Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 290

Coal, Once a Boon, Turns Chinese Rustbelt City Into a Bust

When internet giant NetEase Inc. offered a free apartment in Hegang city as part of a marketing gimmick to promote online game Nishuihan, it was a sign the once-prosperous coal-mining hub in Northeast China had reached rock bottom.The winner was even given the option of cashing in the 89-square-meter or larger apartment for 50,000 yuan ($7,858), just in case they didn’t fancy moving to the city —

Chinese Views of the US and Russia After the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

A new survey taken after the Russian invasion of Ukraine finds that the Chinese are very negative about the U.S., very positive about Russia – and very confident about China.Weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Chinese were unapologetically positive about Russia and highly negative about the United States, according to a survey of public opinion conducted online in mainland China with a

Is Authoritarianism the New Normal for Asia?

Democracy is under heavy assault throughout Asia. In the latest 2022 Freedom in the World report released by Freedom House, the continent is home to the three biggest drops in this year's global freedom index.Compared to the previous year, junta-ruled Myanmar experienced a depressing 19-point plunge on the report's 100-point scale. This is the largest annual decline since 2014, when neighboring

Elon Musk 'Must Change' Twitter Policy: China State Media Bureau Chief

After Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought Twitter on Monday, some observers wondered if China—where the carmaker has an important plant and market—would subsequently wield more influence over the social media platform. On Friday, Chen Weihua, the EU bureau chief with state-controlled media outlet China Daily, called for the removal of the label on his Twitter bio as "China state-affiliated media." He

Chinese hackers cast wide net for trade secrets in US, Europe and Asia, researchers say

Chinese government-linked hackers have tried to steal sensitive data from some three dozen manufacturing and technology firms in the US, Europe and Asia, security researchers said Wednesday, in findings that shed new light on Beijing's alleged use of hacking to buttress its powerhouse economy. The hackers targeted blueprints for producing materials with broad applications to the pharmaceutical

When the Boat People Came to Hong Kong

Les Bird still recalls his first encounter with the Vietnamese boat people. The year was 1977, and the Englishman was out patrolling with Hong Kong’s marine police force. In the distance, he saw a cluster of small, rickety boats chugging toward him. Each was crammed with 20 or 30 people. They had sailed over 1,000 kilometers on the barely-seaworthy vessels, fleeing poverty, war, and political

North Korea launches ballistic missile, Japan and South Korea say

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast on Wednesday, Japan and South Korea have reported. The missile was launched from Sunan, an area of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Meanwhile, Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Makoto Oniki said the missile is estimated to have flown at a maximum altitude of about 800

‘We are living in hell’: Pakistan and India suffer extreme spring heatwaves

For the past few weeks, Nazeer Ahmed has been living in one of the hottest places on Earth. As a brutal heatwave has swept across India and Pakistan, his home in Turbat, in Pakistan’s Balochistan region, has been suffering through weeks of temperatures that have repeatedly hit almost 50C (122F), unprecedented for this time of year. Locals have been driven into their homes, unable to work except

India and Pakistan heatwave is 'testing the limits of human survivability,' expert says

Temperatures in parts of India and Pakistan have reached record levels, putting the lives of millions at risk as the effects of the climate crisis are felt across the subcontinent. The average maximum temperature for northwest and central India in April was the highest since records began 122 years ago, reaching 35.9 and 37.78 degrees Celsius (96.62 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively,

Aung San Suu Kyi on trial in fresh bribery case against ousted Myanmar leader

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has gone on trial in a new corruption case against her, alleging she took $550,000 in bribes from a construction magnate. She is charged with two counts under the country’s the Anti-Corruption Act, with each count punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine. Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since the army ousted her elected government in February