Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 365

Police in China send girl, 14, back to parents who allegedly tried to sell her into marriage for $40,000

Police in northwestern China broke up the wedding of a 14-year-old girl whose parents allegedly tried to sell her into marriage with a stranger for a nearly $40,000 dowry, authorities said. The teenager called police in Zhongning county, Ningxia region during the wedding on November 24 to say she was being forced into the illegal marriage against her will, according to a post by the local Justice

Aung San Suu Kyi is back behind bars. But that won't stop Myanmar's pro-democracy movement

Global condemnation followed the jailing of Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyion Monday. United Nations Special Rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called the verdict a "theater of the absurd" and described the country's ruling junta as "a criminal gang." Human Rights Watch said the military was "using this sham court proceeding to wipe out all opposition to

China's currency is having an even better year than the US dollar. Here's why

China is grappling with a slowing economy, yet its currency has rarely been stronger. The yuan is also outperforming the US dollar this year even as the Fed prepares to hike interest rates. So what gives?The Chinese currency has soared more than 8% in 2021, according to an index that tracks the yuan's performance against 24 other currencies. Based on that gauge — the CFETS RMB Index — it is just

Jailed Chinese citizen journalist, disappeared rights lawyer win Lin Zhao award

Jailed citizen journalist Zhang Zhan and disappeared rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng have won the Lin Zhao Freedom Award for their work promoting Chinese civil society and advancing the rule of law. The U.S.-based Christian rights group ChinaAid said it had presented Gao's award to his U.S.-based wife Geng He, while China Change founder Chen Yaxue accepted Zhang's award, which honors a Mao-era

Is Germany’s New Government Going to Break With China?

During her 16 years as Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel faced a complex, multipolar world that challenged her on various fronts. Perhaps one of her primary strengths was succeeding in remaining loyal to Germany’s alliance partner, the United States, while keeping precarious relations with Russia halfway intact and even establishing an essential partnership with China while integrating the

House Ratchets Up Pressure on China With Bipartisan Votes on Peng Shuai and Uyghur Labor

The normally fractious House of Representatives closed ranks on Wednesday to pass resolutions designed to pile pressure on China in the weeks leading up to the Beijing Winter Olympics. The first resolution, passed unanimously, condemned the International Olympics Committee's (IOC) kid-gloved handling of missing tennis star Peng Shuai. Shuai disappeared from public view after she publicly made a

Opinion: Biden Must Defend Democracy Against Rising Authoritarianism

This week, President Biden will meet with more than 100 world leaders, civil society actors and private-sector representatives for the Summit for Democracy. Biden's focus will be on "renewing democracy in the United States and around the world," but should also include the place where the biggest threat to democracy is emerging: the internet.Russia and China have already proved a formidable

EU unveils trade sanction plan to counter foreign coercion

The European Union moved Wednesday to set up a system of quick-fire trade sanctions that it could impose on any foreign power, like China, that it accuses of trying to coerce the 27-country bloc for economic or political gain.The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, manages trade with the outside world on behalf of member nations. It’s seeking their permission to react without needing

EXPLAINER: What does an Olympic diplomatic boycott achieve?

Diplomatic boycotts of the Olympics aim to snub host nations while keeping athletes free to compete. A small cascade of government boycotts hit China on Wednesday, less than two months before the Beijing Olympics open. The impact of these political weapons on athletes at the games should be close to zero, and viewers should see no difference in their broadcast content. Their aim is calculated to

Canada joins US and allies in Beijing Olympics boycott

Canada will join the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday.The announcement came after the White House, the Australian government and the UK government confirmed diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Games in February to protest Chinese human rights abuses. China