Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 160

'Never': Jimmy Lai denies foreign collusion in landmark trial

Jimmy Lai, one of Hong Kong's most influential pro-democracy figures, has taken to the stand in a national security trial that may see him sentenced to life in jail. The 76-year-old founder of the now-defunct Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily has been accused of colluding with foreign forces.But Lai told the court on Wednesday that he had "never" used his foreign contacts, which include ex-US VP Mike

Hong Kong hears from jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for the first time in four years at his trial

Jimmy Lai, the pugnacious Hong Kong media tycoon whose now shuttered tabloid Apple Daily was a regular thorn in Beijing’s side, took the stand Wednesday in his own defense for the first time in a high stakes national security trial that could send him to prison for life. The 77 year-old, known for his decades-long support of the city’s pro-democracy movement and outspoken criticism of China’s

Stealth fighters and a massive mothership drone: The high-tech weapons China unveiled at its largest airshow

China showed off its rapidly advancing military technology by unveiling a string of cutting-edge hardware at the country’s largest airshow last week. The biennial event in the southern city of Zhuhai has become a rare public window into the military and industrial might of the rising communist-controlled superpower, while also providing international experts with an opportunity to assess its

EXPLAINED: How much hidden debt do local governments in China carry?

China’s Ministry of Finance has announced 10 trillion yuan (US$1.38 trillion) of new measures to alleviate debt burdens on local governments at the end of a weeklong meeting earlier this month by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. The ministry announced that the central government will increase the local government debt limit by 6 trillion yuan (US$830 billion) over three years,

Hong Kong jails 45 democracy activists for up to 10 years

A Hong Kong court jailed 45 democracy supporters for up to 10 years on Tuesday at the end of the city’s biggest national security trial that has damaged its reputation as an outpost of freedom in Greater China and drawn criticism from the United States and other Western countries. In all, 47 Hong Kong opposition politicians and pro-democracy activists were charged with “conspiracy to commit

Taiwan to buy $2.2 bln of US weapons after Trump urged more spending

Taiwan plans to spend NT$70.6 billion (US$2.2 billion) on U.S. weapons next year, confirming recent speculation that it would make big new purchases to signal its commitment to President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that it pay more for U.S. “protection”. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims to have sovereignty over, heavily relies on U.S. support to counter Beijing’s growing

Joshua Wong shouts ‘I love Hong Kong’ as more than 40 leading democracy leaders handed lengthy prison terms in mass trial

More than 40 of Hong Kong’s best known pro-democracy figures have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years on subversion charges, in the biggest single blow to the city’s already shrinking political freedoms following Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on dissent. Among those handed sentences on Tuesday was Joshua Wong, a former student leader and poster child of the city’s once thriving

Fresh Chinese support may not be enough to save Myanmar junta

Myanmar's military dictator, Min Aung Hlaing, returned from a five-day trip to China, his first since the February 2021 coup, with promises of further Chinese assistance, in a desperate attempt to shore up his flailing regime and bankrupt economy. Min Aung Hlaing was invited to attend the 8th Greater Mekong Subregion Forum, and was kept confined to Kunming, the capital of neighboring Yunnan

EXPLAINED: Who are the Hong Kong 47?

Sentencing is expected on Tuesday following the trial of 47 Hong Kong opposition politicians and pro-democracy activists charged with subversion under the city’s 2020 National Security Law for taking part in a democratic primary in the summer of 2020.Police on Monday cordoned off the area outside the city’s High Court with traffic barriers and high fences, with armored vehicles standing by. The

Megaport opens up Latin America to Chinese trade as US looks on

As the world waits to see how the return of Donald Trump will reshape relations between Washington and Beijing, China has just taken decisive action to entrench its position in Latin America. Trump won the US presidential election on a platform that promised tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese-made goods. Further south, though, a new China-backed megaport has the potential to create whole new trade