Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, was sitting on the sofa reading when several people slipped into the room. It was late in the evening and dark outside, but Jiang’s reading lamp was still on.
“What do you want?” she asked, starting in surprise.
The officer leading the operation stood stiffly in front of her and said:
“Jiang Qing! You have ignored the warnings of the Central Committee. You have continued to form cliques and factions. You have engaged in activities aimed at splitting the Party and plotted to seize power. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has decided to place you under isolated investigation. The decision is to be carried out immediately.”
An era was over. Jiang Qing had met Mao in 1938, when he was still living as a guerrilla leader in the country’s barren northwest, far from the centre of power.
The marriage they entered into two years later was not a happy one, and in time they came to live apart. But Mao never completely cast Jiang aside, and when he launched his frenzied Cultural Revolution in 1966, he needed her more than ever. Jiang was more than willing to act as Mao’s spearhead and urge the Red Guards into battle.
tirsdag 6. oktober 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: "Jeg var formann Maos hund. Når han sa bit, da bet jeg!"
Maos kone, Jiang Qing, satt i sofaen og leste da noen snek seg inn i rommet. Det var sent på kvelden og mørkt ute, men Jiangs leselampe lyste fremdeles.
«Hva vil dere?» spurte hun og skvatt opp.
Offiseren som ledet operasjonen, stilte seg stram foran henne og sa:
«Jiang Qing! Du har ikke lyttet til sentralkomiteens advarsler. Du har fortsatt å danne klikker og fraksjoner. Du har drevet virksomhet som splitter partiet og lagt planer om å tilrane deg makten. Kinas kommunistpartis sentralkomité har besluttet å sette deg under isolert granskning. Beslutningen skal gjennomføres straks.»
«Hva vil dere?» spurte hun og skvatt opp.
Offiseren som ledet operasjonen, stilte seg stram foran henne og sa:
«Jiang Qing! Du har ikke lyttet til sentralkomiteens advarsler. Du har fortsatt å danne klikker og fraksjoner. Du har drevet virksomhet som splitter partiet og lagt planer om å tilrane deg makten. Kinas kommunistpartis sentralkomité har besluttet å sette deg under isolert granskning. Beslutningen skal gjennomføres straks.»
I dag er det femti år siden Jiang Qing ble arrestert. Hun hadde møtt Mao i 1938 mens han levde som geriljaleder i landets skrinne nordvestlige del, langt fra maktens sentrum. Ekteskapet de inngikk to år senere, ble ikke vellykket, og etter hvert bodde de hver for seg. Men Mao kvittet seg aldri helt med Jiang, og da han startet sin elleville Kulturrevolusjon i 1966, trengte han henne mer enn noensinne. For Jiang var mer enn villig til å opptre som Maos spydspiss og egge rødegardistene til kamp.
50 years ago: How the Gang of Four Was Arrested, by Wu Jianhua
Fifty years have passed since the “Gang of Four” was arrested in China. The four senior Party leaders accused of leading the revolution astray were Jiang Qing (Chairman Mao’s widow), Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao and Yao Wenyuan. The arrests took place less than a month after Mao’s death on 9 September 1976.
This text was written by Wu Jianhua, who at the time was deputy director of the Central Committee Security Bureau and political commissar of Unit 8341, the elite force responsible for security in Zhongnanhai, the residential and working compound of China’s top leadership in Beijing. Wu was not merely an eyewitness to the drama, but also a central participant who personally took part in planning and carrying out the arrests. The text was published on Renmin Wang, the official website of the Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily, on 24 January 2007.
This text was written by Wu Jianhua, who at the time was deputy director of the Central Committee Security Bureau and political commissar of Unit 8341, the elite force responsible for security in Zhongnanhai, the residential and working compound of China’s top leadership in Beijing. Wu was not merely an eyewitness to the drama, but also a central participant who personally took part in planning and carrying out the arrests. The text was published on Renmin Wang, the official website of the Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily, on 24 January 2007.
'Unwelcome and unsafe’: Why Japanese companies are retreating from China at a historic rate
Japanese companies are leaving China in record numbers, as a slowing Chinese economy and a diplomatic freeze force businesses to reassess their presence in the world’s second-largest economy.
The number of Japanese companies operating in China fell to a historic low, standing at 10,118 as of June, according to Teikoku Databank, a corporate credit research firm in Japan. That’s down 22% from the previous survey held in June 2024 and about 30% below the 2012 peak, and the lowest since Teikoku began tracking the data in 2010. Japanese firms, which were already planning to reduce their footprint in China, are considering withdrawing from the market with greater urgency since China-Japan ties went into a tailspin, said Jeremy Chan, an analyst at political consultancy firm Eurasia Group.
The number of Japanese companies operating in China fell to a historic low, standing at 10,118 as of June, according to Teikoku Databank, a corporate credit research firm in Japan. That’s down 22% from the previous survey held in June 2024 and about 30% below the 2012 peak, and the lowest since Teikoku began tracking the data in 2010. Japanese firms, which were already planning to reduce their footprint in China, are considering withdrawing from the market with greater urgency since China-Japan ties went into a tailspin, said Jeremy Chan, an analyst at political consultancy firm Eurasia Group.
China shuts hundreds of banks as Beijing moves to shore up its financial system
China is accelerating its consolidation of smaller, mostly rural banks in a bid to shore up its financial system, amid ongoing concerns over an economic slowdown in the country. Beijing’s policy-led consolidation saw a record 670 lenders closed in 2025 — about one-quarter of banks in the country — as authorities ramped up mergers and dissolutions to create fewer, larger and better-capitalized institutions, according to Fitch Ratings analysis.
For 50 år siden: Slik ble "Firerbanden" arrestert, av Wu Jianhua
Femti år er gått siden "Firerbanden" ble arrestert i Kina. De fire høytstående partilederne som ble anklaget for å føre revolusjonen på villspor, var Jiang Qing (formann Maos enke), Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao og Yao Wenyuan. Arrestasjonene fant sted mindre enn en måned etter Maos død 9. september 1976.
Denne teksten er skrevet av Wu Jianhua, som på den tiden var visedirektør for Sentralkomiteens sikkerhetsbyrå og politisk kommissær for Enhet 8341, eliteenheten som sto for sikkerheten i Zhongnanhai, toppledelsens bolig- og arbeidsområde i Beijing. Wu ikke bare øyenvitne til dramaet, men også en sentral aktør som personlig deltok i planleggingen og gjennomføringen av pågripelsen. Teksten ble publisert på Renmin Wang, det offisielle nettstedet til partiorganet Folkets Dagblad 24. januar 2007.
Starbucks enters Xinjiang in calculated geopolitical risk
Starbucks Corp has taken its green apron to Xinjiang, a region where Western governments accuse Beijing of widespread human-rights abuses and where the U.S. restricts imports over forced-labor concerns. The opening of two stores in Urumqi shows how the Chinese private-equity firm that now controls Starbucks’ business in its second-largest market is willing to weather Washington’s anger.
Starbucks completed the sale of a 60% controlling stake in its China operations to Boyu Capital in April. The venture aims to grow from roughly 8,000 stores to as many as 20,000, and Xinjiang appears to be a bold, if controversial, first stop.
The U.S. House Select Committee on China called the decision “shocking and morally bankrupt” for “a company that prides itself on social responsibility” and demanded the stores close. Its chairman, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), was blunt in that statement headlined “Starbucks Serves Up Venti-Sized Genocide.”
Starbucks completed the sale of a 60% controlling stake in its China operations to Boyu Capital in April. The venture aims to grow from roughly 8,000 stores to as many as 20,000, and Xinjiang appears to be a bold, if controversial, first stop.
