Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 59

'Pro-China' politicians survive Taiwan vote to kick them out

Early results of an unprecedented vote in Taiwan aimed at ousting politicians accused of being too close to China indicate that all have retained their seats. Thousands of Taiwanese went to the polls on Saturday in what has been termed as the "dabamian", or Great Recall vote, initiated by a civic movement.The vote result was closely watched as it could have altered the balance of power in

China's Xi Makes Trump Wait for Leader Talks

The White House has been optimistic about the prospects for an in-person summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping—the first of President Donald Trump's second term. Yet analysts say the Chinese leader is likely holding out for concrete deliverables before agreeing to the high-profile meeting. Trump dramatically escalated the trade war with the world's second-largest economy in April,

Trump Says Thailand, Cambodia Support Ceasefire Push

In a Truth Social post on Saturday, President Donald Trump wrote that the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia want to end the ongoing conflict between their countries. Trump says he spoke to the acting prime minister of Thailand and the prime minister of Cambodia about an "immediate ceasefire."The call for ceasefire comes as Cambodia and Thailand entered a third day of fighting, sparked by an

Thailand and Cambodia thank Trump for mediation, but shelling continues

Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had called the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand, pressing them for an immediate ceasefire following border clashes. At the beginning of a private visit to his Scottish golf courses, the US president wrote on Truth Social that both nations "have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!"Both countries thanked him

Russia Drones Equipped With Chinese Technology Raise Eyebrows

A drone model intended for Russia's war effort includes components from a Chinese firm, which had previously said it would not provide equipment in the war in Ukraine, it has been reported. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) agency said it had revealed a new drone that Moscow would use, which is similar to the Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone, although much smaller. It said that

Ukraine war latest: China covertly supplying drone engines to Russia despite sanctions, Reuters reports

Beijing is reportedly circumventing Western sanctions by discreetly shipping Chinese-made drone engines to a state-owned Russian manufacturer, labeling them as "industrial refrigeration units" to avoid detection. This alleged practice has enabled Russia to significantly ramp up its production of Garpiya-A1 attack drones, according to three European security officials and documents reviewed

China’s Xi urges Europe to make ‘the right strategic choice’ amid global trade turbulence at key summit

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged the European Union to make “the right strategic choice” and enhance cooperation with China, while EU leaders called for a rebalancing of trade ties, as the two sides tackle deep-seated grievances at a tense summit in Beijing.European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with Xi on Thursday morning and Chinese

In China’s Factory Belt, Workers Race to Survive the Robot Era

In a 200-square-meter workshop in the southern manufacturing hub of Foshan, 38-year-old Chen Zhen deftly adjusts the parameters on a robotic arm. As the machine rotates beside him, a simulation mirrors each movement in real time — a tool the mid-career electrical engineer hadn’t operated independently until a specialized course last year.“Now we just run the simulation on a computer instead

Europe and China agree to take action on climate change and nothing else in tense Beijing summit

China and the European Union have issued a joint call to action on climate change during an otherwise tense bilateral summit in Beijing on Thursday riven with major disagreements over trade and the war in Ukraine. The two economic juggernauts issued a joint statement on climate change, urging more emission cuts and greater use of green technology and affirming their support for the Paris

EU-China summit, 24 July 2025: Main results

The 25th EU-China summit took place in Beijing, China.President of the European Council, António Costa, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, representing the EU, met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang at two separate sessions. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, also participated in the meetings.Marking