Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 176

China resubmits application to build contested big embassy in London

China has resubmitted plans to build a new large embassy in London, a contested project that could test how the new Labour government handles relations with the world's second largest economy after years of diplomatic tensions and disputes.Beijing sent a new planning application to Tower Hamlets council to build the embassy near the Tower of London last month, almost two weeks after the new

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida to resign, paving way for new leader

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday he would step down next month, succumbing to public disaffection over political scandals and rising living costs that marred his three-year term, and setting off a scramble to replace him. "Politics cannot function without public trust," he told a press conference to reveal his decisionnot to seek re-election as the leader of the ruling

In Laos, a New Railway Signals a Future in China’s Orbit

Just a decade ago, the land to the east of downtown Vientiane was a patchwork of lush green fields. Now, a vast, gleaming rail station looms over the landscape — and a new city is rising around it. The countryside is now dotted with newly built warehouses, business parks, and high-rise apartment complexes — a sign of the Chinese investment that is transforming this once-sleepy Southeast Asian

Bringing the Struggles of China’s Migrant Women to Life

After “The Life of Mulan,” the interactive theater production I spent much of the past four years bringing to life, finished its nationwide tour with a six-show run in Kunming in early June, I finally found myself with enough time to look back and reflect on a process that took me farther than I ever could have imagined.The show’s success was a milestone that would have been unthinkable in 2010,

Giorgia Meloni and Europe’s incoherence over China

Chinese leaders must be either confused or delighted by the stream of visits they have been receiving from European heads of state and government. Italy’s Giorgia Meloni may think that her five-day visit to China was something special. To the Chinese, however, it will have felt quite routine.China does, after all, describe itself as “the Middle Kingdom,” the place around which the world revolves,

US mainland ultra-vulnerable to China, Russia hybrid attacks

The US Army’s recent Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) report warns that near-peer adversaries China and Russia are gearing up for unprecedented hybrid warfare tactics targeting the US homeland. The report says the US homeland, traditionally considered a sanctuary, is now vulnerable to its near-peer adversaries’ conventional, hybrid and irregular warfare tactics. The TRADOC report emphasizes

Taiwan proposes biggest ever defense spending of US$19.7 billion

Taiwan aims to increase its defense spending to NT 647 billion (US$19.76 billion) next year to the biggest sum ever as it seeks to bolster its defenses and its cooperation with democratic allies, President Lai Ching-te announced. That total is equivalent to about 20% of anticipated annual revenue of NT$3.13 trillion (US$96.12 billion) for the 2025 fiscal year, and a nominal increase of 6.7% in

Trump Predicts More 'Beautiful Sofa' Moments With Xi If He Wins

Donald Trump said he would "get along great with China," recalling a moment with President Xi Jinping on a "beautiful sofa" at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday. At his Florida estate, the former president gave his press conference since the announcement of the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket on Tuesday for the Democrat party.Responding to a question about combatting the spread of

'Our gold medals are squeaky clean' - China slams doping doubts

"Any doubt is just a joke. Stress only makes us stronger," Qin Haiyang - a part of China's history-making men’s 4x100m medley quartet posted after their unprecedented victory over the US on Monday. Qin's seeming defiance came at the tail end of what has been a challenging time for China in the pool.Some of the country's top swimmers - including Qin and his relay teammate Sun Jiajun- have faced a

Behave yourselves, China tells its Olympic fans

Beijing is cracking down on "aggressive fans" who it says are affecting the performance of Chinese athletes at the Paris Olympics - the latest in its years-long war against celebrity worship. In recent days, state media reports have called out "inappropriate" behaviour, such as fans booing during events or accusing referees of being unfair.This "fan culture", they said, reached a peak on 3 August