Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 131

Press freedom continues to deteriorate in Hong Kong

Jailed pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai testified Tuesday that the Hong Kong government became "very strict" after Beijing's national security law came into effect in 2020. The 77-year-old British national made the statement when the court asked him to explain comments he made in August 2020 following the arrest of pro-democracy former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting.At the time, Lai said the arrest

Pentagon: Chinese military saw ‘new wave’ of corruption with senior leaders

A Pentagon report says the Chinese military experienced “a new wave” of corruption among its senior leaders last year that may have disrupted progress toward its military modernization goals, even as China ratcheted up aggression toward Taiwan and the Philippines.The U.S. Department of Defense’s annual China Military Power report released Wednesday says at least 15 high-ranking military officers

Xi hails Macau 'success' in visit for 25th anniversary of Chinese rule

Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed Macau's "world-recognised success" as he arrived in the city on Wednesday, kickstarting a three-day trip as the casino hub prepares to celebrate 25 years of Beijing rule.The former Portuguese colony was handed over to China on December 20, 1999, under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework that promised autonomy and wider civil liberties than the Chinese

Chinese casino hub Macau struggles to evolve beyond gaming

In the shadow of the Grand Lisboa, the Macau casino world-famous for its “golden lotus” design, fashion boutique owner Suzanne Leong wonders if the economic miracle that initially made her fortune has now cast her aside. The Chinese casino hub once again tops the world in gaming revenue in 2024 as visitors return after the Covid-19 pandemic, but residents like Ms Leong point to a huge disparity

Expert warns of public health emergency as Delhi's toxic air returns

Delhi's pollution has once again soared to hazardous levels, with a top expert warning that India's toxic air will have a bigger impact on public health than the Covid-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the air quality was 35 times over the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving residents complaining of breathing problems, as well as itching in their eyes and throat.Authorities

Apple and Google must prepare to remove TikTok from app stores by Jan. 19, lawmakers warn

Google-parent Alphabet and Apple must be ready to remove TikTok from their U.S. app stores on January 19, two US lawmakers said in a letter to the companies’ CEOs Friday. The bipartisan letter came from two leaders of the US House of Representatives’ committee on China: Republican Representative John Moolenaar, who is the committee’s chair, and the group’s top Democrat Representative Raja

Zhan Wang: Poverty Reduction in China. Experiences and Measurement of Effects

This study employs the generalized method of moments (GMM) and panel vector autoregression (PVAR) models for a multi-factor quantitative dissection of China’s poverty reduction process across multiple stages, using provincial panel data from 2000 to 2019. According to our research, economic growth and social development are the key drivers of poverty reduction in China, but the trickle-down

Historical Documents: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

"Washington, April 29, 1969. Evaluation of Chinese Communist Ninth Party Congress . I attach evaluations of the recently-concluded Ninth Party Congress prepared by CIA and the Department of State (Tabs B and C)2 covered by a brief summary analysis prepared by my staff (Tab A.)The analysis suggests a continuing stalemate, with Mao Tse-tung unable to push through his visionary economic and social

China’s Facebook Goes Dark, Taking a Generation’s Memories With It

For Chinese millennials, Renren was more than a social media platform — it was a digital diary, a link to their classmates, and a snapshot of their youth. But in recent days, users have discovered that the site, once dubbed “China’s Facebook,” is no longer accessible, raising questions about the future of a platform that shaped an era of online socializing in China.Domestic media reported earlier

Emotional Labor: Life Inside a Chinese Orphanage

In his new book “Ambivalent Love,”Qian Linliang, an associate professor of anthropology at China’s Southwest University, shares his findings from extensive field research at an orphanage in the eastern Zhejiang province, which he identifies as Yongjiang Orphanage, a false name to protect the privacy of his interviewees. In addition to the complexities of managing an orphanage, Qian explores how