Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 394

EU delegation meets Taiwan president on first official trip

The head of a European Parliament delegation on its first official visit to Taiwan said Thursday that it’s “high time” for the European Union to step up cooperation with the self-ruled island, which is also claimed by China. Thirteen lawmakers from the Parliament’s committee on foreign interference in democratic processes met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on the second day of their

Hints of a great recentralization of power in China

The Communist Party of China (CPC) may soon push for the recentralization of political and economic powers from local governments to safeguard sovereignty and maintain social stability if two articles recently published by the party’s theoretical journals are indicative of top leaders’ thinking. The proposal comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping asserts greater control in various areas, ranging

Xi given more power to wage war on Taiwan

China’s legislature has paved the way to mobilize civilian assets for war, with the Communist Party of China (CPC) – and by association its General Secretary Xi Jinping – given greater control than previously over military planning and mobilization. The affected laws include the National Defense Mobilization Law, the Civil Air Defense Law, the National Defense Transportation Law and the National

A cold war is already under way. The question is whether Washington can deter Beijing from initiating a hot one.

President Xi Jinping declared in July that those who get in the way of China’s ascent will have their “heads bashed bloody against a Great Wall of steel.” The People’s Liberation Army Navy is churning out ships at a rate not seen since World War II, as Beijing issues threats against Taiwan and other neighbors. Top Pentagon officials have warned that China could start a military conflict in the

An intern took on one of China's biggest TV stars in a landmark #MeToo case. She lost, but vowed to fight on

He is one of the most recognizable faces on Chinese television. She was a 21-year-old intern working on his show. Three years ago, Zhou Xiaoxuan became the face of China's fledgling #MeToo movement when she took Zhu Jun, a prominent host at state broadcaster CCTV, to court, accusing him of groping and forcibly kissing her in a dressing room during her internship in 2014.Sexual harassment lawsuits

Chinese tennis star accuses former top Communist Party leader of sexual assault, triggering blanket censorship

A Chinese tennis star's explosive #MeToo allegation against a former state leader has been muffled by blanket censorship, with authorities racing to wipe out any mention of a politically sensitive scandal that has reverberated across the Chinese internet.Peng Shuai, 35, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, on Tuesday accused retired Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of pressuring her into

A rapid deterioration in Japan’s security environment may push Tokyo into boosting military spending and strength

A flotilla of 10 Chinese and Russian warships nearly completed a circle around Japan’s main island of Honshu during the first joint China-Russia patrol in the Western Pacific last month. This deployment came after the two countries completed a joint naval exercise in waters near Russia’s Peter the Great Gulf. Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi noted: “This is the first time we have confirmed

Diwali 2021: India celebrates festival of lights under shadow of Covid-19

India has been lit up in a dazzling display of light and colour, as millions of people celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali. But it comes amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and air pollution. A time for feasts, prayers and fireworks, Diwali is one of the most important festivals in India. It is known as the festival of lights as people illuminate oil lamps or candles to symbolise the

China suffers its most widespread Covid-19 outbreak since Wuhan with 19 provinces seeing new cases

China is suffering its most widespread Covid-19 outbreak since the virus first emerged at the beginning of the pandemic in Wuhan in 2019.  The country's new locally transmitted Covid cases have spiked to a near three-month high amid what the Chinese government called a 'serious' new outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant.Now, more than 600 locally-transmitted cases have been found in 19

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEADLIEST DAY IN HUMAN HISTORY

Nothing better attests to the sublime power of nature than an earthquake. In the mere blink of an eye, and with minimal warning, the earth unleashes incomparable forces. A civilization's best-laid foundations can be leveled in a heartbeat. Buildings often come crashing down, crushing people and destroying cultural heritage, in the tumble of stones and debris. For example, the Kashmir earthquake