Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 248

Podcast: Xi Jinping’s Charm Offensive in Southeast Asia

Following the 20th Party Congress, China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping engaged in a flurry of high-level diplomatic meetings with heads of state from dozens of countries in East and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with Hoang Thi Ha, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, about Xi’s recent diplomacy,

China says 80% of population have had Covid-19, as millions travel for Lunar New Year

Eight in 10 people in China have now been infected with Covid-19, a prominent government scientist has claimed. Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Saturday – the eve of the Lunar New Year – that the present “wave of epidemic has already infected about 80% of the people” in the country of 1.4 billion people. His claim came amid

Lunar New Year: Chinese families meet for bittersweet reunions

"I'm so looking forward to going home this time," says Sandy Bai. "I'm grateful that I'll be able to see my whole family." It's been three years since the young communication professional, who lives in Hong Kong, has been home to Shanghai. She last saw her family in 2020 when she visited them over the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, as it's known in China.That visit happened just before the

Why are South Koreans losing faith in America’s nuclear umbrella?

They have them, so we need them.That is the fundamental argument for South Koreans who want their country to develop its own nuclear weapons. It’s about the need to protect themselves from an aggressive northern neighbor that is already a nuclear power in all but name and whose leader Kim Jong Un has vowed an “exponential increase” in his arsenal.The counter-argument, which has has long stopped

World Uyghur Congress loses legal challenge against UK authorities

The World Uyghur Congress has said it is disappointed to have lost a legal challenge against UK authorities for not launching a criminal investigation into the importation of cotton products manufactured by forced labour in China’s Xinjiang province but would continue to fight for accountability. The WUC took the home secretary, HM Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency (NCA), to the

‘The last generation’: the young Chinese people vowing not to have children

Talk to any young woman in urban China about the prospects of having children and the chances are, they are not keen. “It costs too much to give kids a decent life. The stuff they teach at school is propaganda, so I’d want to send them to an international school or abroad. But I can’t afford that,” said Kongkong, a 26-year-old researcher who swears she will not have children.This week, the

At Last, a Spring Festival Family Reunion After Three Years

Chen Hong is finally returning home for the holidays after three years away. The 48-year-old, who works at a metal refining factory in Malaysia, hadn’t been able to fly to China since 2020 due to the country’s strict travel policies, which included a lengthy quarantine. Now that authorities have dismantled the policy, making travel easier, many people like Chen are making the long-awaited journey

The Year of the Rabbit: An illustrated guide to Lunar New Year

Grab your favorite red shirt; it’s time to celebrate the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival. Saying goodbye to the Tiger, we enter the Year of the Rabbit on January 22, 2023. Millions of families worldwide are preparing celebrations for one of the year’s biggest festivals.If you’re a Lunar New Year newbie, here’s a quick guide to the most common traditions and superstitions associated

India flexes its muscle at Davos as China’s star fades

The promenade at the World Economic Forum, dusted in a blanket of fresh snow, is cluttered with signs and pavilions from companies and governments courting attention or deals. There’s the tech giants, the major consulting groups, representatives from the Middle East.But this year, dominating the main street in Davos are emissaries from India, who have taken over at least eight storefronts with

Don’t appease China, warns Taiwan’s likely presidential successor

Appeasing China will not bring peace, Taiwan’s vice-president has said, days after he was elected head of the ruling party in a move that makes him a prime presidential contender at the next election. William Lai, 63, is seen as a likely successor to President Tsai Ing-wen, who is barred from running again after her second four-year term ends in May 2024.Lai has been more outspoken on Taiwanese