Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1306

Protestleder Joshua Wong til NRK: – Helt sikkert at valgreformen blir nedstemt

Det er helt sikkert at valgreformen denne uken blir nedstemt, sier studentenes protestleder Joshua Wong (18) til NRK. Hva som skjer etterpå, er han langt mindre sikker på. Les mer

China Blocks Public Gatherings in Tibetan Areas in Advance of Dalai Lama's Birthday

Chinese authorities are tightening restrictions across Tibetan-populated regions in advance of the July 6 birthday of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, posting warnings against celebrations of the politically sensitive event and blocking public gatherings that could be linked to it, sources said. Read more

US Must Challenge China in South China Sea

The U.S. should accept China’s challenge, the sooner the better. If China truly seeks to dominate the Western Pacific, then the United States should contest Beijing’s claims now while China is quite weak in terms of naval power and while the United States still has the relative advantage. Read more

The ultimate sign of President Xi Jinping's total power over China

Xi Jinping's total grip on power over China has brought down one of the most powerful men in the country's modern history. Zhou Yongkang, 73, is the former head of China's domestic spy organization. As of Thursday he has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting over $20 million in bribes for himself and his family, leaking confidential documents, and abusing power. Read more

Four 'left-behind' children in China die of poisoning after being abandoned

Police in China are investigating the death of four impoverished siblings who reportedly drank pesticide after being abandoned by their parents, a tragedy exposing the hardships facing millions of so-called “left-behind” children. Read more

China's waning influence on Taiwanese politics

China-Taiwan cross-strait relations are under renegotiation in the face of significant domestic developments in Taiwan. These developments include the ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT) resounding defeat in the local ‘nine-in-one’ elections in November 2014, the influence of the Sunflower student movement, and the predicted opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) win in the January 2016

China's $10 billion railway across South America is either bold or insane

China has just agreed on feasibility studies with Brazil and Peru for a 3,300-mile rail link connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Reuters reported recently. The planned railway would connect Brazil’s Atlantic coast and Peru’s Pacific coast and would “reduce the cost of shipping grain and minerals to Asia.” Read more

The Dalai Lama’s Daily Routine and Information Diet

“To understand the Dalai Lama … perhaps it’s most useful to see him as a doctor of the soul.” Read more

China is exporting repression beyond its borders

It is common for tyrants to claim that human rights are an "internal matter" and should not concern outsiders. When faced with complaints that they deny people freedom to speak, protest, worship and vote, these autocrats like to say: Buzz off. Read more

How China Is Building the Biggest Commercial-Military Empire in History

Though the closest Chinese territory gets to the Arctic Circle is a thousand miles away, China nonetheless calls itself a “near-Arctic state.” Chinese oil company Cnooc has a majority share in Iceland’s Dreki oil and natural gas field, and Beijing established the Arctic Yellow River Station, a permanent research facility on Norway’s Spitsbergen Island. Read more