Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 265

Report: Defending Democracy in Exile

Over the past year, governments around the world have engaged in increasingly brazen attempts to stifle dissent by attacking critics who live abroad. Belarusian authorities forced an international airliner to land so they could detain a journalist who was on board. Iranian agents conspired to kidnap a women’s rights activist from her home in Brooklyn. Turkish intelligence officers abducted the

How to Resist China’s Campaign of Transnational Repression

A recent report from Freedom House, “Defending Democracy in Exile,” examines how democracies can respond to incidents of transnational repression and identifies weak spots in existing security, migration, and foreign policies that may be exploited by autocrats seeking to control dissent abroad. An effective response requires the recognition that campaigns like the Chinese government’s are a

Think Putin is a global threat? Then we need to talk about Xi Jinping

Like fearsome dictators throughout history, Xi Jinping has a tender side. He loves his mum. In a touching puff piece on Mother’s Day this year, state TV showed China’s strongman president strolling hand in hand with 96-year-old Qi Xin, a Communist party veteran and proud mother of the paramount leader. Many mums read fairy stories or sing nursery rhymes to their young children. Not so Qi. She

Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild

As part of a massive nationwide campaign to combat the growing issue of fraud and telecommunication fraud by Chinese nationals living abroad, Chinese authorities claim that from April 2021 to July 2022, 230,000 nationals had been “persuaded to return” to face criminal proceedings in China.This campaign, which started on a humble scale in 2018, has developed alongside the establishment of overseas

U.S. Government: China and the South China Sea

In the years since the Department of State published Limits in the Seas No. 143 in 2014 and the arbitral tribunal issued its decision in The South China Sea Arbitration in 2016, the PRC has advanced a new articulation of its maritime claims in the South China Sea. These expansive maritime claims are plainly inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Convention.The PRC’s claim to “

THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE OVER AI SURVEILLANCE

Chinese companies remain at the forefront when it comes to providing advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) tools that enable governments to carry out mass surveillance. These firms are seeking out new markets vigorously, and state subsidies often support their efforts. Governments around the world have eagerly adopted the low-cost imports enabled by these policies:

GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AI AND DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE ADOPTION

The increasing sophistication and spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital surveillance technologies has drawn concerns over privacy and human rights. China is indisputably one of the leaders in developing these technologies both for domestic and international use. However, other countries that are active in this space include the United States, Israel, Russia, multiple European

‘Win Without Fighting’: The Chinese Communist Party’s Political and Institutional Warfare Against the West

When compared to Western forms of diplomatic conversationand strategic discussion, phrases emanating from Beijingand the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can appear peculiar,platitudinous, and so ambiguous as to be devoid of practicalcontent. China’s paramount leader Xi Jinping speaks frequentlyabout a ‘community of shared future,’ a ‘common destiny formankind’ as part of his ‘China dream,’ or

John P. Burns: The Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong

The CCP in Hong Kong has come a long way as it emerges from the shadows in Hong Kong. From its united front work beginnings, the party in Hong Kong now wields direct de facto authority over the Hong Kong government as it “supervises, guides, coordinates, and supports” the HKSAR to play a more integrated role with the mainland. But the party does not have access to the most important tool it uses

China’s Political System in Charts: A Snapshot Before the 20th Party Congress

This report provides a visual representation of China’s leading political institutions and current leaders in the form of 16 CRS-created organization charts and accompanying explanatory text. The charts present China’s political system as it emerged from the Communist Party of China’s (CPC’s) 19th Congress in October 2017 and the First Session of China’s 13th National People’s Congress in March