Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 61

China’s rare-earth mineral squeeze puts defense giants in the crosshairs

The automotive and robotics industries have been hit particularly hardby China’s rare earth export restrictions in recent weeks, but analysts warn Western defense giants will also feel the heat. Top U.S. and Chinese officials are resuming trade talks in London for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, pushing to de-escalate tensions over rare-earth minerals and advanced technology.The White House

China's electric cars are becoming slicker and cheaper - but is there a deeper cost?

In China, they call it the Seagull, and it has looks to match. It is sleek and angular, with bright, downward-slanting headlights that have more than a hint of mischievous eyes about them. It is, of course, a car. A very small one, designed as a cheap city runabout – but it could have huge significance. Available in China since 2023, where it has proved extremely popular, it has just been

American Democracy Versus Chinese Governance: The Ultimate Contest

The largest geopolitical contest ever seen in human history – the China-U.S. contest – will accelerate and gain momentum in the coming decades. As I documented in my book “Has China Won?” this contest is driven by deep structural forces. American and Chinese presidents may come and go, but the contest will continue – of this, there’s no doubt. What is doubtful is who will win: China or the United

Democracy Disfigured: India’s Political Devolution

On May 28, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Indian Parliament, a triangle-shaped edifice of concrete and stone, in a grand ceremony suffused with religious symbolism. The swarm of television cameras stayed transfixed on Modi as he performed a lengthy puja, a Hindu worship ritual, surrounded by a bevy of priests. Then, amid the chanting of Vedic mantras, Modi carried a

Why Labour is strengthening ties with China after years of rollercoaster relations

The sprawling city of Chongqing in southwestern China is an incredible sight. Built on mountainous terrain and crisscrossed by rivers, it is connected by vast elevated roads. Trains even run through some buildings.TikTokers have begun documenting their commutes in the striking urban architecture, generating millions of likes and much hype. But it is also where, on a somewhat quieter trip, mayors

China has a valuable card to play as it holds trade talks with the US today

A new round of trade negotiations between the United States and China has started in London, with both sides trying to preserve a fragile truce brokered last month. The fresh talks were announced last week after a long-anticipated phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which appeared to ease tensions that erupted over the past month following a surprise

China-appointed Panchen Lama vows to make Tibetan Buddhism more Chinese in meeting with Xi Jinping

A young Tibetan controversially appointed by China’s atheist Communist Party as the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism has pledged to make the religion more Chinese.Gyaltsen Norbu was installed by Beijing as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995 in defiance of the religion’s highest authority the Dalai Lama, whose pick for the role — a six-year-old boy — has since vanished from public

Xi calls Trump’s bluff and wins, time and time again

China’s Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump spoke over the phone Thursday (June 5), the first known formal contact of the Trump 2.0 era. Though signs of détente were few, the fact that the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies are speaking at all marks progress.Essentially, the two presidents talked about talking more down the line to lower the temperature on tariffs and access to

China Accuses EU of Stirring Up ‘Trouble’ in South China Sea

China’s embassy in the Philippines yesterday urged the European Union to stop “provoking trouble” in the South China Sea, several days after Manila and Brussels announced the establishment of a new security and defense dialogue. The dialogue was announced on June 2 during a visit by the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who held talks with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo about a wide range

After the Tiananmen Square Massacre: A Reflection on America’s China Policy

On June 4, 1989, the Chinese government brutally and bloodily suppressed the peaceful pro-democracy protest movement in Beijing and all around China, resulting in the slaughter of thousands of students and citizens. This incident, known as theTiananmen Massacre, provoked a short-lived turning point in U.S. China policy. Before the Massacre, the United States had pursued a policy of engagement