Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 237

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un sounds alarm on agriculture amid reports of food shortages

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has urged government officials to engineer a “fundamental transformation” in agricultural production, state media reported, amid fears that the country’s food shortage is worsening. Kim said hitting grain production targets this year was a priority and emphasised the importance of stable agriculture production during the second day of a key meeting of the Workers’

Warren Buffett’s company sells major stake in Taiwanese chip giant TSMC

Shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company fell as much as 4% on Wednesday, after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it had sold most of its holdings in the chip giant. In a Tuesday filing with the United States’ Securities and Exchange Commission, Berkshire Hathaway(BRKA) said it had about 8.3 million American depository shares of TSMC worth $618 million, having sold 86

US Navy reconnaissance flight over Taiwan Strait draws angry response from China

A US Navy reconnaissance jet flew over the Taiwan Strait on Monday, in a maneuver intended to assert the right to operate in international airspace despite strong objections from the Chinese military. In a statement Monday, the US 7th Fleet said the flight of the P-8A Poseidon over the waterway that separates China and the self-ruled island of Taiwan was conducted in accordance with international

China is rolling out the red carpet for a key Putin ally as US warns against aiding Russia’s war

China is preparing to welcome a key autocratic ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a state visit, amid warnings from United States officials that Beijing may be considering aiding Moscow in its ongoing assault on Ukraine. Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese officials in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi

Desperate for Babies, China Races to Undo an Era of Birth Limits. Is It Too Late?

In China, a country that limits most couples to three children, one province is making a bold pitch to try to get its citizens to procreate: have as many babies as you want, even if you are unmarried. The initiative, which came into effect this month, points to the renewed urgency of China’s efforts to spark a baby boom after its population shrank last year for the first time since a national

China’s global influence worries U.S. majority: AP-NORC poll

Just 40% of U.S. adults approve of how President Joe Biden is handling relations with China, a new poll shows, with a majority anxious about Beijing’s influence as the White House finds its agenda increasingly shaped by global rivalries.About 6 in 10 say they are gravely concerned about China, the world’s second-largest economy after the United States, according to the survey by The Associated

CIA chief: China has some doubt on ability to invade Taiwan

U.S. intelligence shows that China’s President Xi Jinping has instructed his country’s military to “be ready by 2027” to invade Taiwan though he may be currently harboring doubts about his ability to do so given Russia’s experience in its war with Ukraine, CIA Director William Burns said.Burns, in a television interview that aired Sunday, stressed that the United States must take “very seriously”

China Feels Squeeze From Both Sides of Ukraine

A year into Russia's war in Ukraine, few are still wondering what China knew about the invasion and when. As President Vladimir Putin vows to finish a fight he says was started by the West, questions now turn to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and what he will do next to prevent Moscow's stuttering military adventure from undercutting Beijing's own grand plan.Chinese officials remain perplexed by the

US says China will face ‘real costs’ if it provides lethal aid to Russia for war in Ukraine

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday vowed there would be “real costs” for China if the country went forward with providing lethal aid to Russia in its war on Ukraine.“From our perspective, actually, this war presents real complications for Beijing. And Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance. But, if it goes down

Missing Chinese billionaire banker Bao Fan assisting authorities in investigation, company says

The Chinese billionaire tech banker Bao Fan, who was reported missing 10 days ago, is cooperating with Chinese authorities conducting an investigation, a China-based boutique bank has said. It is the first time China Renaissance Holdings has given a reason for the disappearance of its founder and chairman, though no details about the investigation were shared. “The board would like to reiterate