Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 121

EXPLAINED: Thailand’s repatriation of 40 Uyghur refugees to China

Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghurs back to China after languishing in a Bangkok detention center for over a decade raises concerns about their fate -- and questions about what they were doing there in the first place. What is known about the Uyghurs sent back to China from Thailand?The men originally came from the Xinjiang region of northwestern China where 12 million Uyghurs live under

EU, India agree to finalize free-trade pact this year, von der Leyen says

India and the European Union will push to finalize a free-trade agreement this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. In a keynote speech during her two-day visit to New Delhi, von der Leyen said a closer alliance with India would be “a cornerstone of Europe’s policy in the years and decades to come,” built on enhanced cooperation on trade, technology, security

China connects everything to DeepSeek in nationwide plan

China now connects everything – from chatbots and smart vehicles to government departments and schools – to DeepSeek, an artificial intelligence (AI) model that emerged and became famous last month. Baidu, a Chinese search engine, announced that its chatbot Ernie Bot 4.9 version now integrates with DeepSeek-R1 to enhance students’ problem-solving capability. Students can take a picture of a

China’s AI boom bigger than just DeepSeek

When small Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek released a family of extremely efficient and highly competitive AI models last month, it rocked the global tech community. The release revealed China’s growing technological prowess. It also showcased a distinctly Chinese approach to AI advancement. This approach is characterized by strategic investment, efficient innovation and

Trump says US will impose additional 10% tariff on China

Donald Trump said he planned to hit goods from China with a new 10% tariff, the latest salvo in the US president's steadily escalating trade fights. Imports from China already face taxes at the border of at least 10%, after a Trump tariff order that went into effect earlier this month. China's ministry of foreign affairs said it "strongly" expressed its "dissatisfaction and resolute opposition"

TORBJØRN FÆRØVIK: NÅR KRUTTRØYKEN LETTER I UKRAINA, FÅR VI ENDA MER KINA

Et forvokst barn i Washington har satt verden på hodet. Noen gråter, andre ler. Blant de siste er Kina, som ser en mulighet til å fylle litt av tomrommet etter USA, også i Europa.Vår egen verdensdel, splittet som den er, har lenge vært et prioritert område for kinesiske fremstøt. Lederne i Beijing har i årevis fulgt den indre krangelen i EU og NATO med argusøyne. Med Trump ved roret på den andre

'I need help': Freed from Myanmar's scam centres, thousands are now stranded

"I swear to God I need help," said the man quietly on the other end of the line.The Ethiopian, who calls himself Mike, said he is being held with 450 others in a building inside Myanmar, along the country's border with Thailand. They are among the thousands of people who have been freed from the notorious scam compounds that have thrived on the border for years, in what appears to be the toughest

EXPLAINED: Why is China so worried about food security?

China has unveiled its rural “revitalization” plan for 2025, listing “ensuring the supply of grain” and overall food security as its top priority. “China’s grain supply, overall, does not surpass demand; instead, it remains in a state of borderline sufficiency,” Han Wenxiu, director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group under the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee.

China receives 40 ‘Chinese illegal immigrants’ from Thailand

Thailand repatriated 40 Chinese “illegal immigrants” on Thursday after human rights activists and a Thai media outlet reported that Thailand was deporting Uyghurs, who had been detained in Thailand for more than a decade. The men of the mostly Muslim minority from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China have been held at Thailand’s Immigration Detention Center since 2014, after attempting

China denounces Vietnam’s island building in South China Sea

China on Wednesday voiced opposition to Vietnam’s recent developments in the Spratly archipelago in a rare public protest. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the Nansha Qundao are China’s inherent territory, referring to the group of islands and reefs known internationally as the Spratlys. Hanoi has been reclaiming several features within the Spratlys, and is building a 3000-meter