MASS MEDIA AND SOCIETY
DIGITAL ASSIGNMENT
NEWSPAPER ANALYSIS
FACULTY : PROF. Kubendran A
SLOT : F1+F2
SUBMITTED BY: Saurav Sathish Kumar Nair
19BME0922
China steps up pressure on Taiwan
By Ananth Krishnan, The Hindu
August 03, 2022
Summary
◦ China is expected to launch a series of military operations and exercises around Taiwan, in
retaliation to the visit by the US House Speaker, Ms. Nancy Pelosi.
◦ China will begin large-scale exercises in six areas in the waters and airspace to the north, east,
southwest and southeast around Taiwan.
◦ China feels that Pelosi’s visit distorted the peace and order in the Taiwan Strait, strained US-
Chinese relations and violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
◦ China has also undertaken a few punitive economic measures on Taiwan which include an
import ban on agricultural products such as fish and fruits, along with Sand, which is an
important resource required for the production of Semi Conductor Chips.
Purpose of the Article
◦ Provide Information about the China-Taiwan crisis:
This conflict dates back to the end of World War 2, where the island of Taiwan had been transferred
from Japan to China, who was undergoing a civil war between the Republic of China and the
Chinese Communist Party (People’s Republic of China). The Communist party emerged victorious
while the ROC retreated to the island of Taiwan. Till date, the PRC has claimed sovereignty on the
island of Taiwan.
◦ To explore an ongoing issue
This article also mentions the current issues that the crisis is facing. It talks about how a simple visit
from the US House speaker, fuelled the tension even more between 2 fiery regions. China had
already been asserting their dominance over Taiwan by flying fighter jets into Taiwanese airspace
multiple times over the last few months.
Tone of the article
◦ This article's author strikes a very sombre tone throughout. He makes an effort to convey
to readers how crucial the subject is. Ananth Krishnan serious tone engages the readers
and motivates them to finish reading the article. People who read this article will also
get a lot of information about issues that may not directly affect them, but will affect
them indirectly.
◦ The following excerpt from the article highlights the seriousness of the author.
“Beijing has already faced questions from Chinese social media users on whether it will
take stronger measures to back up the public warnings that failed to deter Ms. Pelosi’s
visit. The military drills around Taiwan have been highlighted by the State media as
showing Beijing’s resolve.”
TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED BY THE WRITER
◦ Choice of words used for the article:
This article's language and word choice are easy for readers to understand and follow. The article's
use of straightforward language suggests that anyone who begins reading it will be able to finish it
without any difficulty. It clearly communicates the message and retains the readers' attention.
◦ Beginning with a discussion on recent events:
If it is a popular issue, the reader is immediately drawn to it. People are drawn to the article and
want to understand more about the crises' context after hearing about Nancy Pelosi and China-
Taiwan trade.
Unfamiliar words from the article
◦ Punitive: Intent to Punish
Example: There are calls for more punitive measures against people who drink and drive.
◦ Infringement: An action or situation that interferes with your rights and the freedom you are entitled to.
Example: They see it as an infringement on their own freedom of action.
◦ Sovereignty: the quality or state of being sovereign, or of having supreme power or authority.
Example: He was turning the concept of sovereignty on its head.
Personal Opinion
◦ As someone who enjoys learning about History, Geography and Global
current affairs, this article struck a chord within the Social Studies geek within
me. I found this article to be really engaging and interesting, especially when
the author talks about the ban on certain imports for Taiwan from China. He
also mentions the fact that Sand imported from China accounts for very little in
Taiwan’s total sand imports and wont have too much of an effect on Taiwan’s
Semi-Conductor chip manufacturing industry.