Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 149

Expert warns of public health emergency as Delhi's toxic air returns

Delhi's pollution has once again soared to hazardous levels, with a top expert warning that India's toxic air will have a bigger impact on public health than the Covid-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the air quality was 35 times over the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving residents complaining of breathing problems, as well as itching in their eyes and throat.Authorities

Apple and Google must prepare to remove TikTok from app stores by Jan. 19, lawmakers warn

Google-parent Alphabet and Apple must be ready to remove TikTok from their U.S. app stores on January 19, two US lawmakers said in a letter to the companies’ CEOs Friday. The bipartisan letter came from two leaders of the US House of Representatives’ committee on China: Republican Representative John Moolenaar, who is the committee’s chair, and the group’s top Democrat Representative Raja

Zhan Wang: Poverty Reduction in China. Experiences and Measurement of Effects

This study employs the generalized method of moments (GMM) and panel vector autoregression (PVAR) models for a multi-factor quantitative dissection of China’s poverty reduction process across multiple stages, using provincial panel data from 2000 to 2019. According to our research, economic growth and social development are the key drivers of poverty reduction in China, but the trickle-down

Historical Documents: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

"Washington, April 29, 1969. Evaluation of Chinese Communist Ninth Party Congress . I attach evaluations of the recently-concluded Ninth Party Congress prepared by CIA and the Department of State (Tabs B and C)2 covered by a brief summary analysis prepared by my staff (Tab A.)The analysis suggests a continuing stalemate, with Mao Tse-tung unable to push through his visionary economic and social

China’s Facebook Goes Dark, Taking a Generation’s Memories With It

For Chinese millennials, Renren was more than a social media platform — it was a digital diary, a link to their classmates, and a snapshot of their youth. But in recent days, users have discovered that the site, once dubbed “China’s Facebook,” is no longer accessible, raising questions about the future of a platform that shaped an era of online socializing in China.Domestic media reported earlier

Emotional Labor: Life Inside a Chinese Orphanage

In his new book “Ambivalent Love,”Qian Linliang, an associate professor of anthropology at China’s Southwest University, shares his findings from extensive field research at an orphanage in the eastern Zhejiang province, which he identifies as Yongjiang Orphanage, a false name to protect the privacy of his interviewees. In addition to the complexities of managing an orphanage, Qian explores how

British court names alleged Chinese spy who forged close ties to Prince Andrew

An alleged Chinese spy who forged a close relationship with Prince Andrew has been identified by a British court, the latest twist in a case that has shone a light on Beijing’s influence inside Britain’s institutions.The man, Yang Tengbo, was identified after a judge ruled his anonymity should be removed, PA Media reported on Monday. Yang, who also went by the name Chris Yang, was described in a

The retreat from the world’s largest auto market has begun

It wasn’t long ago that China was by far the largest and most profitable market for General Motors. While the company was hemorrhaging money in North America and Europe, and hurtling towards bankruptcy and a bailout, sales and profits from China allowed it to keep the lights on.Now the opposite is true. GM is making record profits at home, but it’s losing enough money in China that there are

China extends visa-free transit policy to 10 days as part of efforts to lure more foreign tourists

China has tripled the amount of time visitors can spend in the country without a visa in yet another move to entice more foreign tourists. The Chinese State Administration of Immigration announced the country will expand its visa-free layover period to 240 hours (10 days) across the board. Previously, there were two tiers, allowing eligible travelers to visit for 72 hours (3 days) or 144 hours (6

China signals it’s prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom

Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year, sketching out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing’s monetary policy to encourage more investment and consumer spending.Leaders of the ruling Communist Party wrapped up their two-day Central Economic Work Conference on Thursday with praise for President Xi Jinping’s guidance and a pledge to “enrich and