Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 129

What’s the history of the Panama Canal, and why is Trump threatening to retake control of it?

President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend suggested the US should retake the Panama Canal, an idea that was immediately rejected by the government of Panama, which has controlled the passage for decades. In social media posts and remarks to supporters, Trump accused Panama of charging the US “exorbitant rates” to use the canal and hinted at growing Chinese influence over the crucial waterway.

China imposes ‘countermeasures’ after Canada’s sanctions over human rights

China has announced “countermeasures” against Canadian groups and individuals two weeks after Canada imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials in early December over human rights concerns. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on Saturday that it was freezing the assets in China of Canada’s Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and the Canada Tibet Committee.The ministry,

Tibetan champion of language preservation dies after release

A Tibetan village chief who was detained in May for championing Tibetan language preservation, died three days after his release on Dec. 15, with electrical burn and torture marks found on his body during the cremation service, suggesting he was abused in police custody, two sources said.Gonpo Namgyal, leader of Ponkor Village in Qinghai province’s Dharlag county, or Dari in Chinese, was arrested

US missile deployment in the Philippines is legitimate: Manila

The Philippines’ acquisition and deployment of a U.S. mid-range missile system is “completely legitimate, legal, and beyond reproach,” its defense chief said on Tuesday. China protested against the plan by the Philippines to acquire a Typhon mid-range missile system from the United States to boost its maritime capabilities amid rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea.Chinese foreign

Hong Kong offers bounties for 6 more democrats

The Hong Kong government announced on Tuesday rewards of HK$1 million (US$130,000) for help in arresting six more pro-democracy campaigners, accusing them of violating a national security law and working to undermine the territory with calls for sanctions against lawmakers and independence from China.Carmen Lau, Tony Chung, Chung Kim-wah, Joseph Tay and Chloe Cheung were accused of incitement to

China’s Amphibious Warfare: History, Doctrine, and Forces

As China surrounds Taiwan with warships, it’s time to consider what military operations Xi Jinping may be preparing for. This first part of a two-part series, based on the Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute’s new edited conference volume, “Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects for a Cross-Strait Invasion,” distills key findings from the book, covering history and doctrine,

How Will Trump’s National Security Team Shape His China Policy?

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s views on China are often considered to be erratic and unpredictable. His first presidency led to a negative shift in China-U.S. relations. On the eve of his second presidency, Trump’s attitude remains hard to gauge. His current focus is still on the trade deficit, and he plans to impose high tariffs on Chinese goods if elected. On the other hand, he has refused

The U.N. process shows little appetite for addressing the urgent climate crisis on the Tibetan Plateau – in part due to China’s apathy.

On November 12, at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Baku, Azerbaijan, the leaders of six Hindu Kush Himalaya countries met to discuss the climate crisis that has reached epic proportions. Out of the eight countries – namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – only Taliban-ruled

Unpacking China’s “Four Red Lines” and Its Warning to Trump

Following Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s final meeting with President Joe Biden, which took place in November on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru, Beijing released a summary of the conversation that delineated “four red lines” for U.S.-China relations. The statement asserted, “The Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, and China’s

Six Takeaways From the Pentagon’s Report on China’s Military

On Wednesday, December 18, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released a 182-page report on China’s military. The China Military Power Report, as it is colloquially known, was mandated by Congress in 2000 and has been issued every year since, providing the best unclassified resource on the state of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Analysts of the PLA and China more broadly eagerly await its