Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1371

Dissident Chen Ziming Is Dead at 62

Chen Ziming, a Chinese dissident and democracy advocate who was accused by the government of fomenting the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and spent more than a decade in prison and under house arrest, died on Tuesday in Beijing. He was 62. Read more

Finding Allies for China

Instead of pursuing assertive actions against regional neighbors, China will need to consider an alternative approach, one that attracts potential allies, instead of repelling them. Read more

Could China’s Nuclear Strategy Evolve?

Fifty years ago, at 7:00 GMT on October 16, 1964, China exploded its first nuclear device at the Lop Nur test site, becoming the fifth official member of the nuclear club after the U.S., the Soviet Union, the U.K. and France. Read more

A Closer Look at China’s Military Modernization

What are China’s main goals as it seeks to create a world-class modern military? And what are the implications for other regional players, including Taiwan, Japan, and rival claimants in the South China Sea territorial disputes? Dr. Phillip Saunders, Director of the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at National Defense University, takes a closer look about China’s military

China's coal use falls for first time this century, analysis suggests

The amount of coal burned in the first three-quarters of 2014 was 1-2% lower than a year earlier, according to Greenpeace energy analysts in China. The drop contrasts sharply with the 5-10% annual growth rates seen since the early years of the century. Read more

U.N. Human Rights Panel Urges China to Allow Free Elections in Hong Kong

 The United Nations Human Rights Committee urged China on Thursday to allow elections in Hong Kong without restrictions on who can run as a candidate. The move appeared likely to draw strong criticism from Beijing, where officials decided in August to set strict guidelines for the 2017 election of the city’s next leader, prompting mass sit-in protests. Read more

No more 'weird' buildings: Is this the end of ambitious Chinese architecture?

The Chinese leadership has called for less "weird architecture" to be built in the country. President Xi Jinping spoke at a symposium in Beijing last week and Chinese media have widely reported his appeal for less ostentatious structures in China's skylines. Read more

China Moves to Enact Rule of Law, With Caveats

Communist Party leaders, seeking to address widespread dissatisfaction with China’s politicized and corrupt judiciary, endorsed a raft of legal changes on Thursday to foster a more predictable legal system while keeping the courts under the firm control of the party. Read more

No ‘Soft Landing’ for China’s Economy, Report Says

China’s economic growth will slow much faster than expected over the coming decade, falling to an average of 3.9% between 2020 and 2025. Read more

The Yellow Peril: The factors that shaped our fear of China

Chinese uber-villain Fu Manchu reflected the jingoism of British culture in the early 20th century. Read more