Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 185

China’s Evolving Fortress Economy

China’s leadership, under Xi Jinping, has initiated a significant strategic shift toward a "fortress economy" designed to bolster national self-sufficiency and resilience against external shocks, and ultimately allow the nation to withstand “extreme situations” including protracted armed conflict. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of China’s fortress economy policy,

China’s Economy Has Peaked. Can Beijing Redefine Its Goals?

Nothing in economic development is certain, but China’s economy has probably already peaked in size as a proportion of the global economy, reaching the peak in 2021. Read more

Torbjørn Færøvik: Vår statsminister skal møte Den allmektige

Han ynder å posere som Den allmektige og Den allvitende. Men er han det?Xi Jinping har styrt Kina i tolv år. I neste uke mottar han Jonas Gahr Støre i Folkets store hall i Beijing. Vår langveisfarende statsminister får møte en oppblåst diktator som har for vane å slå an en faderlig tone overfor sine gjester, for Xi har alltid rett.Støre får neppe tid til å besøke noen av bokhandlene i Beijing. Om

The Perils of Vilifying Chinese Migrants

With intense political debate focused on the U.S. southern border, an unexpected trend has captured a great deal of attention. Chinese migrants are among the fastest growing national populations crossing the border, and their numbers have increased exponentially since 2022. In 2023, approximately 37,000 Chinese nationals entered the United States this way, compared to less than 2,000 the year

From China's Past: The Boxer Rebellion. Bluejackets and Marines in China, 1900–1901

The Boxers’ first targets were not foreigners, but Chinese Christians. Local Chinese resented their neighbors who had converted, labeling them as “rice Christians,” driven not by faith but by the resources and power provided by the churches. Initial Boxer attacks included the burning of churches, but escalated into gruesome, ritualistic murders of Chinese Christians. The event that drew the eyes

An Incomplete List of Everything Threatening China’s National Security

What do snapping turtles, tissue boxes and college students looking for part-time jobs have in common?They all might be hiding threats to China’s national security. That, at least, is the message being pushed by the Ministry of State Security, China’s main intelligence agency, in a flurry of recent social media posts. Every few days in the past month, the agency has published an addition to its

China's mission to win African hearts with satellite TV

As African leaders gather in Beijing this week for the triennial China-Africa summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping may have one thing under his belt to boast about - satellite TV. Almost nine years ago, President Xi promised the heads of state attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Johannesburg that China would provide over 10,000 remote villages in 23 African countries with

China moves to raise retirement age to bolster workforce, ease pension pressure

After more than a decade as a recurring tea-time conversation topic, the delay in retirement is nearing reality in China, set to impact over 500 million workers as the country grapples with a rapidly ageing population.The five-year reform blueprint, released last month following a key Communist Party gathering, includes a commitment to raise the retirement age. According to the resolution adopted

Chinese and Philippine vessels collide at a disputed atoll and governments trade accusations

China and the Philippines accused each other of causing a collision between their two vessels Saturday in the latest flareup of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea. In a statement posted on social media, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that a Philippine ship maneuvered and “deliberately collided” with a Chinese coast guard

Pope embarks on longest, farthest and most challenging trip to Asia, with China in the background

If any evidence were needed to underscore that Pope Francis’ upcoming trip to Asia and Oceania is the longest, farthest and most challenging of his pontificate, it’s that he’s bringing along his secretaries to help him navigate the four-country program while keeping up with work back home.Francis will clock 32,814 kilometers (20,390 miles) by air during his Sept. 2-13 visit to Indonesia, Papua