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Q.Study the cartoon given below carefully and answer the questions based on it : [Cartoon text printed: “EAST ASIAN NATIONS”; speech bubble “WE’LL HAVE TO GET USED TO IT...”; label on burner “COMPETITION”]

(i) Name any two countries of East Asia.
(ii) Identify and name the leader shown in the cartoon.
(iii) Explain the meaning of the sentence given in the cartoon ‘WE’LL HAVE TO GET USED TO IT’. [For Visually Impaired Candidates, in lieu of this question: The following questions are for the Visually Impaired Candidates only, in lieu of Q. No. 25 : (25.1) Name any one country which resisted the adoption of the ‘Euro’. (25.2) Name any two new member countries of European Union. (25.3) Explain any two main objectives of establishing the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).]
CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2026Subjective· 4mImportance★★★★★
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The cartoon shows East Asian leaders reluctantly accepting the reality of intense economic competition among themselves, a shift from their earlier cooperative focus.

The cartoon you are studying captures a significant moment in the economic history of East Asia. For decades after the Second World War, many East Asian economies — Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and later China — grew rapidly through a mix of state-led industrial policy, export-oriented manufacturing, and regional cooperation. The mood was often one of shared ambition and mutual support, especially as they rebuilt from war or colonial rule. By the 1990s and 2000s, however, the landscape had changed. These nations had become major global players, and their economic interests began to overlap and clash. The cartoon reflects this new reality: the very success of East Asia had turned its members into rivals.

  1. Name any two countries of East Asia. Two prominent countries of East Asia are Japan and China. Other correct answers include South Korea, Taiwan, North Korea, and Mongolia. These nations share a geographic region and, in many cases, deep historical and cultural ties, but their modern economic stories are marked by intense competition for markets, technology, and influence.
  2. Identify and name the leader shown in the cartoon. The leader shown in the cartoon is Junichiro Koizumi, who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He is recognisable by his distinctive swept-back hairstyle, which was a well-known feature during his time in office. Koizumi was a reformist leader who pushed for economic restructuring in Japan, and his presence in the cartoon symbolises Japan’s central role in East Asian economic dynamics.
    Note

    The cartoonist chose Koizumi not just for his appearance but because his tenure coincided with a period when Japan, long the dominant economy in the region, was feeling the pressure of a rising China and a resurgent South Korea. His expression of reluctant acceptance is therefore historically apt.

  3. Explain the meaning of the sentence given in the cartoon ‘WE’LL HAVE TO GET USED TO IT’. The sentence “WE’LL HAVE TO GET USED TO IT” is spoken by the leader (Koizumi) and refers to the word “COMPETITION” written on the burner beneath the pot. The meaning is layered. …

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