Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 120

Experts weigh chance of success in new South China Sea case against Beijing

Philippine officials have suggested that, in the face of grave aggression from China in the South China Sea, new legal action is not a matter of if, but when.Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general of the National Security Council, told a press briefing this week that, being pushed “to the wall,” Manila is considering all options including new international lawsuits. In 2013, the Philippines

Xinjiang authorities begin winter campaign to ensure security before Chinese New Year

Chinese authorities in Xinjiang said they have launched a “Winter Operation” to beef up security in the restive western region in the run-up to the Lunar New Year. Though the campaign is part of a nationwide security operation introduced by China’s Ministry of Public Security in November 2024, Xinjiang is its primary focus, experts on the region say.Regional public security authorities said the

Thailand urged not to deport 48 Uyghurs to China

A human rights group has urged Thailand not to deport to China 48 Uyghurs who have languished for more than a decade in detention, saying their safety and human rights must be the priority. The Uyghur men have been held at Thailand’s Immigration Detention Center since 2014, after attempting to escape persecution in China through Thailand. The rights group Justice for All said recent reports from

Trump’s Panama Canal canard obscures hard China truths

US President-elect Donald Trump has in recent days repeatedly denounced what he sees as China’s outsized influence on the Panama Canal – the crucial maritime passageway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. On December 25, 2024, Trump falsely claimed that Chinese soldiers were “operating” the Panama Canal, wishing them a “merry Christmas.” Trump has also directly challenged the Panamanian

China continues to shift exports to Global South

China’s exports grew 10.7% year-on-year in December, outpacing November’s 6.7% gain and beating analyst forecast of 7.3% growth. Restocking in anticipation of tariffs accounted for a small part of the gain, but the main driver of Chinese exports remains the Global South, especially to countries where China is building infrastructure. China’s exports to the Global South exceeded its shipments to

Trump's Greenland bid stirs debate in China about what to do with Taiwan

For years, the U.S. government has urged China to show "restraint" in pushing its claim on Taiwan and to drop military threats to bring the democratically governed island under its control. Now - some Chinese commentators say - the power of that long-held U.S. message has been undermined by the threats by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, by

Why China may be OK with TikTok selling to Elon Musk

After previously opposing the idea of a TikTok sale to avert a looming ban, the Chinese government may have found an owner it could live with: Elon Musk. Chinese officials – who are expected to have some say over whether and how TikTok’s US assets could be sold to an American buyer – are discussing a possible option that involves selling at least a portion of the US version of the app to Musk’s X

Reeves defends China visit and hails £600m boost to UK

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has defended her decision to travel to China to improve economic ties at a time when soaring government borrowing costs threaten to squeeze UK public finances. She says she wants a long-term relationship with China that is "squarely in our national interest" and on Saturday said agreements reached in Beijing would be worth £600m to the UK over the next five years.Her trip

'It was destiny': How Jimmy Carter embraced China and changed history

On a bright January morning in 1979, then US president Jimmy Carter greeted a historic guest in Washington: Deng Xiaoping, the man who unlocked China's economy. The first leader of Communist China to visit the United States, Deng had arrived the previous evening, to light snow and a welcome by the US vice-president, the secretary of state and their spouses.It was the start of a diplomatic

Torbjørn Færøvik: Den største festen i verden er i gang - i India

Hold deg fast! I dag begynner den største festen i menneskehetens uendelig lange historie. «Come to the Kumbh!», «Get rid of your sins!», «Care for your salvation!».Rop og skrik, farger og spetakkel og et menneskemylder hinsides fantasien. Millioner av hinduer har strømmet til den indiske byen Prayagraj for å bade i Ganges og rense seg for alle synder. «O Herre, befri oss fra trelldom og nød