Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1430

Why is China feared?

Recently, I asked the Philippines' Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario about his opinion on China's newly-announced Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in East China Sea, which covers territories claimed by both South Korea and Japan, and whether he sees it as a reflection of a more assertive China under the Xi Jinping administration. Read more

Samsung: Uneasy in the Lead

Lee Kun-hee, the man who built the most successful, most admired and most feared business in Asia — a $288 billion behemoth that is among the most profitable in the world — had a message for his employees this year: You must do better.  Read more

Are Women Any Safer in India?

Though nationwide protests following the gang rape of a woman in Delhi and stronger laws enacted this year have raised the public’s awareness of sexual assaults on women, Sonia, 26, said nothing has changed in the way the men have treated her as she uses public transport for her work in medical equipment sales. Read more

"My father is serving a life sentence in prison in China"

My father is serving a life sentence in prison in China for his pro-democracy advocacy work. In 2002 he was abducted, forced into a boat to China and arrested by the Chinese police. After being held incommunicado for 6 months, he was subjected to a secret, sham trial, and found guilty of his alleged crimes. For over a decade, he has been serving his sentence in solitary confinement. In recent

Can immigration save Japan?

Discussion on the measures to address the problems raised by declining population has focused on a number of core policies. One of the policies with the highest priority is to raise the employment rate of women. The fact that there many women who cannot work even though they wish to, is undoubtedly unfortunate for the individual. But it is also unfortunate for the society as well, being unable to

Police and ‘Rioters’ Clash in Western China

At least 16 people were killed late Sunday in Xinjiang, the ethnically tense region of far-western China, when the police clashed with attackers who used explosives and knives, according to the region’s news service. Read more

China Focusing Graft Inquiry on Ex-Official

Sending tremors across China’s political landscape, President Xi Jinping and other party leaders have authorized a corruption inquiry against the powerful former head of the domestic security apparatus, Zhou Yongkang, according to sources with elite political ties. Read more

Jagland sammenlinger Liu Xiaobo med Nelson Mandela

Nobelkomiteens leder Thorbjørn Jagland sier at Liu Xiabo har mye til felles med Aung San Suu Kyi og Nelson Mandela: "I dag ønsker alle å assosiere seg med de to personene, men alle gjorde ikke det da kampen virkelig sto på. Jeg tror det samme kan bli tilfelle med Liu Xiaobo." Les mer

Dalai Lama setter Norge på prøve

Forholdet mellom Norge og Kina er like betent som før. Og bedre blir det kanskje ikke når Dalai Lama kommer på Norges-besøk til våren. Har regjeringen mot til å ta imot ham? Kanskje Jan Tore Sanner er rette mann, antyder Aftenpostens Harald Stanghelle. Les mer

China media: Execution of North Korean leader's uncle

The execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's uncle creates a stir in the
Chinese media as one official mouthpiece calls his ouster a "wake-up call" for
Beijing. Read more