Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 317

US Justice Department indicts 5 for harassing, spying on critics of China

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday accused five people of attempting to suppress criticism of the Chinese government, including by trying to thwart the campaign of a candidate for Congress. In three separate cases unveiled on Wednesday, government prosecutors allege several plots to undercut criticism of China on U.S. soil. The allegations include considering physically assaulting the

Harassment of Uyghur student in US is latest in string of bullying by Chinese

The harassment by Chinese students of a New Zealand Uyghur Fulbright scholar who spoke about her brother’s detention in China during an event at Cornell University is the latest in a series of alleged incidents involving efforts to intimidate critics of Chinese policies on American campuses.On March 10, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and Cornell alumna, gave a virtual address to

As China Loses Zero-COVID Battle, It Switches Tactics for Trolling America

China waged a more successful war against COVID-19 for much of the two years since the global pandemic broke out, but that changed recently. As infections have dropped drastically in the U.S. in recent weeks, China has been hit with a dramatic new COVID surge brought on by the Omicron variant.The change in fortunes have also brought a shift in China's rhetoric. Officials from the Communist

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