
military to leave the region. Soon after the
strike that took the lives of Soleimani and
several others, including Abu Mahdi al-
Muhandis, a prominent commander of
Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi, the Iraqi parliament
passed a motion calling for the removal of
all American forces from their country. On
Friday, thousands of followers of cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr — whose forces have
battled American troops in Iraq in years
past — staged a massive march in Baghdad
telling the “occupier” to “get out”. Muqtada
al-Sadr also called for security
arrangements between Iraq and the US to
be cancelled.

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The anti-American rage in Iraq is continues to threaten American interests,
understandable, and the Soleimani “He will meet the same fate”. Instead of
assassination is only one of many triggers of indulging in such arrogant behavior and
the Iraqi unrest. Nearly 17 years after imperiling the security of the region, the US
America invaded their country to rid it of needs to change tack. It should not be
weapons of mass destruction that have yet playing the role of an imperial overlord. If
to be found, Iraqis have little to cheer America were to approach the Middle
about. While it is true that corruption Eastern countries with respect, it could go a
among the Iraqi ruling elite plays a long way in improving its own security, as
substantial part in the miseries of that well as that of the region.
country, clearly the root cause of Iraq’s
deprivation is the American invasion.
George W. Bush’s ill-advised foray managed
to dislodge a dictator — though once upon
a time Saddam Hussein was a valuable
client in the campaign against Ayatollah
Khomeini’s Iran — but at the same time it
destroyed a functioning country. Even
elsewhere in the Middle East, America’s
actions, along with many of its European
and Arab allies, have brought nothing but
trouble for the peoples of this region, with
regime change helping fuel further chaos.
For example, in Syria, the US-led bloc
intervened in what was purely a domestic
uprising against Bashar al-Assad’s iron-
fisted rule, resulting in the
internationalization of the conflict, as Russia
and Iran jumped in to protect their ally. The
chaos in Syria also gave spaces for deadly
outfits like the militant Islamic State group
and Al Qaeda to take refuge in.

Yet, apparently no lessons have been learnt,

as America still seems intent on playing
global policeman. For example, Brian Hook,
Mr Trump’s point man on Iran, has been
quoted as saying that if Esmail Qaani, Gen
Soleimani’s successor as Quds Force head,
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38) Trump’s Peace Plan:
Before anything else, let us be clear on one
thing: “there is absolutely — repeat:
absolutely — no hope of establishing peace
in what Europe and [the United States] so
arrogantly call the Middle East (ME) …
without dealing with the Palestinians.” This
observation of James Baldwin was correct
back in his days; it is true even now. The
United States’ (US) President Donald Trump
has revealed his ‘deal of the century’ titled
“Peace to Prosperity” that offers nothing to
Palestinians.
Even a cursory glance at the 181 pages thick
document suggests that it is nothing but
granting Israel control over internationally-
unrecognized Jewish settlements and
occupied areas bordering Jordan. It is a
blueprint for the annexation of Jordon
Valley. It makes Jerusalem undivided capital
of Israel. And it deliberately ignores
Palestinian’s right to return to their lands.
Thinking of the recently revealed plan as a
good-faith effort to make peace is
laughable. Trump’s deal is anything but
“Peace to Prosperity.” The timing of its
revelation tells us what Trump wants from
it in the short run. It’s an effort to help
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Netanyahu, a staunch Trump ally, in
advance of tightly contested March
elections in Israel. The release of a plan so
tilted to Israeli priorities helps the right-
wing prime minister sell himself as the man
best positioned to handle the vital US-Israel
relationship. Moreover, Trump’s peace
plan puts aside the basic framework for
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations,
which was a two-states-solution where
Israel would retreat to its current
internationally recognized borders.
However, this document completely
nullifies the possibility of a two-state
solution. It will cause unending conflicts
between Israel and Palestine at best and
complete elimination of Palestinians at
worst.
Besides, the document’s text is designed in
such a manner that it will eventually leave
Palestinians with no land at all. The
definition of “State of Palestine” in the
glossary is perhaps the most revealing one.
It reads as thus: “Throughout the Vision, the
term “State of Palestine” refers to a future
state, not currently in existence that could
be recognized by the United States only if
the criteria described in this Vision are
satisfactorily met.” Palestine is defined in
future terms, not what Palestine is at
present. There is no need to read the text of
the deal after that.
The protests of the Palestinians right after
the announcement of the deal show that
Palestinians reject it that offers them
nothing but further deceits and subjugation.
While the Muslim world rejects the
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document, some of its leaders have 39) Indian Bellicosity:
approved it. They need to understand that
supporting such a deal that deprives the
Palestinians of their lands, and right to
return will make them Israel’s partners in
the oppression of Palestinians.

OVER the past several months, there has

been a steady, disturbing rhythm of war
drums emanating from New Delhi. India’s
top civil and military leaders have been
making irresponsible statements where
Pakistan is concerned, publicly rattling
sabres mainly for domestic consumption —
and vitiating the atmosphere in South Asia
as a result.

On Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi while speaking at a
gathering made the arrogant boast that his
country could defeat Pakistan in a matter of
days. Earlier, the Indian army chief
had said that his troops could occupy Azad
Kashmir if the Indian parliament asked
them to do so. His predecessor, who is
currently serving as chief of defense staff —
made equally toxic remarks regarding
Pakistan. It would be naive to assume that
these are all coincidences; quite clearly, the
Indian establishment has attained a
threatening posture and such signaling from
the top is designed to bully and browbeat
this country.

Firstly, the Indian leadership should not be

under any illusions. Pakistan can and will
defend itself in the face of any adventurism;
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last year’s Balakot episode and its
aftermath have proven as much. However,
as this country’s leadership has made quite
clear on numerous occasions, Pakistan
desires peace in the region and has thus
responded to Indian provocations with
restraint. Unfortunately, even on a popular
level in India the dominant narrative is a
hyper-nationalist one — fuelled by a
bigoted ruling elite and a mostly venomous
media — with a section of that country’s
citizens baying for this country’s blood. By
comparison, the average Pakistani has
shown little desire for conflict, preferring a
more mature handling of regional crises,
though the public mood is likely to harden if
Indian jingoism and threats continue.
should not be taken as a weakness. The
international community, particularly those
states who hold up India as a ‘model’
democracy, need to play a more active role
in communicating to their friends in New
Delhi that combustible statements can fuel
actual hostilities. Pakistan wants peace, but
it will not stand idly by as a bullying
neighbour continues to threaten its
sovereignty and dismiss all attempts at
dialogue.

