Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Red lines: on China-Lithuania tensions

Red lines: on China-Lithuania tensions

China’s response to Lithuania is to ensure other countries do not take the same route

The European Union (EU) has found itself caught in a bind (एक बाँध में, कठिन परिस्थिति में) over the worsening (बिगड़ने वाला, तीव्र करने वाला) tensions (तनाव, दबाव, बेचैनी) between Lithuania and China. Last week, top EU diplomats (राजनयिक, दूत, वाणिज्यदूत) met to find a way (to discover how to tackle something) to de-escalate tensions before a planned EU-China summit (शिखर सम्मेलन, बैठक), expected in the coming weeks. After a two-day meet of Foreign Ministers in France, the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, said the grouping expressed “solidarity (एकजुटता, एकमत, सद्भाव)” with Lithuania, which is a member of the EU and NATO. He, however, stopped short of announcing any concrete (definite, specific, firm, conclusive, definitive) actions. The EU has watched nervously as one of its members faces the full weight of coercive (बलपूर्वक, ज़बरदस्त) Chinese diplomacy (कूटनीति, अंतरराष्ट्रीय राजनीति, विदेश मामले), even as the grouping keeps one eye on its substantial (संतोषजनक, विचारणीय, महत्वपूर्ण) $828 billion annual trade with Beijing. The tensions began last year after Lithuania announced the setting up of a Taiwanese Representative Office. Such offices are hardly (मुश्किल से, लगभग नहीं) unusual across Europe, or in much of the world. The difference (अंतर, असहमति, मतभेद), however, was in the naming. The offices elsewhere are not called Taiwanese but are named, as in New Delhi, Taipei Economic and Cultural Centres because of the “one China policy (The one-China policy, or the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy, refers to the diplomatic acknowledgement of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government and Taiwan is an integral part of that. It was originally proposed in the late 1970s by the then Chinese Communist leader Deng Xiaoping)” followed by most countries, including India, that do not have formal diplomatic (कूटनीतिक, संवेदनशील) relations with Taiwan. Lithuania has said the name did not change its “one China policy”, but for Beijing, the move crossed one of its most sensitive red lines (लाल रेखा, सीमा). The opening of the office followed a number of developments (turn of events, occurrence, happening, circumstance, incident, phenomenon) that strained relations after the election of a coalition (संघ, गठबंधन, साझेदारी) government that has underlined the importance of “democratic values” in the foreign policy of the first former Soviet republic (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (also known as the USSR or the Soviet Union) consisted of Russia and 14 surrounding countries. The USSR’s territory stretched from the Baltic states in Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean, including the majority of northern Asia and portions of central Asia) that declared independence, as well as pushed closer ties with Washington.

If the rest of Europe is unlikely (doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable) to similarly test Beijing’s Taiwan red lines, what has alarmed (frighten, distress, agitate, upset) the EU is the forcefulness of China’s response, which has ranged from downgrading (lower in status/rank/importance, demote) ties, recalling its ambassador (envoy, diplomat, consul), an effective trade blockade, and especially the moves to pressure European companies to stop sourcing from Lithuania should they wish to continue exporting to China. China’s response suggests an attempt to, as Chinese strategists (someone skilled in planning action/policy (especially in politics/war)) like to say, “kill the chicken to scare the monkeys (it is an old Chinese idiom which refers to making an example out of someone in order to threaten others)”, and ensure other countries do not contemplate (think about, consider, regard) a similar move. Beyond the Lithuania-China tensions, of particular salience (prominence, importance, significance) to India is how the EU, as a major power, will take forward (deal/cope with, address, handle) ties with China as it similarly weighs strategic (relating to achieving long-term or overall goals) considerations (factor, issue, point, concern, aspect, facet, feature) against a booming trading relationship. China’s use of trade as leverage (influence, power, authority, weight, sway, control, advantage, dominance) and as a method of coercion (force/pressure, oppression, harassment, intimidation), which stands in stark contrast to (in opposition to) its declaration in October, on the 50th anniversary of its UN membership, that it eschews “power politics” and “hegemony (leadership, dominance, authority, control, power)”, is another matter of concern (something which causes worry). Lithuania is an exception in having both a trade surplus (the amount of an asset or resource that exceeds the portion that’s actively utilized) with China and no pressing (urgent, critical, crucial, burning, desperate, serious) need to access the China market. How the EU assesses the benefits and costs of taking on China on a core concern — the Taiwan issue — will be closely watched in New Delhi as it continues to recalibrate (reevaluate, reassess, revamp) its own modus vivendi (agreement, deal, understanding, settlement (between two conflicting parties); Modus vivendi is a Latin phrase that literally means “mode of living” or “way of life”) with China.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.red line (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लाल रेखा, सीमा
English Meaning - boundary, limit.

2.tension (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तनाव, दबाव, बेचैनी
English Meaning - strained relations; strain, stress, pressure, unease.

3.in a bind (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - एक बाँध में, कठिन परिस्थिति में
English Meaning - in a difficult situation.

4.worsening (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बिगड़ने वाला, तीव्र करने वाला
English Meaning - deteriorating, aggravating, compounding, intensifying.

5.diplomat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राजनयिक, दूत, वाणिज्यदूत
English Meaning - ambassador, envoy, emissary, consul.

