Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 287

Uyghurs in exile grapple with discussing genocide in Xinjiang with their children

The 12-year old Uyghur girl, who now lives in the U.S. state of Virginia, was about seven years old and starting to absorb a bit more knowledge when she first learned about the repression of Uyghurs in their homeland northwestern China’s Xinjiang region. As she got older, her mother would tell her more and more about the back story, bringing it up in the normal course of conversation or if they

China Covid pandemic: Xi hails response as Shanghai hits record

China's President Xi Jinping has praised his country's handling of the Covid pandemic, even as Shanghai reported record case numbers. Speaking at an event marking China's hosting of the Winter Olympics, Mr Xi said some athletes said China deserved a gold medal for its approach. China's zero-Covid policy has come under strain with infections surging and signs of public anger.Shanghai's 25 million

Imran Khan: Pakistan PM on brink as confidence vote looms

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that if he is ousted from power, he will not recognise an opposition government. He was speaking ahead of a no-confidence vote in parliament on Saturday, which he is expected to lose. Mr Khan said he accepted the Supreme Court decision that he must face the vote, but repeated claims the US is leading a conspiracy to remove him. He did not provide

Execution by Heart Removal in China Occurred for Decades, Study Claims

A study published in an American medical journal has claimed that surgeons working at state-run civilian and military hospitals in China executed numerous prisoners over a period of decades by removing their hearts for transplant purposes. The authors of the study, published in the American Journal of Transplantation, identified 71 Chinese medical journal publications dated between 1980 and 2015

China Votes With Russia At U.N. After Kremlin Issues Threat

China voted to keep Russia as a part of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday, following reports of a threat made by the Kremlin that a vote against Russia would alter that country's relationship with Moscow During a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, China voted against a resolution that would suspend Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council, saying that it was not drafted in "

China State Media Warn of 'Destructive Strike' to Taiwan If Pelosi Visits

A Chinese state newspaper warned of a potential "destructive strike" against Taiwan if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the island nation, arguing that "warplanes" should be used as a threat. Some Japanese and Taiwanese media reported that Pelosi, a California Democrat who is No. 3 in the line of presidential succession, planned to visit Taiwan after a trip to Japan this weekend. (On Thursday, a

Can war massacres sway China’s support of Russia?

China has described reports and images of civilian killings in Ukraine as disturbing, and urged that they be further investigated, even while declining to blame Russia. That’s drawn questions about the resiliency of Beijing’s support for Moscow, but speculation that it is weakening appears to be misplaced.In his statement Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian referred to

Xi Jinping: China and the Philippines have "properly" handled the South China Sea issue

Seeking to put a positive spin on a relationship that never quite produced the hoped-for benefits, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday that the two nations have “properly” handled the sensitive issue of the disputed South China Sea. Xi made his remarks in a phone conversation with Duterte, who nurtured closer ties with Beijing after taking office

John Lee: the hardline security official leading race to become Hong Kong chief

John Lee, a career police officer turned hardline security official, is running unopposed to take over the top job in Hong Kong’s elections next month. As the sole candidate with Beijing’s blessing, he is all but guaranteed to become the next chief executive, according to local media reports.Lee announced his intention to run after stepping down on Wednesday from his post as chief secretary, the

Kevin Rudd: How to stop China and the US going to war

As images of destruction and death emerge from Ukraine, and refugees flee the country in their millions, the world’s attention is rightly focused on the horror of what many once thought an impossibility in the 21st century: a large-scale modern war in Europe. In this grim moment, however, it is all the more important to think through and coldly reassess the dangers presented by other potential