Earlier, it was perceived that the BJP,

staying true to its Hindutva roots, was
demonizing Pakistan as an election gimmick
to win over its traditional constituency, the
Hindu hard right. However, now it seems
that the Indian establishment is continuing
its Pakistan-bashing to divert attention from
its domestic troubles. There has been
considerable resistance within India from
right-thinking members of all communities
to New Delhi’s xenophobic attempts to
disenfranchise India’s Muslims through
legal means.

The harsh rhetoric against this country from

Mr Modi and company appears to be
designed to reassure his fan base that he
remains ‘tough’ on Pakistan. However, such
warmongering can have dangerous
implications for regional peace, and
Pakistan’s restraint and measured behavior

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Sociology Mcqs movement between
this_____________?
them, they call

1) Which one of the following concepts

A. social stratification
did Mix weber introduce to the field of
B. social control
sociology?
C. social conflict
D. social solidarity
A. dramaturgy
B. ideal types
6) In contemporary societies social
C. functionalism
institutions are_______________?
D. macrosociology
A. highly specialized interrelated sets of
2) Which of the following is most closely
social practices
associated with the concept of the
B. disorganized social relations in a post
sociological imagination?
modem world
C. virtual communities in cyberspace
A. Emile Durkheim
D. no longer relevant to sociology
B. Max Weber
C. Karl Marx
7) What does Berger (1963) describe as a
D. C Wright Mills
metaphor for social reality?
3) Sociology differs from common sense in
A. a fairground rides
that_______________?
B. a circus
C. a puppet theatre
A. it focuses on the researchers own
D. a ballet
experiences
B. it makes little distinction between the
8) The authors explain that feminist
way the world is and the way it ought to be
research methodology_____________?
C. its knowledge is accumulated from many
different research contexts
A. is an approach to research which
D. it is subjective and biased
emphasizes inclusion fairness and
humaneness
4) In idealized views of science the
B. places its main emphasis on concrete
experimental method is said to
theories
involve_____________?
C. stresses that all human emotions are to be
ignored
A. testing out new research methods to see
D. all of the above
which one works best
B. isolating and measuring the effect of one
9) Observation______________?
variable upon another
C. using personal beliefs and values to
A. is one of the easiest tools for sociological
decide what to study
inquiry because it requires only good note
D. interpreting date subjectively drawing on
taking
theoretical paradigms
B. is not subject to the same controls that are
applied to other methods
5) When sociologists study the structure
C. requires the involvement of the
of layers in society and people’s

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researcher in the activity being studied
D. may be unobtrusive or participant
10) In an experiment two groups are
identical except for the change that
researchers introduce into one group that
group is called______________?
D. Individuals who were enmeshed in
meaningful social bonds were less inclined
to commit suicide
14) Who wrote the first book on the
methodology of social research How to
Observe Manners and Morals?

A. the contaminated group A. Herbert Spencer

B. the control groups B. Emily Post
C. the experimental group C. Harriet Martineau
D. the neutral standard D. Emile Durkheim

11) Constructed reality 15) The application of evolutionary

is________________? notions and the concept of the survival of
the fittest to society is
A. the ability to control the behavior of called_______________?
others
B. the principle that meaning derives from A. class conflict
social interaction in daily life B. Dialectical materialism
C. the observed consequences that permit C. Social dynamics
the adaptation or adjustment of a system D. Social Darwinism
D. and artificial explanation of culture that
exists apart from any social reality or shared 16) Sociology________________?
social meaning
A. has been to study social interaction for
12) Contemporary sociology over 500 years.
includes______________? B. Is the scientific study of social interaction
and organization
A. evolutionary relativism C. has little bearing on public policy
B. liberal feminism and explicit examination D. is most useful when applied to abstract -
of women’s social roles and experiences as opposed to practical matters
C. postmodernism feminism and critical
theory 17) Sociology is concerned
D. a combination of biological theory with__________________?
conflict theory and evolutionary theory
A. Patterns of human behavior
13) Which of the following was supported B. the behavior of an individual
by Durkheim,s study of suicide? C. random human actions
D. all of the above
A. Catholics had higher rates of suicide than
protestants 18) The first step in scientific method
B. Rates of suicide were higher in times of is________________?
war than in times of peace
C. Rates of suicide were lower in times of A. Observation
economic stability B. Recollection

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C. Addition to already experimented 24) An attempt to understand the social
material world by situating social events in their
D. None of these corresponding environment is
called_____________?
19) The second stage when people
understand society as natural was A. Social work
named________________? B. Sociology
C. Society
A. Theological D. None of these
B. Metaphysical
C. Scientific 25) Sociology is study
D. None of these of________________?

20) Social sciences comprise the A. Human political life

application of scientific method B. Human economic life
to______________? C. Human social life
D. None of these
A. laboratory experiments
B. field experiment 26) An experiment can be defined
C. human aspect of the world as_______________?
D. None of these
A. an attempt to test a hypothesis under
21) In the past, history, politics controlled conditions
philosophy and sociology B. a piece of research conducted in a
were______________? laboratory
C. a piece of research trying out new
A. Separate Disciplines methods
B. Same discipline D. an attempt to deceive participants about
C. Not studied the research’s true purpose
D. None of these
27) When in sociology we speak of
22) Comte believed that society developed researchers using controls we
in______________? mean_________________?

A. two stages A. being as precise as possible in defining

B. four stages an initial hypothesis
C. three stages B. holding some variables constant to look
D. None of these at the effects of others
C. supervising the data collection process as
23) Sociology comes from a Latin word closely as possible
Socius means______________? D. seeking to manipulate the outcomes of a
research process
A. Neighbor
B. Associate 28) In survey research the group of
C. Friend respondents targeted for the naira is
D. None of these called _________________?

