In the context of regional trade blocs, which one of the following countries is a member of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)?

Introduction / Context:
The South Asian Free Trade Area, abbreviated as SAFTA, is an important regional trade agreement that often appears in competitive exams on Indian and world geography, economics, and current affairs. This question tests whether you can correctly identify which of the listed countries actually belongs to the South Asian group that signed this agreement. Knowing the core South Asian countries and how they cooperate on trade helps in understanding regional integration and India's external economic environment.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are asked about membership of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
• Four countries are given as options: China, Japan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
• Only one of these is a genuine SAFTA member state.
• We assume the standard SAFTA membership list based on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries.

Concept / Approach:
SAFTA is a trade agreement among the SAARC member countries. The SAARC region broadly consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Countries that are outside SAARC, such as large East Asian economies, are not part of SAFTA. The quickest approach is therefore to recall which of the listed options is actually a SAARC member and therefore part of SAFTA, and then eliminate the others as non members of this particular agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that SAFTA is linked directly to SAARC membership, so only SAARC countries can be part of SAFTA. Step 2: List the SAARC countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Step 3: Compare the given options with this list of countries. Step 4: China is a major East Asian country and not part of SAARC, so it is not a SAFTA member. Step 5: Japan is another East Asian country, also not a SAARC member and hence not part of SAFTA. Step 6: Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country and a member of ASEAN, not SAARC, so it is not in SAFTA. Step 7: Sri Lanka is one of the original SAARC members and therefore is a party to the SAFTA agreement. Step 8: Since only Sri Lanka appears on both the SAARC and SAFTA lists, it is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification method is to remember that SAFTA was created to promote trade among the SAARC countries only. If an option is not a SAARC country, it automatically cannot be a SAFTA member. By simply checking whether the option lies within the Indian subcontinent or immediate South Asian region, we can confirm that Sri Lanka fits, whereas China, Japan, and Myanmar belong to different regional groupings. This cross check supports our answer choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
China is a large Asian power but belongs to different regional economic frameworks and is not part of SAARC, so it is not in SAFTA. Japan is an East Asian country with its own trade agreements and has no membership in SAARC. Myanmar is a member of ASEAN, not SAARC, and hence is outside SAFTA. Therefore, all these options do not satisfy the requirement of being South Asian Free Trade Area members.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that any Asian country with strong trade links to India is part of SAFTA, which is not correct. Another error is to confuse SAFTA with broader free trade ideas in Asia, or with ASEAN based agreements that involve countries like Myanmar. Learners sometimes also mis remember the SAARC membership list, which leads to picking large but incorrect countries such as China or Japan. Careful memorisation of the exact group of SAARC nations helps to avoid such confusion.

Final Answer:
The only listed country that is a member of the South Asian Free Trade Area is Sri Lanka.