Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 320

What Xi Jinping’s latest comments on food security suggest about China’s priorities for 2022

For the past couple of decades, safeguarding food security has been a critical priority for the Chinese central government. Beijing has sought to strengthen its focus on food security through increased agricultural production and diversification of imports, and President Xi Jinping’s recent comments signal continued concerns at the top about China’s food security. Ahead of the 20th National Party

China Strengthens Ties in Mideast and Africa As US Influence Declines

Perceptions of America's global influence are in decline, according to a report from the Eurasia Group Foundation, as the number of global respondents who gave a "very positive" appraisal of U.S. influence decreased by 20% between 2019 and 2021. These declines in sentiment are most pronounced in Middle Eastern and African states, which have opened their doors for Chinese dealmakers to expand

Hong Kong fears food supply disruption as Covid hits drivers in worsening outbreak

Hong Kong authorities said supplies of vegetables and chilled poultry to the global financial hub may be temporarily disrupted after some mainland goods vehicle drivers preliminarily tested positive for Covid-19. Hong Kong imports 90% of its food, with the mainland its most important source, especially for fresh food.Consumers have already seen a shortage of some foreign imported goods, including

Covid ‘onslaught’ has overwhelmed Hong Kong’s capacity, leader says

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, has said an “onslaught” of Covid-19 infections has dealt a heavy blow and overwhelmed capacity to deal with the virus as daily cases surge to record highs. Daily infections have multiplied by a factor of 13 over the past two weeks, from about 100 cases at the start of February to a record 2,071 on 14 February, with authorities scrambling to control the deepening

BEIJING DIARY: A segmented city, ideal for pandemic Olympics

At a hotel in Beijing’s Olympic Park, two signs compete for attention, draped across a fence against a deep blue backdrop. “Together for a shared future,” says one, trumpeting the 2022 Winter Games’ official slogan. Directly to its left, in big white letters, another warns: “Closed loop area. Don’t cross the line.”“You can’t go that way,” says a black-clad guard outside the China National

At Winter Olympics, virus fight waged with worker sacrifices

In her mind, Cathy Chen pictures a scene that she herself says could be drawn from a TV drama: Falling into the arms of her husband after long months apart, when he meets her off the plane from Beijing. Scooping up their two young daughters and squeezing them tight.“I just imagine when we’re back together,” the Olympic Games worker says, “and I just can’t control myself.”So athletes from

Fokus 2022: Etterretningstjenesten frykter Kinas "stordiplomati"

Et av konseptene i Kinas utenrikspolitiske doktrine er «stordiplomati». Deter i praksis en doktrine for bruk av alle statens virkemidler. I offisielle uttalelserheter det at diplomati er et uttrykk for statens vilje og at suksessavhenger av evnen til å koordinere bruk av ulike virkemidler.Dette handler om å trekke på aktører fra hele parti- og statsapparatet.Xi Jinping har oppfordret både

PST om samarbeid med Kina og Russland: – Me skal ikkje leggja band på akademisk fridom

Både i rapporten frå Etterretningstenesta "Fokus 2022" og rapporten frå Politiets sikringsteneste (PST) “Nasjonal trusselvurdering 2022” vert det trekt fram at ein kvar kinesisk borgar eller verksemd ”kan ifølge kinesisk lovverk pålegges å samarbeide med landets etterretningsapparat. Det betyr at aktører som i utgangspunktet har legitime hensikter, kan beordres til informasjon på vegne av

Nasjonal trusselvurdering 2022: PST advarer mot Kina

"Etter normaliseringen av det bilaterale forholdet mellom Norge og Kina, har PST sett at kinesiske nettverksoperasjoner i økende grad fokuserer på norske politiske forhold. Dette er en endring fra tidligere, hvor en større andel av operasjonene var rettet mot teknologivirksomheter. Det er sannsynlig at kinesiske digitale trusselaktører har fått i oppdrag å kartlegge norske politikere og andre som

UN labor agency cites concerns about China’s Xinjiang region

An annual report from the United Nations labor agency Friday highlighted the work conditions of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, noting signs of “coercive measures” that deprive workers of free choice in selecting jobs. It also called on Beijing to provide more information about how it’s respecting their rights.The report from an International Labor Organization