Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 377

How China Managed to Wipe Out All Mentions of Its Most Explosive #MeToo Case

Hours after Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai accused a former Communist Party official of sexual assault in a shocking online post, Eric Liu witnessed one of the most intensive censorship campaigns carried out before his eyes. The process looked familiar to Liu, who worked as a content censor at Weibo, the microblogging site where Peng described how former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli coerced her into

Afghan Girl' from National Geographic magazine cover granted refugee status in Italy

The "Afghan Girl" made famous after featuring on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985 has been granted refugee status by Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, according to an Italian government press office statement. The striking portrait of then 12-year-old Sharbat Gula, a Pashtun orphan in a refugee camp on the Afghan-Pakistan border, was taken in 1984 and published the next year.

Five US lawmakers defy China by meeting with officials in Taiwan

Five US lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Thursday to meet with government officials, defying Beijing to visit the contested island. "When news of our trip broke yesterday, my office received a blunt message from the Chinese Embassy, telling me to call off the trip," Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, wrote Thursday on Twitter. "The auto industry's largest supplier of microchips is here in

Peng Shuai: Man claiming to know athlete says WTA head ignored mail

A man claiming to be an associate of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has accused the head of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) of allegedly ignoring an email from her. Ding Li tweeted a screenshot of mail he claims she wrote to WTA chief Steve Simon asking not to be "disturbed". Ms Peng disappeared from public view after accusing former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. The

US inviting Taiwan to 'Summit for Democracy' sparks angry China response

China on Wednesday accused the United States of making a "mistake" after President Joe Bideninvited Taiwan to its "Summit for Democracy" which is set to take place next month. More than 100 countries have been invited to the virtual summit, though China is not among them. And Beijing said it "firmly opposed" the island being on the guest list as it regards Taiwan as "an inalienable part of

Japan, Vietnam look to cyber defense against China

Japan and Vietnam on Tuesday signed a cybersecurity agreement as the two Asian nations rapidly step up their military ties amid concerns over China’s growing assertiveness. Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters that the cyberspace agreement aimed to address a “strong sense of urgency” over activities in the Indo-Pacific region that challenge the existing international order,

Russia, China sign roadmap for closer military cooperation

Russia’s defense chief on Tuesday signed a roadmap for closer military ties with China, pointing to increasingly frequent U.S. strategic bomber flights near both countries’ borders. During a video call, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe “expressed a shared interest in stepping up strategic military exercises and joint patrols by Russia and China,” according to

It’s not just Peng. China is cracking down on MeToo movement

Huang Xueqin, who publicly supported a woman when she accused a professor of sexual assault, was arrested in September. Wang Jianbing, who helped women report sexual harassment, was detained along with her. Neither has been heard from since. Meanwhile, several other women’s rights activists have faced smear campaigns on social media and some have seen their accounts shuttered.When tennis star

Who is Zhang Gaoli? The man at the center of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's #MeToo allegation

Before retiring as vice premier, Zhang Gaoli was the face of China's organizing efforts ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics. As the head of a government working group on the Beijing Games, Zhang inspected venue construction sites, visited athletes, unveiled official emblems, and held meeting after meeting to coordinate preparation work.He received International Olympic Committee (IOC) President

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has finally appeared in public. But here's why the worries aren't going away

Almost as abruptly as she had vanished, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuaireappeared in public view over the weekend. Since Friday evening, a steady stream of photos and videos purporting to show a smiling Peng going about her life in Beijing have surfaced on Twitter -- all posted by individuals working for Chinese government-controlled media and the state sport system, on a platform blocked in