Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 313

Ukraine: what will China do? There are signs it is uneasy about Putin’s methods

China’s decision to abstain on Friday night at the end of the UN security council vote condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine may be a source of deep frustration in the west, but it will also send a nervous tremor through the Russian ministry of foreign affairs that China’s protection is not unconditional.UK-based diplomats, looking at the stance adopted by China in the middle of the week,

Hong Kong to allow in doctors from mainland China as Covid cases overwhelm hospitals

Hong Kong’s government has invoked emergency powers to allow doctors and nurses from the Chinese mainland to practise in the financial hub as it struggles to tackle a spiralling coronavirus outbreak.“The regulation will provide a legal framework for the CPG (central people’s government) to render the necessary emergent support to Hong Kong in a more effective and expeditious manner,” the

Reviled, harassed, abused: Narendra Modi’s most trenchant critic speaks out

When I talked to the journalist Rana Ayyub in her Mumbai home last Wednesday she was calmer than she was when I had spoken to her three days earlier. But that is not saying much. Last Sunday her words were jumbled, her voice on edge. She said she had not slept. That she could not eat or keep food down. That she had had thoughts of self-harm.“I was on a plane yesterday and I said to my brother, ‘

The student, the Penguin and the king: elite Thai university roiled by dissent

Just a few years ago, student activism and protests were a rarity at Chulalongkorn University – considered Thailand’s most elite and staunchly conservative campus. Yet Thailand’s oldest university, named after King Chulalongkorn, has since become yet another battleground for debate over the role of Thailand’s monarchy and political system.On Saturday, the head of the student union, Netiwit

China bans online criticism of Russia, blames US for fueling Ukraine 'tensions'

Internet censors in China have ordered news outlets and social media accounts to avoid posting anything critical of Russia or favorable to NATO, after Russia began moving troops across the border into Ukraine, prompting a flurry of international sanctions against the country's leaders.“With immediate effect, regarding all Weibo posts about Ukraine: Horizon News to post first [on this topic], to

Will Ukraine invasion embolden China in the Indo-Pacific?

Eyes are on China after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine to see if Beijing would make an opportunistic move in the Indo-Pacific, with analysts saying Beijing is watching developments in Ukraine “intently” before making any decision. Chinese officials, while refusing to call Putin’s action an “invasion,” say they’re “closely monitoring the latest developments.”“We call on all sides

China-Russia relations are at the highest level in history, but the two countries are not an alliance

China is the only friend that might help Russia blunt the impact of economic sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, but President Xi Jinping’s government is giving no sign it might be willing to risk its own access to U.S. and European markets by doing too much. Even if Beijing wanted to, its ability to support President Vladimir Putin by importing more Russian gas and other goods is

For all its parallels, Ukraine war feels distant in Taiwan

The Russian attack on Ukraine has put a spotlight on another place that could face an invasion by its larger neighbor, as some analysts draw quick comparisons to China’s threats to assert its control over self-ruled Taiwan. While similarities exist and Taiwan is a democracy that has defied a more powerful authoritarian government, the differences are much greater. And for many on the island, the

The Ukraine crisis is a major challenge for China

Hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in eastern Ukraine, the US accused Moscow and Beijing of combining to create a "profoundly illiberal" world order. Yet State Department spokesman Ned Price also said that this was an opportunity for China to use its leverage with Russia to pull back Vladimir Putin, given the new "no limits" pact he signed with China's

Taiwan warns Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone

Taiwan's air force scrambled again on Thursday to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that entered its air defense identification zone, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said, on the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine, a crisis being watched closely in Taipei. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular such missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though