Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 379

Journalists in China face ‘nightmare’ worthy of Mao era, press freedom group says

Xi Jinping has created a “nightmare” of media oppression worthy of the Mao era, and Hong Kong’s journalism is in “freefall”, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In a major report released on Wednesday, the journalism advocacy group detailed the worsening treatment of journalists and tightening of control over information in China, adding to an environment in which “freely accessing

China accuses Australia of ‘political posturing’ over diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has confirmed Australian officials will not attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, joining the United States in a diplomatic boycott of next year’s Games and prompting accusations from Beijing of political posturing. Morrison told reporters in Sydney it was “not surprising”, given the deterioration in the diplomatic relationship between Australia and China, that

Ahead of Biden’s Democracy Summit, China Says: We’re Also a Democracy

As President Biden prepares to host a “summit for democracy” this week, China has counterattacked with an improbable claim: It’s a democracy, too. No matter that the Communist Party of China rules the country’s 1.4 billion people with no tolerance for opposition parties; that its leader, Xi Jinping, rose to power through an opaque political process without popular elections; that publicly calling

Situation In Philippines Getting Ugly: Deep Divides, Xenophobia, US-China Tensions

Overshadowed by US-Sino friction and xenophobic rhetoric, the 2022 election campaigns are getting ugly. Old elites hope to derail leading candidates while consolidating a set of US-Philippine military faits accomplis before the vote. Recently, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) established a comprehensive strategic partnership, a new bilateral milestone. However, the

Lithuania seeks EU protection from Chinese bullying

Lithuania has asked for EU solidarity against China's "economic coercion" to stop Vilnius's backing for Taiwan. Lithuanian firms in the pharmaceutical, electronics, and food sectors have recently had shipments "effectively banned from entering the Chinese market," Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said in a letter to the EU Commission and foreign service on Monday (6 December),

China's middle class is starting to look a lot like America's, and that's not a good thing

China's middle class has grown explosively in the past twenty years. In 2000, roughly 3% of the country's population was classified as middle class. By 2018, more than half of China's population — 707 million people — had entered the country's middle-income bracket, according to calculations from the Center for Strategic and International Studies that defined the middle class as those spending

China threatens the US with retaliation over diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics

China has threatened the Biden administration with retaliation over its decision to impose a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, warning the move could damage bilateral relations.The Biden administration said Monday it would not send an official United States delegation to the Beijing Winter Games as a statement against China's "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity

The EU is finally putting its money where its mouth is on China

The European Union has long been criticized for trying to have its cake and eat it when it comes to China. On one hand, it badly wants a strong economic relationship with its biggest partner for goods trade. On the other, it recognizes the Chinese government is a serial human rights offender and systemic rival. This attempt to balance contradictory realities has often led to policy incoherence

China unveils package to boost economy as Evergrande teeters

China’s politburo has signalled measures to kickstart the faltering economy as the crisis gripping the country’s debt-laden property sector continued to blight prospects for growth. President Xi Jinping’s senior leadership committee rubber-stamped a plan from the central bank on Monday for more targeted lending to businesses and outlined support for the housing market.The People’s Bank of China (

Whistleblower condemns Foreign Office over Kabul evacuation

Tens of thousands of Afghans were unable to access UK help following the fall of Kabul because of turmoil and confusion in the Foreign Office, according a devastating account by a whistleblower. A former diplomat has claimed bureaucratic chaos, ministerial intervention, lack of planning and a short-hours culture in the department led to “people being left to die at the hands of the Taliban”.The