Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 318

Chinese plot to smear US Congress hopeful unveiled

Unsealed files have revealed a plot by five people working on behalf of Chinese secret police to stalk and harass a US military veteran running for Congress, and to spy on an artist. It is the first time, they say, a federal election campaign has been undermined in this way in America. The perpetrators went to "outrageous and dangerous" lengths to do so, the Department of Justice said. Three of

How close are China and Russia and where does Beijing stand on Ukraine?

Under the rule of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin China and Russia have become increasingly isolated from the west – and closer to each other. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came just days after Xi and Putin cemented a significant partnership on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics – the first in-person, bilateral meeting Xi had attended since the pandemic began.A joint statement from the two

South Korea reports record Covid deaths as daily cases surge past 600,000

South Korea reported record daily Covid infections and record deaths caused by the virus, as the country which once took an aggressive anti-pandemic approach is set to end Covid restrictions. On Thursday, authorities said 621,328 new daily cases of the virus were recorded, and 429 deaths.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the highly infectious Omicron variant was driving the

EXPLAINER: How plausible is Chinese military aid for Russia?

The U.S. says Russia has asked China to provide military assistance for its war in Ukraine, and that China has responded affirmatively. Both Moscow and Beijing have denied the allegation, with a Chinese spokesperson dismissing it as “disinformation.” Still, the claims have generated conjecture over how far Beijing would be willing to go in backing its “most important strategic partner,” as

Vaccine Skeptics Fear Communist Party As Much as Side Effects in Hong Kong

All but COVID-free for two years, Hong Kong is experiencing a deadly outbreak that has spilled over its land borders into China—and the central government in Beijing may be partly to blame.Before the city's Omicron surge began in late December 2021, its daily infections rarely reached double digits. With nearly 700,000 cases and 4,300 deaths in a matter of weeks, Hong Kong is now reporting the

China, After Years Mocking U.S. Over COVID, Has World's Deadliest Hotspot

China on Tuesday reported new COVID-19 infection cases in the country had doubled on Monday from the prior day, which resulted in a two-year high. The news dealt a blow to Hong Kong's frequent touting of its tough COVID measures as well as to its frequent criticism of the United States' response to the pandemic.China's National Health Commission reported a total of 3,507 new domestically

How much can — and will — China help Russia as its economy crumbles?

Sanctions, asset freezes and withdrawals of international companies are hammering the Russian economy in response to President Vladimir Putin's military assault on Ukraine, leaving Moscow with only one ally powerful enough to rely on as a source of potential support: China."I think that our partnership with China will still allow us to maintain the cooperation that we have achieved, and not only

Can China’s SWIFT Alternative Give Russia a Lifeline?

“Apply this economic, peaceful, silent, deadly remedy and there will be no need for force.” Following World War I and the subsequent creation of the League of Nations, President Woodrow Wilson used these words to describe the impact of sanctions. Certainly, times have changed.Following the 2014 invasion and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, Russia was the target of many such sanctions. And now

While the sky over Ukraine is covered by smoke and fire, the atmosphere in Taiwan is the exact opposite.

While the sky over Ukraine is covered by smoke and fire, the atmosphere in Taiwan is the exact opposite. For weeks, big crowds took the streets every night to watch fireworks and fascinating drone shows in celebration of the Lantern Festival – and Taiwan’s recent diplomatic success. Over Kaohsiung, the southern port city, more than 1,500 lighting drones displayed an unambiguous political message:

War censorship exposes Putin’s leaky internet controls

Long before waging war on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin was working to make Russia’s internet a powerful tool of surveillance and social control akin to China’s so-called Great Firewall.So when Western tech companies began cutting ties with Russia following its invasion, Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov was alarmed. He’d spent years exposing Russian censorship and feared that