Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1357

Beijing readies smoking ban

A new law proposed this week foresees banning smoking in Beijing's public buildings, such as hospitals and child care centers. Read more

Chinese court jails seven students of Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti

A Chinese court has sentenced seven students of the jailed Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti in western Xinjiang region to up to eight years in prison in a case that has been criticised by the west, two rights lawyers said. Read more

No peace in Pakistan for Nobel laureate

It should be a matter of being proud for the entire nation that a daughter of Pakistan has become a Nobel laureate for this year. But, unfortunately it is not as it should be. At 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan's braveheart, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year in recognition of her struggle and sacrifices as young campaigner for girls' right to education in Swat, the former

China worries may boost Indonesia defence spending to $20 billion/year

Indonesia's defence spending could grow to $20 billion (£12.75 billion) a year by 2019 to protect its sovereignty, including an area of the South China Sea near China's claims, an adviser to new Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday. Read more

5 Questions About Xi Jinping, Answered

Most Chinese people support Xi Jinping because they see him as a different kind of leader — Xi presents his charming wife at diplomatic activities; Xi allows the internet to show cartoon images of himself; Xi has the moxie to topple other Politburo members; Xi is prepared to be tough against the U.S. and Japan. Read more

A Top Target of China’s Antigraft Campaign Gets Life in Prison

Mr. Liu Tienan was one of the first and most visible targets of the anticorruption campaign begun by President Xi Jinping, who became leader of the Communist Party in November 2012.  Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has vowed to take down both “tigers” and “flies” — that is, powerful and minor officials. Read more

The Sinocism China Newsletter, December 10, 2014

Get smarter about China. Read more

Warm West Coast Reception for China’s Web Czar

The Chinese Internet market is huge. A recent report by the research company IDC projected that with more than 680 million people expected to be online in China next year, its market will account for 43 percent of worldwide growth in the technology sector. Read more

What Hong Kong Occupy Could Achieve

The protesters may not win genuine universal suffrage for 2017, but they may do something even more important. Read more

A Make or Break Year for Myanmar

Myanmar has a difficult road to travel in the next year, one that requires serious thought and painful compromises on the part of all stakeholders. Looking ahead at Thein Sein’s final year in office, the window of opportunity for concluding the ceasefire negotiations will close in 2015. Read more