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A. sample 33) Which of these is not an ethical issue
B. respondents for researchers?
C. focus group
D. population A. assessing the potential risks for research
subjects
29) Which of these terms is the odd one B. selecting a relevant theoretical
out? perspective
C. protecting the anonymity of participants
A. causation D. safe storage of the raw data collected in
B. correlation the process
C. association
D. connection 34) According to feminists an
androcentric bias in research is the direct
30) Tearoom Trade is typical of the s result of______________?
asked by sociologist’s
because_______________? A. the funding of certain projects
B. assuming that men and women are the
A. it takes place outside the university same
campus C. women not being objective
B. it makes use of covert research methods D. using males as the accepted norm
C. it investigates workings of society that E. a lack of female researchers
are different from official accounts
D. the investigator is sympathetic to the 35) In participant observation research
activities that he is investigating the role of the “complete” participant
forces the researcher to
31) Which one of the following statements be_______________?
is true?
A. with the group for months and sometimes
A. sociologists use both quantitative and years
qualitative methods B. discreet about his/her research
B. sociologists no longer use quantitative C. close to the leadership of the group that
methods he/she is studying
C. sociologists always prefer to use D. open and honest about his/her intentions
qualitative methods E. taking copious notes
D. sociologists cannot use a mixed methods
approach 36) A data collection method in which the
researcher does not interact with the
32) What is applied social research subject(s) being studied is
_________________? called_______________?

A. research that tries to contribute to the A. an unobtrusive

development of theory B. field research
B. research that is always multidisciplinary C. qualitative analysis
C. research that aims to intervene in and D. content analysis
improve social life E. ethnography
D. research based on government priorities

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37) Reading a number of books and declines In research terminology this is
journals regarding crime in Canada is a called a (n) ?
good example of______________?
A. variation
A. qualitative research B. correlation
B. ethnography C. observation
C. secondary research D. measure of central tendency
D. field research E. spurious relationship
E. non-participant observation
42) A mean, median and mode are all
38) A major disadvantage of using mail examples of_______________?
naires to collect data is____________?
A. measures of variation
A. the cost of the stamps B. measures of central tendency
B. the response rates C. measures of enumeration
C. the inability to follow-up D. measures of correlation
D. some respondents are paranoid E. measures of coefficients
E. the mail is slow
43) _____________ uses multiple data
39) A survey that asks the respondent to collection methods on the same area of
indicate their age and includes response interest?
categories of age 20-30 age 30-40 age 40
50 and age 50+ violates which important
rule for constructing closed-ended items A. Triangulation
for naira’s? B. Ethnography
C. Field research
A. exhaustive D. Variation
B. tangible E. Cluster sampling
C. comprehensive
D. relevant 44) When a number of researchers use
E. mutually exclusive the same operational definition to
measure a variable and achieve the same
40) In order to qualify as a random results the measure is said to
sample______________? be_______________?

A. at least 100 people must be selected A. valid

B. every sub-sample of the population must B. reliable
be represented C. factual
C. every member of the population must D. internally consistent
have an equal chance of being chosen E. instrumental
D. a phone book must be used to generate
random names. 45) The concepts in a hypothesis are
E. the researcher must pre-test the subjects stated as______________?

41) A researcher was able to prove that, A. variables

on average as age increases eyesight B. populations

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C. ideas 50) A detailed plan or method for
D. indices obtaining data scientifically called a (n)?
E. theories
A. sample
46) In sociology_______________? B. experiment
C. research design
A. theory always precedes research D. scientific method
B. theory can be developed independent of
research 51) Formulating the hypothesis is the
C. research always precedes theory _________ step in the scientific method?
D. the relationship between theory and
research is cyclical A. first
E. research is dictated by the theoretical B. second
perspective C. third
D. fourth
47) An instructor wants to determine if
giving essay tests increases student 52) Standard deviation in statistics is the
learning In one class that the instructor measure that indicates in the essence
teaches she continues to test as she has of______________?
always done In another class She then
measures the differences in learning if A. Central tendency
any between the two classes The class that B. spread of the sample means/values
is given essay s is the______________? C. Both A and B
D. None of these
A. control group
B. representative group 53) A double barreled has the potential of
C. experimental group having______________?
D. correlation group
A. two respectable responses/answers
48) A researcher can obtain a higher B. two answers but incompatible with each
response rate by using which type of other
survey? C. Both A and B
D. None of these
A. interviews
B. naires 54) An overall scheme of scientific
C. representative samples activities which scientists engage in order
D. observation techniques to produce knowledge is
a________________?
49) In order to genuinely reflect a broad
range of the population a survey must be A. Research process
based on precise? B. Research model
C. Research methodology
A. representative sampling D. Research design
B. experiments
C. surveys 55) Which one of these is a measure of
D. hypotheses dispersion?

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A. parameter 60) Eyeballing is a technique that
B. range involves________________?
C. median
D. mean A. reading a textual document quickly to
understand the gist of it
56) Which of these is NOT viewed as a B. gathering a sample from whoever you can
strength of surveys? see in a public place
C. scanning a table to identify general
A. they are often undertaken by specialist patterns and significant figures
agencies D. keeping your eyes on research
B. they offer an appearance of precision participants at all time
C. the data is easy to quantify and analyses
D. large numbers of people can be studied 61) According to Scott (1990) a document
is authentic if it________________?
57) Which of these terms is the odd one
out ______________? A. is a sincere and accurate account free
from political bias
A. causation B. is representative of all the similar
B. correlation documents that did not survive
C. association C. has both a literal and an interpretable
D. connection meaning
D. is a sound original, or reliable copy of
58) When in sociology we speak of known authorship
researchers using controls, we
mean_______________? 62) Ethnographic research produces
qualitative data because_____________?
A. being as precise as possible in defining
an initial hypothesis A. the findings are amenable to statistical
B. holding some variables constant to look analysis
at the effects of others B. it is conducted over a period of several
C. supervising the data collection process as years
closely as possible C. it uncovers rich detailed accounts from an
D. seeking to manipulate the outcomes of a insider’s perspective
research process D. it compares findings from a number of
different cases
59) Tearoom Trade is typical of the s
asked by sociologist’s 63) A survey should avoid
because______________? asking_____________?

A. it takes place outside the university A. fixed-choice questions s

campus B. short questions s
B. it makes use of covert research methods C. leading questions
C. it investigates working of society that are D. funneled questions s
different from official accounts
D. the investigator is sympathetic to the 64) Which of the following is not a
activities that he is investigating research purpose?

