Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 150

Torbjørn Færøvik: Neste år blir vanskelig for Sør-Korea

Presidenten i Sør-Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, stilles trolig for riksrett. Vedtaket i nasjonalforsamlingen i går kom ikke uventet, men skapte store overskrifter hjemme som ute. Oppstyret forteller at Sør-Korea til tross for sin beskjedne størrelse er et viktig land i Asia og verden.Vedtaket skal granskes og godkjennes av landets grunnlovsdomstol før en eventuell riksrett, et arbeid som kan ta seks

Dam Construction in Tibet Threatens Local Communities and Environment

Infrastructure projects in Tibet have often drawn controversy for failing to balance development, human rights, and environmental protection. As CDT has covered this year, state-sponsored hydropower projects have forcibly displaced local communities and led to violent reprisals against protesters. A series of recent reports expand on this topic to highlight the social and environmental perils of

Interview: Gerald Roche on the Erasure of Tibet’s Minority Languages

As the Chinese Communist Party has intensified its policy of assimilation for cultural and ethnic minority groups in recent decades, language has been a key part of that effort. Standard Tibetan is recognized as the official language of the Tibetans, who live throughout the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as in Tibetan areas in current Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Yet

The Paradox of Bride Price in Contemporary China: Q&A with Shirley Xinyi Cai

Shirley Xinyi Cai is a researcher in comparative politics and political theory, pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science at McGill University. One of her ongoing projects is about the caili (彩礼, i.e. bride price or betrothal gift), a deep-rooted marriage custom that calls on the family of the groom-to-be to pay a sum of money to the bride’s family.ChinaFile editorial fellow Jeremy Goldkorn did a Q&

US and China renew science sharing deal, but pare it back

The United States and China on Friday inked an agreement to extend and amend a decades-old deal to collaborate on science and technology research, which had expired in August. The signing of the new deal by the Biden administration in the “lame duck” period before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20 came in spite of strong opposition from leading Republicans in Congress.The

Torbjørn Færøvik: Matteo Ricci - Den viste mann fra Vesterland

Den italienske jesuitten Matteo Ricci ville frelse Østens millioner av hedninger og dro av sted i 1577. Skuta i Lisboas travle havn hadde plass til fem hundre passasjerer. Før den rundet Afrikas sørspiss, hadde flere av dem dødd, men kapteinen visste råd og fylte de ledige plassene med afrikanske slaver.Seilasen over Det indiske hav ble et sant mareritt, og Ricci må ha trukket et lettelsens sukk

South Korea’s parliament votes to impeach president over martial law debacle

South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in an extraordinary rebuke that came about after his own ruling party turned on him following his refusal to resign over his short-lived martial law attempt.It is the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean leader has faced impeachment proceedings in office and means Yoon is suspended from exercising his

Xi’s RSVP is a snub to Trump, but the inauguration invite is still a big deal

Imagine the scene, at noon on January 20, on the west front of the US Capitol. As Donald Trump swears to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution on the same spot where his supporters rioted four years ago, an extraordinary VIP guest looks on, overshadowing ex-presidents, military brass and members of Congress.Bundled up to ward off the winter chill is Xi Jinping, the hardline leader of

Climate ‘flashpoint’ looms for Trump’s China-centric focus on Pacific: US analysts

Growing U.S. security and diplomatic ties with Pacific island nations are unlikely to slow even if American foreign policy undergoes a major shake-up during Donald Trump’s second term, say former White House advisers and analysts. Following decades of neglect, Washington has in recent years embarked on a Pacific charm offensive to counter the growing influence of China in the region.While Trump’s

REVEALED: Alleged Chinese spy tied to Prince Andrew is businessman Yang Tengbo

 A businessman with close ties to Prince Andrew who has been banned from entry into the U.K. is a longtime operative who did little to hide his ties to Beijing. RFA can identify the man who served as a business advisor to the Duke of York as Yang Tengbo, a director of the consultancy Hampton Group International, based on details revealed in the immigration judgment against him, as well as