Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 332

Why Russian and Chinese warships teaming up to circle Japan is a big deal

A joint Chinese and Russian naval exercise, in which a flotilla of 10 warships completed a near circle around Japan's main island, has been touted by the two countries as a means of ensuring stability in a volatile region. But analysts say the drills are likely to have the opposite effect, potentially reigniting regional tensions and enhancing claims by the Japanese government that it needs to

US Navy wants to get crashed stealth fighter back -- before China can

The United States Navy is trying to retrieve its most advanced fighter jet from the depths of the South China Sea, an extremely complex operation that analysts say will be closely monitored by Beijing. The F-35C, a single-engine stealth fighter and the newest jet in the US Navy fleet, crash-landed on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson during routine operations on Monday, the Navy said. The $100

Taiwan Has Faith in the U.S. But Does Not Trust Joe Biden—Poll

The youth of Taiwan have growing faith in the United States, but this hasn't translated into trust in President Joe Biden, who marks one year in office on Thursday. When Biden was inaugurated on January 20, 2021, he inherited a deeply divided country struggling to contain the COVID pandemic. Not much has changed. As the domestic debate continues about the successes and failures of his first 12

Inigo Alexander: U.S. 'Walking Towards Authoritarianism' by Not Reigning in Big Tech

In recent years, concerns over digital data mining and violations of online privacy have become an increasing concern within both public and political spheres. Governments have been found to questionably employ data collection raising concerns over the increased surveillance it can afford governments, and the impact the practice may have on the democratic process and the broader geopolitics

'My hell in Beijing's sterilisation camp': Uighur Muslim incarcerated for three years at a 're-education' jail relives chilling ordeal as Prisoner No 9

Gulbahar Haitiwaji survived for three years in a Beijing Uighur sterilisation camp. She was Prisoner No 9, and cruelly forced into taking vaccination by her captors. Gulbahar was stopped from praying and spent 11 hours a day in education class:"One at a time, our warders led us into a makeshift infirmary where men in lab coats were waiting. There was no choice. I was told by one of the

China is spending $300,000 to get US influencers to share positive social media posts to boost the country's image ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics

The Chinese government is turning to social media influencers to help improve its tarnished image ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games next month in Beijing.  Vippi Media, a New Jersey-based firm, signed a $300,000 contract with the Chinese consulate general in New York to organize a social media campaign that promotes positive messaging about China and the Beijing Games on TikTok, Instagram,

IMF warns China over cost of Covid lockdowns

China, the world’s second largest economy, should review its zero-tolerance approach to the pandemic or risk damaging the global recovery, according to the head of International Monetary Fund. Kristalina Georgieva said Beijing should reassess the use of lockdowns to limit the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant since it became clear the harm to human health was less severe than the

Beijing authorities conduct mass Covid testing as cases rise before Olympics

Beijing’s local government has ordered more Covid-19 tests on Sunday as China’s capital continued to report new cases, less than two weeks before the start of the Winter Olympic Games. Nine locally transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were found in Beijing on 22 January, down from 10 a day earlier, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday, adding that six out of the nine were in

Beijing's Olympic 'bubble' will be the most ambitious Covid quarantine ever attempted. Will it work?

The Winter Games is just two weeks away and outside Beijing's Olympic venues, the banners and decorations are up. But so too are long rows of metal fences and guard posts, dividing the Chinese capital and barring anyone without an official Covid-safe pass.Having been largely sealed off from the world for two years, Beijing is bracing itself for the arrival of thousands of foreign Olympians,

China’s success taming virus could make exit strategy harder

The sweeping “zero-tolerance” strategy that China has used to keep COVID-19 case numbers low and its economy functioning may, paradoxically, make it harder for the country to exit the pandemic. Most experts say the coronavirus around the world isn’t going away and believe it could eventually become, like the flu, a persistent but generally manageable threat if enough people gain immunity through