The U.S. House Select Committee on China called the decision “shocking and morally bankrupt” for “a company that prides itself on social responsibility” and demanded the stores close. Its chairman, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), was blunt in that statement headlined “Starbucks Serves Up Venti-Sized Genocide.”
mandag 5. oktober 2026
Trump’s Iran Strategy Has a China Problem
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington was a grand affair, full of pomp and circumstance designed to convey a clear message: America, under President Donald Trump, is seeking a more cooperative relationship with the People's Republic of China.
The symbolism was unmistakable. In an unusual diplomatic gesture, Trump personally greeted Xi on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, and the Chinese leader subsequently received the full treatment at the White House, complete with an elaborate arrival ceremony and a lavish state dinner. The president himself was effusive, describing his meeting with Xi as one of “friendship, strength and success.”
Behind all the pageantry was a clear strategic objective. After nearly two years of a decidedly rocky relationship with Beijing, Washington is now seeking to stabilize—or at least contain—the strategic competition between the two countries.
The symbolism was unmistakable. In an unusual diplomatic gesture, Trump personally greeted Xi on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, and the Chinese leader subsequently received the full treatment at the White House, complete with an elaborate arrival ceremony and a lavish state dinner. The president himself was effusive, describing his meeting with Xi as one of “friendship, strength and success.”
Behind all the pageantry was a clear strategic objective. After nearly two years of a decidedly rocky relationship with Beijing, Washington is now seeking to stabilize—or at least contain—the strategic competition between the two countries.
The environmental cost of a war over Taiwan
Off the coast of Taichung lies the well known Gaomei Wetlands, a popular nature preserve. On weekends, especially in the evenings, the site’s walkways are crowded with sunset watchers, its mudflats filled with people wading and taking pictures of the local wildlife. Birds, amphibious fish, crabs and other organisms flourish.
A few hundred meters to the south Berth number 8 of the Port of Taichung juts inland, surrounded by chemical plants, cement factories, chemical storage sites, warehouses and wind turbines. This infrastructure, critical to the running of a major industrial economy, will be targeted in wartime. Though they do not know it, the nearby creatures of Gaomei and elsewhere are going to be among the first casualties of strikes by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
A few hundred meters to the south Berth number 8 of the Port of Taichung juts inland, surrounded by chemical plants, cement factories, chemical storage sites, warehouses and wind turbines. This infrastructure, critical to the running of a major industrial economy, will be targeted in wartime. Though they do not know it, the nearby creatures of Gaomei and elsewhere are going to be among the first casualties of strikes by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The Reckoning Deferred: Tibet’s Succession Question
For decades, diplomacy toward Tibet has rested on a single unstated premise: that the hardest question could be deferred indefinitely. Governments could criticize religious repression without contesting sovereignty, host the Dalai Lama without endorsing independence, raise cultural rights in Geneva (UN Human Rights Council) while avoiding the sovereignty question in New York (UN General Assembly).
This worked because it was cost-free: a set of positions that never had to resolve into one decision. The succession of the 14th Dalai Lama will end that arrangement, because recognizing a reincarnation is not a statement of values but an act that confers legitimate religious-political authority on one person and delegitimizes any rival.
India issues standard Ladakh placenames that identify incursion spots
After Arunachal Pradesh, India has issued standard, official names of places and geographical features in its Union Territory of Ladakh in a new map to make clear they are parts of its territory, given that they remain under Pakistani or Chinese occupation or claims.
With intend to remove any ambiguity or misplaced perception regarding certain land areas, peaks, mountains, passes, glaciers and water bodies in Ladakh, including those bordering Chinese occupied Tibet, being an integral part of India, the government has, in consultation with the Union Territory, identified 28 places and features in it by standard names on the of-ficial map of the Survey of India, reported timesofindia.com Oct 3.
Among the 28 are stated to be places in Aksai Chin, ceded provisionally by Pakistan to China in a 1963 border agreement, and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India treats as part of Ladakh.
