Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 155

China’s Coast Guard claims to have entered the Arctic Ocean for the first time as it ramps up security ties with Russia

China’s Coast Guard claimed it entered waters of the Arctic Ocean for the first time as part of a joint patrol with Russia – in the latest sign of enhanced coordination between the two in a region where Beijing has long wished to expand its footprint.The statement came a day after the US Coast Guard said it spotted four vessels from the Russian Border Guard and Chinese Coast Guard in the Bering

Chinese hackers access US telecom firms, worrying national security officials

 A highly skilled group of Chinese government-linked hackers has in the last several months infiltrated multiple US telecommunications firms in a likely search for sensitive information bearing on national security, multiple sources briefed on the matter told CNN.US investigators believe the hackers potentially accessed wiretap warrant requests, two of the sources said, but officials are

China gives $28 billion to local governments as it vows to meet economic targets

China has set aside 200 billion yuan ($28 billion) for investment projects by local governments this year, as it promised to meet its own ambitious economic growth targets. The news was announced by the country’s top planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), at a Tuesday press conference, which disappointed investors who were expecting a much larger package of

‘Impossible’ for Communist China to become our motherland as we’re older, Taiwan’s president argues

It is “absolutely impossible” for Communist China to become Taiwan’s motherland because the island’s government is older, Taiwan’s president has said in a carefully timed speech that underscores the intense historical rivalry between the two.Lai Ching-te, who took office in May, has long faced Beijing’s wrath for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty and rejecting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s

In Retrospect: President George Bush Speaks On the Tiananmen Tragedy, June 5, 1989

"During the past few days, elements of the Chinese Army have been brutally suppressing popular and peaceful demonstrations in China. There has been widespread and continuing violence, many casualties, and many deaths. And we deplore the decision to use force, and I now call on the Chinese leadership publicly, as I have in private channels, to avoid violence and to return to their previous policy

Debt or Diplomacy? Inside China’s Controversial Loans to Sri Lanka, Laos, and Malaysia

In recent years, much of the discussion around China’s “debt-trap diplomacy” has come from U.S. media and political hawks. In May 2019, then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China of using this approach, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an infrastructure project aimed at expanding China’s influence across Asia, Africa, and beyond. According to Pompeo, China uses

The Rise of the ‘Community With a Shared Future’: China’s Foreign Policy Hierarchy

In the 21st century, Chinese foreign policy has increasingly focused on building global partnerships and expanding its interests through strategic relationships with other nations. These relationships serve as geopolitical tools for wielding influence and power. Unlike traditional alliances, which typically involve formal defense treaties aimed at external adversaries, China has established a

Despite nationalistic rhetoric, Chinese are flocking to Japan

A survey by Tokyo-based Intersect Communications last month interviewed 556 Chinese respondents aged 10 to 60 years old via a WeChat poll, and found that 53.1% said Japan would be their first choice of tourism destination over the Oct. 1 National Day holiday period. Meanwhile, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization recently revealed that the Chinese make up the largest proportion of

Philippines slams alleged Chinese attack on Vietnamese fishermen

Manila on Friday joined Hanoi to denounce an alleged Chinese attack on a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea, saying such violence had no place in territorial disputes that embroil several countries. Vietnamese state media accused Chinese law enforcement personnel of boarding the fishing boat in the Paracel Islands and assaulting the crew last Sunday. But China denied that its forces

As communist China turns 75, can Xi fix its economy?

As China prepared to celebrate its Golden Week holiday and mark the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic, the ruling Communist Party rolled out a raft of measures aimed at boosting its ailing economy. The plans included help for the country's crisis-hit property industry, support for the stock market, cash handouts for the poor and more government spending.Shares in mainland China and Hong