Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 312

Ukraine: China’s Burning Bridge to Europe?

As the world monitors Russia’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border, the actions of China, Russia’s strategic partner, are worth watching as well. China has been Ukraine’s top trade partner since 2020 and views Ukraine as a critical entrepôt for its Belt and Road Initiative ambitions. Agricultural exports from Ukraine have also become important for China in the wake of the China-U.S. trade

China Was Woefully Unprepared for the Russia-Ukraine War

While countries around the world warned their citizens to avoid traveling to Ukraine before the imminent military conflict, China did not take significant actions until the day Russia started its invasion. Instead, it downplayed the potential for conflict and thus missed the chance to safely evacuate Chinese citizens.The information posted by the Chinese Embassy to Ukraine showed that the Chinese

China’s Muddled Ukraine Response Feeds Rare Domestic Debate

As China holds off in publicly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a rare debate has emerged on Chinese social media over the military action by a close diplomatic partner. Images of global anti-war protests -- including in Russia -- circulated on China’s Twitter-like Weibo over the weekend, as Putin’s forces shelled Ukrainian cities. Articles mocking Russia’s

Why the Chinese Internet Is Cheering Russia’s Invasion

If President Vladimir V. Putin is looking for international support and approval for his invasion of Ukraine, he can turn to the Chinese internet. Its users have called him “Putin the Great,” “the best legacy of the former Soviet Union” and “the greatest strategist of this century.” They have chastised Russians who protested against the war, saying they had been brainwashed by the United

China says it opposes sanctions after SWIFT ban on Russian banks

China's foreign ministry on Monday (Feb 28) reiterated its opposition to the use of what it calls illegal and unilateral sanctions, after Western countries moved to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, speaking at a regular daily news briefing, also brushed off a call from the White House on Sunday for China to condemn

ndia walks tightrope over calls for Russia’s isolation

India’s decision to abstain from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Russia cease its invasion of Ukraine does not mean support for Moscow, experts said, but reflects New Delhi’s reliance on its Cold War ally for energy, weapons and support in conflicts with neighbors. India on Friday regretted countries giving up the path of diplomacy but refrained from voting along with

Ukraine: Why India is not criticising Russia over invasion

India has had to walk a diplomatic tightrope over Ukraine in the past few days as it tried to balance its ties with Moscow and the West. Delhi's first statement in the UN Security Council (UNSC) did not name any country directly but it said it regretted that calls from the international community to give diplomacy and dialogue a chance had not been heeded.It, however, stopped short of criticising

Uttar Pradesh elections: 'We Muslims are treated like the sacrificial goat'

In mid-August last year, a Hindu vigilante group attacked a popular food stall run by three Muslim brothers in the temple town of Mathura in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The men accused them of profiting from the name of a Hindu god and tore up their posters and signboards, said Abid, one of the brothers who ran Shrinath Dosa Corner."They said Hindus eat here because they think

Uttar Pradesh: BSP chief Mayawati fighting for her legacy in elections

The mood outside the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) office appeared downbeat compared to the bustling offices of other political parties in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh (UP) state where polls are taking place to elect a new government.BSP chief Mayawati is a four-time chief minister and an icon for Dalits - formerly untouchables who are at the bottom of a discriminatory Hindu caste system and

Analysis: Ukraine war tests growing China-Russia partnership

Three weeks ago, the leaders of China and Russia declared that the friendship between their countries “has no limits” as they met in Beijing on the eve of the Winter Olympics. But that was before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a gambit that is testing just how far China is willing to go.The nuclear-armed neighboring giants have grown closer in recent years, raising the specter of an alliance of