Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 384

Biden says he's considering US diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday that he is mulling a US diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. "It's something we're considering," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office following a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A senior administration official told CNN on Wednesday that Biden is not expected to attend the upcoming Olympics in

Taiwan unveils new F-16V fighter jets amid military threats from China

Taiwan on Thursday showed off its newest military hardware -- upgraded F-16 fighter jets that would be at the heart of the island's defense in the event of an air attack from China. The F-16s screamed across the sky at Chiayi Air Base on the island's southwestern coast as pilots performed aerial maneuvers to demonstrate the capabilities of Taiwan's first squadron of US-made F-16V, or Viper,

Women's tennis is challenging the Chinese government -- and it shows no sign of backing down

When tennis star Peng Shuai launched her explosive #MeToo accusation against a former Communist Party leader earlier this month, the Chinese government responded in typical fashion -- by muffling her with blanket censorship. Now, more than two weeks on, Beijing is facing a storm of its own making, as the global women's tennis community rises up to challenge Chinese authorities for silencing of

Sarah Cook: Beijing's Content Manipulation Reaches New Frontiers

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long sought to influence the media and information spaces in other countries, deploying a diverse set of tools to achieve its aims. Yet for many years there was no significant evidence that China-linked actors were engaging in aggressive disinformation campaigns on global social media platforms like the one pursued by Moscow ahead of the 2016 US elections.

India's Prime Minister Modi to repeal controversial farm laws following more than a year of protests

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday he would repeal three contentious agricultural laws that sparked more than a year of protests, in a rare apparent climb down ahead of pivotal state elections. "Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws," Modi said in an address to the nation, adding the process will be completed

US Senate Passes Bill to Ban All Imports From China’s Xinjiang

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation that bans the import of products from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), in the latest move by Washington to penalize Beijing for forced labor and other abuses it says constitute genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs. The bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was passed unanimously Wednesday, would create what is

Beijing continues campaign against Tibetan language

For the past few years, a series of notices and new laws have created an environment where Tibetan children are prevented from learning the Tibetan language. For instance, in the 14th Five-Year Plan of the Chinese government, which was adopted on March 11 by the National People’s Congress (NPC), Article XLIII says:“We will improve the assurance mechanisms for inclusive preschool education,

Xi-Biden talk may bring broad economic deal

Among the cabinet members flanking US President Joe Biden Monday night in his video summit with Xi Jinping, Chinese state media noted, was the administration’s most vocal China dove, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.  The former Fed Chair believes that cutting American tariffs on Chinese imports could reduce inflation, the administration’s biggest economic and political headache.As of October, the

Biden-Xi talks: China warns US about 'playing with fire' on Taiwan

Chinese President Xi Jinping has used a virtual summit with US counterpart Joe Biden to warn that encouraging Taiwanese independence would be "playing with fire". The talks are the most substantial since Mr Biden took office in January. Both sides emphasised the two men's personal relationship and the summit was an attempt to ease tensions. But they could not escape one of the most sensitive

Biden-Xi meeting yielded no major breakthroughs. But Beijing has already claimed victory

The very fact US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are now talking is itself a significant breakthrough. US-China relations, which came to a near total breakdown during the final year of President Donald Trump's term, had descended into open hostility during more recent high-level bilateral meetings -- including March's now infamous Alaska Summit, during which diplomats