Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 22

Tibet was not ‘always part’ of China

When Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) stood in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa on Thursday last week, flanked by Chinese flags, synchronized schoolchildren and armed Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops, he was not just celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the “Tibet Autonomous Region,” he was making a calculated declaration: Tibet is China. It always has been.

PLA aims for blockade capability by 2035: MND report

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) intends to achieve the capability to impose a joint blockade of Taiwan by 2035, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday in its latest report on China’s military.The ministry submitted the report to the Legislative Yuan alongside the proposed defense budget and the military’s five-year force structure plan. The PLA aims to achieve

Rising risk to China’s covert Iran oil lifeline

What would happen if Iranian oil – a heavily sanctioned but vital supply for China – suddenly stopped flowing? US pressure and the possible “snapback” of UN sanctions could choke off Iran’s clandestine crude exports, testing Beijing’s energy security, raising costs for its industry and dealing a financial blow to Tehran in a high-stakes geopolitical showdown. Iran’s oil exports have

A global ‘ChIndia’ imbroglio

It’s much ado about something. The Indian shift away from the US could be a significant setback for America. Although nothing is set in stone, the United States could pay a price. (Marco Mayer interviews Francesco Sisci, first published in the Italian magazine Starmag)On the eve of a historic meeting in Beijing between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the

Should the US be worried? India’s Modi set for rare China trip after Trump’s tariff sting

A relationship frozen after a deadly clash high in the Himalayas five years ago appears to be thawing under the heat of US President Donald Trump’s economic pressure. For the first time since 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to China this week to attend a summit hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a visit that comes after Trump imposed punishing 50% tariffs on imports

"This is worse than Covid. We could lose everything"

Two decades ago, Jinul Abedeen left his family and moved to India’s capital where he spent a year learning Zardozi, an ancient and intricate threadwork technique he hoped would equip him to support his family for decades to come.The gamble succeeded. He landed a job at Orient Craft, a major garment factory on the outskirts of New Delhi that supplies global brands like Gap, Ralph Lauren, and

China’s Xi rolls out the red carpet for Putin and Modi as Trump upends global relations

Autocrats, populists, friends and foes, a strongman waging a war in Europe and the leader of the world’s biggest democracy will all be hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping this weekend at a summit designed to showcase Beijing as a global leader capable of providing a counterweight to Western institutions.Heads of state and delegations from across Asia and the Middle East will meet from Sunday in

Appeals court strikes down many Trump tariffs, saying he overstepped his authority

A federal appeals court Friday struck down many of President Donald Trump’s historic tariffs, saying he unlawfully leaned on emergency powers to impose the import taxes. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize tariffs like the ones Trump used the law for earlier this year, the Federal Circuit said in an unsigned opinion upholding a lower-court ruling against

US Prepares To Put Contentious Missile System on China's Doorstep

The United States will deploy its "Typhon" land-based missile system to Japan for the first time as part of an upcoming drill, demonstrating the alliance's capabilities amid China's military threat. In an emailed statement to Newsweek on Friday, the U.S. Army Pacific confirmed that the Typhon system, also known as the mid-range capability (MRC), would participate in exercise Resolute Dragon

Map Shows China Calling New 'Axis' Leaders to Beijing

China will host the leaders of Russia, Iran and North Korea at a World War II event next month in what will mark the first-ever gathering of the authoritarian CRINK bloc sometimes known as the "Axis of Upheaval." The September 3 gathering will see Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian