Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 197

China’s Third Aircraft Carrier Completes First Sea Trial

Satellite imagery shows China’s third aircraft carrier Fujian has returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard after completing an eight-day maiden sea trial. In a Planet Labs image from May 9, 2024, obtained by Radio Free Asia, the Fujian was seen moving back to its berth at Jiangnan, where it was built and fitted out over the last six years.During the sea trial that began on May 1, the carrier tested

China’s Digital Silk Road Taking Its Shot At The Global Stage

The rise of China has strengthened its resolve to challenge global markets and the United States’ technological hegemony. China has developed into the largest exporter of goods, responsible for almost 30 per cent of manufacturing worldwide. As part of this development, China has united various foreign policy objectives through economic statecraft, using loans and investments as political

In Retrospect: The Chinese Communist Party’s Relationship with the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s

The Chinese Communist Party’s relationship with the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s has long been shrouded in mystery. The two most recent studies on this subject, one by Andrew Mertha and the other by John D. Ciorciari, both argue that the CCP was unable to influence the Khmer Rouge, despite providing massive assistance to its protégé. In this bilateral relationship, China “ended up as the subordinate

Crime in Cambodia: China is playing a key role

Mafia-style groups are becoming increasingly powerful in Cambodia. The most important ones are involved in real estate, casinos, security and cryptocurrency business dealings throughout the region, while others collaborate with foreign groups in drug trafficking, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking human smuggling and human trafficking. Cambodian officials are worried about the unpredictable

The Techo Funan Canal Won’t End Cambodia’s Dependency On Vietnam

First it was the Ream Naval Base. Now it’s the Techo Funan Canal. Could the planned $1.7-billion waterway that will cut through eastern Cambodia – which will be built, funded and owned by a Chinese state firm – be used by Beijing to attack or threaten Vietnam? Phnom Penh denies this and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reportedly had to assuage the Vietnamese leadership of this concern during a

Japan’s Diplomatic Bluebook Paints China As Central Villain

The more things change the more they stay the same. In the 2024 Diplomatic Bluebook, recently released through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan assertively labeled China a global threat, while still carefully trying to balance both positive and negative terms. The new edition employs much stronger language about its regional rival, characterizing Beijing’s activity in the South China Sea as

Another Chinese Dream : To Be the Leading Space Power By 1949

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is intent on surpassing the United States in space. Presi- dent Xi Jinping has articulated a “space dream” for China to be the leading space power by 2049. While much has been made about the space developments by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), less attention has been paid to China’s commercial space activities. This new dimension of strategic competition

Poem: “Drinking Alone under the Moon” by Li Bai

Li Bai, also known as Li Po, was arguably the greatest poet of China’s Tang dynasty, and possibly of all its history. His verse is notable for the strong voice and personality it reflects, uncommon in the 8th century. An accomplished martial artist and academic genius, Li Bai was also a great lover of wine, becoming a member of the “Six Idlers of the Bamboo Brook,” an informal group dedicated to

China launches moon probe as space race with US heats up

China launched an uncrewed lunar mission Friday that aims to bring back samples from the far side of the moon for the first time, in a potentially major step forward for the country’s ambitious space program. The Chang’e-6 probe – China’s most complex robotic lunar mission to date – blasted off on a Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China’s Hainan island, where

‘China’s Cape Canaveral’ is booming, fueled by moon mission and space program

The city of Wenchang is home to a rocket launch center – and a tourist industry that caters to a growing interest in space-related tourism. China has made no secret of its desire to develop tourism here, drawing inspiration from Florida’s Cape Canaveral – the launchpad for many famous NASA space missions.CNN visited Wenchang, on Hainan’s northeast coast, to experience the thrill firsthand ahead