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Clear signals: On India-China ties and the new global currents

India and China must take on board global currents that could reshape ties

China’s claim that the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy is aiming to create “an Indo-Pacific version of NATO”,
as the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, put it on March 7, is not new. Indeed, even as long as 15
years ago, during the first iteration of the now revived India, Australia, Japan, U.S. Quad, Beijing
warned of an impending “Asian NATO”, which, of course, never materialised. The latest statement
does, however, assume significance in the current global context and amid the crisis in Ukraine. Mr.
Wang, speaking in Beijing during the National People’s Congress, accused the U.S. of “stoking
geopolitical rivalry” by “forming exclusive clubs”. He said by “strengthening the Five Eyes”
intelligence alliance and “peddling the Quad, piecing together AUKUS and tightening bilateral
military alliances”, the U.S. was leading what he called a “five-four-three-two” formation in the
region. The broader goal, he said, was “to establish an Indo-Pacific version of NATO”.

In recent weeks, Beijing has repeatedly blamed NATO for the crisis in Ukraine. While claiming to stay
neutral, it has moved to reaffirm ties with Russia, which Beijing on Monday described as “rock solid”.
When the two countries’ leaders met for a summit on February 4, China backed Russia on its concerns
on NATO’s eastward expansion in Europe, and Russia returned the favour with both criticising the
U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy. Beyond their already deep political and economic linkages, these mirrored
concerns on U.S. alliances are emerging as a powerful binding glue in the China-Russia axis. New Delhi
will need to consider how this will impact its close relations with Russia. By explicitly equating the
Quad, which is not a military pact, with other security agreements, China now also appears to be
clearly situating India as a part of the U.S. “exclusive club”. New Delhi has rejected that notion. Only
last month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said “interested parties” were making a “lazy
analogy of an Asian NATO” and India was not a U.S. treaty ally. Indeed, some in New Delhi have come
to view Beijing’s aggressive moves along the LAC in 2020 as a warning sign to deter India-U.S.
relations. India’s firm, and correct, response has been to hold the line, and continue deepening ties
not only with the U.S. and the Quad but also other Indo-Pacific partners to underline it will not be
swayed. The other message from India has been that sensitivity to concerns has to be mutual, and
cannot be demanded from one side when ignored by the other; China’s relations with Pakistan being
a case in point. Mr. Wang did acknowledge that recent “setbacks” in ties suited neither India nor
China — a view New Delhi shares. The two sides will meet on March 11 for the next round of military
talks to take forward LAC disengagement. As India and China continue to seek a much-needed modus
vivendi to restore ties from the lowest point in decades and ensure peace on the border, they will
also need to have a broader conversation about global currents that are reshaping their bilateral
relations. [Practice Exercise]

 Red/blue coloring of words in the sentence indicates subject verb relationship; where ‘red’
denotes ‘subject’ and ‘blue’ denotes ‘verb’.