With intend to remove any ambiguity or misplaced perception regarding certain land areas, peaks, mountains, passes, glaciers and water bodies in Ladakh, including those bordering Chinese occupied Tibet, being an integral part of India, the government has, in consultation with the Union Territory, identified 28 places and features in it by standard names on the of-ficial map of the Survey of India, reported timesofindia.com Oct 3.
Among the 28 are stated to be places in Aksai Chin, ceded provisionally by Pakistan to China in a 1963 border agreement, and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which India treats as part of Ladakh.
Seven Years in Tibet back on Netflix shelves after 20 years
Subscription-based streaming service Netflix has included on Oct 1 the biographical epic Seven Years in Tibet (1997) among many movies it added to its digital shelves, reported uk.news.yahoo.com Oct 1. The film follows the true story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian climber and Nazi Party member who escapes a British POW camp in India, finds solace in Tibet’s holy capital Lhasa, and is transformed by his friendship with the young 14th Dalai Lama. Harrer said he joined the party only in order to be able to pursue his mountaineering interests.
The Chinese government objected to the film’s depiction of its occupation of Tibet, particularly its portrayal of Chinese military officials and its positive depiction of the Dalai Lama. Brad Pitt who starred as Harrer, co-star David Thewlis, and director Jean-Jacques Annaud were reportedly banned from entering China as a result.
The Chinese government objected to the film’s depiction of its occupation of Tibet, particularly its portrayal of Chinese military officials and its positive depiction of the Dalai Lama. Brad Pitt who starred as Harrer, co-star David Thewlis, and director Jean-Jacques Annaud were reportedly banned from entering China as a result.
New eastern Tibet discovery bolsters China’s lithium reserves by over one million tonnes
China has greatly increased the amount of lithium deposit present in an already super-large reserve located in the eastern Tibetan city of Barkham (Chinese: Maerkang), in Amdo Ngaba, which is currently part of Sichuan province. The new discovery is expected to help China reduce its dependence on foreign sources for this vital mineral as it pushes to lead the world in the development, use, and export of modern high-tech products.
China has announced the expansion of the resource base for a major lithium deposit in Sichuan province by about 70%, strengthening the country’s potential long-term supply for the metal – an essential component in the production of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage, reported scmp.com Oct 3, citing state news agency XinhuaOct 1.
The report said that after recent detection efforts, the Jiada Lithium Mine had registered about 1.05 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the deposit, bringing its total resources to 2.53 million tonnes. The increase has reinforces the mine’s status as a major hard-rock lithium deposit.
China has announced the expansion of the resource base for a major lithium deposit in Sichuan province by about 70%, strengthening the country’s potential long-term supply for the metal – an essential component in the production of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage, reported scmp.com Oct 3, citing state news agency XinhuaOct 1.
The report said that after recent detection efforts, the Jiada Lithium Mine had registered about 1.05 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the deposit, bringing its total resources to 2.53 million tonnes. The increase has reinforces the mine’s status as a major hard-rock lithium deposit.
America wants to wean itself off Chinese technology. Will the pain pay off?
Seven years after founding a robotics startup in San Francisco, Rajat Bhageria is confronting a daunting new task: building robots without any help from China.
Like most US-based robotics firms, Chef Robotics has come to rely heavily on Chinese components to make the robot arms it sells to food manufacturers to automate the assembly of ready-made meals. China’s ability to churn out cheap parts at incomparable volumes has made it an integral source of competitive tech products around the world.
But as China has begun to dominate advanced industries from electric vehicles to automated factories, an increasingly protectionist US under President Donald Trump has ratcheted up restrictions on domestic use of Chinese technology, including drones, mobile robots and other critical electronics.
Like most US-based robotics firms, Chef Robotics has come to rely heavily on Chinese components to make the robot arms it sells to food manufacturers to automate the assembly of ready-made meals. China’s ability to churn out cheap parts at incomparable volumes has made it an integral source of competitive tech products around the world.
But as China has begun to dominate advanced industries from electric vehicles to automated factories, an increasingly protectionist US under President Donald Trump has ratcheted up restrictions on domestic use of Chinese technology, including drones, mobile robots and other critical electronics.
