Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 68

Authorities in Taiwan investigating Chinese illegal entries

National security authorities have initiated investigations into whether the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is behind a spate of illegal entries by Chinese boats and alleged cases of Chinese livestreaming students’ activities around schools in Taiwan, a source said on Sunday.Two Chinese — a father and son — on May 16 used a rubber dinghy to illegally arrive at Taoyuan’s Guanyin Beach. They were

North Korean POWs in Ukraine excluded from Moscow-Kyiv prisoner swap: South lawmaker

Two captured North Korean soldiers fighting with Russia in its war against Ukraine were not among the 1,000 prisoners of war recently repatriated by Ukraine to Russia due to a request from Seoul, said a South Korean lawmaker. The soldiers, identified as Ri and Baek, were part of the more than 12,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia’s Kursk region to fight Ukraine who occupied parts of the

Chinese tech giants reveal how they’re dealing with U.S. chip curbs to stay in the AI race

Tencent and Baidu, two of China’s largest technology companies, revealed how they’re keeping in the global artificial intelligence race even as the U.S. tightens some curbs on key semiconductors. The business’ methods include stockpiling chips, making AI models more efficient and even using homegrown semiconductors.While the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped one

Till Debt Do Us Part: Gansu Takes Aim at Exorbitant Bride Prices

In counties across Gansu province, northwestern China, local governments are rolling out a range of initiatives to curb excessive wedding customs — taking particular aim at exorbitant bride prices in the hope of boosting marriage figures. The efforts echo a broader provincial campaign to promote simpler, more reasonable marital traditions. In early May, the Gansu provincial government

Southeast Asian nations want to discuss tariffs with Trump as a unified bloc, Malaysia PM says

Southeast Asian nations will forge a common front to face challenges including economic headwinds from U.S. tariffs and a four-year civil war in Myanmar, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday. Opening an annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Anwar said he has sought a unified bloc meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the tariffs. Officials

Pope prays for Chinese Catholics to be in communion with Rome in first comments on thorny issues

Pope Leo XIV asked Sunday for prayers for China’s Catholics to be in communion with the Holy See, as he made his first public remarks about one of the thorniest foreign policyissues facing his new pontificate.History’s first American pope recalled that on Saturday the Catholic Church marked a special feast day to pray for the church in China. Pope Benedict XVI had initiated the feast day as part

US Military Pullback in Africa Opens Door for China and Russia

The U.S. military is shifting its Africa strategy away from long-standing efforts to address governance and root causes of conflict. Instead, Washington is pressing African security forces to operate more independently as America reduces its footprint.At African Lion 2025, the U.S. military's largest joint exercise on the continent, the strategic shift was evident."We need to be able to get our

Trapped in debt: China’s role in Laos’ economic crisis

Laos is trapped in a severe debt crisis with no resolution in sight, threatening a decade of economic and social malaise. Recent global shocks were key triggers. Yet a crisis was almost inevitable, driven by poor planning and over-investment in the domestic energy sector, financed mostly by Chinese loans and exacerbated by broader fiscal and governance problems. Exiting the crisis will

CHINA-TAIWAN WEEKLY UPDATE, MAY 23, 2025

The China–Taiwan Weekly Update is a joint product from the Institute for the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute. The update supports the ISW–AEI Coalition Defense of Taiwan project, which assesses Chinese campaigns against Taiwan, examines alternative strategies for the United States and its allies to deter the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression, and—if necessary—defeat the

Torbjørn Færøvik: Joe McCarthy - spøkelset som aldri dør

Spøkelser blir aldri borte. De gjemmer seg bare, for så å dukke opp på ny.Mccarthyismens skremmende spøkelse er et godt eksempel. Denne våren er det 75 år siden senator Joe McCarthy herjet som verst i USA. Han mente å se kommunister og folkefiender overalt og satte i gang et spetakkel uten like. Det skulle ta fire år å stanse ham.Han skjelte ut politiske motstandere etter noter og satte