6.summit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शिखर सम्मेलन, बैठक
English Meaning - meeting, conference, conclave.

7.solidarity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - एकजुटता, एकमत, सद्भाव
English Meaning - unity, unanimity, harmony, cooperation.

8.North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्तर अटलांटिक संधि संगठन
English Meaning - NATO was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

9.coercive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बलपूर्वक, ज़बरदस्त
English Meaning - overbearing, forceful, intimidating, high-handed.

10.diplomacy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कूटनीति, अंतरराष्ट्रीय राजनीति, विदेश मामले
English Meaning - international politics, foreign affairs, foreign policy; negotiations, discussions, talks, dialogue (related to international politics).

11.substantial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संतोषजनक, विचारणीय, महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - considerable, significant, large.

12.hardly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मुश्किल से, लगभग नहीं
English Meaning - barely, almost not.

13.difference (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर, असहमति, मतभेद
English Meaning - disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, argument.

14.diplomatic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कूटनीतिक, संवेदनशील
English Meaning - consular, foreign-policy; sensitive, subtle, delicate.

15.coalition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संघ, गठबंधन, साझेदारी
English Meaning - union, alliance, partnership.

16.find a way (phrase)

English Meaning - to discover how to tackle something.

17.de-escalate (verb)

English Meaning - diminish, lessen/decrease, dwindle (the intensity of a conflict).

18.find oneself (verb)

English Meaning - discover oneself to be in a particular situation.

19.stop short of (phrase)

English Meaning - shy away from, shrink from, draw back from.

20.concrete (verb)

English Meaning - definite, specific, firm, conclusive, definitive.

21.weight (noun)

English Meaning - burden, pressure, force; influence, sway, muscle, power.

22.keep one eye on (phrase)

English Meaning - oversee, supervise, look after.

23.One China policy (noun)

English Meaning - The one-China policy, or the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy, refers to the diplomatic acknowledgement of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government and Taiwan is an integral part of that. It was originally proposed in the late 1970s by the then Chinese Communist leader Deng Xiaoping.

24.development (noun)

English Meaning - turn of events, occurrence, happening, circumstance, incident, phenomenon.

25.underline (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, underscore, highlight.

26.Soviet Republic (noun)

English Meaning - The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (also known as the USSR or the Soviet Union) consisted of Russia and 14 surrounding countries. The USSR’s territory stretched from the Baltic states in Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean, including the majority of northern Asia and portions of central Asia.

27.ties (noun)

English Meaning - association, relationship, bond, connection.

28.unlikely (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable.

29.alarm (verb)

English Meaning - frighten, distress, agitate, upset.

30.downgrade (verb)

English Meaning - lower in status/rank/importance, demote.

31.recall (verb)

English Meaning - call back, bring back, summon back, order back.

32.ambassador (noun)

English Meaning - envoy, diplomat, consul.

33.blockade (verb)

English Meaning - barrier, obstacle, obstruction, impediment, block, hindrance.

34.strategist (noun)

English Meaning - someone skilled in planning action/policy (especially in politics/war).

35.kill the chicken to scare the monkey (phrase)

English Meaning - it is an old Chinese idiom which refers to making an example out of someone in order to threaten others.

36.contemplate (verb)

English Meaning - think about, consider, regard.

37.salience (noun)

English Meaning - prominence, importance, significance.

38.take forward (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - deal/cope with, address, handle.

39.weigh (verb)

English Meaning - consider, think about, contemplate, deliberate about, reflect on.

40.strategic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to achieving long-term or overall goals.

41.consideration (noun)

English Meaning - factor, issue, point, concern, aspect, facet, feature.

42.booming (adjective)

English Meaning - flourishing, burgeoning, thriving, prospering, successful; growing, developing, progressing, improving.

43.leverage (noun)

English Meaning - influence, power, authority, weight, sway, control, advantage, dominance.

44.coercion (noun)

English Meaning - force/pressure, oppression, harassment, intimidation.

45.stark (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, distinct, evident, obvious, striking.

46.(in) contrast to (phrase)

English Meaning - in opposition to.

47.eschew (verb)

English Meaning - reject, avoid, deny, abstain from, refrain from.

48.power politics (noun)

English Meaning - (in foreign affairs) the threat or use of force as a means of national policy.

49.hegemony (noun)

English Meaning - leadership, dominance, authority, control, power.

50.matter of concern (phrase)

English Meaning - something which causes worry.

51.trade surplus (noun)

English Meaning - it occurs when the value of a country’s exports exceeds that of its imports.

52.surplus (noun)

English Meaning - the amount of an asset or resource that exceeds the portion that’s actively utilized.

53.pressing (adjective)

English Meaning - urgent, critical, crucial, burning, desperate, serious.

54.cost (noun)

English Meaning - the effort, loss, or sacrifice required to achieve/obtain something.

55.take on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - compete against, oppose, challenge, confront, fight.

56.recalibrate (verb)

English Meaning - reevaluate, reassess, revamp.

57.modus vivendi/modi vivendi (noun)

English Meaning - agreement, deal, understanding, settlement (between two conflicting parties); Modus vivendi is a Latin phrase that literally means “mode of living” or “way of life”.