Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 140

China failed its Arctic ambitions in Greenland

Currently, the only direct Chinese presence in Greenland is of migrant workers in the fishing industry, according to Mariia Simonsen, the spokesperson on foreign and security matters within the party Inuit Ataqatigiit. And their total number is estimated to be around 50 individuals working in factories along Greenland’s west coast, said Rasmus Leander Nielsen, the head of Nuuk’s NASIFFIK Center

South Korean authorities extend arrest warrant for embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korean authorities have granted a request to extend a warrant to detain the country’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his surprise declaration of martial law last month. The warrant expired on Monday at midnight (10 a.m. ET) but was reissued on Tuesday afternoon local time by Seoul Western District Court at the request of the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO).The

The many faces of the People's Daily

Think “state media” in China and you’re likely to conjure an image of the People’s Daily. The daily newspaper, directly run by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Committee since 1948, prides itself on being the “mouthpiece” of the Party leadership. And a role this important demands regimentation and structure: a staid face to communicate the thoughts of the CCP core. But while it is the

Dalai Lama gets stirring welcome in South India for extended stay

The Dalai Lama on Sunday received a stirring welcome in South India, where more than 10,000 Tibetans lined the streets to greet the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader as he arrived for an extended stay at the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Bylakuppe. It was his first visit to the Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement in the Indian state of Karnataka — the largest Tibetan settlement in the world outside Tibet —

Dozens killed as 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit China’s Tibet

Dozens of people were killed on Tuesday and many buildings destroyed when a powerful earthquake struck Tibet in western China, according to U.S. and Chinese agencies. Tremors were felt hundreds of kilometres away in neighboring Nepal and India.The earthquake hit at 9:05 a.m. (20:05 ET on Monday) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in Dingri County in the Shigatse prefecture in the Tibet

Vestlige bilfabrikanters forhold til Kina er i ferd med å bli snudd fullstendig på hodet

Midt under det største teknologiske skiftet i bilhistorien – fra en global bilpark med forbrenningsmotorer til introduksjonen av elektriske biler – skjer en rokering av penger, produksjon og prestisje uten sidestykke i den internasjonale bilindustrien. Kina har bykset mot lederposisjonen, både langsomt og plutselig. I 2008 var Kina for første gang det landet i verden som produserte flest biler.

Just before bankruptcy, Party City sent employees to meet suppliers in China: ‘You sent us there and you left us out to dry’

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2024, six members of Party City’s product development and sourcing teams left New Jersey for their annual trip to mainland China to meet with the company’s suppliers, who make practically everything the party store sells – from the mylar balloons at the front of the store to the aisles upon aisles of birthday, graduation and Halloween party decorations at the

A filmmaker made a documentary about protests in China. Now he’s sentenced to more than 3 years in prison

A Chinese filmmaker has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for his documentary about China’s nationwide protests against Covid lockdowns in late 2022, as Beijing seeks to erase public memories of stunning scenes of dissent against its handling of the pandemic. Chen Pinlin was sentenced by a Shanghai court on Monday following a three-hour trial behind closed doors, a person

Brazil Scrutinizes BYD Labor-Rights Violations, Straining Ties with China

One of Brazil’s most high-profile Chinese investors has become embroiled in a scandal that threatens to upend its presence in the country. Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD was building a factory in Brazil’s northeast state of Bahia—which would be BYD’s biggest EV plant outside Asia, with a production capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year—when government authorities ordered a halt to

Philippines says China’s ‘monster’ ship on a mission to intimidate

The Philippines has deployed vessels and aircraft to closely monitor a gigantic Chinese coast guard ship – the world’s largest – in waters off Luzon island, Filipino officials said, describing the ship as a menacing presence in its exclusive economic zone. The 12,000-ton China Coast Guard vessel 5901, known as “The Monster” for its sheer size, was last seen on Saturday about 54 nautical miles