Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 252

Nobel panel knew Kissinger Vietnam deal unlikely to bring peace, files show

The 1973 Nobel peace prize to top US diplomat Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho, among the most disputed in the award’s history, was given in the full knowledge the Vietnam war was unlikely to end any time soon, newly released papers show. Nominations to the Peace prize remain secret for 50 years. On 1 January, documents about the prize awarded to Kissinger and Hanoi’s chief

Zhao Lijian: China reassigns combative ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomat

A controversial Chinese diplomat who epitomised China's "Wolf Warrior" approach to diplomacy has been moved to a less prominent post. Ex-foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian is now deputy head of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs. He will help manage China's maritime and land boundaries. It is unclear when he took up his new role.A high profile figure, Mr Zhao often hosted the

Satellite images capture crowding at China’s crematoriums and funeral homes as Covid surge continues

Satellite images taken over a number of Chinese cities have captured crowding at crematoriums and funeral homes, as the country continues its battle with an unprecedented wave of Covid-19 infections following its dismantling of severe pandemic restrictions.The images – taken by Maxar in late December and early January and reviewed by CNN – show a funeral home on the outskirts of Beijing, which

‘History might repeat itself’: Chinese ambassador warns Australia to be wary of Japan

China’s ambassador to Australia says Canberra should be wary of its relationship with Japan, reminding them that Japanese troops attacked Australia during World War II and could do the same again. “If we forget history, history might repeat itself,” said Xiao Qian, Beijing’s envoy to Australia, in a rare news conference Tuesday at the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. “During the Second World War,

XI MAINTAINS CLOSE TIES WITH RUSSIA AS WAR IN UKRAINE ENTERS A NEW YEAR

As Russia’s war against Ukraine spills into 2023, China continues its policy of “pro-Russian neutrality”—a balancing act that affords China enough diplomatic and economic cover to tacitly support Russian aggression, but not so much as to incur Western sanctions. At the turn of the new year, analysts took stock of the evolving dynamic between the two countries. Despite China and Russia’s divergent

LI WENLIANG’S WAILING WALL, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022: “ZERO-COVID IS OVER, BUT I’M AFRAID TO GO OUT.”

Nearly three years after whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang’s death from COVID-19, the “Wailing Wall” that emerged in the comments section under his last Weibo post continues to serve as a repository for the hopes, dreams, worries, and opinions of countless Chinese citizens. CDT editors regularly collect and archive Wailing Wall content, including the selection of comments translated below.In November

Anjali Singh: The woman who was dragged to death in Delhi's hit-and-run case

Family members of Anjali Singh, the 20-year-old whose death in a horrific hit-and-run case has sparked protests in India, remember her as a cheerful person who loved making Instagram Reels and playing with children. BBC Hindi's Dilnawaz Pasha pieces together a portrait of the woman whose dreams came to a violent end on a cold winter night.On her now-deactivated Instagram profile, Anjali uploaded

Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai's UK lawyers call for meeting with Rishi Sunak

Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai's international legal team have asked UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for an urgent meeting ahead of his trial on national security charges later this year. The trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces and sedition could see Mr Lai - who holds British nationality - spend the rest of his life in prison. In the letter, seen by the BBC, Mr Lai's

Chinese military stages large-scale military exercises around Taiwan

China sent 28 warplanes across the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Sunday as Beijing conducted its first large-scale military exercises around the island this year, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said. The 28 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) planes were among 57 spotted near Taiwan, the ministry said, adding they included J-10, J-11, J-16 and Su-30 fighters, H-6 bombers, three drones and an early

War game suggests Chinese invasion of Taiwan would fail at a huge cost to US, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan in 2026 would result in thousands of casualties among Chinese, United States, Taiwanese and Japanese forces, and it would be unlikely to result in a victory for Beijing, according to a prominent independent Washington think tank, which conducted war game simulations of a possible conflict that is preoccupying military and political leaders in Asia and Washington.A war