Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 15

China’s industrial profits rebounded sharply in August. Here’s what powered that growth

China’s industrial profits soared in August as Beijing pressed ahead with efforts to rein in excess supply and curtail cut-throat price wars, with analysts saying that rationalizing production will spill into the country’s next five-year plan. Industrial profits rose 20.4% in August from a year earlier, reversing three months of consecutive declines, according to data released by the National

China’s stock market has been on a roll — is it a boom or a bubble?

China’s stock market has seen a sharp rally this year as progress on artificial-intelligence, steps aimed at gaining chip self-sufficiency and Beijing’s campaign to rein in price wars fuel investor optimism. But as retail investors push the market higher, and bulls cheer liquidity support and policy tailwinds, some experts are raising questions if the market is entering bubble territory.The

FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: JESSICA BATKE AND LAURA EDELSON ON CHINA’S “LOCKNET”

This is the full transcript, lightly edited for grammar and clarity, of an interview with Jessica Batke, ChinaFile’s senior editor for investigations, and Laura Edelson, assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University, on their report “The Locknet: How China Controls Its Internet and Why It Matters.” An abridged version of the interview, with an introduction to the report, was

Trump’s pharma tariffs will make the world a sicker place

When US President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported branded pharmaceuticals from October 1, 2025, markets across Asia trembled.Shares of leading drugmakers in India, Japan, and Australia shed billions in value within hours. But while investors felt the sting first, the true cost of Trump’s tariff tantrum will be borne by patients — the very people who rely on timely, affordable

China’s Middle Corridor push puts Europe in the slow lane

As Central Asia reshapes Eurasian trade routes, with China and Turkey consolidating influence, Europe faces a strategic test: adapt quickly to stay relevant or risk being sidelined in one of the 21st century’s most consequential connectivity shifts.Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Central Asia has emerged as a critical hub in a reshaped Eurasian trade network. Countries from Kazakhstan to

Huawei’s AI chip plan designed to break US dependence

Chinese tech giant Huawei has unveiled its once-secretive AI chip development program, an announcement that could reshape expectations across the fast-moving, high-stakes global industry.On September 18, Huawei chairman Eric Xu announced a three-year roadmap for the company’s Ascend series of processors at the Huawei Connect 2025 conference in Shanghai.Coming soon after the Chinese government

Torbjørn Færøvik: Franz Kafka Reminds Us What Is at Stake

One autumn day a hundred years ago, a small Berlin publishing house brought out a modest book that passed almost unnoticed. Its author was unknown—and, to make matters worse, already dead by the time of publication. Today, Franz Kafka’s novel The Trial feels more urgent than ever. It opens with a line that has become one of the most unsettling in world literature: “Someone must have been

How China promotes its language and culture in Africa

Miradie Tchekpo biggest dream has come true: She has landed a job as an interpreter working for a Chinese trading company in her home country of Benin. "In middle school, I watched Chinese TV channels and dreamed of traveling to China and getting to know the culture," she told DW. "So I studied Chinese ... and attended courses for three years to gain a professional qualification in Chinese," she

Russia will equip and train Chinese air battalion, leaked documents reviewed by think tank show

Russia has agreed to help China equip and train an airborne battalion, according to leaked documents reviewed by a leading think tank, illustrating the ever-deepening military partnership between Beijing and Moscow.Russia in 2023 agreed to sell a suite of military equipment to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including assault vehicles, anti-tank guns, and airborne armored personnel

Russia preparing China for war: report

Russia is selling military equipment and technology to China that could help Beijing prepare an airborne invasion of Taiwan, according to an analysis of leaked Russian documents by a UK-based defense and security forum.The Royal United Services Institute’s (RUSI) analysis is based on about 800 pages of documents, including contracts and lists of equipment to be supplied by Moscow to Beijing, from