Which of the following supercomputers, belonging to China, has been ranked among the fastest machines in the world in international TOP500 lists?

Introduction / Context:
Supercomputers are extremely powerful machines used for tasks such as climate modeling, scientific simulations, cryptography, and complex engineering problems. The performance of these systems is tracked by the TOP500 list, which ranks the fastest supercomputers in the world. Different countries build supercomputers as part of their national research infrastructure. This question asks you to identify which of the listed supercomputers belongs to China and has been ranked among the fastest in the world.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Four named supercomputers are listed as options: JAGUAR, PARAM YUVA II, CRAY 1, and TIANHE 2.
- Only one of these is a Chinese system frequently mentioned in TOP500 rankings as one of the leading machines.
- The others are associated with different countries or historical eras.
- We assume general awareness of major supercomputer projects and their national origins.

Concept / Approach:
TIANHE 2, also spelled Tianhe 2, is a Chinese supercomputer developed by the National University of Defense Technology in China. It has appeared near the top of the TOP500 list, reflecting its extremely high performance. JAGUAR is a supercomputer that was built in the United States and deployed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. PARAM YUVA II is an Indian supercomputer developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. CRAY 1 is a historic machine from the United States that was one of the earliest commercially successful vector supercomputers. Therefore, TIANHE 2 is the only option that is both Chinese and recognised as one of the fastest systems in global rankings.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Associate each name with its country of origin. JAGUAR is American, PARAM YUVA II is Indian, CRAY 1 is American, and TIANHE 2 is Chinese. Step 2: Recall that TIANHE 2 has been highlighted in news reports and technical articles as a leading Chinese supercomputer with very high performance. Step 3: Understand that the question focuses on a Chinese machine that has been ranked among the fastest in the world by the TOP500 project. Step 4: Eliminate options that are clearly not Chinese. JAGUAR and CRAY 1 are associated with United States facilities, while PARAM YUVA II is an Indian system. Step 5: Recognise that TIANHE 2 is the only Chinese supercomputer listed and thus fits the description exactly.

Verification / Alternative check:
Articles and official descriptions of TOP500 lists clearly show TIANHE 2 as a Chinese system. These sources usually give details about its peak performance, number of processing cores, and its installation site in China. They also mention other Chinese supercomputers such as Tianhe 1 and later systems, but among the names in this question, only TIANHE 2 corresponds to a Chinese machine that has reached the top positions. References describing PARAM YUVA II and JAGUAR place them in India and the United States respectively, confirming that they are not Chinese supercomputers.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
JAGUAR – a supercomputer built in the United States: This system is American and has been installed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, not in China.
PARAM YUVA II – an Indian supercomputer: This machine belongs to India and is part of the PARAM family of Indian supercomputers.
CRAY 1 – an early supercomputer from the United States: A historic American system that helped define commercial supercomputing, not a modern Chinese machine.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners may recognise several of the names as famous supercomputers but not recall which country they belong to. The presence of multiple well known systems can cause confusion, especially between JAGUAR and TIANHE 2 because both have appeared in performance rankings. To avoid this, it is helpful to memorise a few examples where the country is clearly linked to the machine name, such as TIANHE with China and PARAM with India. This association makes it easier to match supercomputers with their national origins in multiple choice questions.

Final Answer:
The supercomputer that belongs to China and has been ranked among the fastest in the world is TIANHE 2 – a Chinese supercomputer.