Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 275

China Covid infection surge puts end of global emergency in doubt – WHO

It may be too early to declare the global end of the Covid-19 pandemic emergency because of a potentially devastating wave to come in China, according to several leading scientists and World Health Organizationadvisers. Their views represent a shift since China began to dismantle its zero-Covid policy last week after a spike in infections and unprecedented public protests. Projections have

Russia and China unite for live-fire naval exercises in waters near Japan

 China and Russia will begin a weeklong joint live-fire naval exercise in the East China Sea on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, as the two partners step up cooperation in an increasingly tense western Pacific. “The active part of the exercise will include joint missile and artillery firing against air targets, artillery firing against sea targets, and practicing joint

‘When You Have No Credibility … You Are in Big Trouble’: A Chinese Dissident on Xi Jinping and the Future of Protest in China

In 1978, activist Wei Jingsheng became China’s most prominent dissident when he posted a signed essay — or “big character poster,” as they are called in China — on a wall in Beijing, arguing eloquently for democracy. He’s been imprisoned twice for his blistering criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, spending some 18 years behind bars before relocating to the United States. Interestingly, he

The Long Arm of Chinese Censorship Has Reached Europe, Forcing Artists and Institutions to Watch What They Say Against Beijing

Some artists and curators of Chinese descent, living and working in Europe, have said they feel like they must self-censor their work for fear of retaliation by Beijing authorities against their families back home. Others have had shows cancelled through diplomatic pressure by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or been surveilled by suspected government actors. And several institutions and

China Covid: Hospitals under strain in wave of infections

China's hospitals are already under so much pressure, following the country's rapid 180-degree shift in Covid policy, that doctors and nurses could be infecting patients. It seems frontline medical workers are being told to come in even if they have the virus themselves because of staff shortages. A Chinese professor specialising in health policy has been monitoring the crisis in his home country

China diplomats leave UK over Manchester protester attack

China has removed six officials from Britain - including one of its most senior UK diplomats - two months after violence at its Manchester consulate. The UK had requested the officials waive their right to diplomatic immunity to allow detectives to question them about October's incident. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed his disappointment that none of the six would now face justice. The

Torbjørn Færøvik: Kan India bli verdens nye fabrikk?

Den enes død, den andres brød. Mens Kina lider og millioner av mennesker står i fare for å dø, lyser Indias statsminister Narendra Modi av optimisme. I år vil landet få en økonomisk vekst på rundt seks prosent, mot Kinas skarve tre prosent. ”Vi skal gjøre landet vårt stort igjen”, ropte han på et valgmøte i høst. Modi følger utviklingen i Kina med argusøyne. Som alle andre ser han at ”Midtens

MICHAEL SCHUMAN: ZERO COVID’S FAILURE IS XI’S FAILURE

For three years, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, fought a remorseless battle against COVID-19. He called it a “people’s war”—a national struggle to defeat an unseen foe and save lives. The contest locked families in their homes for weeks, strangled the economy, and closed the country to the world. Other governments that failed to contain the pandemic may be indifferent to death and suffering, the

China Planting the Flag in Mosques and Monasteries

Over the last few years, the Chinese Communist Party has physically remade places of religious worship in western China to its liking. This includes not only the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, but also other areas with mosques or Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries. Eight Chinese government procurement notices, issued between 2018 and 2021, show local officials seeking to sinify

John Arne Moen: Naivt å tro at demokratiet må vinne

I dag er Kina verdens fremste kolonimakt – for å holde oss i et bilde europeere flest har et forhold til. En moderne form for kolonialisme, ja visst, men like fullt klassisk kolonibygging. Gjennom målrettet bruk av sin nye økonomiske styrke investeres det målrettet slik at mindre land skal få redusert sin reelle suverenitet, og slik bli støttespillere for makthaverne i Beijing. Landet er mye