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Vocabulary
1. Ties (noun) – Connections, relation, Joins,
links, bonds
2. Current (noun) – an opinion or a feeling
that a group of people have
3. Take on board (phrase) – understand,
comprehend, work out, fathom out,
4. Reshape (verb) – redesign, reform,
restructure, remake
5. Indo-pacific (adjective) – The Indo Pacific
Region, sometimes known as the Indo–
West Pacific or Indo–Pacific Asia, is a
biogeographic region of Earth's seas,
comprising the tropical waters of the Indian
Ocean, the western and central Pacific
Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in
the general area of Indonesia.
6. NATO (noun) – North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (= an international
organization that includes the US, Canada,
and several European countries, formed in
1949 for military defense)
7. Indeed (adverb) – Certainly, actually, in
reality, undeniably
8. Iteration (noun) – Repetition, restatement,
reiteration; doing or saying again : थ
9. QUAD (noun) – The Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue (QSD), colloquially the Quad or
QUAD, is a strategic security dialogue
between the United States, India, Japan and
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Australia that is maintained by talks
between member countries.
10. Impending (adjective) – Imminent, looming,
awaiting, forthcoming, coming उभ
11. Materialise (verb) – Come into existence,
take shape, come about, occur
12. Context (noun) – Setting, background,
situation, circumstance भ
13. Amid (preposition) – Among, in the middle
of, in the midst of, amidst, during
14. Accuse (of) (verb) – Blame, indict, allege,
fault, reproach, censure, charge, denunciate
15. Stoke (verb) – Strengthen, fuel, encourage,
stir up, add fuel to उ
16. Geopolitical (adjective) – a study of the
influence of such factors as geography,
economics, and demography on the politics
and especially the foreign policy of a state
17. Rivalry (noun) – Competition, opposition,
contention, competitiveness, enmity,
conflict
18. Club (noun) – Association, organization,
Union, alliance, group
19. Strengthen (verb) – Reinforce, fortify,
brace, support, toughen, make stronger
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20. Five eyes (noun) – The Five Eyes (FVEY) is 29. Neutral (adjective) – Unbiased, impartial,
an Anglosphere intelligence alliance nonaligned, disinterested, dispassionate
comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
the United Kingdom, and the United States.
These countries are parties to the 30. Reaffirm (verb) – To say or assert again
multilateral UKUSA Agreement, a treaty for
joint cooperation in signals intelligence.

21. Alliance (noun) – Association, coalition, 31. Rock solid (phrase) – unlikely to change,
fail, or collapse.
grouping, union, cooperation
32. Back (verb) – Support, assist, provide
22. Peddle (verb) – Push, hype, espouse,
backing थ / थ
advocate, promote, publicize, advertise
33. Concern (noun) – Anxiety, worry,
apprehension, fear, alarm, distress, unease
23. Piece together (phrasal verb) – Assemble,
reconstruct, put together, mend, repair,
restore थ 34. Return the favor (phrase) – to do
something the same or similar in return for
24. AUKUS (noun) – AUKUS is a trilateral something done
security partnership between the USA, UK
and Australia to provide Australia with 35. Criticise (verb) – Disapprove, censure,
nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo- disparage, complain, slate, condemn
Pacific region

25. Tighten (verb) – Strengthen, increase, 36. Linkage (noun) – Connection, relation,
intensify, stiffen association, relationship, link /

26. Bilateral (adjective) – involving/affecting

two groups or countries
27. Broad (adjective) – Comprehensive, wide-
ranging, extensive, wide, far-reaching,
expansive
28. Establish (verb) – Found, start, create,
benign, set up, bring about थ
37. Mirrored (adjective) – reflected
38. Axis (noun) – Alliance, partnership, bloc,
league, affiliation
39. Explicitly (adverb) – Openly, clearly, overtly,
obviously, plainly, unambiguously
40. Equate (verb) – Associate, liken, compare,
connect, parallel, link /

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41. Pact (noun) – Deal, promise, agreement,
treaty, accord
42. Situate (verb) – Position, place, put, locate,
rest, lay, set, establish
43. Notion (noun) – Idea, view, concept, belief,
conception, impression, opinion, perception
44. Lazy (adjective) – Indolent, idle, lethargic,
languid, sluggish, slothful
45. Analogy (noun) – Similarity, likeness,
equivalence, correspondence
46. Treaty (noun) – Agreement, accord,
contract, pact, truce, settlement
47. Ally (noun) – Friend, supporter, assistant,
partner
48. Deter (verb) – Discourage, daunt, dissuade,
prevent, put off
49. Firm (adjective) – Solid, hard, rigid, stiff,
unyielding
50. Hold the line (phrase) – Not yield or not
surrender to the pressure of a difficult
situation. थ
52. Swayed (adjective) – influenced,
manipulated, persuaded, induced,
prompted भ
53. Sensitivity (noun) – Compassion, sympathy,
understanding, kindliness, warmth, feeling
54. A case in point (phrase) – example,
instance, case, illustration उ
55. Acknowledge (verb) – Admit, recognize,
accept, concede, grant
56. Setback (noun) – Hindrance, holdup, delay,
impediment, obstruction, obstacle
57. Take forward (phrasal verb) – deal with,
cope with, see to, address, manage
58. Disengagement (noun) – Withdrawal,
disentanglement, detachment, extrication
,
59. Modus vivendi (noun) – Compromise,
arrangement, settlement
60. Restore (verb) – Reinstate, reestablish,
return, bring back, give back थ
61. Decade (noun) – A period of ten year.

