Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 331

China demands US halt Olympics ‘interference’

China is demanding the U.S. end “interference” in the Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin next week, in an apparent reference to a diplomatic boycott imposed by Washington and some of its allies. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the demand in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday Beijing time, according to a news release posted on the Foreign Ministry’s website.The

New Honduras Leader Says She Hopes to Maintain Taiwan Ties

Honduras is grateful for the support Taiwan has provided and hopes to maintain their relationship, President-elect Xiomara Castro said on Wednesday after meeting Taiwan Vice President William Lai, who is in the country to shore up shaky ties. Honduras is one of only 14 countries with formal diplomatic relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Castro floated the idea of ditching Taipei for Beijing in

US warns China of 'global security' risks due to Russian threat in Ukraine

China has told the United States it wants to see all sides involved in Ukraine remain calm and avoid increasing tension while the United States stressed de-escalation and warned of the security and economic risks from Russian aggression. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about Ukraine on a telephone call late on Wednesday. "We call on all parties to

China 2008 vs China 2022: Richer, stronger, and more confrontational

China has undergone history-making change since the last time it was an Olympic host in 2008: It is richer, more heavily armed and openly confrontational. As President Xi Jinping’s government prepares for February’s Winter Olympics, it has greater leverage to exert influence abroad and resist complaints from the United States and other governments over trade, technology theft and its treatment of

Winter Olympics: Will the Beijing Games be 'green and clean'?

China has promised to deliver a "green and clean" Winter Olympics, which gets under way on 4 February. Organisers say they have prioritised protecting native species, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting down on resources used. But there's been criticism that this will be the first Winter Olympics to rely entirely on artificial snow - and that some events will be held in the middle of a

Winter Olympics 2022: China eases Covid testing rules amid rise in cases

Organisers of the Beijing Winter Olympics have eased a Covid-19 testing requirement for participants, amid a growing number of cases in the capital. The new change makes it easier for participants arriving at the Games to be considered virus-free. Of more than 3,000 Olympic arrivals, 106 have tested positive for the virus since 4 January. Outside of the tournament's closed-off premises, Beijing

China sends largest incursion of warplanes into Taiwan defence zone since October

China’s air force flew 39 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Sunday, the largest daily number since record-breaking incursions in October. Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence said it had tasked aircraft in response, issued radio warnings to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) pilots and deployed missile defence systems to monitor the activity. In recent years the PLA has ratcheted

Dutch university gives up Chinese funding due to impartiality concerns

A decision by a leading Dutch university to refuse all further Chinese funding for a controversial study centre has sparked fresh concern about Beijing’s apparent attempts to influence debate at European educational institutions. Amsterdam’s Vrije Universiteit (VU), the fourth largest university in the Netherlands, has said it will accept no further money from the Southwest University of

Xi Jinping warns China’s low-carbon ambitions must not interfere with ‘normal life’

China’s ambitious low-carbon goals should not come at the expense of energy and food security or the “normal life” of ordinary people, president Xi Jinping said, signalling a more cautious approach to climate change as the economy slows. China, the world’s biggest source of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions, has been under pressure to “enhance ambition” and take more drastic action to

North Korea publicly executes defense chief, say South Korean reports

North Korea has publicly executed the country's defense minister after the regime accused him of treason, according to reports from South Korea on Tuesday. Hyon Yong Chol was killed by fire from an anti-aircraft gun at a military school in front of hundreds of people in Pyongyang, the South Korean Intelligence Service (NIS) was reported to have told parliament members in a closed door session.