Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 293

What it Takes to Organize a Group Buy in Locked Down Shanghai

Check out this brand-new job opportunity in locked-down Shanghai: group buy organizer. It requires you to stay online 24 hours a day, be ready for a barrage of messages anytime, and sometimes unload 45 kilograms of strawberries all alone at 2 a.m. Most importantly, the job offers absolutely no income.Under full-scale lockdown for more than two weeks, Shanghai, a city of over 25 million people, is

Shanghai Lockdown Brings Back Memories of China's Past

I lived my young adulthood during the transition from the planned economy to the opening of the market. Reform and opening up began to take shape in Shanghai in the late 80s. After I graduated from college, I was assigned to work at the Shanghai Machine Tool Factory in 1986. I soon felt that the atmosphere was changing. People around me were getting out of the system and going all over the

China Says Thousands of Companies Risk Contaminating Soil

China’s top environmental authority said that over two-thirds of companies on the government’s pollution watchlist risk contaminating the country’s soil, domestic media Caixin reportedMonday. About 70% of the 15,000 companies were found to be not adequately equipped to prevent toxic chemicals from leaking into the soil or not doing enough to prevent them, Caixin reported, citing the Ministry of

Female suicide bomber behind Karachi attack that killed 3 Chinese citizens: police

Three teachers from China and a driver have been killed in a suspected suicide bombing near a Chinese language learning center in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi.The four were in a van near the University of Karachi's Confucius Institute when the blast ripped through the vehicle on Tuesday evening, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah told CNN. A female suicide bomber was responsible for

China's Xi calls for 'all-out' infrastructure splurge to rescue economy

China is about to embark on a new infrastructure spending spree in a bid to fix an economy nearing breaking point because of Covid lockdowns. President Xi Jinping told a meeting of senior economic officials Tuesday that "all out efforts" must be made to boost construction to increase domestic demand and promote growth. He said that the nation's infrastructure was still "incompatible" with the

Five Chinese Companies Have Suspended Business in Russia

The number of Chinese companies that have suspended operations in the Russian market has now reached five, following drone maker DJI's decision to halt business activities in Russia and Ukraine this week.DJI's civilian drones are used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces in their ongoing conflict, aiding operations ranging from general battlefield surveillance to precise artillery targeting. The

U.S. Navy Riles China by Sailing Destroyer Near Taiwan

A U.S. Navy warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday in a now regular exercise that China has decried as "provocative." The 7th Fleet, headquartered in Japan, said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on April 26, sailing "through international waters in accordance with international law." The operation "demonstrates

As Pakistan and Iran Face Afghan Unrest, Militants Wage War on China's Ties

As Pakistan and Iran grapple with growing unrest exploited by militants groups operating in Afghanistan, the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has declared war on Chinese presence in the Balochistan region, which sits at the heart of Asia and China's economic interests at the center of the continent. In the latest eruption of violence to beset Pakistan since the Taliban took over

Shanghai's 'Zero-COVID' Lockdown Gets Metal Barriers: 'So Disrespectful'

Authorities in Shanghai, China, have erected metal barriers as part of the city's ongoing fight against COVID-19 outbreaks, sparking fresh backlash from residents. The green barriers recently went up around residential buildings in the city, Reuters reported on Sunday. Workers in white hazmat suits were spotted erecting the two-meter high fences, further sealing off blocks of housing and even

Professor Seth D. Kaplan: Should We Sanction China Too?

The State Department's recently released annual human rights report once again condemned China's abuses. It reiterates that the Chinese government is committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and subjecting them to forced labor, forced sterilization and arbitrary imprisonment. Meanwhile, Beijing is leveraging its economic heft to build up its military so as to challenge America's