Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 234

China’s Leader, With Rare Bluntness, Blames Troubles on U.S. Containment

As he heads into an expected third term as president, China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, is signaling that he will take a harder stance against what he perceives as an effort by the United States to block China’s rise. And he’s doing so in uncommonly blunt terms.Mr. Xi has hailed China’s success as proof that modernization does not equal Westernization. He has urged China to strive to develop

Did Taiwan Call off Another US House Speaker Visit?

A scoop from Financial Times says that Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has instead asked to meet Kevin McCarthy during a stopover visit to California.The Financial Times reported on Monday that U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy will no longer be visiting Taipei to meet with senior government officials including Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, and would instead be meeting with Tsai in

China’s Premier Li Keqiang Bows out as Xi Loyalists Take Reins

After a decade in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s shadow, Li Keqiang is taking his final bow as the country’s premier, marking a shift away from the skilled technocrats who have helped steer the world’s second-biggest economy in favor of officials known mainly for their unquestioned loyalty to China’s most powerful leader in recent history.After exiting the ruling Communist Party’s all-powerful

China’s new foreign minister warns of conflict with US, defends Russia ties

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned Tuesday that “conflict and confrontation” with the United States is inevitable if Washington does not change course, delivering a stern and wide-ranging rebuke of US policies for his first press conference in the new role.Qin, who was until recently China’s ambassador to the US, built up a reputation for being careful and accomplished diplomat while

China's new human gene-editing rules worry experts

New rules in China to regulate gene editing in humans don't go far enough, a leading expert has warned scientists. Dr Joy Zhang of Kent University, a global expert on the governance of gene editing in China, said authorities are susceptible to "regulatory negligence". The regulations were updated following an outcry five years ago when a Chinese scientist said he had created the world's first

Canada's Trudeau launches China election meddling probes

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that an independent special rapporteur will probe alleged Chinese interference in their recent elections. The appointed investigator will review classified reports about the 2019 and 2021 federal elections and will make recommendations for future contests. Rival political party leaders have called for a public inquiry. China has denied any election

China Loses Ground in Nepal

The recent political shake-up in the government has cost Beijing the upper hand in the contest for geopolitical influence.Since the formation of a new government following elections in November, Nepal has witnessed an escalated Chinese engagement on the political front. The post-election coalition saw the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and Communist Party of Nepal–

CALLING FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE, CHINA COURTS BELARUS, RUSSIA

Days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Xi Jinping declared a “no-limits” partnership with Vladimir Putin. At the one-year anniversary of the invasion, Xi’s diplomatic and military engagements display resolute support for the Russian war, despite his recent gestures to broker peace. This week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko visited Beijing on a three-day trip, in a

Ukraine war has made it easier for US to isolate China in the Pacific

A year after Russia invaded Ukraine, Xi Jinping’s backing of Vladimir Putin has opened the door for the United States and partners in the Pacific to shore up sometimes frayed relationships to the detriment of Beijing. In the past few months alone, Japan has pledged to double defense spending and acquire long-range weapons from the US; South Korea has acknowledged that stability in the Taiwan

Xi Jinping urges China to greater self-reliance amid sanctions and trade tensions

China must speed up its science and technology development to ensure greater self-reliance, the country’s leader Xi Jinping has told an annual political meeting, as Beijing becomes more isolated by sanctions and other trade concerns. China’s technological advancement is facing global competition and increasing constraints from foreign governments such as the US, but the sector has also been