Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1361

Dalai Lama leaves the succession question 'up to the Tibetan people'

The 14th Dalai Lama recently made waves by suggesting that, perhaps, the Tibetan way of choosing a successor to his spiritual post may have run its course. Read more

The Sinocism China Newsletter, Nov 26 2014

Get smarter about China. Read more

The EU’s Human Rights Dialogue with China: Quiet Diplomacy and its Limits

Katrin Kinzelbach’s excellent new book, The EU’s Human Rights Dialogue with China: Quiet Diplomacy and its Limits, provides ample evidence that an approach of primarily “quiet diplomacy” has done little to positively influence the human rights environment in China. A Book Review by Sophie Richardson

UN Women’s Rights Committee Highlights Key Challenges Facing China’s Civil Society

In a report on the situation of women’s rights in China, a United Nations expert committee advances dozens of recommendations aimed at addressing their concerns. Read more

China Considers Suing 'Economic Fugitives' in the U.S., Official Says

China is considering suing people suspected of committing economic crimes who have fled to the United States and elsewhere with billions of dollars, an unusual step in a widening anti-graft campaign, a senior official said on Wednesday. Read more

Hong Kong protests: Did China go back on its promises?

n a comment in the official People's Daily newspaper in March 1993, Lu Ping, then the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said: "How Hong Kong develops its democracy in the future is entirely within the autonomy of Hong Kong." Read more

Hong Kong protests: Dozens arrested as sites demolished

Protesters originally numbered in the tens of thousands when the Hong Kong unrest first began in October, but have since dwindled to a few hundred, while attempts by both sides to reach a compromise have made little progress. Read more

The Militarization of China’s Coast Guard

The militarization of Chinese maritime law enforcement must be seen as part of a conscious shift in national strategy that favors policies that improve maritime “rights protection” to the detriment of stable relations with neighboring states. Read more

The Art of Xi Jinping

Last month, President Xi Jinping of China addressed a forum of prominent artists and writers in Beijing to enlighten us with his views on the arts. In a talk liberally seasoned with cultural allusions, Mr. Xi made a show of his literary knowledge and explained how he sees the role of art in today’s China. Read more

South Africa’s Ruling ANC Looks to Learn from Chinese Communist Party

The ANC’s courting of China has caused concern in the West. “In the worst case scenario, Chinese money in significant amounts and influence could tip the ANC in the wrong direction,” says Peter Pham, Africa analyst. Read more