Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 153

EXPLAINED: Who will be the next leader of Macau?

A Chinese born judge who cracked down on the city’s pro-democracy movement has been “elected” leader of the gambling hub of Macau after running unopposed for the role, in a move that many say means the city is now effectively administered by Beijing.Sam Hou Fai, a former president of Macau’s Court of Final Appeal who was born in neighboring Guangdong province and served as a lawyer in the

Taiwan's former President Tsai calls for release of publisher Jimmy Lai

Former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen is among the world leaders calling for the release of pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai from jail in Hong Kong, where he is standing trial on national security charges that are widely viewed as politically motivated.“They should release him,” Tsai told VOA about Jimmy Lai. She made the statement shortly after she delivered a speech at the Forum 2000

China, Myanmar tied for worst internet freedom: Freedom House

China and Myanmar are tied for the worst internet freedom environments in the world, as digital freedoms decline globally for the 14th year in a row, according to a Freedom House report published Wednesday. The global decline was especially concerning considering just how many elections are being held this year, said Kian Vesteinsson, the report’s co-author. Dozens of countries have held, or are

Taiwan condemns Chinese military drills around island as ‘unreasonable provocation’

Taiwan has condemned the latest round of Chinese military drills around the self-governing island as an “unreasonable provocation” after Beijing deployed warships and fighter jets in what it described as a “stern warning” to “separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces.” The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said Monday that the drills, involving joint operations of the army, navy, air

How Could the U.S. Deter Military Conflict in the Taiwan Strait?

In September, China flew 24 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. One of the largest incursions in recent years, the People’s Liberation Army flyover came a day after Taipei applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Beijing, which applied to the trade pact a week earlier, has opposed Taiwan’s bid. In response, Taiwan’s Foreign

Vietnam imitating China’s island-making in South China Sea

Vietnam has quietly ramped up its military presence in the South China Sea, matching China’s island-building tactics to assert its territorial claims in the hotly contested maritime area. This month, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Vietnam has rapidly expanded its presence in the contested Spratly Islands, with high-resolution satellite imagery showing a tenfold increase in artificial

Trump’s China tariffs won’t make America great again

As part of his “Make America Great Again” election campaign, Donald Trump is calling for the imposition of 60% tariffs on goods made in China and a 20% tariff on imports from other nations. His rationale seems simple: tariffs will boost American jobs, reduce the federal deficit, cut food prices and even generate revenues to subsidize childcare. But the former president’s supposed all-purpose

A couple walked from opposite ends of China’s Great Wall and met in the middle. Then they broke up

The Great Wall of China has inspired countless works of art in its more than 2,000-year history. Among the most famous is “The Great Wall Walk,” a dramatic 90-day performance that saw lovers Marina Abramović and Frank Uwe Laysiepen (the late German artist known as Ulay) trek towards each other from opposite ends of the landmark.Abramović began in the east at the so-called “dragon’s head” — where

Chinese authorities are making it harder for citizens to travel abroad or emigrate

Chinese authorities are making it harder for citizens to emigrate in the first place, notably by forcing some citizens to hand in their passports. The South China Morning Post reported in June that “groups covered by the travel restrictions include almost all of China’s civil servants, most employees in the state-owned finance sector and state-owned enterprises, and the leadership at universities

China-Taiwan Weekly Update, October 11, 2024

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) accused Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) president Lai Ching-te on October 10 of promoting separatism and inciting cross-strait confrontation in his National Day speech. The PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesperson Chen Binhua rejected that the division between the PRC and ROC is about “democracy vs. authoritarianism” and accused Lai of forcing notions of