Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 70

Trump risks igniting an East Asian nuclear arms race

For the past 75 years, America’s nuclear umbrella has been the keystone that has kept East Asia’s great‑power rivalries from turning atomic.President Donald Trump’s second‑term “strategic reset” now threatens to crack that arch. By pressuring allies to shoulder more of the defence burden, hinting that US forces might walk if the cheques do not clear and flirting with a return to nuclear testing,

Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City: New $60B High-Speed Rail Planned in Asia

The Vietnamese government is evaluating a $60 billion proposal to construct a high-speed railway from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. If approved and completed, the high-speed railway would stand among Asia's largest infrastructure undertakings and sharply reduce travel times between Vietnam's capital and its southern business center.Lawmakers had previously approved a $67 billion plan for the railway

To Safeguard America's Future, We Need To Safeguard Taiwan's | Opinion

Did you know that most Americans can't find Taiwan on a map? That may sound like a joke, but unfortunately, it's not. A 2022 Morning Consult poll found that only 34 percent of Americans could correctly identify Taiwan's location. Some even thought it was in the Arctic Circle.Taiwan may not be top of mind for most Americans, but it should be—because the future of our prosperity, our security, and

High and rising political price of China’s UK investments

One major consequence of the UK government’s resistance to rejoining the European single market is that it is forced to go around the world seeking trade deals and investment. Recently, the government has boasted of successful arrangements with India and the US and of some new agreements with the EU. But it has also found itself courting one highly dubious suitor.Since the Chancellor of the

Chinese workers stage protests over unpaid wages as economic woes persist

Protests by Chinese construction workers, teachers, and factory employees demanding unpaid wages have erupted across China in recent days amid rising public anger over the impacts of tightening local government finances, according to affected workers and videos posted on social media.From China’s northern province of Hebei to the southern autonomous region of Guanxi, bordering Vietnam, and its

U.S., China hold first call since Geneva meeting, signaling progress in trade talks

The U.S. and China agreed to keep lines of communication open, following a call between senior officials Thursday, signaling continued high-level engagement as both sides work toward a broader deal. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau exchanged views on a range of key issues during the call, both sides said in closely aligned

Satellite Photos Over North Korea Reveal Kim's Partially Sunken New Warship

New satellite imagery offers a detailed look at the North Korean destroyer damaged in a failed launch that infuriated Kim Jong Un, who was present during the incident. The 5,000-ton warship appears to be keeled over, stuck on a slideway in the northeast city of Chongjin, and may be partially submerged, analysts say.The destroyer is the second to be constructed following the launch of the Cho

North Korea's Kim Could Face War Crimes Charge: Ex-ICC Chief

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be tried by the International Criminal Court, according to a former ICC president, who said that "the time is right." Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals for the most serious offenses: war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Recent leaders subject to ICC arrest warrants include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and

How China Is Fighting Back in Its Manufacturing War With the US

Negotiators from China have signaled steady progress toward a peaceful end to the country's many trade disagreements with the United States, but, beneath the surface, Beijing is quietly girding itself for a long-term economic war.Chinese leader Xi Jinping may have perceived U.S. President Donald Trump's sky-high tariffs as a test of his resolve ahead of an expected showdown over the future of

Why Make-in-India isn’t a guaranteed success despite U.S. tariffs on China

U.S. President Donald Trump has never been the one to hold back an opinion.“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said on a trip to Qatar last week, referring to a conversation he had with Apple’s chief executive about the company’s decision to move iPhone manufacturing from China to India, rather than the United States.“I don’t want you building in India,” Trump said he told