Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 348

Security scanners across Europe tied to China govt, military

At some of the world’s most sensitive spots, authorities have installed security screening devices made by a single Chinese company with deep ties to China’s military and the highest levels of the ruling Communist Party.The World Economic Forum in Davos. Europe’s largest ports. Airports from Amsterdam to Athens. NATO’s borders with Russia. All depend on equipment manufactured by Nuctech, which

Japan, France seek to deepen security ties amid China’s rise

The foreign and defense ministers of Japan and France held talks on Thursday as the two countries seek to deepen security ties in the Indo-Pacific region, where tensions have been rising amid China’s military buildup and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, accompanied by Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, described France as an indispensable

Iran, Russia and China begin joint naval drill

Teheran, Russia and China on Friday began a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean aimed at boosting marine security, state media reported. Iran’s state TV said 11 of its vessels were joined by three Russian ships including a destroyer, and two Chinese vessels. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard will also participate with smaller ships and helicopters.The report said the maneuvers would cover some 17,000

China’s factories face ‘rather large’ downward pressure in the first quarter, official says

China’s factory production faces “rather large” downward pressure for the first quarter, an official with the national Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Thursday. The industrial economy still hasn’t seen a firm recovery, due to the global pandemic, weakening trade growth, lack of consumer demand and other factors, spokesperson Luo Junjie told reporters.“On top of that, recently

New Hong Kong barristers’ chief warns profession to stay out of politics

The newly elected leader of Hong Kong barristers says that his profession should avoid politics and build closer ties to mainland China, as concerns grow about rule of law in the financial hub. The Hong Kong Bar Association has been a vocal defender of human rights and its previous leader had criticised a Beijing-imposed national security law, drawing fierce condemnation from Chinese

Beijing Winter Olympics: Why are they controversial?

The Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics are due to take place in February. However, China's human rights record has prompted a number of countries to declare diplomatic boycotts of the Games, which means their top officials won't attend. The Winter Olympics take place from 4 February to 20 February with around 3,000 athletes competing in 109 different events. The Winter Paralympics run from 4

‘His family robbed the country’: personality cult of ex-Kazakh leader crumbles

Walking through the home-town museum built to honourNursultan Nazarbayev, the former Kazakhstan president who built a personality cult around his rule, there are few signs of the anger that swept across the central Asian country earlier this month.Visitors to the imposing three-storey building in Shamalgan are treated to a maquette of the house where the young Nazarbayev grew up, a Mercedes that

Research Briefing: The Uyghur Tribunal

The Uyghur Tribunal is an unofficial body that examined claims of human rights abuses and crimes against humanity reportedly committed against the Uyghur people by China in its Xinjiang province. The Tribunal has no legal powers. Its hearings were held at Church House in London.The Tribunal was chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, a barrister who has served as a part-time judge and worked at the

Torbjørn Færøvik: Kinas olympiske farse

Underlige olympiske vinterleker står for døren. Kina forbereder et to ukers arrangement uten frihet, glede og spontanitet. All transport, ja alle bevegelser, skal foregå i en virusfri ”loop”. Straks utøvere og andre ankommer Beijing, fraktes de til en lukket deltakerlandsby uten å komme i fysisk kontakt med det virkelige Kina. Egne biler, busser og tog skal frakte dem hit og dit. Skulle et

Beijing 2022 official says athlete protests will lead to punishment

Behavior by athletes that violates the Olympic spirit or Chinese rules could be subject to punishment, a Beijing 2022 official said, after rights groups voiced concern about the safety of competitors if they protest at next month’s Games. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites,” although