UPSC Prelims 2018 · GS Paper I
Question 34: International Relations and Current Affairs
Consider the following countries :
- 1.Australia
- 2.Canada
- 3.China
- 4.India
- 5.Japan
- 6.USA
Which of the above are among the ‘free-trade partners’ of ASEAN ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
ASEAN has free trade agreements with six dialogue partners: China (ACFTA), South Korea (AKFTA), Japan (AJCEP), India (AIFTA), and Australia and New Zealand together (AANZFTA). Of the countries listed, Australia, China, India and Japan are partners, so the answer is 1, 3, 4 and 5. Canada and the USA have no free trade agreement with ASEAN as a bloc, though the USA has bilateral deals with a few members.
- 1. Australia is covered by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA.
- 2. Canada has no FTA with ASEAN as a bloc.
- 3. China has the ASEAN-China FTA.
- 4. India has the ASEAN-India FTA.
- 5. Japan has the ASEAN-Japan economic partnership.
- 6. The USA has no ASEAN-wide FTA.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) and (d) go: each of them leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: Australia is covered by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (a) goes: it includes 2.
What you needed to know: Canada has no FTA with ASEAN as a bloc.
Only (c) is left. You didn’t need statements 3, 4, 5 or 6.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: includes Canada, which has no ASEAN-wide FTA.
- (b) Wrong: includes the USA, which has none.
- (c) Right: Australia, China, India and Japan.
- (d) Wrong: includes Canada and the USA.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2018, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.