Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 34

China’s Summer of Climate Whiplash Brings Heat, Floods, and Drought

China has just endured its hottest summer on record, marked by deadly swings between extremes, from floods that killed 44 in Beijing to blistering temperatures across the northeast.China’s National Climate Center said average temperatures from June to August reached 22.31 degrees Celsius, the highest since records began in 1961. The heat drove millions to riverbanks, shopping malls and even

Wartime Woodcuts: The Art That Helped China Fight Japan

When the carving knife hit pinewood and art collided with the chaos of war, a new weapon emerged in China. Woodcut printing — a traditional handicraft once used for images that captured the sanctity of Buddhist scriptures and expressed the elegance of literature — assumed a new mission during WWII. It became a potent battle cry to rouse the people and ignite the flames of resistance.The Chinese

Trump signs executive order rebranding Pentagon as the Department of War

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to rebrand the Pentagon as the “Department of War,” telling reporters in the Oval Office it was a more “appropriate” name given the state of the world. “I think it’s a much more appropriate name, especially in light of where the world is right now. We have the strongest military in the world,” Trump said, before signing the order.The

Xi Jinping asks the world to choose ‘war or peace.’ Which direction is China headed?

The optics could not have been more stark as Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived at a massive military parade in Beijing flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un – with some two dozen other leaders including from Iran, Pakistan, Belarus and Myanmar trailing behind.Jumbotrons at Tiananmen Square beamed the image to the 50,000 people gathered under the beating

Can India retaliate against Trump's 50% tariffs?

US President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on India came into effect on 27 August. So far, rather than retaliating, India has put forth a carefully orchestrated geopolitical response to signal its displeasure to the US. There's been the much publicised attempt at a rapprochement with China, and striking images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing a limousine ride with Russian President

Trump's tariffs are pushing food and drink exporters closer to China

US President Donald Trump says his sweeping tariffs on most of the worldwill create jobs in the US, boost the American economy and bolster Washington's tax revenues. But some experts have warned that they could also push exporters towards other countries like China and risk raising prices for American shoppers. Agricultural brokers have told the BBC that they have seen a surge in interest in

From Cinema to Tian’anmen: How China Got Its National Anthem

The history of China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers,” began on Sept. 18, 1931. On that day, Japanese troops faked an attack on a railway line in northeastern China — known as the Mukden Incident — and used it as a pretext to invade and occupy three provinces. By 1932, they had propped up the puppet state of Manchukuo, aiming to use the region as a springboard for their greater

A Wrong Turn in the Indo-Pacific | Opinion

Just a few months ago, U.S.-India relations were on an upswing.When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the White House in February 2025, the visit was a grand affair, full of pomp and circumstance. It also yielded tangible results, including a new understanding on defense cooperation between Washington and New Delhi, a shared commitment to expand bilateral trade, and the launch of a new

Mr. Trump, Stop Pushing India Away | Opinion

The sudden imposition of U.S. tariffs on India has sparked intrigue in the American media landscape. It's a rare occurrence to see India feature in U.S. news headlines—a feat usually reserved for major natural disasters.India is considered an important U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific, countering China's dominance in global supply chains. But the U.S.-India relationship, which seemed to be sailing

Donald Trump Laments Loss of India, Russia to 'Deepest, Darkest China'

President Donald Trump said it "looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China" in a new post on his Truth Social platform. "May they have a long and prosperous future together!" Trump wrote early on Friday morning, September 5, sharing an image of the leaders of the three countries together. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin and