Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 229

China Media Project: The Local Game of Global Propaganda

In January this year, executives from the state-run China Daily newspaper took the stage with top propaganda officials from southwest Yunnan province to launch a new regional media network meant to strengthen Chinese state narratives and agendas in Southeast Asia. The formation of the South and Southeast Asian Media Network is the latest move in a broader effort by China’s leadership to mobilize

Economy, security, party drama: What to expect at China’s ‘two sessions’

China’s two sessions, the state’s most important annual political meetings, open this week in Beijing where the country’s political elites will reflect on the broader trends in Chinese politics, offering a sense of what to expect in the coming year. The capital will host concurrent meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the top legislature, and the Chinese People’s Political

Freedom House: The Mounting Damage of Flawed Elections and Armed Conflict

Global freedom declined for the 18th consecutive year in 2023. The breadth and depth of the deterioration were extensive. Political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries made improvements. Flawed elections and armed conflict contributed to the decline, endangering freedom and causing severe human suffering.Widespread problems with elections, including

World History: The Chinese Text Project

The Chinese Text Project is the largest database of pre-modern Chinese text digitally available, and is open access to researchers around the world. It focuses specifically on pre-Qin and Han dynasty works, as well as post-Han dynasty texts. These works include some images, poetry, philosophy, and other academic subjects like mathematics and military sciences that are written in a variety of

What to Watch at China’s Two Sessions in 2024

Where is China heading? This perennial question of executives, investors, and policymakers has taken on new urgency as markets slide, growth slows, international tensions rise, and politics remains in command. That is the context for this year’s Two Sessions, one of the most important watchpoints for analyzing Beijing’s policy outlook.The Two Sessions are the concurrent annual meetings of the

INTERVIEW WITH FRANK DIKÖTTER: How the West has been misreading China for years

Frank Dikötter, author of the "People's Trilogy" about China under of Mao Zedong, has been chair professor of humanities at the University of Hong Kong since 2006. He recently published "China After Mao," in which he argues that claims that the Chinese Communist Party has significantly changed direction in the post-Mao era are a misreading by those outside the country who "live in a fantasy world

‘Little by little, the truth is being discovered’: the archive rescuing China’s forbidden films

On the wall of an unassuming second-floor room in Newcastle University sits a map, Blu-Tacked, unframed. At first glance it looks like any other map of China. But on closer inspection, the cities labelled on the map are not just the major urban centres. They are the places that have hosted important film festivals over the years, the details of which are annotated in colour-coded text.Covering

China’s Demographic Prospects to 2040: Opportunities, Constraints, Potential Policy Responses

Demographic constraints could complicate Beijing’s quest to mobilize political power and/or apply it abroad. At this writing the Chinese regime seems to be behaving in an increasingly ambitious and assertive fashion: the era of “hide your strength, bide your time” appears to be over. Demographic stresses could reduce social cohesion, or even contribute to social or political instability. Note

South Korea’s fertility rate sinks to record low despite $270bn in incentives

South Korea’s demographic crisis has deepened with the release of data showing its birthrate – already the world’s lowest – fell to a new record low in 2023, despite billions of dollars in government schemes designed to persuade families to have more children. Reports that South Korea’s population had shrunk for the fourth straight year came soon after neighbouring Japan reported a record decline

‘Facing up to history’: relatives of Taiwan’s 2-28 massacre victims demand official reckoning

Lin Li-cai was only two years old when her father was murdered. She knew almost nothing about his death until she was an adult. “There used to be a picture of my father hanging in the living room, but I didn’t even know who it was,” says Lin, now 80.She has no memory of the events and throughout her childhood his death was mentioned just twice. The first was when her uncle warned her: “Don’t talk