Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 204

How China could take Taiwan without even needing to invade

China’s military could isolate Taiwan, cripple its economy, and make the democratic island succumb to the will of Beijing’s ruling Communist Party without ever firing a shot, a prominent think tank warns. Fears the Communist Party might make good on its promise to one day take control of Taiwan, by force if necessary, have been heightened in recent years by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s

He Spent 23 Years Searching for His Daughter. Last Month, He Found Her.

Over the past 23 years, Shi Chunxin has helped families across China track down their missing children. Last month, he made his most important find of all — his own daughter. On June 5, the 48-year-old beamed from ear to ear as he stood next to his daughter, Shi Ke, who was abducted over 20 years ago as a toddler. “Hello everyone, I am Shi Ke’s dad. Shi Ke has been found,” he said in a video

Lai Ching-te’s View on History: The new Taiwanese president revealed a shift in perspective.

The inaugural address of Taiwan’s new President Lai Ching-te late last month attracted international attention. The speech prompted a barrage of criticism from Beijing, which ramped up the pressure on Taiwan with military exercises. China likely paid special attention to the parts “the Republic of China Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation in which sovereignty lies in the hands of the people

Torbjørn Færøvik: Dalai Lamas vanskelige kamp mot overmakten

Spøkefuglen Dalai Lama har flere ganger sagt at han tar sikte på å bli 113 år gammel. Det blir ikke lett, men kanskje en kneoperasjon vil gjøre livet lettere? I dag kommer han i hvert fall til USA for å la seg operere. Besøket gir ham også en mulighet til å blåse liv i tibetanernes sak og treffe ledende amerikanske politikere, i beste fall president Joe Biden.  Før avreisen fra Dharamsala i

In Retrospect: The Agreement of the Central People's Government and the local government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful liberation of Tibet

This is the full text of the 17-point agreement signed between China and Tibet in 1951:"23 MAY, 1951The Tibetan nationality is one of the nationalities with a long history within the boundaries of China and, like many other nationalities, it has done its glorious duty in the course of the creation and development of the great motherland. But over the last hundred years and more, imperialist

In Retrospect: The Seventeen Point Agreement: China’s Occupation of Tibet

In May 23rd 1951, the "Seventeen Point Agreement of the Central People’s Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" was signed. This agreement legitimized claims of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over Tibet and retroactively justified the previous year’s military invasion of eastern Tibet by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).The document

Big City Dreams, Small-Town Realities for China’s Rural Youth

“Small cities” refer to prefecture-level and county-level cities at or below the fourth or fifth tier in Chinese city classification. China’s urbanization has unfolded as a gradual process characterized by the continual flow of rural residents between cities and the countryside. While big cities are the drivers of urbanization and rural areas are the anchors of stability, small cities are the

Vietnam Says It’s Ready to Hold Talks With Philippines on Overlapping Continental Shelf Claims

Vietnam is ready to hold talks with the Philippines to settle their overlapping claims to the undersea continental shelf in the South China Sea, official Vietnamese media said Friday, in a diplomatic approach that contrasts with China’s increasingly assertive actions to fortify its claims in the contested waters.The Philippine government said over the weekend that it has asked a United Nations

China Sets the Stage for the Third Plenum by Unveiling Financial Reforms and Monetary Policy Direction

The 2024 Lujiazui Forum, held in Shanghai from June 19 to 20, continued its tradition as a pivotal platform for China’s financial discourse. Since its inception in 2008, the forum has become instrumental as a venue where government officials, financial regulators, and industry leaders gather to share insights on pressing economic issues and make significant announcements related to China’s

Xi Jinping visits Mao’s caves

President Xi Jinping has led top military brass on a pilgrimage of caves that were a key revolutionary base for the late supreme leader Mao Zedong, state media reported, a move analysts said was aimed at strengthening grip over the People's Liberation Army. The cave complex of Yan'an, in northeast China, where Mao spent the formative years of the Chinese Communist Party leadership during the war