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A. triangulation 68) William F Whyte’s study of a low-
B. explanation income Italian neighborhood in Boston
C. description was a classic example of_____________?
D. exploration
A. participant observation research
65) Society cannot be studied in the same B. a survey
way as the natural world C. content analysis
because_______________? D. an experiment

A. human behavior is meaningful and varies 69) Which of the following would be an
between individuals and cultures example of a random sample? A
B. it is difficult for sociologists to gain researcher_________________?
access to a research laboratory
C. sociologists are not rational or critical A. administers a naira to every fifth woman
enough in their approach who enters a business office
D. we cannot collect empirical data about B. examines the attitudes of residents of a
social life city by interviewing every twentieth name in
the city,s telephone book
66) Which one of the following statements C. studies the attitudes of Democratic voters
is not part of the Code of Ethics by choosing every tenth name found on a
developed by the American Sociological city,s list of registered Democrats
Association? Researcher’s D. None of the above
must_______________?
70) The study of the interracial
A. acknowledge research collaboration and friendships conducted by the Tom Smith
assistance who heads up the General Social Survey
B. preserve the confidentiality of their is an example of________________?
subjects
C. protect their subjects from personal harm A. observation research
D. make all research notes available for B. a survey
public scrutiny C. content analysis
D. an experiment
67) An instructor wants to determine if
giving essay tests increases student 71) In most instances how well a student
learning one class that the instructor does on a test is determined by how much
teaches she continues to test as she has the student studies for it in this example
always done In another class she gives the studying for an exam is
students essay s She then measures the a(n)_____________?
differences in learning if any between the
two classes The class that is given essay s A. correlation
is the_______________? B. independent variable
C. dependent variable
A. control group D. sample
B. representative group
C. experimental group 72) The first step in any sociological
D. correlation group research project is to_________________?

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A. collect data A. brought into laboratory
B. define the problem B. Kept in their homes and observed
C. review previous research C. are not told about experiment
D. formulate a hypothesis D. None of these

73) Pure Sociology is a search for 78) Karl Pearson said “The unity of all
knowledge without primary concern for science consists alone in its methods not in
its______________? its material it relates to the importance
of______________?
A. Basic understanding
B. Practical use A. Scientific research
C. Applied use B. Scientific method
D. None of these C. Science unity
D. None of these
74) Sometimes the scientist personally
participates in some experiment to 79) Which one of these is a measure of
observe it fully It is Known dispersion?
as_____________?
A. parameter
A. Personal studies B. range
B. Participant-observer studies C. median
C. Observational studies D. mean
D. None of these
80) Which of these NOT viewed as a
75) If the information needed has already strength of surveys?
been written down somewhere it is looked
up. It is called_____________? A. they are often undertaken by specialist
agencies
A. Observational studies B. they offer an appearance of precision
B. Sociological analysis C. the data is easy to quantify and analyses
C. Statistical Comparative studies D. large numbers of people can be studied
D. None of these
81)One strength of ethnography is
76) In observational studies the scientist that______________?
observes_______________?
A. the influence of specific variables can be
A. the things that happen by themselves controlled by the investigator
B. Are arranged knowingly B. it usually generates richer and more in-
C. both a and b depth information than other methods
D. None of these C. it is essential when a study is primarily
historical or has a historical dimension
77) In laboratory experiments the D. it can only be used to study relatively
sociological research is done while people small groups or communities
are_______________?

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82) An association between two variables C. focus groups
which is in fact caused by other factor(s) D. biographical research
is called a_____________?
87) What is the initial element of
A. multiple regression sociological research?
B. causal mechanism
C. spurious correlation A. review the evidence
D. multinomial distribution B. define the research problem
C. create a research design
83) Bias in research practice refers D. carry out a research design
to_____________?
88) Laud Humphreys study Tearoom
A. the investigator being committed to a Trade (1970) is an example
particular ideology of______________?
B. the research team prejudging the meaning
of the data A. historical research
C. the data being unbalanced by the design B. survey research
or execution of the research C. participant observation
D. interpretations being applied to the D. experimental design
results
89) When a research is not deceptive
84) Science aims to be about the field research that he/she is this
both______________? person is probably assuming the role
of____________?
A. philosophical and progressive
B. complex and against commonsense A. secondary observer
C. experimental and statistical B. participant-as-observer
D. valid and reliable C. complete participant
D. ethnographer
85) What is meant by reflexivity in E. social scientist
sociological research?
90) In order for field research to be
A. research findings feed back into society successful the researcher must
and as a result may change it be________________?
B. research findings empower the general
public making them more confident A. tactful
C. research funders have control over B. creative
research findings and who has access C. unobtrusive
D. sociologists learn more about the society D. fluent in several languages
they live in E. discreet

86) Which of these is not an example of a 91) Collecting information regarding

qualitative research method? crime control from several countries
would be a good example of
A. survey research a(n)_________________?
B. ethnography

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A. ethnography A. interviews
B. field research B. participant observation
C. an international approach C. experiments
D. content analysis D. content analysis
E. comparative approach E. surveys

92) The major advantage of interviews 96) Which of the following was not
is________________? identified as one of the four conditions
that must be met before a researcher can
A. that people are more likely to be honest say that an independent variable or
B. they are not time consuming variables caused the change in the
C. the interviewer can guess the age of the dependent variable?
respondent
D. the response rate is high A. internal consistency
E. that the researcher can ask more detailed B. correlation
s C. theory
D. time order
93) A survey that asks the respondent to E. elimination of spuriousness
indicate their level of education and
includes response categories of some high 97) ____________involves the
school high school and university violated transformation of raw data into numbers
which important rule for constructing to make it suitable for further analysis?
close-ended items for naires ?
A. Coding
A. exhaustive B. Conceptualization
B. mutually exclusive C. Factoring
C. comprehensive D. Classification
D. tangible E. Enumeration
E. relevant
98) Which of the following was not
94) Closed-ended s increases the return identified as a major research design?
rate of the naire because___________?
A. surveys
A. the s is clearly worded B. ethnography
B. they cover the return postage C. field research
C. the answers are mutually exclusive D. secondary research
D. they are easy and quick to answer E. experiments
E. they involve no thought on the part of the
respondent. 99) In order for a variable to be
measured, a researcher must provide a
95) What research method is popular (n)?
because it is comparatively inexpensive
and well-suited to studying large numbers A. operational definition
of people? B. quantitative theorem
C. theory

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D. hypothesis
E. scale

100) of all of the steps in the research

process the one that typically takes the
most time is_____________?

