6. China Is Said to Be Bolstering Missile Capabilities

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/world/asia/chinas-missile-advances-aimed-at-thwarting-us-defenses-analysts-say.html?_r=3&smid=tw-nytimesglobal&seid=auto

On August 24th, Keith Bradsher wrote about China’s quick development in the nuclear warhead industry. These advances have improved their abilities to launch large nuclear attacks against their enemies and have made many Americans worried. The author reassures the reader that both countries are trying to keep a good and peaceful relationship with each other. He continues describing how China has been able to improve their military power and says they have only done so because of the military progression in other countries and because their economy has increased their budget. Bradsher ends saying how the United States has some military defense systems against nuclear warheads and that they are intended to destroy any enemy missile, especially North Korea’s if they fire any. However, this causes China to want to do the same in case the United States tries to do anything.

The author's purpose in writing this article is to inform his readers (mostly Americans) about how China has been developing better nuclear weapons, and in addition giving an update on the United States' own nuclear projects. Bradsher uses many short paragraphs with less than a few sentences to keep his readers interested and with an urge to keep reading. Just as in many other articles, he provides the reader with many quotes and their references to transmit the information he wants to instead of telling it himself, similar to what dialogue does in a narrative. He uses some allusions, giving reference to the Cold War and to a treaty signed by China in 1996 (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty), allowing the reader to make connections to past events and thus facilitating the comprehension of what the author is saying. The way Bradsher ends his essay keeps the readers wanting to know more about the issue and expecting more to come about it.