Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 311

Hong Kong shops ration food and drugs to curb panic buying amid Covid lockdown fears

Soaring Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong have led to court services being suspended for a month as the two largest consumer retail chains ration certain items. The Asian financial hub has recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day in what the authorities called a “fifth wave”, overwhelming hospitals and shattering the city’s zero-Covid strategy.In an attempt to curb

India has a long history of abstaining from U.N. votes that criticize Russia

Since Russian forces launched their titanic military assault on Ukraine on February 24, India chose to remain an abstainer on both the Russian-vetoed bids by the United Nations (UN) Security Council to respond to the spirailng crisis: first, on the U.S.-sponsored resolution to condemn Moscow’s astounding turn to war, and then, the procedural vote to shift deliberations on the issue to the U.N.

Torbjørn Færøvik: Vil Kina sitte stille i båten?

”I denne bygningen er lysene alltid tent”, sa guiden min idet vi svingte inn på Chaoyanggaten i Beijing. Det var for mange år siden. Det kinesiske utenriksdepartementets bygning er en koloss på sytten etasjer. Her arbeider flere tusen ansatte, og nå, i utgangen av februar, lyser lampene klarere enn på lenge. For krigen i Ukraina har allerede gitt de kinesiske lederne sterk hodepine, og den kan

China 'Regrets' Casualties in Ukraine but Reminds World of Russia's Demands

China has expressed regret over the loss of civilian lives in Ukraine for the first time, on the sixth day of a Russian military campaign that Beijing still refuses to call an invasion.When Russian forces began bombarding Ukrainian territory on February 24, China's Foreign Ministry bridled at suggestions that there already had been non-military casualties in the conflict. Its tone softened on

Taiwan Sends 27 Tons of Medical Aid to Ukraine: 'Taiwan Is With Freedom'

Taiwan shipped 27 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine late Monday night, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday. Taiwan has joined Western allies in condemning Russia's invasion of its neighboring country, and many of its citizens have raised an alarm about the parallels between Russia and the island nation's own expansionist, authoritarian-led neighbor: China.Minister of

After Russia Invades Ukraine, China Says U.S. Support for Taiwan 'Futile'

American support for Taiwan will be in vain, a Chinese government spokesperson has said, as a delegation of former U.S. officials landed in Taipei on Tuesday—a move seen as President Joe Biden's way of reassuring the island nation's public following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Taiwan has been awash with news about Vladimir Putin's bloody military operation against Kyiv for six consecutive

Anti-Russian, anti-war voices grow louder in China in backlash against party line

More than 130 alumni of China's most prestigious universities have condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling on the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to honor a mutual security pact it signed with Kyiv in 1994. "We strongly condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine and resolutely support the just struggle of the Ukrainian people to resist it, and defend their country," said the

The Ukraine Invasion: What Lessons Is China Learning?

In the morning of February 24, Russian military forces launched a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine, and Western governments immediately announced a new round of sanctionsagainst Russia. Beijing’s public statements have been as ambiguous as ever, expressing respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, yet at the same time expressing understanding of Russia’s security

China rattled by calls for Japan to host US nuclear weapons

China has reacted angrily to calls by Japan’s influential former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, for Tokyo to consider hosting US nuclear weapons in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising concern over Chinese aggression towards Taiwan. Abe, who presided over record defence budgets before resigning in 2020, said Japan should cast off taboos surrounding its possession of nuclear weapons

China signals willingness to mediate in Ukraine-Russia war

China has signalled its willingness to play a mediator role in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as the war entered its sixth day. In his first phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, since the outbreak of the war, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said on Tuesday that Beijing “laments” the outbreak of the conflict and is “extremely concerned” about the harm to civilians,