THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-December 20, 2016- Topic 2
The seizure of an
American underwater drone in the international waters of the South
China Sea by the Chinese Navy marks the latest flashpoint in bilateral
relations that have entered uncharted territory with the election of Donald
Trump as U.S. President. Though it is not clear if the capture of the drone, which
China agreed to return later, was a junior-level act by sailors or a strategic
move directed by Beijing, Mr. Trump has seized the moment to step up his
anti-China rhetoric. Interestingly, the incident comes days after he broke
diplomatic protocol and accepted a
congratulatory call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a move
that invited an angry response from China, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway
province. Despite repeated assurances from the White House that the basic
building blocks of U.S.-China ties have not been altered, Mr. Trump escalated
matters by questioning the One- China
policy. Throughout the election campaign he had maintained that he would
renegotiate the terms of America’s engagement with China. He had also accused Beijing of currency manipulation. So the issue
is, are his attacks on China and questions over the One-China policy just a
continuation of his campaign rhetoric, or part of a well-thought-out policy to
establish a new normal in ties? One theory, which the President-elect himself
indicated in an interview, is that he wants concessions from China over key
issues such as trade, South China Sea disputes and the North Korea nuclear
crisis, and that by raising the sensitive Taiwan issue, he is trying to gain
some bargaining leverage over China.
Beijing certainly won’t take this
lightly. It has reiterated that the One-China policy is non-negotiable, besides
installing anti-aircraft weapons and other arms on all seven artificial islands
it has built in the South China Sea, as reported by a U.S. think tank with
satellite imagery. China will find it politically difficult to ignore Mr.
Trump’s apparent effort to change the rules of the game. The geopolitical
context is possibly even more important. China is a caged naval power. It has
access to both South and East China Seas, but its force projection capability
is limited by the existence of several islands on these seas, such as Taiwan,
Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, and the Babuyan Islands of the Philippines. One reason
China is so sensitive about Taiwan is its geopolitical vulnerability. It
doesn’t want other powers to dictate or change the rules of engagement on its
seafront. And if Mr. Trump tries to do that in the manner he handles foreign
policy now, he could risk the progress the U.S. and China have painstakingly
made in bilateral ties over four decades.
Vocabulary
Seizure: the action of capturing someone or something using force.
Example: The seizure of the assembly building
Synonyms: capture, takeover, annexation, invasion, occupation, colonization
Flashpoint: a place, event, or time at which trouble, such as violence or anger, flares
up.
Example: The flashpoint of the conflagration is just blocks away
Uncharted: an area of land or sea not mapped or surveyed.
Example: An uncharted region of space
Synonyms: unexplored, undiscovered, unmapped, untraveled, unfamiliar, untrodden
Sailors: a person whose job it is to work as a member of the crew of a commercial or
naval ship or boat, especially one who is below the rank of officer.
Example: The sailors on the patrol boat thought i was going to fall, so grabbed me
by my clothes.
Synonyms: seaman, seafarer, mariner, boatman, yachtsman
Rhetoric: the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use
of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
Example: Born into a rich provincial family, he studied philosophy as well as
rhetoric and law.
Synonyms: oratory, eloquence, command of language, way with
words
Renegotiate: negotiate something again in
order to change the original agreed terms.
Example: The parties will renegotiate the price
Bargain: negotiate the terms and conditions of a transaction.
Example: He bargained with the city council to rent the stadium
Synonyms: haggle, negotiate, discuss terms, hold talks, deal, barter
Leverage: the exertion of force by means of a lever or an object
used in the manner of a lever.
Example: My spade hit something solid that wouldn't respond to leverage
Synonyms: grip, purchase, hold, support, anchorage, force, strength
Reiterated: say something again or a
number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity.
Example: She reiterated that the administration would remain steadfast in its
support
Synonyms: repeat, say again, restate, retell, recapitulate
Apparent: as far as one knows or can see.
Example: The child nodded, apparently content with the promise
Synonyms: seemingly, evidently, it seems that, it appears that