Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 121

CENTER FOR CHINA ANALYSIS REPORT: CHINA 2025 . WHAT TO WATCH

In the China 2024 report published last year, the authors captured China’s prospects with the phrase “a vexing year ahead for China.” The report forecast an overall erosion of trust in China, intensifying economic headwinds, continuous political purges, widening social discontent, a deteriorating geopoliti cal environment, and unremitting climate events in 2024.This forecast has borne fruit.&

Taiwan’s spy agency says China is working with gangs, shell companies to gain intelligence on Taiwan

Taiwan’s intelligence bureau says China’s main spy agency is working with criminal gangs, shell companies and other dubious partners to gain intelligence on Taiwan’s defenses, resulting in a major rise in those arrested for alleged espionage on the island. Current and retired Taiwanese military personnel are a special concern, accounting for around half of the 64 alleged spies put on trial last

INTERVIEW: 3 of Hong Kong’s most-wanted women on their struggles in exile

They grew up working hard, getting good grades and thinking they’d likely have careers, maybe marry and have kids, all in the city that formed them -- Hong Kong. But now, Anna Kwok, Frances Hui and Joey Siu are all in exile in the United States, with no idea of when they will be able to return. Each has a bounty of HK$1 million (US$128,500) on their heads from the Hong Kong government, which has

Cambodian court sentences 10 Chinese to life in prison in drug case

 A judge in Cambodia has sentenced 10 Chinese citizens to life in prison in a drug trafficking and money laundering case that involved 14 tons of chemical compounds and drugs, a Sihanoukville Provincial Court statement said. The defendants were also fined 100 million riel (about US$25,000) on Thursday by the court in Sihanoukville, a seaside town that has become a hotbed of criminal activity

Shigatse Earthquake: Over 120 Dead as Rescuers Battle Cold and Rubble

A day after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, the toll has climbed to at least 126 dead, 188 injured, and over 3,600 homes reduced to rubble. Battling sub-zero temperatures through the night, rescue teams combed through collapsed homes in search of survivors, while PLA troops, medical experts, and emergency supplies poured into the affected region.At

In Shaanxi, a Long-Buried Han Dynasty Tomb Is a Study in Power

Gold, intricate seals, and rare treasures buried for over two millennia have emerged from a tomb in China’s Shaanxi province, believed to belong to Tian Qianqiu — a revered prime minister of the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220).The discovery sheds light on the burial customs and power dynamics of one of China’s most influential eras. Tian, who served under Emperors Wu and Zhao, rose to prominence

Xi To Send Top Chinese Official to Trump's Inauguration

Chinese President Xi Jinping is dispatching a high-ranking official to the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, in lieu of Ambassador Xie Feng, in a move that breaks tradition. Xi's move suggests an eagerness to lower tensions early in Trump's second term in the White House. Washington and Beijing remain at loggerheads over a range of contentious issues, from trade and Beijing's

Report on China's New Fleet of Barges Drops Amid Taiwan Invasion Fears

A report published by the Naval News on Friday that China is building a fleet of barges suitable for amphibious landings amid fears of a Taiwan invasion. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, D.C., via email for comment on Saturday.Why

Torbjørn Færøvik: Ingen kjenner dagen før Donald Trump har gått til sengs

En frisk vestavind har blåst over Danmark de siste dagene, og statsminister Mette Fredriksen har fått gjennomgå for sin håndtering av Donald Trumps ubehagelige trusler.Å rasle med sabelen overfor en alliert, sømmer seg ikke, men ingen kjenner dagen før Trump har gått til sengs. Det eneste Danmark kan gjøre, er å vente på en avklaring – hvis den kommer. I beste fall går stormen over av seg selv,

Uyghurs detained in Thailand say they face deportation and persecution in China

A group of Uyghur men who were detained in Thailand over a decade ago say that the Thai government is preparing to deport them to China, alarming activists and family members who say the men are at risk of abuse and torture if they are sent back. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, 43 Uyghur men held in Bangkok made a public appeal to halt what they called an imminent threat of