Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 21

Building the Pipeline: Why China Exports AI Infrastructure, Not Semiconductors

Compute, not data, is the new oil. As the world races to develop ever-larger artificial intelligence (AI) models, mastering the technology to design and manufacture advanced, small-node chips has become a key to winning the global technological race. As a testament to this dynamic, the United States government has introduced a range of restrictive measures, ranging from simple tariffs to strict

Torbjørn Færøvik: When the Guns Fell Silent. Japan’s Defeat and China’s Forgotten War

Look at this picture. It was taken on September 2, 1945—the day Japan surrendered and the Second World War came to an end. Today marks the 80th anniversary. The event took place aboard the American battleship USS Missouri, which for the occasion had anchored in Tokyo Bay. Surrounding the vessel lay a large number of other U.S. warships, and overhead formations of aircraft circled. No one was

Kim Jong Un heads to Beijing in famous armored train used by generations of North Korean leaders

As a select group of world leaders are rolling into Beijing for a massive military parade on Wednesday, one made his way there in his signature armored green train: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The old-fashioned train has become a symbol of Kim’s dynasty and his secluded nation. It has also long been the subject of intrigue, carrying generations of the Kim family across the country and

Xi and Putin stand shoulder to shoulder as China casts itself as an alternative global leader

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has cast his country as a force for global economic stability and pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to support its partners, at a time when President Donald Trump wages a global tariff war and has decimated foreign aid under his “America First” policy.Xi’s comments came during an address on Monday that is the centerpiece of a two-day summit orchestrated to play-up

Xi Tells Modi China and India Must 'Come Together' as US Tariffs Hit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have pledged to strengthen strategic ties as the countries face significant tariffs on their exports to the U.S. The commitments to greater cooperation between the two economic powerhouses come despite the pair's historical competition for dominance in the Asia-Pacific region and their contemporary disagreements over issues of

These American mercenaries are revered in China. Their relatives are among the few US invitees to Xi’s WWII military parade

Consider this job offer:A one-year contract to live and work in China, flying, repairing and making airplanes. Pay is as much as $16,725 a month with 30 days off a year. Housing is included, and you’ll get an extra $700 a month for food. And there’s an extra $11,000 for every Japanese airplane you destroy – no limit.That’s the deal – in inflation-adjusted 2025 dollars – that a few hundred

China, Japan, and Shifting Narratives of War

The recent 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II inspired multiple publications on how Japan remembers its wartime history.However, there has been less said about the countries that Japan fought and their historical narratives of the war, nor how these countries’ narratives align with Japan’s understanding of its wartime history. In particular, China’s understanding of

China’s parade political: academics

China’s planned military parade on Wednesday commemorating the end of World War II is a political move to project Beijing’s interests against the US-led alliance and to show Chinese President Xi Jinping’s supreme command over the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) amid the stagnant Chinese economy, academics told a symposium in Taipei yesterday.The meaning behind the parade is more political

North Korea leader Kim promises ‘beautiful life’ for families of ‘martyrs’ killed in Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised “a beautiful life” for the families of “martyrs” who perished fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, state media said on Saturday, praising the bereaved for the heroism of their sons and husbands.Kim on Friday hosted the families of soldiers and expressed “grief at having failed to save the precious lives” of the fallen men who sacrificed their

Elephant-dragon tango: Modi’s visit to China signals improving ties — will the bonhomie last?

When Foxconn recalled hundreds of Chinese engineers from a factory in India last month, reportedly following Beijing’s directions to curb technology transfer to its neighbor, it was a reminder of the uneasy ties between two of Asia’s largest economies.But with both countries facing tariff heat from Washington, could economic challenges push Beijing and New Delhi toward reluctant cooperation,