Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 57

China Reacts to Trump Khamenei Threat

China urged the U.S. to use its "special influence" over Israel to ease the conflict with Iran and not to expand it further, after U.S. President Donald Trump put Tehran on notice with a demand of unconditional surrender on the nuclear issue. Trump warned Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that the U.S. knows where he is hiding and he is an "easy target," though safe "for now." Trump added

nside Japan’s Hidden Sex Market

At the heart of Japan’s entertainment districts lie a marketplace, both above ground and deep underground, where young women are displayed like livestock: measured, prodded, appraised, then bought and consumed behind closed curtains, all as part of cities’ nightly routine.Until recently, the prevailing narrative was that women – often young and heavily indebted – turned to street prostitution out

Taiwan rises to sixth place in global competitiveness

Taiwan has risen two spots to sixth place out of 69 major economies in the latest World Competitiveness Ranking report published by the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD). Taiwan also retained its position as the world’s most competitive economy among economies with populations of more than 20 million for the fifth consecutive year, the annual report

Torbjørn Færøvik: Thirty Years on the Road. Ibn Battuta, Islam’s Great Traveler

“I left Tangier, my birthplace, on June 13, 1325, to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. I waved farewell to all my friends, women and men alike, and left my home as a bird leaves its nest.” Thus begins Ibn Battuta, perhaps the greatest traveler of all time, his adventurous tale. The journey would last 29 years and take him to the remotest parts of Asia. By the time he finally had enough, he had visited

[Big read] Can China use rare earths to checkmate the US?

As the tariff war rages on between China and the US, the rare earths versus chips battle is happening simultaneously. It is a battle that shows how technology and natural resources have become key bargaining chips in the rivalry between superpowers, and has once again put the spotlight on a previously little-known industrial feedstock — rare earths.“The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths.

What the capsizing and relaunching of a warship tells us about North Korea's regime

When North Korea's new warship capsized into the sea during its launch last month, it made international headlines. News organisations followed every development, from its successful refloating to its relaunch last Friday. But why such interest, given there were no casualties, and the damage to the hull appeared relatively minor? The intrigue has less to do with the failure itself and more with

The outlook for Korean diplomacy under Lee Jae-myung

The turmoil in South Korean politics began with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s illegal declaration of emergency martial law on 3 December 2024, which led to his impeachment by the National Assembly on 14 December and the Constitutional Court’s decision to remove him from office on 4 April 2025. The snap presidential election was held on 3 June, resulting in the election of Lee Jae-myung and the

Torbjørn Færøvik: Oil-thirsty China is closely monitoring the new Middle East war

“There is great disorder under heaven; the situation is excellent,” Chairman Mao used to say. But that was sixty years ago, when China was self-sufficient and had virtually no trade with other countries. Today, the situation is quite different. That is why the leaders in Beijing are closely monitoring the hostilities between Israel and Iran hour by hour. China imports large quantities of oil from

Torbjørn Færøvik: Oljetørste Kina ber om fred i Midtøsten

«Det er stor uro under himmelen, situasjonen er strålende», pleide formann Mao å si. Men det var for seksti år siden, da Kina var seg selv nok og hadde nesten null handel med andre land. I dag er situasjonen en ganske annen. Derfor følger lederne i Beijing krigshandlingene mellom Israel og Iran fra time til time. Kina importerer store mengder olje fra Midtøsten, først og fremst fra Saudi-Arabia,

Chinese Warships Shadow US Allies in Contested Waters

Japan and the Philippines—both treaty allies of the United States—have conducted a joint naval exercise in the contested South China Sea, where they were shadowed by Chinese warships. The Chinese military confirmed that it conducted sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, in response to the Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) organized by the U.S. allies.China, the Philippines,