Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 322

What Russian aggression in Ukraine means for Southeast Asia

Russia is attacking Ukraine, an act of aggression that could upend the global order. This is a clear violation of the sovereignty of a state, a central principle of international law. Yet the response from across the capitals of Southeast Asia has been muted, despite the extremely dangerous precedent that it sets. President Vladimir Putin’s goal is not to take over Ukraine. He wants a compliant

Hundreds of Lao women trapped in Chinese-run SEZ, unable to pay off debt

On International Women’s Day, members of the official Lao Women’s Union say that women in the Southeast Asian country still lack equality and suffer significant exploitation, violence and human trafficking — especially those who are recruited to work in a Chinese-run special economic zone. Poverty has driven many to seek purportedly well-paying jobs in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in

Potala Palace self-immolation protester identified as popular Tibetan singer

A Tibetan man who shouted slogans and set himself on fire last week in a protest in front of the iconic Potala Palace in the Tibet regional capital Lhasa has been identified as a popular contemporary Tibetan singer, sources in the region and in India told RFA Saturday. Tsewang Norbu, 25, died after his Feb. 25 self-immolation. Initial accounts said he was thwarted by police, but RFA later

Chinese government adviser calls for law to ban ‘fake news’

An adviser to the Chinese government has called for new laws to ban “fabricating and disseminating fake information online”, blaming the rampant disinformation on the internet for polarising Chinese public opinion. Jia Qingguo, a member of China’s highest political advisory body, said he also believed the proliferation of misinformation online had fuelled tensions between China and foreign

UN human rights chief to visit China, including Xinjiang, in May

The UN rights chief has announced that she will make a long-delayed visit to China in May, including to Xinjiang, where activists and western lawmakers say Beijing is subjecting Uyghur people to genocide. “I am pleased to announce that we have recently reached an agreement with the government of China for a visit,” Michelle Bachelet told the UN human rights council on Tuesday.She said the office

Opinion: With America's Eyes on Ukraine, Biden Made Biggest Concession to China Yet

With America's eyes fixed on Ukraine, the Biden administration just gave Communist China its greatest gift yet. In so doing, it caved—by its own admission—to the demands of American progressives, who serve as the Chinese Communist Party's most useful of idiots. In a little-noticed February 23 university speech, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security

China Reiterates Friendship With Russia, Says Both Will Bring World 'Peace'

China reiterated its friendship with Russia on Monday, saying that their relationship benefits their respective citizens and can also help bring international "peace." During a press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described Russia as China's "most important strategic partner" and said that their joint ties are "one of the most crucial bilateral relationships in the world." He added,

The digital Iron Curtain: How Russia's internet could soon start to look a lot like China's

Like much else about the country, Russia's internet has long straddled East and West. Russian citizens, unlike their Chinese counterparts, have been able to access US tech platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google, though they have been subject to censorship and restrictions — the defining feature of China's internet model.But Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has increasingly isolated the

‘It came too late’: Chinese students who fled Ukraine criticise embassy response

Immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, Yang, a 22-year-old classical music student in Kyiv, called the Chinese embassy in the city to seek help. He tried several times but the line was engaged. “I don’t know why the embassy didn’t tell us the war was going to break out when other countries advised their citizens to leave days before,” he said. Yang then followed his university’s

For Chinese Abroad, a Winter Olympics-Sized Hangover

The curtain may have fallen on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but its ramifications are still being felt. All Olympics are political to an extent, and this year’s Games were colored as much by identity politics as geopolitics.On one level, the competition was a triumph of international amity and integration. At a time when China’s relations with much of the rest of the world are fraught — and