Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 381

Five Chinese nationals kidnapped in DR Congo after attack near mine

Gunmen killed a policeman and kidnapped five Chinese nationals near a mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, a local official and an army spokesman said on Sunday. It was not clear who carried out the attack near the village of Mukera in South Kivu province. Relations are already strained between Chinese mining companies and local authorities, who say some firms are operating

China's foreign ministry says Peng Shuai case should not be politicized

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday the government hoped "malicious speculation" about tennis star Peng Shuai's well-being and whereabouts would stop, and that her case should not be politicized. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, declined to comment on whether the Chinese government will launch an investigation into Peng's sexual assault allegations against

The Quiet China-Africa Revolution: Chinese Investment

The Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a gathering of Chinese and African officials that has been held seven times (including three leaders’ summits) since its inauguration in 2000, has always been known – and occasionally chastised – for being highly government-focused. At the same time, however, a quiet transformation has been taking place: Investors have begun to dominate China-Africa

IOC interview with Peng Shuai raises even more questions

Out of public view for almost three weeks, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has appeared in a video call with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. The IOC and the Chinese government would like this to be the end of the Peng saga, which has run since Nov. 2 when she accused former vice premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. That may be wishful thinking on their part.The interview

In Africa, Blinken sees limits of US influence abroad

Traveling across Africa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saw firsthand the limits of America’s influence abroad. Blinken confronted authoritarianism, growing threats from newly energized extremists, and persistent challenges posed by COVID-19 and climate change, all of which have stubbornly resisted various U.S. interventions. And, nowhere on his three-nation tour last week — to Kenya,

African nations mend and make do as China tightens Belt and Road

Deep in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, members of the National Youth Service tirelessly swing machetes to clear dense shrubs obscuring railway tracks more than a century old. It's a distinctly low-tech phase for China's Belt and Road drive in Africa to create the trade highways of the future. There's not enough money left to complete the new 1,000-km super-fast rail link from the port of Mombasa to

Xi Says China Will Not Seek Dominance Over Southeast Asia

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday said his country will not seek dominance over Southeast Asia or bully its smaller neighbors, amid ongoing friction over the South China Sea. Xi made the remarks during a virtual conference with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, held to mark the 30th anniversary of relations between China and the grouping. Two diplomats said

China demands Lithuania mend rift over Taiwan relations

China on Monday demanded Lithuania end its newly enhanced relationship with Taiwan that has already prompted Beijing to downgrade diplomatic ties from the ambassadorial level with the EU-member nation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Lithuania should “immediately put right its mistake” of allowing the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory to open a de-facto

The 2021 China report of the Lancet

China, with its growing population and economic development, faces increasing risks to health from climate change, but also opportunities to address these risks and protect health for generations to come. Without a timely and adequate response, climate change will impact lives and livelihoods at an accelerated rate. In 2020, the Lancet Countdown Regional Centre in Asia, led by Tsinghua University

Health Impacts of Climate Change in China Worsening, Report Says

Extreme weather events associated with climate change, including deadly heat waves, devastating floods, and historic sandstorms, have killed hundreds of people across China over the past year. Now, in the most comprehensive analysis so far, experts warned these threats are likely to get worse in the coming years in the country. The new report published Sunday in the British medical journal, The