Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 111

China denies Swiss allegations of surveillance on Uyghur, Tibetan diaspora

China dismissed a report alleging that it pressures Tibetans and Uyghurs in Switzerland to spy on their communities, calling it “misleading information.” The Swiss government released a report on Wednesday suggesting that China is pressuring Tibetans and Uyghurs in the European country to spy on each other while systematically monitoring politically active people.“Transnational repression against

What does Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine mean for China?

Clarity is beginning to form around US President Donald Trump’s plans for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, with his administration appearing to accept some of the Kremlin’s key demands that Ukraine should not join NATO or return to its pre-2014 sovereign borders.Amid the dust of what looks to be Trump’s blowing up of the previous US position on peace, another administration priority is also coming

China hopes new fleet of ‘silver trains’ will encourage its elderly to travel, and spend, more

China will launch a fleet of special “silver trains” specially built for the comfort and safety of elderly people to encourage its rapidly ageing population to travel – and spend – more, as it grapples with a demographic decline and stuttering economy.Berths in the new trains will be tailored to be more comfortable for elderly travelers and come with features like handrails, oxygen bottles and

Why India fails to protect its domestic workers despite decades of abuse

Smitha (not her real name), a domestic helper in Delhi for 28 years, can't forget the day she was beaten in public by one of her employers. The woman had accused Smitha - a Dalit woman from the most discriminated against caste in Hinduism's entrenched social hierarchy - of stealing her daughter's earrings and then refused to pay her. "After many requests, I confronted her in public. That's when

Axing USAID: A loss for Taiwan

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been a cornerstone of US foreign policy, advancing not only humanitarian aid but also the US’ strategic interests worldwide. The abrupt dismantling of USAID under US President Donald Trump ‘s administration represents a profound miscalculation with dire consequences for global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. By

Torbjørn Færøvik: Som manna fra himmelen

Kineserne har innledet det nye året, Slangens år, med å spise gode middager og gi hverandre gaver. Men de største gavene er kommet fra USA. Tenk å våkne hver morgen og lese at Donald Trump har signert nye idiotiske presidentordrer. Ordrer som blir mottatt med bestyrtelse og sviende kritikk i land etter land.I Zhongnanhai, de kinesiske ledernes forbudte by i Beijing, følger Xi Jinping utviklingen

No doctors for sick children. This is the reality of Trump’s aid freeze in remote northern Thailand

Plastic tubes meander from Rosella’s nose to a nearby oxygen tank that’s bigger than she is, as she flicks through a book of her drawings: a flower, a house, a chicken. The 9-year-old needs non-stop medical attention for the bone condition she was born with that has left her ribs pushing dangerously on her lungs, one of which is not working as it should.“She cannot breathe properly,” her mother,

Trade, tariffs and visas to dominate Trump-Modi talks

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington and meets President Donald Trump later this week, there will be some warm hugs and shared laughs. But that will not be all. Trump and Modi have developed a strong personal rapport over the years, marked by high-profile meetings and joint appearances.Since their first meeting in Washington in 2017, their bond has grown through other events

Trump wants China to play a role in peace in Ukraine. Is Xi Jinping willing to help?

As the war in Ukraine grinds toward its fourth year, US President Donald Trump has made clear which world leader he thinks can help America end the conflict: Vladimir Putin’s ally Xi Jinping. “Hopefully, China can help us stop the war with, in particular, Russia-Ukraine … they have a great deal of power over that situation, and we’ll work with them,” Trump told political and business elites

New marriages in China crash to record low, while divorces on the rise

The number of new marriages recorded in China fell to a record low last year, despite sweeping government efforts to encourage young people to tie the knot and have babies to halt demographic decline in the world’s second-largest economy. Some 6.1 million couples registered their marriages in 2024, a plunge of 20.5% from the previous year, according to data released Saturday by China’s Ministry