Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 19

It is strictly forbidden to "lie down" in China

Some popular social media accounts that depict “lying down”—eschewing the rat race in favor of a more frugal, less ambitious, low-consumption lifestyle—have recently been deplatformed, to the dismay of their many fans. Although the bans were ostensibly for “violating platform rules and regulations,” there is widespread speculation that they were targeted for deletion because their easygoing ethos

China’s export juggernaut defying and denying Trump’s tariffs

Tariffs may have been Donald Trump’s weapon of choice, but China’s export engine is proving impervious to his trade war. Despite the US president’s best efforts, China’s trade surplus is on track to end 2025 at US$1.2 trillion, topping last year’s nearly $1 trillion figure. The reason is that China has become adept at adapting, diversifying markets, rerouting supply chains and shifting its focus

Agni-5: India missile test narrows nuclear gap with China

India’s latest Agni-5 missile test signals a sharp escalation in its nuclear modernization drive, aimed squarely at narrowing the strategic gap with China.This month, the Indo-Pacific Defense Forum reported that India successfully conducted a test of its longest-range ballistic missile, the Agni-5, in August from a launch site in Odisha, according to India’s Strategic Forces Command. Developed by

AS YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT HITS NEW HIGH, CHINA WAXES NOSTALGIC FOR THE “BOOM YEARS”

China’s National Bureau of Statistics published new data on Wednesday showing that urban youth unemployment rose to a two-year high last month. According to the data, the rate of unemployed youth aged 16 to 24 (excluding students) rose from 17.8 percent in June to 18.9 percent in August, nearing the historical peak of 21.3 percent in June 2023. This development underscores how even in a country

A skull unearthed in China challenges the timeline of human evolution, scientists say

A badly crushed cranium unearthed decades ago from a riverbank in central China that once defied classification is now shaking up the human family tree, according to a new analysis.Scientists digitally reconstructed the squashed skull, thought to be 1 million years old, and its features suggest that the fossil belonged to the same lineage as a striking specimen called “Dragon Man” and the

The Two Southeast Asias : A Divide Is Growing Between the Region’s Continental and Maritime Countries

Policymakers and scholars in the West talk about Southeast Asia as a coherent region, but it has always been divided. The region’s 700 million people speak hundreds of languages and follow different religions, and its 11 countries vary in political system, size, geography, and level of economic development. Throughout the Cold War, Southeast Asia was divided between the five original founding

China to crack down on hostile, gloomy online content

A sweeping two-month crackdown on online content is coming in China, aiming to restrict posts expressing views from hostility and conflict to “world-weariness,” Beijing’s top internet regulator announced on Monday. Monday’s notice from the Cyberspace Administration of China did not specify when the content crackdown would begin. It follows an announcement on Saturday saying the CAC would would

Torbjørn Færøvik: Franz Kafka minner oss om hva som står på spill

En høstdag for hundre år siden utga et forlag i Berlin en liten bok som få la merke til. Forfatteren var ukjent og til overmål død da utgivelsen fant sted. I dag er Franz Kafkas roman Prosessen mer aktuell enn på lenge. Romanen åpner med en setning som er blitt stående som en av de mest urovekkende i litteraturen: «Noen måtte ha baktalt Josef K., for en morgen ble han arrestert uten at han hadde

China’s internet censors have a new target: pessimists

China’s powerful internet censors have long been known for erasing political dissent, vitriol against the Communist Party leadership, and mention of sensitive historical events. Now, they’re being unleashed on a new scourge – negativity. The country’s internet regulator on Monday unveiled a two-month nationwide campaign aimed at curbing pessimism trending on social media, live-streaming and

Jerome Cohen, respected China law expert – and regular critic – dies at 95

Jerome Cohen, a pioneering scholar of Chinese law who shaped global debates on the country’s legal system, trade, and human rights for over six decades, has died at 95.Cohen, who died on Monday, was professor emeritus at New York University’s School of Law and the founder of its US-Asia Law Institute, as well as a senior fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.The