Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 190

Dan's the man: Why Chinese women are looking to ChatGPT for love

Dan has been described as the “perfect man” who has “no flaws”. He is successful, kind, provides emotional support, always knows just what to say and is available 24/7.The only catch? He’s not real. Dan – which stands for Do Anything Now - is a “jailbreak” version of ChatGPT. This means it can bypass some of the basic safeguards put in place by its maker, OpenAI, such as not using sexually

China #MeToo journalist sentenced to five years in prison, supporters say

A leading #MeToo journalist in China has been sentenced to five years in prison on subversion charges, according to supporters, as the ruling Communist Party ramps up its effort to dismantle what remains of the country’s civil society. Huang Xueqin, an independent journalist, was found guilty by the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court Friday for “inciting subversion of state power,” supporters

The Communist Party of China — Where Are the Women?

At the Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), not a single woman was elected to the Politburo. Women’s participation in Chinese elite politics has stalled as men continue to dominate political power. The systemic underrepresentation of women in China’s elite politics clashes with the Party’s propaganda about increasing ‘the proportion of female cadres in the leading

The Committee that Ended the Age of Engagement?

The U.S. Congress’ special China committee has a packed agenda for the few months left this term. But its most consequential work may be done: a more confrontational U.S. policy towards China.Set up at the start of last year in the House of Representatives, the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party has racked up notable successes

Chinese military harassed Dutch warship enforcing UN sanctions on North Korea, Netherlands says

A Dutch warship was harassed by Chinese military aircraft in the East China Sea on Friday, the Netherlands said, becoming the latest country to accuse Beijing’s forces of initiating potentially unsafe encounters in international waters.In a statement Friday, the Dutch Defense Ministry said two Chinese fighter jets circled the frigate HNLMS Tromp several times, while its marine patrol helicopter

Four US college instructors teaching in China have been stabbed while visiting a busy public park

Four US college instructors teaching in China have been stabbed while visiting a busy public park, in a rare case of violent crime against foreigners in the powerful security state. The educators from Cornell College, a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, were wounded “in a serious incident” on Monday, while participating in a partnership program with Beihua University in the city

Why the EU might be about to make Chinese electric cars more expensive

With China accused of selling electric cars at artificially low prices, the European Union is widely expected to hit them with tariffs this week. The BYD Seagull is a tiny, cheap, neatly styled electric vehicle (EV). An urban runabout that won’t break any speed records, but nor will it break the bank.In China, it has a starting price of 69,800 yuan ($9,600; £7,500). If it comes to Europe, it is

35 Years Later: A Retrospective of Our Work on the 1989 Tiananmen Protests and Crackdown

This year is the 35th anniversary of the 1989 mass demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and elsewhere around China, and their brutal suppression on June 4. The memories of these events are receding into the past, a process greatly aided in China by censorship. And even when remembered, the crackdown that ended the optimistic 1980s in China is viewed by some Chinese government supporters

Torbjørn Færøvik: Kan et skipsvrak utløse en krig i Asia?

Kan et skipsvrak utløse en krig i Asia?Spørsmålet er på sin plass, for i Sørkinahavet ligger et filippinsk fartøy som regjeringen i Manila nekter å fjerne. Fartøyet bevoktes av filippinske soldater og er blitt en torn i øyet på et stadig mer nærgående Kina. «Dreper dere én eneste av våre menn, aktiviserer dere forsvarspakten mellom Filippinene og USA», advarte president Ferdinand Marcos jr. i

Dalai Lama to visit US for knee treatment in coming weeks

The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit the United States for medical treatment for his knees in the coming weeks, according to his office, in what would be his first visit to the country since 2017. Though the dates for which have not yet been announced, his trip is expected to take place this summer. It will be the Dalai Lama’s first overseas trip since November 2018 and first overseas trip since