Great India Bustard & Where do China-Taiwan relations stand?

Context:

STATUS:

Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972, in the CMS Convention and in Appendix I of CITES.

It has also been identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

IUCN STATUS: Critically Endangered

 

GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD:

 

Conservation Issues:

The biggest threat to this species is hunting, which is still prevalent in Pakistan. This is followed by occasional poaching outside Protected Areas, collisions with high tension electric wires, fast moving vehicles and free-ranging dogs in villages.

Other threats include habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion and mechanized farming, infrastructural development such as irrigation, roads, electric poles, as well as mining and industrialization.

 

Why do power lines pose a threat?

There are several threats that have led to the decline of the GIB populations; however, power lines seem to be the most significant. Like other species of bustards, the GIBs are large birds standing about one metre tall and weighing about 15 to 18 kgs. The GIBs are not great fliers and have wide sideways vision to maximise predator detection but the species’ frontal vision is narrow. These birds cannot detect power lines from far and since they are heavy fliers, they fail to manoeuvre across power lines within close distances. The combination of these traits makes them vulnerable to collision with power lines. In most cases, death is due to collision rather than electrocution.

A study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2020 recorded six cases of GIB mortality due to power-line collisions in Thar from 2017-20.

 

What steps have been taken?

Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in Appendix I of CITES, as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the GIBs enjoy the highest protection both in India and globally. The earliest estimates show the population was about 1,260 in 1969, but has declined by 75% in the last 30 years.

Historically, the GIB population was distributed among 11 States in western India but today the population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small populations are found in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The overall population of the GIB totals 150 across the country, which includes about 128 birds in Rajasthan. Along with the attempts to mitigate impacts of power transmission lines on the GIB, steps have been taken for conservation breeding of the species.

Experts, including scientists from the WII, have called for removing all overhead powerlines passing through the GIB priority/critical areas in Rajasthan; the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change too has constituted a task force.

 

Topic 2: Where do China-Taiwan relations stand?

 

CONTEXT:

On January 13, Taiwan concluded its democratic elections. Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who was the Vice President under Tsai Ing-wen, whom China has called the “troublemaker”, is the newly elected President of Taiwan. This is a third term for the DPP, with the win being perceived as a major blow to China. However, within days of the results, Nauru, a small island nation, has announced that it is shifting its relations from Taipei to Beijing.

 

 

Why did the island of Nauru shift its diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China?

Nauru’s decision is very much on expected lines. A number of countries have shifted their diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing during the previous Taiwan President, Tsai Ing-wen’s term in office.

Beijing has followed a pattern of luring smaller nations with the promise of financial investment and infrastructure development.

Since Ms. Tsai and DPP came to power in 2016, the diplomatic space for Taiwan has consistently reduced. Today, just 11 countries recognise Taiwan while in 2016, this number stood at 22. The DPP is perceived as a pro-independence party and thus the pressure from Beijing and the pace at which Taiwan has been losing allies is increasing. This is also because Taiwan is unable to match China’s deep pockets.

 

What is the status of China-Taiwan ties?

One of the main reasons for China’s assertiveness is the refusal of Ms. Tsai to accept the ‘1992 consensus’. The 1992 consensus acknowledges that there is ‘one China’. It was agreed upon between the Kuomintang (KMT, pro status-quo party) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). However, Ms. Tsai has publicly said that this consensus goes against the ‘Taiwanese Consensus’.

There has also been a rise in ‘Taiwanisation’, where the younger generation of Taiwan do not feel any historical affinity with China. This generation recognises itself as Taiwanese and have grown up in a democratic political environment and do not feel any bond with the historical narratives of a united China.

All these developments have intensified aggressiveness towards Taiwan under Chinese President Xi Jinping. Rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and reunification of Taiwan are two very prominent and essential goals for Mr. Xi. China had consistently made comments and indicated its displeasure of the DPP, given its pro-independence stance.

In his New Year’s address, Mr. Xi had remarked that “reunification with Taiwan is inevitable” and Taiwan is a “sacred territory”. However, DPP’s electoral victory is a clear indication that the Taiwanese people are not in a hurry for reunification.

What about democracy in Taiwan?

Taiwan conducted its first democratic elections in 1996. The elections happened under the shadow of Chinese ire with missiles being fired across the Taiwan Straits. Since then, the democracy has only strengthened and regularised.

Beijing has been uncomfortable with Taiwanese democracy, as it considers the island a renegade province. The fact that Taiwan has a functioning democracy strengthens the idea of a separate Taiwanese political identity which is in complete contrast to the one-party system in China.

It also challenges the notion that the CPC (Communist Party of China) is the only political option for the Chinese people.