Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 196

China moon samples reveal water molecules in groundbreaking discovery, scientists say

As Chinese scientists analyzed the soil samples that their lunar probe brought back from the moon, they realized something groundbreaking: There was water found along with minerals in the soil. Finding water on the moon is, on its own, nothing new. NASA and Indian spacecraft have spotted what they believe to be water on the moon’s surface, and Chinese scientists last year found water trapped in

Can India help its special ally Bangladesh defuse the crisis?

The dramatic resignation of Bangladesh’s long-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her flight to India ironically underscore the close ties between the two countries. Ms Hasina ruled Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million, for close to 15 years until a protest by students to abolish civil service quotas snowballed into a broader and violent anti-government movement. At least 280 people have died

Why Trump or Harris might sell out to China

For some Americans, the relevant question isn’t “Which candidate will stand up to China?”, it’s “Should the US stand up to China at all?” There are still some progressives who believe that the negative turn in relations between the two countries is America’s doing, and that if we chose, we could simply stop “saber-rattling” and “warmongering” and return everything to the world of 2012. And there

Xi stays the course amid rising calls for change

Chinese President Xi Jinping has laid out his vision for China’s economic and social future – and it places Xi Jinping at the very center. Having cemented his political legacy at the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress in October 2022 by being confirmed leader until at least 2027, the “chairman of everything” has now set out how he sees the next few years going. The road map was discussed at

China’s ability to buy US land near military bases just got more restricted

In early June, the US Treasury Department announced a proposed update to Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) rules that would expand the committee’s jurisdiction over foreign real estate purchases. These new rules were announced after several recent high-profile and controversial planned property purchases by initially undisclosed or Chinese buyers, a growing number of

Key takeaways from China’s Third Plenum 2024

The communiqué of the Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Committee, which concluded on July 18, contains no major policy initiatives to address the country’s near-term growth challenges. This was greeted with a sense of disappointment by Western analysts even though not many of them had expected Chinese leaders to announce a major fiscal package or other measures. Instead

What Kamala would mean for China

The fallout from President Joe Biden’s decision Sunday not to seek reelection continues but there are indications Vice President Kamala Harris —whose self-chosen Chinese name is He Jinli —will maintain the Biden administration’s China policy if elected in November.Tight lips in Beijing. A Chinese translation of Biden’s letter announcing his decision was circulating on China’s Weibo social

From China's Past: Aurel Stein and the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas

The Silk Road, the Eurasian trade route linking China with the Mediterranean seashore was used not only for the purpose of commerce, but it also was the meeting point of the large civilizations of the East and West. From the 2nd century B. C. for more than a thousand years, silk, luxury items and other assorted merchandise was carried along this road to be exchanged in the towns and oases. It

US to revamp military command in Japan amid China’s threats

The United States has announced plans to overhaul its military command in Japan to bolster defence cooperation as the two countries face what they call the greatest strategic challenge from China.“The United States will upgrade the US Forces Japan to a joint force headquarters with expanded missions and operational responsibilities,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters on Sunday

The US says it has successfully practiced using a low-cost bomb to sink a major surface ship. China is taking note

A very specialized part of the world’s largest naval drills off the northern Hawaiian island of Kauai is gaining attention on both sides of the Pacific. Earlier this month, the US and allies practiced taking out a large surface ship with long-range weapons, including, for the first time, a US Air Force B-2 bomber. In one test that analysts called “very significant” in what it could mean for the