Topic Of The Day:-” The Taiwan Card: On Taipei’s Ties With Mainland“
Taipei’s Fine Balance In Its Relationship With Mainland China Is Coming Under Stress
The huge gains for the opposition Kuomintang, or the Chinese Nationalist Party, in Taiwan’s local elections may help in gradually improving the island’s ties with mainland China.Equally, the adverse results in some of its strongholds could complicate matters for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party government ahead of the 2020 general elections. President Tsai Ing-wen has stepped down as the party chief, owning moral responsibility for the setback; her re-election bid is in doubt. The pro-independence stance of the DPP is at variance with Beijing’s repeated assertion of its sovereignty over Taiwan, which it insists it is prepared to defend through the use of force. All the same, the Taiwanese government has been equally concerned to not allow the long-standing dispute to escalate to a point of jeopardising the strong trade relations between the two territories. But this delicate balance has turned somewhat more precarious since Donald Trump became President of the United States. Ever since his election, he has sought to leverage Taiwan to pressure China in the U.S.’s ongoing trade war. A first indication was the congratulatory call he received from Ms. Tsai on his poll victory. The episode raised concerns over the status of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, established in 1979, and the consequent downgrading of the U.S.’s ties with Taipei to unofficial exchanges. The 2018 Taiwan Travel Act aims to promote greater engagement between Washington and Taipei. Similarly, the new headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan in Taipei is symbolic of the shift. The Taiwanese President’s recent visits to the U.S. and interactions with several Congressmen have predictably angered Beijing.
Meanwhile,frictions between the two neighbours have also increased. Taipei has alleged that the recent mayoral elections were marred by Beijing’s meddling, with money funnelled illegally to fund opposition campaigns. Business corporations have come under pressure to take down references to Taiwan as a separate entity. Beijing is believed to be applying overt and covert pressure to stop countries from according diplomatic recognition to Taipei. In an echo of China’s increasing economic clout among developing countries, a number of African and Central American states have withdrawn formal ties with Taipei and established links with Beijing since Ms. Tsai became President. In a referendum coinciding with the polls, the people rejected a proposal to rename the country’s Olympic team as Taiwan, instead of the current Chinese Taipei. The verdict is an indication of the limited support for independence and a greater preference to maintain the status quo. Taiwan stands to gain by staying clear of big power rivalries.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) prompted
Meaning : (of an event or fact) cause or bring about (an action or feeling)(v).
Tamil Meaning : தூண்டியது
Synonyms : efficient
Antonyms : delayed
Example : “the violence prompted a wave of refugees to flee the country”
2) tumbled
Meaning : fall suddenly, clumsily, or headlong(v).
Tamil Meaning : விழுந்துவிட்டது
Synonyms : slip
Antonyms : ascend
Example : “she pitched forward, tumbling down the remaining stairs”
3) retail
Meaning : the sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale(n)
Synonyms : peddle
Antonyms : acquire
Example : “the retail trade”
4) foresees
Meaning : be aware of beforehand; predict.
Tamil Meaning : நிகழ
Synonyms : discern
Antonyms : neglect
Example : “we did not foresee any difficulties”
5) enduring
Meaning : lasting over a period of time; durable(adj).
Tamil Meaning : நீடித்த
Synonyms : abiding
Antonyms : temporary
Example : “he formed a number of enduring relationships with women”
6) hover
Meaning : remain in one place in the air.(v)
Tamil Meaning : மிதவை
Synonyms : drift
Antonyms : lie
Example : “Army helicopters hovered overhead”
7) bolstered
Meaning : support or strengthen(v).
Tamil Meaning : உயர்த்திப்பிடிக்கின்றன
Synonyms : buoy
Antonyms : decrease
Example : “the fall in interest rates is starting to bolster confidence”
8) cited
Meaning : refer to (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work(v).
Tamil Meaning : மேற்கோள்
Synonyms : indicate
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “authors who are highly regarded by their peers tend to be cited”
9) prognosis
Meaning : the likely course of a medical condition(n).
Tamil Meaning : முன்கணிப்பு
Synonyms : diagnosis
Antonyms : measurement
Example : “the disease has a poor prognosis”
10) consumption
Meaning : the action of using up a resource.
Tamil Meaning : நுகர்வு
Synonyms : expenditure
Antonyms : construction
Example : “industrialized countries should reduce their energy consumption”
11) retained
Meaning : continue to have (something); keep possession of.
Tamil Meaning : தக்க
Synonyms : received
Antonyms : extroverted
Example : “Labour retained the seat”
12) opted
Meaning : make a choice from a range of possibilities(v).
Tamil Meaning : தேர்வு
Synonyms : decide
Antonyms : dislike
Example : “consumers will opt for low-priced goods”
13) stance
Meaning : the way in which someone stands, especially when deliberately adopted (as in cricket, golf, and other sports); a person’s posture.
Tamil Meaning : நிலைப்பாடு
Synonyms : attitude
Antonyms : unsteadiness
Example : “she altered her stance, resting all her weight on one leg”
14) remit
Meaning : cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment)(v).
Tamil Meaning : துற
Synonyms : consign
Antonyms : keep
Example : “the excess of the sentence over 12 months was remitted”
15) wary
Meaning : feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
Tamil Meaning : எச்சரிக்கை
Synonyms : attentive
Antonyms : careless
Example : “dogs which have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers”
16) reckons
Meaning : be of the opinion(v).
Synonyms : surmise
Antonyms : abandon
Example : “he reckons that the army should pull out entirely”
17) perishable
Meaning : (especially of food) likely to decay or go bad quickly(adj).
Tamil Meaning : அழிந்துபடக்கூடிய
Synonyms : decaying
Antonyms : endurance
Example : “the storage of perishable foods”
18) escalate
Meaning : increase rapidly(v).
Tamil Meaning : அதிகரிக்கும்
Synonyms : expand
Antonyms : decline
Example : “the price of tickets escalated”
19) marred
Meaning : impair the quality or appearance of; spoil.(V)
Tamil Meaning : அழிவு
Synonyms : harm
Antonyms : assist
Example : “violence marred a number of New Year celebrations”
20) elevated
Meaning : situated or placed higher than the surrounding area(adj).
Tamil Meaning : உயர்ந்த
Synonyms : exalted
Antonyms : depressed
Example : “this hotel has an elevated position above the village”
