Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 113

ANALYSING CHINA’S 2025 GOVERNMENT WORK REPORT: Promises, Pressures, and People

China’s 2025 Government Work Report signals a year of both economic management and long-term strategic groundwork. As the country enters the final stretch of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), Beijing is framing 2025 not just as a moment for policy execution but as a critical bridge to the next planning cycle. Premier Li Qiang’s delivery of the report at the opening of the third session of the

From Prints to Panels: How traditional Japanese art influenced contemporary manga and anime

On a typical Sunday afternoon, the bustling main street of Akihabara, Tokyo’s anime capital, pulses with activity. Colorful billboards showcasing iconic anime and manga characters loom large over the lively pedestrian zone, flanked by shops offering an exhaustive collection of merchandise and memorabilia, and themed cafes that invite fans to step into the worlds of their favorite

China conducts air and sea drills near Taiwan in response to US and Taiwanese statements

An unusually large number of Chinese military ships, planes and drones entered airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan between Sunday and Monday, the self-governing island’s Defense Ministry said. China said the drills were a response to recent statements and actions by the United States and Taiwan. Beijing launches such missions on a daily basis, seeking to wear down Taiwanese defenses and

The South China Sea: Making the Philippines-US Alliance Work Under Trump 2.0

The Trump administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid fostered doubts about U.S. commitment to its Philippine ally, but Washington decided to allow more than $300 million in foreign military financing to Manila to move forward. Other positive developments in alliance management – especially early high-level engagements — should help maintain momentum. The Philippines-U.S. alliance has a new

China Watches, Taiwan Learns: Ukraine’s War and the Indo-Pacific

China’s coercive campaign against Taiwan has escalated in recent years. Beijing’s approach has evolved from putting political and economic pressure on the island’s leadership and now includes expansive military exercises considered by many to be rehearsals for forced unification. It has sparked debate amongst political and military experts about what form such forced unification could take: Will

Taiwan’s KMT is closer than ever to its old nemesis, the Chinese Communist Party

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appears to have achieved a high degree of sway over its old nemesis, the Chinese Nationalist Party, better known as the Kuomintang, or KMT. The two parties’ talking points and agenda are highly aligned today, but this is a new development: they used to be enemies. The KMT seized control of Taiwan (with American help) following Japan’s surrender in 1945—Taiwan,

China outlines plans to boost consumer spending as Trump’s tariff war threatens exports

Chinese government officials on Monday outlined steps they are taking to try to boost domestic demand by getting consumers to spend more as a tariff war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to curb the country’s exports. The central bank will study creating new tools to increase low-cost funding for important consumption areas, said Che Shiyi from the People’s Bank of China, the

Torbjørn Færøvik: Noen eksepsjonelt dype tanker fra Hans Eksellense Donald J. Trump, President i Amerikas Forente Stater

Siden vi lever i en farlig verden, trenger vi en sterk leder som kan tenke for oss. En visjonær allviter som kan lede oss inn i en ny og gyllen tidsalder. Derfor hilser vi den eksepsjonelt geniale og grandiose Donald J. Trump varmt velkommen til Det hvite hus i Washington D.C., den skjønne hovedstaden i verdens mektigste land. Med sin nye president vil ikke bare USA, men hele menneskeheten

Chinese media, Hun Sen celebrate White House order to close US-funded news outlets

Representatives of closed Asian societies without free press on Monday welcomed the U.S. administration’s decision to halt broadcasts by Voice of America and freeze funding to Radio Free Asia, while democracy activists and dissidents expressed disbelief and dismay. China’s state-backed Global Times published an editorial focusing on VOA which it called “a lie factory” and “a thoroughly biased

A five-minute charge to go 250 miles? This Chinese EV giant claims it can offer just that

Electric vehicle giant BYD unveiled a new charging system in China on Monday, intensifying already fierce competition in the world’s largest auto market and propelling it further ahead of rivals such as Tesla. The Shenzhen-based automaker touted its system, dubbed “Super E-Platform,” as being able to charge its latest models in just five minutes, allowing them to go 250 miles. To support the new