A. formulating the problem

B. selecting a research method
C. developing a hypothesis
D. evaluation of the results
E. data collection

Key:
1: (B), 2: (D), 3: (C), 4: (B), 5: (B), 6: (D), 7: (A),
8: (A), 9: (D), 10: (C), 11: (B), 12: (C), 13: (D), 14:
(C), 15: (D), 16: (B), 17: (A), 18: (A), 19: (B), 20:
(C), 21: (B), 22: (C), 23: (B), 24: (B), 25: (C), 26:
(A), 27: (B), 28: (D), 29: (A),30: (C), 31: (A), 32:
(C), 33: (B), 34: (D), 35: (B), 36: (A), 37: (C), 38:
(B), 39: (E), 40: (B), 41: (B), 42: (B), 43: (A), 44:
(B), 45: (A), 46: (D), 47: (C), 48: (A), 49: (A), 50:
(C), 51: (C), 52: (A), 53: (C), 54: (D), 55: (B), 56:
(B), 57: (A), 58: (B), 59: (C), 60: (C), 61: (D), 62:
(C), 63: (C), 64: (A), 65: (A), 66: (D), 67: (C), 68:
(A), 69: (D), 70: (C), 71: (D), 72: (B), 73: (B), 74:
(B), 75: (C), 76: (A), 77: (A), 78: (B), 79: (B), 80:
(B), 81: (B), 82: (C), 83: (C), 84: (D), 85: (A), 86:
(A), 87: (B), 88: (C), 89: (B), 90: (B), 91: (E), 92:
(D), 93: (A), 94: (D), 95: (E), 96: (A), 97: (A), 98:
(B), 99: (A), 100: (A)

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U.S. Relations With China

1949 – 2020
1949

South Korean refugees block the road

bridge as they flee advancing
Communists South of Seoul. AP Photos

June 1950

Crowds celebrate the triumph of

Korean War Breaks Out
Communists in China. AP Photos
The Soviet-backed North Korean People’s
October 1949 Army invades South Korea on June 25.
The United Nations and the United States
People‟s Republic of China rush to South Korea’s defense. China, in
support of the communist North, retaliates
Established when U.S., UN, and South Korean troops
approach the Chinese border. As many as
Chinese Communist Party leader Mao four million people die in the three-year
Zedong establishes the People’s Republic conflict until the United Nations, China,
of China in Beijing on October 1 after and North Korea sign an armistice
peasant-backed Communists defeat the agreement in 1953 [PDF].
Nationalist government of Chiang Kai- 1954
shek. Chiang and thousands of his troops
flee to Taiwan. The United States—which
backed the Nationalists against invading
Japanese forces during World War II—
supports Chiang’s exiled Republic of
China government in Taipei, setting the
stage for several decades of limited U.S.
relations with mainland China.
1950

Nationalist Chinese soldiers unload

ammunition in Quemoy. AP Photos

August 1954

First Taiwan Strait Crisis

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President Dwight Eisenhower lifts the 1964
U.S. navy blockade of Taiwan in 1953,
leading Chiang Kai-shek to deploy
thousands of troops to the Quemoy and
Matsu islands in the Taiwan Strait in
August 1954. Mainland China’s People’s
Liberation Army responds by shelling the
islands. Washington signs a mutual
defense treaty with Chiang’s Nationalists.
In the spring of 1955, the United States
threatens a nuclear attack on China. That
April, China agrees to negotiate, claiming
a limited victory after the Nationalists'
withdrawal from Dachen Island. Crises
erupt again in 1956 and 1996.
1959

China's atomic test in the Gobi desert of

Xinjiang province. AP Photos

October 1964

China‟s First Atomic Test

Thousands protest the Chinese China joins the nuclear club in October
occupation of Tibet in front of the Dalai 1964 when it conducts its first test of an
Lama’s palace. AFP/Getty atomic bomb. The test comes amid U.S.-
Sino tensions over the escalating conflict
in Vietnam. By the time of the test, China
March 1959 has amassed troops along its border with
Vietnam.
1969
Tibetan Uprising
Nine years after the People’s Republic of
China asserts control over Tibet, a
widespread uprising occurs in Lhasa.
Thousands die in the ensuing crackdown
by PRC forces, and the Dalai Lama flees
to India. The United States joins the
United Nations in condemning Beijing for
human rights abuses in Tibet, while the Chinese soldiers deploy near the Soviet
Central Intelligence Agency helps arm the border. Sovfoto/UIG?Getty Images
Tibetan resistance beginning in the late
1950s.
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China. Shortly thereafter, the United
Nations recognizes the People’s Republic
March 1969 of China, endowing it with the permanent
Security Council seat that had been held
Sino-Soviet Border Conflict by Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China
on Taiwan since 1945.
Differences over security, ideology, and 1972
development models strain Sino-Soviet
relations. China’s radical industrialization
policies, known as the Great Leap
Forward, lead the Soviet Union to
withdraw advisors in 1960. Disagreements
culminate in border skirmishes in March
1969. Moscow replaces Washington as
China’s biggest threat, and the Sino-
Soviet split contributes to Beijing’s
eventual rapprochement with the United
States.
1971 President Nixon near the Great Wall of
China in 1972. AP Photos

February 1972

Nixon Visits China

President Richard Nixon spends eight
days in China in February 1972, during
which he meets Chairman Mao Zedong
and signs the Shanghai Communiqué with
Premier Zhou Enlai. The communiqué sets
Members of the U.S. ping-pong team the stage for improved U.S.-Sino relations
meet reporters after leaving China. AP by allowing China and the United States
Photos to discuss difficult issues, particularly
Taiwan. However, normalization of
April 1971 relations between the two countries makes
slow progress for much of the decade.
Ping-Pong Diplomacy 1979

In the first public sign of warming

relations between Washington and
Beijing, China’s ping-pong team invites
members of the U.S. team to China on
April 6, 1971. Journalists accompanying
the U.S. players are among the first
Americans allowed to enter China since
1949. In July of 1971, Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger makes a secret trip to

