Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 37

China’s drone swarms just got smarter, faster and harder to kill

This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese aerospace engineers have proposed a breakthrough upgrade for People’s Liberation Army (PLA) drones, drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, where approximately 90% of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reportedly neutralized by advanced air defenses.Published in the July issue of Acta Armamentarii, the research—

China fears Nvidia chips could track, trace and shut down its AIs

Beijing has asked Nvidia to explain whether its H20 artificial intelligence chips have backdoors that could allow the United States to position and remotely shut them down. Chinese pundits said similar probes could be extended to other American-made chips. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) stated on July 31 that it summoned US tech giant Nvidia over security risks related to its H20 AI

Torbjørn Færøvik: Who Will Write the History of the United States? Donald Trump or the Historians?

American universities and museums are home to some of the world’s leading historians. They also have their fair share of skilled archaeologists and curators. But Trump despises them and claims they don’t tell America’s story the right way. Above all, he dislikes narratives and presentations that clash with the MAGA movement’s twisted ideology. Even worse if they portray Trump himself in a

China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian and Iranian oil

U.S. and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the U.S. demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia. “China will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests,” China’s Foreign Ministry posted on X on Wednesday following two days of

US-China race for air supremacy at sea hits critical phase

As China readies its first catapult carrier and the US scrambles to revive its sixth-generation carrier-based fighter program, the battle for air dominance at sea is entering a crucial new phase. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is nearing a pivotal milestone with its first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, known as Fujian, as newly

Why the US Is Letting China Win on Energy Innovation

During the cold war, the United States and Soviet Union were locked in a desperate race to develop cutting‑edge technologies like long-range missiles and satellites. Fast forward to today and the frontiers of global technology have pivoted to artificial intelligence (AI) and next‑generation energy.In one domain, AI, the U.S. has far outpaced any other nation – though China looks to be closing the

Japan fears both Trump abandonment and entrapment

During all the decades of the US-Japan security alliance, which has been one of the closest security partnerships anywhere in the world, Japan has had to worry about two contradictory dangers: abandonment and entrapment.Abandonment would involve Japan’s interests being ignored by its partner amid a deal with one of its enemies; entrapment would mean being forced to fight alongside the United

Myanmar’s junta ends four-year state of emergency ahead of planned elections – but top general still in charge

Myanmar’s military on Thursday nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim government ahead of a planned election, with the junta chief remaining in charge of the war-torn country in his other role as acting president.An announcement in state media said a decree that granted power to the military after its 2021 coup had been canceled and a caretaker administration had been formed

Apple got a much-needed iPhone and China boost, but expects a $1.1 billion tariff hit this quarter

Apple reported strong iPhone sales and rebound in revenue from China, giving a much-needed boost to two parts of the company’s business that had struggled over the past year.That better-than-expected performance reassured Wall Street investors that key parts of its business are holding steady as Apple struggles to keep pace with rivals in the artificial intelligence race and navigates President

Trump’s tariffs are sending African countries into China’s hands

Africa is adjusting to the new reality of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with countries on the continent facing some of the highest export charges. But what could become a crisis is an opportunity for United States rival China, which has long courted African countries and is now offering them a lifeline.“We (Africa) are going straight into the hands of China,” Nigerian economist Bismarck