51. Underline (verb) – Underscore, emphasize,

highlight, stress, accentuate

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Practice Exercise
Direction (Q1 – Q3): Select the best express synonym of the highlighted word [Editorial page]
1. During the first iteration of the now revived India, Australia, Japan, U.S. Quad, Beijing warned
of an impending “Asian NATO”
A. Abnegate
B. Periphery
C. Imminent
D. Patriarch
2. Mr. Wang, speaking in Beijing during the National People’s Congress, accused the U.S. of
“stoking geopolitical rivalry” by “forming exclusive clubs”
A. Encourage
B. Stricture
C. Theology
D. Patrician
3. He said by “strengthening the Five Eyes” intelligence alliance and “peddling the Quad, piecing
together AUKUS and tightening bilateral military alliances”
A. Effusion
B. Grandiose
C. Disdain
D. Promote
Direction (Q4 – Q5): Select the antonym of the highlight word referred in the sentence.
4. Continue deepening ties not only with the U.S. and the Quad but also other Indo-Pacific
partners to underline it will not be swayed.
A. Autocratic
B. Impartial
C. Discouraged
D. Mundane
5. China backed Russia on its concerns on NATO’s eastward expansion in Europe, and Russia
returned the favour with both criticising the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.
A. Ramification
B. Disappoint
C. Euphemism
D. Burgeon
Direction (Q6 – Q10): Spot the grammatical error in the given sentence [Answer]
6. I may not be able (A)/ to attend (B)/ to the function. (C)/ No Error. (D)
7. He is (A)/ residing here (B)/ since 1983. (C)/ No Error. (D)
8. At his return (A)/ we asked him (B)/ many questions. (C)/ No Error. (D)
9. The Chief Guest (A)/ entered into (B)/ the room. (C)/ No Error. (D)
10. She is (A)/ very angry (B)/ on him. (C)/ No Error. (D)

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Cloze test based on Editorial: A house of cards [Answer]

The co-location services offered by the NSE, which give market operators willing to pay a premium a
_______11_______ on exchange trading data and refine their own algorithms for high-frequency
trades, are permitted by SEBI but were ostensibly misused by certain players. The NSE’s case entails
an unfair advantage provided to some brokers within its co-location user community. Whatever the
defenders of such services may say, the premise of giving players with deeper pockets quicker and
more information than the average retail investor does not gel with an open market philosophy. That
institutional mechanisms, from the NSE’s board and auditors, to SEBI, an independent regulator
accountable to Parliament, have not delivered, is a larger worry. Nearly three years have passed
between SEBI’s ₹624 crore fine on the NSE for misuse of its co-location services, and the latest order
against its former top ______12_________. A matter where the sanctity of the entire market comes
under a cloud should have been treated with a _______13_________ more urgency. The CBI special
court has observed that SEBI, which began this probe in 2016, has been ‘too kind and gentle’, while
the CBI, after filing an FIR in 2018, has been ‘most ________14________’.
11. A. Apprehension B. Headstart
C. Perk D. Dividend

12. A. Brass B. Boldness

C. Assertiveness D. Copper

13. A. crumb B. Tad

C. Fragment D. Spot

14. A. Relax B. Thoughtful

C. Lackadaisical D. Considerate
15. Para Jumble based on Editorial: A house of cards
P. The Sunday evening arrest of Chitra Ramkrishna, the former MD and CEO of India’s largest
stock exchange, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI),
Q. should change the course of what has been a laid-back probe into alleged misuse of
exchange data by market players and jarring — even surreal — governance lapses.
R. Separately, the CBI has got extended custody of Anand Subramanian, the NSE’s former
group operating officer, hired ostensibly at the behest of the unknown yogi,
S. SEBI, passed a 190-page order that has made headlines for its assertions about Ms.
Ramkrishna sharing confidential internal information with an unknown person.
T. A Delhi court has granted CBI sleuths seven days to interrogate the former National Stock
Exchange (NSE) boss, about a month after the stock market watchdog
U. disregarding the kind of internal controls and governance norms one expects from an
institution of such systemic importance in the financial markets.
A. PQTSRU B. RPQTUS C. SPUQTR D.SUPRTQ