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Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping at a
Texas rodeo in 1979. AP Photos
Formal Ties and One China
Policy
U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants China
full diplomatic recognition, while
acknowledging mainland China's One
China principle and severing normal ties
with Taiwan. Chinese Vice Premier Deng
Xiaoping, who leads China through major
economic reforms, visits the United States
shortly thereafter. However, in April,
Congress approves the Taiwan Relations
Act, allowing continued commercial and
cultural relations between the United
States and Taiwan. The act requires
Washington to provide Taipei with
defensive arms, but does not officially
violate the U.S.’s One China policy.
1982
President Ronald Reagan and Chinese
President Li Xiannian review the military
honor guard in Beijing, April 26,
1984. David Kennerly/AP Photos
July 1982
China in the Reagan Era
The Reagan administration issues the “Six
Assurances” to Taiwan, including pledges
that it will honor the Taiwan Relations
Act, it would not mediate between Taiwan
and China, and it had no set date to
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terminate arms sales to Taiwan. The
Reagan administration then signs in
August 1982 a third joint
communiqué with the People’s Republic
of China to normalize relations. It
reaffirms the U.S. commitment to its One
China policy. Though Ronald
Reagan voices support for stronger ties
with Taiwan during his presidential
campaign, his administration works to
improve Beijing-Washington relations at
the height of U.S. concerns over Soviet
expansionism. President Reagan visits
China in April 1984 and in June, the U.S.
government permits Beijing to make
purchases of U.S. military equipment.
1989
A lone protester confronts military tanks in
Tiananmen Square. Jeff Widener/AP
Photos
June 1989
Tiananmen Square Massacre
In the spring of 1989, thousands of
students hold demonstrations in Beijing’s
Tiananmen Square, demanding democratic
reforms and an end to corruption. On June
3, the government sends in military troops
to clear the square, leaving hundreds of
protesters dead. In response, the U.S.
government suspends military sales to
Beijing and freezes relations.
1993
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Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng signs a
release document in 1993. (Xinhua/AP
Images)
September 1993
Prominent Dissidents
Deported
In September 1993, China releases Wei
Jingsheng, a political prisoner since 1979.
That year, President Bill Clinton launches
a policy of “constructive engagement”
with China. However, after Beijing loses
its bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games,
the Chinese government imprisons Wei
again. Four years later, Clinton secures
the release of Wei and Tiananmen Square
protester Wang Dan. Beijing deports both
dissidents to the United States.
1996
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Lee Teng-hui at a celebration
rally. Vincent Yu/AP Photos
March 1996
Taiwan‟s First Free
Presidential Vote
The Nationalist Party’s Lee Teng-hui wins
Taiwan’s first free presidential elections
by a large margin in March 1996, despite
Chinese missile tests meant to sway
Taiwanese voters against voting for the
pro-independence candidate. The elections
come a year after China recalls its
ambassador after President Bill Clinton
authorizes a visit by Lee, reversing a
fifteen-year-old U.S. policy against
granting visas to Taiwan’s leaders. In
1996, Washington and Beijing agree to
exchange officials again.
1999
The Chinese embassy in Belgrade after
being hit by NATO missiles. Reuters
May 1999
Belgrade Embassy Bombing
NATO accidentally bombs the Chinese
embassy in Belgrade during its campaign
against Serbian forces occupying Kosovo
in May 1999, shaking U.S.-Sino relations.
The United States and NATO offer
apologies for the series of U.S.
intelligence mistakes that led to the deadly
 ICEP CSS-PMS
bombing, but thousands of Chinese
demonstrators protest throughout the
country, attacking official U.S. property.
2000
A deep-water port in Shanghai. Greg
Baker/AP Photos
October 2000
Normalized Trade Relations
U.S. President Bill Clinton signs the U.S.-
China Relations Act of 2000 in October,
granting Beijing permanent normal trade
relations with the United States and
paving the way for China to join the
World Trade Organization in 2001.
Between 1980 and 2004, U.S.-China trade
rises from $5 billion to $231 billion. In
2006, China surpasses Mexico as the
United States’ second-biggest trade
partner, after Canada.
2001
A U.S. electronics intelligence collection
aircraft takes off from Japan's Kadena Air
Base. Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters
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April 2001
U.S.-Sino Spy Plane Standoff
In April 2001, a U.S. reconnaissance
plane collides with a Chinese fighter and
makes an emergency landing on Chinese
territory. Authorities on China’s Hainan
Island detain the twenty-four-member
U.S. crew. After twelve days and a tense
standoff, authorities release the crew, and
President George W. Bush expresses
regret over the death of a Chinese pilot
and the landing of the U.S. plane.
2005
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert
Zoellick and Chinese Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing meet in Beijing. Reuters
September 2005
„Responsible Stakeholder‟
In a September 2005 speech, Deputy
Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick
initiates a strategic dialogue with China.
Recognizing Beijing as an emerging
power, he calls on China to serve as a
“responsible stakeholder” and use its
influence to draw nations such as Sudan,
North Korea, and Iran into the
international system. That same year,
North Korea walks away from Six-Party
Talks aimed at curbing Pyongyang’s
nuclear ambitions. After North Korea
 ICEP CSS-PMS
conducts its first nuclear test in October
2006, China serves as a mediator to bring
Pyongyang back to the negotiating table.
2007

Chinese yuan coins and banknotes. Peter

Kujundzic/Reuters

September 2008

Recruits of the People's Liberation Army, China Becomes Largest U.S.

the world’s largest standing military. AP Foreign Creditor
Photos
In September 2008, China surpasses Japan
March 2007 to become the largest holder of U.S.
debt—or treasuries—at around $600
China Increases Military billion. The growing interdependence
Spending between the U.S. and Chinese economies
becomes evident as a financial crisis
In March 2007, China announces an 18 threatens the global economy, fueling
percent budget increase in defense concerns over U.S.-China economic
spending for 2007, totaling more than $45 imbalances.
billion. Increases in military expenditures 2010
average 15 percent a year from 1990 to
2005. During a 2007 tour of Asia, U.S.
Vice President Dick Cheney says China’s
military buildup is “not consistent” with
the country’s stated goal of a “peaceful
rise.” China says it is increasing spending
to provide better training and higher
salaries for its soldiers, to “protect
national security and territorial integrity.”
2008
A construction worker walks among high-
rise apartment blocks in China’s Hubei
Province. (Reuters)

