Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1358

China closing in on Silicon Valley as home of internet giants, research shows

China is eroding Silicon Valley’s pre-eminent position as the home of the world’s largest internet businesses, with two companies making the top 10 by digital media revenue and four among the fastest-growing, according to new research. Read more

A courageous Chinese fighting for justice and human rights: The Nobel Peace Prize presentation speech for Liu Xiaobo

Four years ago, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. Liu, who is serving an 11 year prison sentence, was not allowed to travel to Oslo to receive the award. Watch the presentation speech by Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, in Oslo City Hall December 10, 2010.  Video

25 years ago: Dalai Lama's Journey for the Nobel Peace Prize

In December 1989 His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in a ceremony in Oslo. Exiled Tibetans living in different countries came to the Norwegian capital to take part in the celebrations. Watch the YouTube video 

Why Didn’t Mahatma Gandhi Ever Get the Nobel Peace Prize?

The great fighter for peace and non-violence was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Was he too controversial for his time? Read more

The twilight world of China's wild west

This is a story about China's wild west, a place where different rules apply. Read more

Hva betyr 50 millioner døde kinesere?

For to år siden ble jeg belønnet med Brageprisen for min bok MAOS RIKE - En lidelseshistorie. Mange kinesere fikk et bedre liv under Mao, men prisen de betalte var skyhøy. Trolig ble mer enn 50 millioner mennesker ofret på revolusjonens alter i hans styretid fra 1949 til 1976. Er tallet så høyt at vi ikke klarer å fatte det? Eller er Kina så langt borte at det ikke angår oss? Les mer

Fighting Corruption: China's President Just Proved How Serious He Is

China's Communist Party has expelled former security tsar Zhou Yongkang, the highest-ranking politician to be purged from the party since the days of Mao. Read more

Suspicions keep Chinese telecom firm Huawei out of U.S. market

What's holding Huawei back is the conviction in Washington that the company has undisclosed connections with the Chinese government, and suspicions that Huawei equipment could surreptitiously harbor software to facilitate cyberwarfare, including espionage or network disruption. Huawei denies both assertions. Read more

China and Academic Freedom

Sophie Richardson, the China director of Human Rights Watch, has investigated academic freedom in China and its influence in the U.S. She said everyone she has interviewed has said the same thing: Follow the money. The Chinese education market can be a lucrative place for American universities, experts said. Read more

Forget the South China Sea: Taiwan Could Be Asia's Next Big Security Nightmare

The results of Taiwan’s local elections last week, still reverberating in Beijing, are more likely than not to propel Taiwan’s ascension to the status of No.1 security problem in Asia over the coming two to three years. Read more