Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1330

A Third Of All Journalists Jailed Globally Are Being Held In China And Iran [Infographic]

By the end of 2014, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had identified 221 journalists in prison across the world, the second highest number since the organization started recording these figures in 1990. China and Iran were the worst offenders, holding a third of all journalists jailed globally. Read more

Macau's economy slumps 17% after anti-corruption drive

Macau, like Hong Kong, is a Special Administrative Region of China. It is also the only place in China where gambling is legal. Since 2002, its casino industry has grown into a $45 billion heavyweight, roughly seven times bigger than Las Vegas. Read more

Family Drama Entangles Hong Kong’s Leader

Hong Kong’s leader, Leung Chun-ying, denied his daughter’s allegations on Tuesday that her mother had abused her and confined her to the family’s residence. Read more

Hong Kong fears Beijing crackdown on academic freedom

Scholars in Hong Kong are growing concerned that the territory’s cherished academic freedom is coming under renewed attack from China in the aftermath of last year’s student-led pro-democracy protests. Attacks in Communist party-backed newspapers on a leading liberal professor, reports of government interference in academic appointments, and renewed calls for “patriotic education” to be

In photos: China’s construction of military bases in Spratlys

Recently published satellite images of China’s land reclamation in the Spratly Islands show that they are constructing large, multi-story buildings as well as a possible airstrip and harbor that can accommodate military planes and ships. Read more

A Rare Look Into One’s Life on File in China

Four years ago, the Tibetan writer Tsering Woeser, 48, got a chance to look at her file. After she was fired from her job at the state-run Tibetan Literature Association in Lhasa — punishment for writing favorably about the Dalai Lama — Ms. Woeser asked a former colleague to help her get the file released so she could apply for medical insurance and other welfare benefits. Read more

The Implications of China’s Growth Slowdown

A decelerating Chinese economy, coming at a time of global economic uncertainty (especially in the eurozone), could have dramatic economic implications throughout the world. However, the repercussions of a Chinese economic slowdown would not be limited to the economic sphere. Read more

How Chinese and Americans Understand Culture

The idea that all Han come from the same historical place and that Han culture is superior, if a single culture at all, is a powerful force in unifying people under an emperor or a flag. Americans too believe that their values are qualitatively superior to others. It  is evident in our movies, our books, our understandings of history, and of course our foreign policy, writes Brent Crane. Read

No, China’s Not About to Collapse

For now, at least, the central leadership appears united behind Xi’s policy agenda. The economy continues to grow, with PRC officials anticipating an annual rate at a slowing, but still healthy, 7 percent. Government policy and operations continue without the kinds of abnormal interruptions or breakdowns that one would expect of a nation in serious crisis, writes China expert Timothy Heath. Read

"The Endgame of Chinese Communist Rule": Responses

A week ago, respected China scholar David Shambaugh published a provocative essay, “The Coming Chinese Crackup,” in The Wall Street Journal. “The endgame of communist rule in China has begun,” it argued, “and Xi Jinping’s ruthless measures are only bringing the country closer to a breaking point.” Read more