Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 314

China ponders how Russia’s actions in Ukraine could reshape world order

The news came as a surprise to many in Beijing. Barely 24 hours ago, Chinese pundits predicted that a war in Ukraine was not inevitable. In New York, as Russia geared up for a full-on assault on its neighbour, China’s UN envoy, Zhang Jun, urged in a security council meeting that “the door to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue is not fully shut, nor should it be shut”.But when people in Kyiv

Many in China draw parallels between Ukraine and Beijing's claim on Taiwan

Beijing on Thursday called for restraint following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but said the movement of troops wasn't an invasion, and came against "a very complicated historical background." "China is closely monitoring the latest situation. We call on all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from getting out of control," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying

Swedish olympic champion gives gold medal to man imprisoned in China

A Swedish speedskater who won double Olympic gold earlier this month in Beijing, has given one of his medals to a Swedish publisher detained in China, Amnesty International said Friday. Nils van der Poel gave the medal to the daughter of Gui Minhai, a naturalized Swede who co-owned a Hong Kong store which sold gossipy books about Chinese leaders. Gui went missing in 2015 from his seaside home in

Torbjørn Færøvik: Krigen som Kina ikke ønsket

Smilene satt løst da presidentene Vladimir Putin og Xi Jinping håndhilste i Beijing 3. februar, dagen før åpningen av vinterlekene. «Hallo», sa Putin til Xi, «det er godt å se deg igjen».Møtet var deres trettiåttende siden Xis maktovertakelse i 2012. Samtalen som fulgte avfødte en felles erklæring med løfter om vennskap og tett samarbeid. «Vårt vennskap kjenner ingen grenser, og ingen

Freedom in the World 2022 The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule

Global freedom faces a dire threat. Around the world, the enemies of liberal democracy—a form of self-government in which human rights are recognized and every individual is entitled to equal treatment under law—are accelerating their attacks. Authoritarian regimes have become more effective at co-opting or circumventing the norms and institutions meant to support basic liberties, and at

Amid Ukraine Crisis, Japan Toughens Stance on Russia

Japan has announced economic sanctions against Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize the independence of – and deploy Russian troops to – two separatist-held areas in eastern Ukraine. On Wednesday Prime Minister Kishida Fumio condemned Russia’s actions as a breach of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.In recent days Japan has

Voices From China: What the CCP Doesn’t Want You to Hear

It is easy for people around the world to fall under the impression that China speaks with one authoritarian voice. The content promoted by state media to foreign and domestic audiences is dominated by glowing coverage of Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the Chinese internet is fraught with xenophobic chatter and bullying by nationalistic netizens. But this impression is

China and Russia Want to Rule the Global Internet

As the Winter Olympics kicked off in Beijing, the Chinese and Russian presidents, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, stood in unity to offer mutual support and to challenge the dominance of the U.S. and Europe. There is more at stake in their renewed close partnership than NATO expansion and the crisis in Ukraine, or the supply of natural gas to China from Russia.The joint statement that the two

Xuzhou’s Chained Woman Highlights China’s Human Trafficking Problem

Senior officials in the Chinese city of Xuzhou found themselves in deep trouble after the Lunar New Year holidays, when a series of videos went viral on Chinese social media platforms showing a woman imprisoned by chains in an open air hut in the city’s rural area. Originally posted on social media to promote a man with eight children, these videos later triggered anger across China as more

Opinion: The world is awake to China’s and Russia’s malign ambitions

If Putin topples the freely elected government of Ukraine, that government will go into exile and should, like the governments of the nations toppled by the Nazis, be recognized by the West as the legitimate government of that country for as long as it takes to return. Former national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien has been making this argument for weeks, and it’s starting to get traction.