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August 2010
China Becomes World‟s
Second-Largest Economy
China surpasses Japan as the world’s
second-largest economy after it is valued
at $1.33 trillion for the second quarter of
2010, slightly above Japan’s $1.28 trillion
for that year. China is on track to overtake
the United States as the world’s number
one economy by 2027, according to
Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim
O’Neill. At the start of 2011, China
reports a total GDP of $5.88 trillion for
2010, compared to Japan’s $5.47 trillion.
2011
Secretary of State Clinton addresses
APEC leaders in Honolulu, Hawaii. Yuriko
Nakao/Reuters
November 2011
U.S. „Pivots‟ Toward Asia
In an essay for Foreign Policy, U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlines
a U.S. “pivot” to Asia. Clinton’s call for
“increased investment—diplomatic,
economic, strategic, and otherwise—in the
Asia-Pacific region” is seen as a move to
counter China’s growing clout. That
month, at the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation summit, U.S. President
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Barack Obama announces the United
States and eight other nations have
reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific
Partnership—a multinational free trade
agreement. Obama later announces plans
to deploy 2,500 marines in Australia,
prompting criticism from Beijing.
2012
President Obama announces new efforts
to enforce U.S. trade rights in
China. Jason Reed/Reuters
February 2012
Rising Trade Tensions
The U.S. trade deficit with China rises
from $273.1 billion in 2010 to an all-time
high of $295.5 billion in 2011. The
increase accounts for three-quarters of the
growth in the U.S. trade deficit for 2011.
In March, the United States, the EU, and
Japan file a “request for consultations”
with China at the World Trade
Organization over its restrictions on
exporting rare earth metals. The United
States and its allies contend China's quota
violates international trade norms, forcing
multinational firms that use the metals to
relocate to China. China calls the
move “rash and unfair,” while vowing to
defend its rights in trade disputes.
 ICEP CSS-PMS
Chen, helped by his wife, arrives in New
York. Keith Bedford/Reuters
April 2012
Dissident Flees to U.S.
Embassy
Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng
escapes house arrest in Shandong province
on April 22 and flees to the U.S. embassy
in Beijing. U.S. diplomats negotiate an
agreement with Chinese officials allowing
Chen to stay in China and study law in a
city close to the capital. However, after
Chen moves to Beijing, he changes his
mind and asks to take shelter in the United
States. The development threatens to
undermine U.S.-China diplomatic ties, but
both sides avert a crisis by allowing Chen
to visit the United States as a student,
rather than as an asylum seeker.
Delegates vote at the closing session of
the 18th National Party Congress of
China's Communist Party on November
14, 2012. Carlos Barria/Reuters
November 2012
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China‟s New Leadership
The 18th National Party Congress
concludes with the most significant
leadership turnover in decades as about 70
percent of the members of the country’s
major leadership bodies—the Politburo
Standing Committee, the Central Military
Commission, and the State Council—are
replaced. Li Keqiang assumes the role of
premier, while Xi Jinping replaces Hu
Jintao as president, Communist Party
general secretary, and chairman of the
Central Military Commission. Xi delivers
a series of speeches on the “rejuvenation”
of China.
2013
U.S. President Barack Obama and
Chinese President Xi Jinping walk the
grounds at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage,
California, June 2013 Kevin
Lamarque/Reuters
June 7 – 8, 2013
Sunnylands Summit
U.S. President Barack Obama hosts
Chinese President Xi Jinping for a “shirt-
sleeves summit” at the Sunnylands Estate
in California in a bid to build a personal
rapport with his counterpart and ease
tense U.S.-China relations. The presidents
pledge to cooperate more effectively on
pressing bilateral, regional, and global
issues, including climate change and
North Korea. Obama and Xi also vow to
 ICEP CSS-PMS
establish a “new model” of relations, a
nod to Xi's concept of establishing a “new
type of great power relations” for the
United States and China.
2014

U.S. President Barack Obama shakes

hands with China's President Xi Jinping
during APEC forum in Beijing, November
2014. Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

November 12, 2014

Joint Climate Announcement

The five officers from the People's
Liberation Army of China indicted by the On the sidelines of the 2014 Asia-Pacific
U.S. Department of Justice. FBI via Economic Cooperation summit, U.S.
Reuters President Barack Obama and Chinese
President Xi Jinping issue a joint
May 19, 2014 statement on climate change, pledging to
reduce carbon emissions. Obama sets a
U.S. Indicts Chinese more ambitious target for U.S. emissions
cutbacks, and Xi makes China’s first
Nationals promise to curb carbon emissions’ growth
by 2030. These commitments by the
A U.S. court indicts five Chinese hackers,
world’s top polluters stirred hopes among
allegedly with ties to China’s People’s
some experts that they would boost
Liberation Army, on charges of stealing
momentum for global negotiations ahead
trade technology from U.S. companies. In
of the 2015 UN-led Climate Change
response, Beijing suspends its cooperation
Conference in Paris.
in the U.S.-China cybersecurity working
2015
group. In June 2015, U.S. authorities
signal that there is evidence that Chinese
hackers are behind the major online
breach of the Office of Personnel
Management and the theft of data from
twenty-two million current and formal
federal employees.

China develops land on Subi Reef in the

Northern Spratly islands, June

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2015. CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency U.S. President Donald J. Trump says he
Initiative/DigitalGlobe will honor the One China policy in a call
with Chinese President Xi Jinping. After
May 30, 2015 winning the presidential election, Trump
breaks with established practice by
U.S. Warns China Over speaking on the telephone with Taiwanese
South China Sea President Tsai Ing-wen
and questioning the U.S. commitment to
At the fourteenth annual Shangri-La its One China policy. Washington’s policy
Dialogue on Asian security, U.S. for four decades has recognized that there
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter calls is but one China. Under this policy, the
on China to halt its controversial land United States has maintained formal ties
reclamation efforts in the South China with the People’s Republic of China but
Sea, saying that the United States opposes also maintains unofficial ties with Taiwan,
“any further militarization” of including the provision of defense aid.
the disputed territory. Ahead of the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, visiting
conference, U.S. officials say that images Beijing in March, describes the U.S.-
from U.S. naval surveillance China relationship as one “built on non-
provide evidence that China is placing confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect,
military equipment on a chain of artificial and always searching for win-win
islands, despite Beijing's claims that solutions.”
construction is mainly for civilian
purposes.
2017

Trump and Xi meet in Florida. (Carlos

Barria/Reuters)

April 6 – 7, 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. Trump Hosts Xi at Mar-a-

