Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Mapping the way forward: on China and its neighbours

Mapping the way forward: on China and its neighbours

China must show its neighbours the sensitivity (संवेदनशीलता) that it demands of them

A week after the first conversation in many months between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, India and China appear nowhere near coming to any kind of understanding to repair (सुधारना, ठीक करना) their relations. On the contrary, relations this week have faced yet another storm, with the two sides clashing (टकराव) over China issuing a new map and reports on Thursday suggesting that Mr. Xi may skip the G-20 Summit in New Delhi next week. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not confirm those reports, but it also chose not to deny them. Events this week, meanwhile, served a reminder of the currently low levels of trust, with relations arguably (यकीनन, तर्क साध्य रूप से) at their lowest since the normalisation (सामान्यीकरण) of ties in the 1980s. On August 28, China issued what it called a “standard map” for 2023, which showed the entire State of Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region and the South China Sea as Chinese territory, drawing protests from India, Malaysia and the Philippines. Beijing defended the map as “routine” and asked India to not “over-interpret (व्याख्या करना)” it, after the Ministry of External Affairs lodged a strong protest. While it may be true that the map made no new territorial claims and depicted borders as in previous Chinese maps, it is clear that the needless issuing of a new map, amid (के बीच, मध्य में) multiple, live territorial disputes, has only further complicated them. The responses of China’s neighbours make that clear.

When India in 2019 issued a new map following the internal reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and creation of the new Union Territory of Ladakh, Beijing responded with strong statements and initiated discussions at the United Nations Security Council, even though that map, too, did not change India’s external boundaries or territorial claims vis-à-vis China. In the view of some observers, China’s increasingly aggressive (आक्रामक) mobilisation (लामबंदी) on the Line of Actual Control, leading to the on-going crisis that has plunged (Fall or dive quickly and with force into something, often water. It can also refer to a sudden decrease or decline in something) relations to this low level, was partly a response to India’s reiteration (दोहराव, पुनरावृत्ति) of its claims to Aksai Chin in 2019. In the recent up-and-down history of India’s ties with China, summit meetings have offered the platform for the two countries to dial down tensions by giving the two leaders the opportunity for high-level interventions (हस्तक्षेप), as was the case at the 2017 BRICS Summit following the Doklam stand-off. Regardless of whether Mr. Xi visits New Delhi next week, the prospects of a similar rapprochement (मेल-मिलाप) remain dim. Repairing relations will require slowly rebuilding trust on a foundation of greater mutual (पारस्परिक, आपसी) sensitivity. Indeed, China would do well to show its neighbours the sensitivity that it demands of them, if it has any inclination towards repairing increasingly fraught relations.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Sensitivity (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - संवेदनशीलता
English Meaning - The ability to perceive and respond to subtle changes, emotions, or stimuli in a thoughtful and compassionate manner.

2.Repair (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुधारना, ठीक करना
English Meaning - The process of fixing or restoring something that is damaged, broken, or in a state of disrepair.

3.Clashing (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - टकराव
English Meaning - A situation where two or more things come into conflict or disagreement, often resulting in a clash of ideas, interests, or opinions.

4.Arguably (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - यकीनन, तर्क साध्य रूप से
English Meaning - Indicate that something can be argued or debated, often implying that there is room for differing opinions.

5.Normalisation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सामान्यीकरण
English Meaning - The process of making something normal, regular, or standard.

6.Interpret (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - व्याख्या करना
English Meaning - Explain or understand the meaning of something, often by translating it from one language to another or by providing an explanation or analysis.

7.Amid (Preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच, मध्य में
English Meaning - In the middle of or surrounded by something.

8.Aggressive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आक्रामक
English Meaning - A behavior characterized by hostility, assertiveness, or a readiness to attack or confront.

9.mobilisation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - लामबंदी
English Meaning - The act of assembling resources, people, or forces, especially for a specific purpose, often related to readiness for action or a collective effort.

10.Reiteration (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - दोहराव, पुनरावृत्ति
English Meaning - The act of repeating something, often for emphasis or clarity.

11.Intervention (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - हस्तक्षेप
English Meaning - The act of becoming involved in a situation to alter or influence its course, often with the aim of improving or resolving it.

12.Rapprochement (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - मेल-मिलाप
English Meaning - The re-establishment of cordial relations or reconciliation between parties after a period of tension or estrangement.

13.Mutual (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पारस्परिक, आपसी
English Meaning - Something that is shared in common by two or more parties, where both or all parties have the same interest or relationship with each other.

14.Plunged (Verb)

English Meaning - Fall or dive quickly and with force into something, often water. It can also refer to a sudden decrease or decline in something.