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Answer
1. C 2. A 3.D 4. C 5. B 6.C 7.A 8.A 9.B 10.C 11.B 12.A 13.B
14. C 15. A [Practice Exercise] [Cloze test]
Explanation
6. (C) 'to' औ 'attend function'
औ 'function' definite attend the function'
7. (A)―is' 'has been' Part (C) 'since 1983'
past औ औ थ
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
8. (A)'at' के बदऱे 'on' या 'upon' का प्रयोग होगा क्योकक 'On/upon somebody's return' का प्रयोग
होता है ।
9. (B)―into' का प्रयोग अनावश्यक है और इसे हटाना पडेगा क्योंकक 'enter a room / a house / an
office' का प्रयोग होता है ।
10. (C)'on' के बदऱे ―with' का प्रयोग होगा क्योंकक angry/annoyed with somebody' का प्रयोग होता
है ; जैस-े
i. She is angry with you.
ii. He is annoyed with you.
11. Headstart (noun) – an advantage granted or gained at the beginning of something.

12. Top brass (noun) – the people with the highest positions of authority /
13. Tad (noun) – small portion, piece, portion, segment, part थ
14. Lackadaisical (adjective) – unenthusiastic, half-hearted, uninterested, lukewarm

15. The Sunday evening arrest of Chitra Ramkrishna, the former MD and CEO of India‖s
largest stock exchange, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), should change
the course of what has been a laid-back probe into alleged misuse of exchange data
by market players and jarring — even surreal — governance lapses. A Delhi court has
granted CBI sleuths seven days to interrogate the former National Stock Exchange
(NSE) boss, about a month after the stock market watchdog, SEBI, passed a 190-
page order that has made headlines for its assertions about Ms. Ramkrishna sharing
confidential internal information with an unknown person. Separately, the CBI has got
extended custody of Anand Subramanian, the NSE‖s former group operating officer,
hired ostensibly at the behest of the unknown yogi, disregarding the kind of internal

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controls and governance norms one expects from an institution of such systemic
importance in the financial markets.
Explanation in English
6. (C) The use of 'to' is unnecessary and has to be removed as 'attend function' is used
and 'function' if definite then 'attend the function' is used.
7. (A) 'has been' will be used instead of 'is' because 'since 1983' is used in Part (C)
which shows. That the action began in the past and continues to this day, and the
Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express such a situation.
8. (A) 'on' or 'upon' will be used instead of 'at' because 'On/upon somebody's return' is
used.

9. (B) The use of 'into' is unnecessary and has to be removed as 'enter a room / a
house / an office' is used.

10. (C) 'with' will be used instead of 'on' because 'angry/annoyed with somebody' is used;
like-

i. She is angry with you.

ii. He is annoyed with you.

Explanation of other important words

Sr.NO Words Meanings
Q1 Abnegate verb To deny oneself things; to reject; to
renounce
Periphery noun The outside edge of something उ
Patriarch noun The male head of a family or tribe

Q2 Stricture noun A restriction; a limitation; a negative

criticism
Theology noun The study of god or religion

Patrician noun A person of noble birth; an aristocrat

Q3 Effusion noun A pouring forth ,
Grandiose adjective Absurdly exaggerated
Disdain noun Arrogant scorn; contempt , ,

Q4 Autocratic adjective Ruling with absolute authority; extremely ,

bossy

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Impartial adjective Fair; not favoring one side or the other;

unbiased
Mundane adjective Ordinary; pretty boring; not heavenly and
eternal
Q5 Ramification noun A consequences; a branching out

Euphemism noun Pleasant or inoffensive expression used in ,

place of unpleasant or offensive one
Burgeon verb To expand; to flourish , फ

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