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in
Lago
Beijing, March 19, 2017. Lintao
Zhang/Pool/Reuters President Donald J.
Trump welcomes China’s Xi Jinping for a
February 9, 2017 two-day summit at the Mar-a-Lago estate
in Florida, where bilateral trade and North
Trump Affirms One China Korea top the agenda. Afterward, Trump
touts “tremendous progress” in the U.S.-
Policy After Raising Doubts China relationship and Xi cites a deepened
understanding and greater trust building.
In mid-May, U.S. Commerce Secretary
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Wilbur Ross unveils a ten-part
agreement between Beijing and
Washington to expand trade of products
and services like beef, poultry, and
electronic payments. Ross describes the
bilateral relationship as “hitting a new
high,” though the countries do not address
more contentious trade issues including
aluminum, car parts, and steel.
2018
A worker inside an electronics factory in
Qingdao. William Hong/Reuters
March 22, 2018
Trump Tariffs Target China
The Trump administration
announces sweeping tariffs on Chinese
imports, worth at least $50 billion, in
response to what the White House alleges
is Chinese theft of U.S. technology and
intellectual property. Coming on the heels
of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports,
the measures target goods including
clothing, shoes, and electronics and
restrict some Chinese investment in the
United States. China imposes retaliatory
measures in early April on a range of U.S.
products, stoking concerns of a trade war
between the world’s largest economies.
The move marks a hardening of President
Trump’s approach to China after high-
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profile summits with President Xi in April
and November 2017.
U.S.-packaged potato chips sit on display
at a supermarket in Beijing. Wang
Zhao/AFP/Getty Images
July 6, 2018
U.S.-China Trade War
Escalates
The Trump administration imposes fresh
tariffs totaling $34 billion worth of
Chinese goods. More than eight hundred
Chinese products in the industrial and
transport sectors, as well as goods such as
televisions and medical devices, will face
a 25 percent import tax. China retaliates
with its own tariffs on more than five
hundred U.S. products. The reprisal, also
valued around $34 billion, targets
commodities such as beef, dairy, seafood,
and soybeans. President Trump and
members of his administration believe that
China is “ripping off” the United States,
taking advantage of free trade rules to the
detriment of U.S. firms operating in
China. Beijing criticizes the Trump
administration’s moves as “trade
bullying” and cautions that tariffs could
trigger global market unrest.
 ICEP CSS-PMS
Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the
Hudson Institute in Washington,
D.C. White House
October 4, 2018
Pence Speech Signals Hard-
Line Approach
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence delivers a
speech marking the clearest articulation
yet of the Trump administration’s policy
toward China and a significant hardening
of the United States’ position. Pence says
the United States will prioritize
competition over cooperation by using
tariffs to combat “economic aggression.”
He also condemns what he calls growing
Chinese military aggression, especially in
the South China Sea, criticizes increased
censorship and religious persecution by
the Chinese government, and accuses
China of stealing American intellectual
property and interfering in U.S. elections.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
denounces Pence’s speech as “groundless
accusations” and warns that such actions
could harm U.S.-China ties.
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A man holds a sign outside a Canadian
court during Meng Wanzhou's bail
hearing. David Ryder/Reuters
December 1, 2018
Canada Arrests Huawei
Executive
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer
of Chinese telecom and electronics
company Huawei, is arrested in Canada at
the United States’ request. The U.S.
Justice Department alleges Huawei and
Meng violated trade sanctions against Iran
and committed fraud and requests her
extradition. In apparent retaliation, China
detains two Canadian citizens, who
officials accuse of undermining China’s
national security. Calling Meng’s arrest a
“serious political incident,” Chinese
officials demand her immediate release.
U.S. officials emphasize an unbiased and
apolitical legal process, but President
Trump implies Meng’s charges could
be used as leverage in ongoing U.S.-China
trade talks.
2019
Huawei's rotating chairman Guo Ping
speaks at a press conference. Wang
Zhao/AFP/Getty Images
 ICEP CSS-PMS
March 6, 2019 using foreign-made telecommunications
equipment that could threaten national
Huawei Sues the United security, a move believed to target
Huawei. The U.S. Commerce Department
States also adds Huawei to its foreign entity
blacklist.
Amid legal proceedings against Meng,
Huawei sues the United States in
a separate lawsuit for banning U.S. federal
agencies from using the telecom giant’s
equipment. In a battle with Beijing
for technological supremacy, the Trump
administration launches an aggressive
campaign warning other countries not to
use Huawei equipment to build 5G A bank clerk counts U.S. dollars and
networks, claiming the Chinese Chinese yuan. Xu Jinbai/Barcroft Media
government could use the company to spy. via Getty Images

August 5, 2019

U.S. Labels China a Currency

Manipulator
After China’s central bank lets the yuan
weaken significantly, the Trump
administration designates China
a currency manipulator. The designation,
Markets fell in the United States as the applied to China for the first time since
trade war escalated in May. 1994, is mainly symbolic, but it comes
less than a week after Trump
May 10, 2019 announced higher tariffs on $300 billion
worth of goods. That means everything
Trade War Intensifies the United States imports from China now
faces taxes. Beijing warns that the
After trade talks break down, the Trump designation will “trigger financial market
administration raises tariffs from 10 to 25 turmoil.”
percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese
goods. China retaliates by announcing
plans to increase tariffs on $60 billion
worth of American goods. President
Trump says he believes the high costs
imposed by tariffs will force China to
make a deal favorable to the United
States, while China’s Foreign Ministry
says the United States has “extravagant
expectations.” Days later, the Trump
administration bans U.S. companies from
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0322 2077774
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Protesters hold a U.S. flag during a January 15, 2020
gathering in Hong Kong on November 28,
2019. Marko Djurica/Reuters “Phase One” Trade Deal
November 27, 2019 Signed

Trump Signs Bill Supporting President Trump and Chinese Vice

Premier Liu He sign the agreement [PDF],
Hong Kong Protesters a breakthrough in the nearly two-year
trade war between the world’s two largest
President Trump signs the Hong Kong economies. The deal relaxes some U.S.
Human Rights and Democracy Act after it tariffs on Chinese imports and commits
passes in the U.S. Congress with China to buying an additional $200 billion
overwhelming majorities. The legislation worth of American goods, including
authorizes the United States to sanction agricultural products and cars, over two
individuals responsible for human rights years. China also pledges to enforce
abuses in Hong Kong. It also requires U.S. intellectual property protections. But the
officials to evaluate every year whether agreement maintains most tariffs and does
Hong Kong enjoys a “high degree of not mention the Chinese government’s
autonomy” from Beijing. Many of the pro- extensive subsidies, a longtime concern of
democracy protesters, who have the United States, though Trump says
been demonstrating since June, celebrate these could be tackled in a future deal.
the bill’s passage. Chinese Days before the signing, the United States
officials condemn the move, impose dropped its designation of China as
sanctions on several U.S.-based a currency manipulator.
organizations, and suspend U.S. warship
visits to Hong Kong.
2020

Vice Premier Liu He and President

Donald J. Trump shake hands after
signing the “phase one” deal. Kevin
Lamarque/Reuters

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0322 2077774