'Belt and Road Initiative' is a foreign policy initiative of
- A.China
- B.United States of America
- C.Canada
- D.Japan
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, China. The Belt and Road Initiative is China's plan, announced by President Xi Jinping in 2013, to build roads, railways, ports, pipelines and power links connecting China with Asia, Europe and Africa. It has two parts. The Silk Road Economic Belt is the land route across Central Asia towards Europe, announced in Kazakhstan, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is the sea route through South-East Asia, the Indian Ocean and on to Africa and Europe, announced in Indonesia. It was earlier known as One Belt, One Road. India has stayed away from it, chiefly because its flagship project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India regards as its own territory. Option B is wrong because the United States has promoted other connectivity plans, not the Belt and Road. Option C is wrong because Canada has no such initiative and is not a sponsor of the plan. Option D is wrong because Japan has offered its own Partnership for Quality Infrastructure, often seen as a rival to the Chinese plan. Exam tip: BRI = China, 2013, Xi Jinping; CPEC through PoK is India's main objection.
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following countries: 1. Armenia 2. Azerbaijan 3. Croatia 4. Romania 5. Uzbekistan Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States ?
- A.1, 2 and 4
- B.1 and 3
- C.2 and 5
- D.3, 4 and 5
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The Organization of Turkic States brings together countries whose main languages belong to the Turkic family. It began in 2009 as the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, often called the Turkic Council, under the Nakhchivan Agreement, and took its present name in 2021.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about ASEAN are correct ? 1. The Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States. 2. The Chairmanship is decided by voting among the Member States. 3. "One Vision, One Identity, One Community" is the ASEAN motto. 4. 12th August is celebrated as ASEAN Day. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1 and 3 only
- C.3 and 4 only
- D.1, 2, 3 and 4
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Under the ASEAN Charter, the Chairmanship rotates every year among the member states in the alphabetical order of their English names, so statement 1 is correct.
Read the full explanation →With reference to Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), consider the following statements : 1. AIIB has more than 80 member nations. 2. India is the largest shareholder in AIIB. 3. AIIB does not have any members from outside Asia. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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AIIB has well over 80 members, but China, not India, is its largest shareholder, and many members are outside Asia.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) : 1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy. 2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
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Statement 2 is correct, but statement 1 is wrong because the first IONS was held in 2008, not 2015. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium was conceived by the Indian Navy, and its inaugural edition took place in New Delhi in February 2008 with India as the first chair.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is not a member of Gulf Cooperation Council?
- A.Iran
- B.Saudi Arabia
- C.Oman
- D.Kuwait
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Iran has never been a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, though it lies on the Persian Gulf. The GCC was founded in May 1981 in Abu Dhabi by six Arab monarchies of the Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
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