Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 206

‘Only pirates do this’: Philippines accuses China of using bladed weapons in major South China Sea escalation

The Philippines has accused China’s Coast Guard of launching a “brutal assault” with bladed weapons during a South China Sea clash earlier this week, a major escalation in a festering dispute that threatens to drag the United States into another global conflict. Footage released by the Philippine military on Thursday showed Chinese coast guard officers brandishing an axe and other bladed or

US reputation on the line at Second Thomas Shoal

Taiwan, Ukraine and Gaza get most of the attention these days. But the United States’ reputation as a reliable ally is nowhere more at stake than in the Philippines. And that reputation is on the verge of going down the drain.June 17 saw the most recent and most violent effort yet by the China Coast Guard to prevent the Philippines from resupplying the BNP Sierra Madre, an old navy ship

Putin visits Vietnam, aiming to renew Cold War ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin was given a grand welcome with a 21-gun salute on Thursday after arriving in old ally Vietnam on a trip that is likely to be promoted by Moscow as more evidence of the West’s failure to isolate him over the invasion of Ukraine. Presiding over the ceremony was Vietnam’s new president, To Lam, and not the Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, due to the latter’s

World Refugee Day: China's political refugees remain at risk long after leaving country

Chinese nationals are seeking political asylum in ever larger numbers, but face transnational repression from China and lack of understanding from foreign authorities as they flee persecution, refugees and those who help them told RFA Mandarin in recent interviews. A Chinese activist who supported an online free speech campaign that saw its leader arrested in Laos and is “terrified” of being sent

In Retrospect: Full Text of Clinton's Speech on China Trade Bill (2001)

In 2001, China was admitted to the World Trade Organization, WTO. In Congress, as in US as whole, opinion was divided, but President Clinton's arguments won the day: "We understand that America has a profound stake in what happens in China and how China relates to the rest of the world. That's why, for 30 years, every president, without regard to party, has worked for a China that

Nancy Pelosi Meets With Dalai Lama, Despite China’s Criticism

A high-level U.S. congressional delegation, including the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, met with the Dalai Lama at his Indian home on Wednesday, a visit that was condemned in advance by China’s government, which considers the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader a separatist.The delegation, led by Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, arrived on

In Retrospect: Dalai Lama's Acceptance Speech on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prise, Oslo, December 10, 1989

The 14th Dalai Lama held his Acceptance Speech on 10 December 1989, in the assembly-hall at the University of Oslo. He began his lecture with a few minutes in Tibetan."Your Majesty, Members of the Nobel Committee, Brothers and Sisters:I am very happy to be here with you today to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. I feel honoured, humbled and deeply moved that you should give this important prize

The International Campaign for Tibet: A REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF TIBET’S PEOPLED LANDSCAPE

Over the years, under the pretext of uplifting the Tibetan people, Chinese authorities have been using their policy initiatives in Tibet to fulfill their objective of strengthening their hold on them and using Tibet as a resource to meet the needs of ever-increasing Chinese consumer markets. This report focuses on two such policy initiatives, rural revitalization and national parks. In 2021,

Taiwan to acquire more than 1,000 armed drones in new US arms sale

The United States has approved the $360 million sale of more than 1,000 small armed drones to Taiwan, as the self-ruled island claimed by China aims to strengthen its asymmetrical warfare abilities with an eye on successful tactics used on the battlefield in Ukraine. Taiwan will receive 720 Switchblade missiles and accompanying fire control systems worth $60.2 million, according to a release from

US blasts ‘aggressive’ China over South China Sea collision with Philippine ship

The United States on Monday condemned China over a collision with the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea, the latest in a series of increasingly fraught confrontations that have raised the potential of a flashpoint for global conflict in the vital waterway. A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near Second Thomas Shoal in the contested Spratly Islands early Monday,