Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 179

U.S. seeking a ban on the sale of connected and autonomous vehicles in the U.S. that are equipped with Chinese and Russian software and hardware

The Commerce Department said Monday it’s seeking a ban on the sale of connected and autonomous vehicles in the U.S. that are equipped with Chinese and Russian software and hardware with the stated goal of protecting national security and U.S. drivers. While there is minimal Chinese and Russian software deployed in the U.S, the issue is more complicated for hardware. That’s why Commerce officials

UN Report Exposes Reprisals against Human Rights Defenders in China

As the United Nations Human Rights Council meets on September 26 to hear the latest reprisals report from the UN Secretary General’s office, the Chinese government will be named a violator. For the tenth consecutive year, it has relentlessly persecuted human rights defenders for their interactions with UN human rights bodies. UN member states should seize the opportunity to call for a special

‘What I’m Always Doing Is Escaping, Escaping, Escaping’ A Conversation with Liu Xia and Ai Weiwei

Let me give an example of how unfree I was in China. Every night, the outside door to the building Xiaobo and I lived in was chained closed with a great iron chain. Who could imagine living this way? Then when I came to Germany . . . well, before I got on the airplane I took a lot of medicine, so I was foggy at first, but I later discovered that, in my so-called freedom, I had become a debtor.

Liu Xiaobo: «Jeg har ingen fiender» - Nobelforedrag in absentia, 10. desember 2010

I mitt over 50-årige liv står juni 1989 som det største vendepunktet. Inntil da hadde jeg vært en av de første som fikk begynne på universitetet igjen etter at opptaksprøvene ved universitetet ble gjeninnført etter kulturrevolusjonen (77-kullet). Jeg gikk fra en bachelorgrad til en mastergrad og tok så en doktorgrad, og min akademiske karriere forløp helt uten problemer. Etter å ha fullført

In Retrospect: Deng Xiaoping - The Last Emperor

“Leaders are men, not gods,” said Deng Xiaoping. Mao Zedong, the man who would be a god, lies embalmed and displayed in his mausoleum in Tiananmen Square. Deng has asked that his eyes be donated to medicine, his ashes be cast into the sea and no monuments be built to him. Mao had resided in Zhongnanhai, the walled district of Beijing that is China’s new Forbidden City; Deng chose to live not

CHINA-TAIWAN WEEKLY UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

PRC officials have denied that the Taiwan Strait constitutes “international waters” and stressed the PRC’s jurisdiction over the entire strait, which may be intended to imply that foreign military ships should not sail there without Beijing’s permission. States, including the PRC, do not have sovereign rights to deny passage to foreign ships within their contiguous zone or Exclusive Economic

In Retrospect: The lessons to be learned from Edgar Snow’s ‘Red Star Over China’

Edgar Snow (1905-1972) is by far best remembered for Red Star Over China. However, his earlier life was also one of some adventure and excitement. From Kansas City, he attended the University of Missouri and looked set for a career in Manhattan in advertising — until the Wall Street Crash. The Depression set him off for China in the hope of more opportunity — he was to stay 13 years, know just

‘Flying Cars’ Are Part of China’s New Economic Growth Plan

The white drone took off from a platform floating off Shanghai’s coast and zoomed out to sea, returning with a cargo hold full of fresh seafood. The flights to islands 130 kilometers away have cut what used to be an overnight ferry journey down to three hours, meaning fish that previously had to be frozen can now reach restaurants with more of their flavor intact. The service is popular among

Biden tells Quad leaders that China is testing the world at turbulent moment for Chinese economy

President Joe Biden told Indo-Pacific allies on Saturday that he believes China’s increasing military assertiveness is an effort to test the region at a turbulent moment for Beijing. Biden’s comments were caught by a hot mic after he and fellow leaders of the so-called Quad delivered opening remarks before the press at a summit he’s hosting near his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. He said his

Will Cambodia’s Funan Techo canal be a success?

Cambodia’s plan to build a canal linking its capital to the coast and end dependence on Vietnamese ports has raised a barrage of questions about its economic viability and environmental impact.An RFA reporter traveled the proposed route of the waterway and spoke to residents who will be relocated. First in a two-part series.Mot Yen’s ramshackle kitchen is nestled under an old mango tree. It’s