Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 303

US Wants to Challenge China, Now Biden Needs Xi's Help to End Russia's War

As Russia's war in Ukraine rages into a fourth week, one of the most consequential moments to come from the crisis may be U.S. President Joe Biden's phone call Friday with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.The Biden administration set out to make a foreign policy priority out of countering Beijing's rise, but the urgency through which Washington has turned to its top competitor in an attempt to

China’s decisive turning point: will it side with Russia and divide the world?

Joe Biden is due to make a phone call to Xi Jinping on Friday at a potential tipping point in China’s role in the world as it decides how far to go in backing Russia’s war on Ukraine. While China has abstained on United Nations security council resolutions on the invasion, it has sided with Moscow rhetorically, echoing Russian talking points blaming Nato, and recycling conspiracy theories, and

5 reasons the Biden-Xi call is so important

When President Joe Biden speaks Friday with China's Xi Jinping, it won't be just another phone call in an ongoing flurry of telephone diplomacy. This call comes at a potential turning point for ties between the United States and China. White House officials are watching with growing concern the budding partnership between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and China's response to Russia's

US sets the stage for contentious Biden call with China's Xi

Blunt US rhetoric heading into President Joe Biden's call with Chinese President Xi Jinpingsuggests that a meeting of the minds on Russia's brutality in Ukraine is unlikely, and reflects the current bitter tensions between Washington and Beijing.Biden and Xi are due to speak at 9 a.m. ET Friday, with the US setting the stage for a stern warning that Chinese firms would pay a serious price if the

‘I’m on the frontline in Mariupol’: the Chinese reporter embedded with Russian troops

In a flak jacket and helmet, the Chinese reporter Lu Yuguang stands on the side of a road as a Russian tank roars past. “I’m on the frontline in Mariupol,” he says into the microphone. He then interviews a Russian soldier who says he’s not nervous as he’s been “fighting for eight years”. In another shot, Lu talks with a group of Russian soldiers in the back of a military vehicle.The dispatches

What Would China’s Mediation in the Ukraine Crisis Look Like?

China’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war has been following its script of a responsible great power, as I wrote recently in an article interpreting China’s views and actions on the conflict. China’s level of mediation activity is unprecedented in its recent diplomatic history, marked by frequent phone calls and online meetings between President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and their

India risks being sidelined in an increasingly polarized Indo-Pacific regional architecture

While India’s “Act East” Policy may seem a world away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war has implications for New Delhi’s eastward engagement. This comes amid renewed pressure on India’s longstanding proclivity for non-alignment and strategic autonomyin its foreign policy. There were already signs that New Delhi was pivoting away from this approach following the clash with the Chinese

Chinese plot to smear US Congress hopeful unveiled

Unsealed files have revealed a plot by five people working on behalf of Chinese secret police to stalk and harass a US military veteran running for Congress, and to spy on an artist. It is the first time, they say, a federal election campaign has been undermined in this way in America. The perpetrators went to "outrageous and dangerous" lengths to do so, the Department of Justice said. Three of

How close are China and Russia and where does Beijing stand on Ukraine?

Under the rule of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin China and Russia have become increasingly isolated from the west – and closer to each other. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came just days after Xi and Putin cemented a significant partnership on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics – the first in-person, bilateral meeting Xi had attended since the pandemic began.A joint statement from the two

South Korea reports record Covid deaths as daily cases surge past 600,000

South Korea reported record daily Covid infections and record deaths caused by the virus, as the country which once took an aggressive anti-pandemic approach is set to end Covid restrictions. On Thursday, authorities said 621,328 new daily cases of the virus were recorded, and 429 deaths.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the highly infectious Omicron variant was driving the