Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 11

Japan’s railgun takes the sting out of China’s hypersonics

Japan has fired the first ship-mounted railgun at sea, a hypersonic shot that could rewrite the balance between guns and missiles in naval warfare.This month, Naval News reported that Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD), through its Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), announced the country’s first successful live firing of a ship-mounted electromagnetic railgun against a target

Why China could well win its Cold War with US

Two separate questions are troubling America and every other country dealing with China: What is China’s military industrial production capacity, and how much do Chinese weapons really cost?The first answer is simple: Chinese industry is unmatched in the world. It operates an independent, self-sufficient production line, perhaps unlike any other nation. It can manufacture more weapons – and do so

Torbjørn Færøvik: «Europe has finally got a president»

“EU supporters, rejoice! Europe has finally got a president,» writes commentator Nicholas Vinocur on Politico. “The only problem is that he lives in the White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.”Vinocur was referring to Trump’s remark during a recent meeting with EU leaders, when he called himself “Europe’s president.” The comment drew smirks and raised eyebrows but carried a

INTERVIEW: JESSICA BATKE AND LAURA EDELSON ON CHINA’S “LOCKNET”

In practice, online censorship in China functions more like a massive water management system: an amalgamation of canals and locks that regulates what flows, through which particular channels, and at what times. It adjusts to natural rises and drops in volume, though it can be overwhelmed during a flood. Even when the sluices close, it’s not perfectly impermeable; ripples can always slosh over

China-Russia gas pact heightens Western sanctions risks

The recent negotiation breakthrough for constructing the Power of Siberia 2, which will transport 50 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas to China via Mongolia annually, is expected to significantly change the geopolitical landscape and energy markets, according to Chinese and Western analysts.On September 2, China, Russia and Mongolia signed a legally binding memorandum of understanding (

The high, high cost of fewer foreign students in America

American college campuses from Tucson to Tallahassee are buzzing with the familiar routine of students getting settled in classes and dorms. One new trend, though, is emerging.An estimated 30% to 40% fewer international students are expected on American college campuses in the fall of 2025, compared with trends in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to NAFSA: Association of International

How India secretly sent refugees back to the land accused of committing genocide against them

In the home he thought was safe, Mohammad Ismail pines for the daughter who was snatched from him and sent back to the country they fled eight years ago; a country where their community officially does not exist. Mohammad and his daughter Asma ran from their village in Myanmar in 2017 as soldiers went on a state-sanctioned, weeks-long rampage of rape, arson and murder against the country’s

China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region

China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu

Trump says he’s ready to put ‘major sanctions’ on Russia if NATO nations do the same

President Donald Trump said Saturday he is “ready to do major Sanctions on Russia” once all NATO countries have started “to do the same thing” and pause their purchases of oil from Moscow. He also urged NATO countries to impose “50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA,” which he said should be withdrawn after the Russia-Ukraine war has concluded.“China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia,

How to examine the divergent histories of ancient Rome and China

The differences between the ancient Chinese state and the ancient Roman state, as observed by Feng Youlan a century ago, begin with the geographical environments in which the two civilizations developed.The Roman Empire was established around the Mediterranean, building upon the foundations laid by the Greeks and Phoenicians. These earlier peoples had already mastered the sea; they were skilled