California woman arrested for spying for China and surveilling Taiwanese president’s son, officials say
The FBI on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old California woman who has been charged with acting as an unregistered agent for China and allegedly surveilled the Taiwanese president’s son and his family, federal officials said.
Wanying “Heather” Zhang, of Irvine, allegedly surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official after traveling to Seattle in 2025, according to a federal complaint. The complaint signed on Saturday alleged Zhang was directed by Chinese officials to gather information about and take photos of the relative, who was not named in the complaint. The FBI said in a social media post that Zhang had been surveilling the son of Taiwan president Lai Ching-te and his family.
Wanying “Heather” Zhang, of Irvine, allegedly surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official after traveling to Seattle in 2025, according to a federal complaint. The complaint signed on Saturday alleged Zhang was directed by Chinese officials to gather information about and take photos of the relative, who was not named in the complaint. The FBI said in a social media post that Zhang had been surveilling the son of Taiwan president Lai Ching-te and his family.
søndag 4. oktober 2026
The China factor behind the Iran war
The war between the United States and Iran is no longer just a confrontation between Washington and Tehran. A second contest is taking shape alongside and behind it. China is not fighting the United States directly, but its economic, technological and diplomatic links to Iran are complicating Washington’s strategy and ability to win the conflict.This raises a larger, crucial question: Is the Iran war becoming another indirect front in the wider US-China rivalry?
Nothing in the evidence suggests that Washington is at war with Beijing. Indeed, the two powers professed their fondness for each other at the recent Trump-Xi gala summit in Washington. But the Iran conflict is putting the two powers in direct competition over energy, sanctions, technology, maritime security and, perhaps most crucially, the future balance of power in the Middle East.
Nothing in the evidence suggests that Washington is at war with Beijing. Indeed, the two powers professed their fondness for each other at the recent Trump-Xi gala summit in Washington. But the Iran conflict is putting the two powers in direct competition over energy, sanctions, technology, maritime security and, perhaps most crucially, the future balance of power in the Middle East.
New F-16s buy Taiwan time and space against China’s air coercion
Taiwan’s new American-made F-16V Block 70 jets deliver much-needed breathing room against daily Chinese gray-zone coercion, yet surging Chinese stealth numbers and cratered runway risks mean their wartime utility would be sharply contested.
Taiwan received its first two new-build Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70 fighter jets, touching down on October 2 at Taitung’s Chihhang Air Base after a trans-Pacific ferry flight via Hawaii and Guam, multiple media outlets reported.The single-seat aircraft mark the initial delivery of a US$8 billion, 66-jet procurement approved by the US in 2019 to modernize the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) and reinforce deterrence against escalating military pressure from China.
The handover ends years of delays stemming from production-line relocations, supply-chain bottlenecks and electronic warfare software integration issues with the AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield suite.
Taiwan received its first two new-build Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70 fighter jets, touching down on October 2 at Taitung’s Chihhang Air Base after a trans-Pacific ferry flight via Hawaii and Guam, multiple media outlets reported.The single-seat aircraft mark the initial delivery of a US$8 billion, 66-jet procurement approved by the US in 2019 to modernize the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) and reinforce deterrence against escalating military pressure from China.
The handover ends years of delays stemming from production-line relocations, supply-chain bottlenecks and electronic warfare software integration issues with the AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield suite.
Trump announces $200bn in energy investments from South Korea
United States President Donald Trump has announced $200bn in investments from South Korea, $54bn of which is slated to go to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska. The announcement was made at the White House on Wednesday and comes as Trump seeks to defend the Republican Party’s economic record during a heated midterm election season. “We’re thrilled to announce one of the largest energy infrastructure investments in American history,” Trump said.
The president highlighted the involvement of Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, referencing the challenges the Republican incumbent faces defending his Senate seat in the November 3 race.
The president highlighted the involvement of Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, referencing the challenges the Republican incumbent faces defending his Senate seat in the November 3 race.
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