Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1413

Former Chinese Red Guard Says Sorry For Death of Teacher

A former Mao-era Red Guard and daughter of a high-ranking People's Liberation Army (PLA) general has apologized over the killing of a teacher during the political violence of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Song Binbin, daughter of veteran ruling Chinese Communist Party revolutionary Song Renqiong, said she felt an 'everlasting grief' over the beating to death of teacher Bian Zhongyun by her

EU Joins US in Criticizing China's Detention of Uyghur Scholar

The European Union joined the United States in criticizing China for the detention of outspoken ethnic minority Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti as Beijing maintained its silence on his whereabouts and the specific charges he faces. Read more

What Zhao Ziyang Meant by 'Reform'

Today is the ninth anniversary of Zhao Ziyang's death. His last 16 years were spent in illegal detention. He had long since been swept off the political stage and away from public life by the [ruling] Chinese Communist Party, but he still lives on in the hearts of ordinary people. Read more

Beijing Criticized For Arbitrary Detention of Uyghur Scholar

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) slammed Chinese authorities Thursday over the arbitrary detention of outspoken ethnic minority Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, saying it signaled President Xi Jinping's new hardline approach in the troubled Xinjiang region. Read more

China Unveils New Native Operating System

Chinese researchers have developed a new mobile operating system intended to break the dominance in China of systems produced by Google, Apple and Microsoft. Read more

Scientists worry as Chinese build nuclear plant near Karachi

Scientists and environmentalists are raising serious safety concerns about a nuclear power plant being built by the Chinese near Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Read more

In Shift, Vietnam Marks 1974 Battle With China

Hanoi is marking for the first time the anniversary of a deadly 1974 battle between China and U.S.-backed South Vietnamese forces in the South China Sea, apparently seeking to boost its legitimacy at home as tensions over the disputed waters flare anew. Read more

World’s Biggest Annual Human Migration Begins in China

With a military-style precision that framed something very human and messy, the world’s biggest annual human migration – the Chinese Lunar New Year festival, known as Spring Festival – officially got under way in the first second of Thursday, Jan. 16, and will last 40 days, Chinese officials said. Read more

Rise in Bird Flu Cases in China Stokes Worry Before Peak Travel Time

China is disclosing a steadily growing number of cases of H7N9 bird flu, including four more cases announced on Friday, reviving concerns among health experts that the disease may be spreading and could pose a further threat as the world’s largest annual human migration begins ahead of Chinese New Year. Read more

China’s Gorbachov Angst

It is a matter of historical record that the Soviet Union lasted for 74 years and on its demise the Soviet Communist Party also went into oblivion. The People’s Republic of China has been in existence for nearly 65 years and therefore if we were to follow the Soviet analogy; the People’s Republic should survive for at least another 9 years, if not more. Read more