Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 279

What happened to China’s former leader Hu Jintao?

It is a moment that for many observers has come to define strongman leader Xi Jinping’s tightening grip on China: his visibly frail predecessor, Hu Jintao, being escorted out of a key Communist Party meeting during a five-yearly leadership reshuffle – apparently at Xi’s behest. Images of two men ushering the 79-year-old from his seat and toward the exit were beamed across the world as the party’s

We need to talk about Xi Jinping: G7’s discord over powerful trading partner

Western powers in the G7 group of nations are failing to coordinate their China strategies, senior western officials admit, adding that the need to do so has been given sharp impetus by Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power at this month’s Communist party congress. The G7’s poor coordination reflects a deep disagreement, also reflected within the EU, about whether dialogue and trade with China have

Torbjørn Færøvik: Fest setebeltene. Nå får vi en ny runde med opprustning.

Fest setebeltene. Etter at Kinas Xi Jinping i forrige uke fikk fem nye år ved makten, står verden overfor en ny runde med militær opprustning. “Vi vil styrke vår militære kapasitet og arbeide enda hardere for å modernisere våre væpnede styrker”, sa Xi til de 2300 delegatene. “Fornyelsen av den kinesiske nasjonen er en uunngåelig historisk trend!”Tonen i talen var tydelig anti-vestlig.

Xi Jinping: Full Text of Speech to the 20th Communist Party Congress

«Comrades,​On behalf of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC), I will now deliver a report to the 20th National Congress.The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a meeting of great importance. It takes place at a critical time as the entire Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups embark on a new journey to build China into a modern

Torbjørn Færøvik: Røyksignalene fra Kinas konklave

Forestill deg en katolsk konklave hvor prelater fra fjern og nær møtes for å velge ny pave. Prelatene stenges inne i dager og uker mens drøftelsene pågår, helt til et forløsende røyksignal stiger til værs og alle kan trekke et lettelsens sukk. Det kinesiske kommunistpartiets 20. kongress er over. Mens konklaven pågikk, ble de 2300 delegatene fullstendig avskåret fra omverden. Ingen av dem fikk

Xi Jinping's party is just getting started

Comparing Xi Jinping to Mao Zedong is "inane", scoffs Rebecca Karl, a professor of Chinese History at New York University. "If you're going to compare two people, it has to reveal something. It's like comparing Putin to Stalin or Liz Truss to Margaret Thatcher."At first glance, the parallels are striking. Chairman Mao, as he was known, was the defining political figure of 20th Century China. He

Xi Jinping enters third term as China’s most powerful leader in decades surrounded by loyalists

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has formally stepped into his norm-breaking third term ruling China with an iron grip on power, as he revealed a new leadership team stacked with loyal allies. On Sunday, a day after the close of the five-yearly Communist Party Congress, Xi announced six men – Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi – to stand alongside him as members of the

Politburo Standing Committee: Who are the men that rule China now?

The Chinese Communist Party has finally unveiled the men who will rule China for the next five years The Politburo Standing Committee is China's equivalent of the presidential cabinet. It is considered the elite of the elite within the party, and getting to the top often requires not only a stellar political track record, but also deft manoeuvring of internal rivalries. It is not unusual to see

China's 'Bridge Man' inspires Xi Jinping protest signs around the world

A rare one-man protest against Xi Jinping in Beijing has inspired solidarity protests around the world as China's party congress sits this week. Last Thursday, a man strung banners across a bridge in China's capital that accused Mr Xi of being a dictator. He was quickly detained but photos of his action spread around the world.Since then similar signs and messages have appeared on several

Torbjørn Færøvik: Hvor ble det av kvinnene?

Det kinesiske kommunistpartiets 20. kongress er over. Partiet har fått ny sentralkomité, nytt politbyrå og en ny “fast komité” som skal styre landet de neste fem årene. Komiteen består av bare sju personer og skal, nå som før, ledes av “kamerat Xi Jinping”. Kineserne omtaler ham som “formannen for alt”.Men hvor er kvinnene i den strålende kinesiske maktpyramiden?En rask opptelling viser at den