Spring in Tibet is a season of life and renewal. The long-stretched Lhasa Valley suddenly takes on a fresh green hue, and in April daytime temperatures can rise above 20 degrees Celsius. Yet with the spring winds come bitter memories from a not-so-distant past. This year marks 75 years since Tibet was officially incorporated into the People’s Republic of China.
The agreement was signed by Chinese and Tibetan representatives during a ceremony in Beijing in May 1951 (see image). The Dalai Lama later claimed that the Tibetans had been subjected to intense pressure and were in reality forced to sign.
“As soon as the first meeting began, the senior Chinese representative presented a draft of a fully prepared agreement consisting of ten articles,” the Dalai Lama writes in his book My Land and My People (1962). According to him, the draft was discussed for several days, while the Tibetan envoys insisted that Tibet was an independent state.
søndag 26. april 2026
Geocultural forces reshaping China’s economic map
On April 1, the National Bureau of Statistics of China released the latest GDP rankings for the country’s various provinces and municipalities. The data showed consistent growth across major metropolises, but also revealed a significant geographic shift in the Chinese economy.
The data ranked Jiangsu and Zhejiang first and third, respectively, among Chinese provinces by GDP per capita, while Guangdong ranked fourth. Yet 20 years ago, Guangdong held an undisputed first place, with Zhejiang and Jiangsu a distant third and fourth. The shift is even more apparent at the city level. In 2005, nine cities from Guangdong appeared in the top 25 by GDP per capita, compared with five from Jiangsu and two from Zhejiang.
Twenty years later, only three Guangdong cities remain in that group, while Jiangsu and Zhejiang have grown to seven and four, respectively.
The data ranked Jiangsu and Zhejiang first and third, respectively, among Chinese provinces by GDP per capita, while Guangdong ranked fourth. Yet 20 years ago, Guangdong held an undisputed first place, with Zhejiang and Jiangsu a distant third and fourth. The shift is even more apparent at the city level. In 2005, nine cities from Guangdong appeared in the top 25 by GDP per capita, compared with five from Jiangsu and two from Zhejiang.
Twenty years later, only three Guangdong cities remain in that group, while Jiangsu and Zhejiang have grown to seven and four, respectively.
Japan builds up its ‘southern shield’ as faith in US security cover falters
Japan’s southern island of Kyushu is known for its volcanic landscape and tonkatsu ramen, but the popular tourist destination is ground zero for one of the greatest shifts in Japan’s defence strategy since 1947, when it formally renounced the use of war to settle international disputes.
In late March, Japan deployed long-range missiles to Kumamoto Prefecture on the island’s southwest coast. Unlike previous defence installations, these missiles could hit China, reflecting the fact that Beijing has ranked as Japan’s top national security threat above North Korea and Russia since 2019.
In late March, Japan deployed long-range missiles to Kumamoto Prefecture on the island’s southwest coast. Unlike previous defence installations, these missiles could hit China, reflecting the fact that Beijing has ranked as Japan’s top national security threat above North Korea and Russia since 2019.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters at the time that “Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment in the post-war era” and the country must strengthen its “deterrence and responsiveness”.
US sanctions China’s ‘teapot’ refinery for buying Iranian oil
The United States has sanctioned a Chinese oil refinery for buying hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil. Ahead of potential new talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran, the US Treasury Department on Friday said that it was targeting Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, China’s second-largest “teapot” or independent refinery.
Hengli is “one of Tehran’s most valued customers” and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military through crude oil purchases, the Treasury added. It also imposed new sanctions on about 40 shipping firms and vessels alleged to be operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet. The Chinese embassy in Washington, DC pushed back against the move.
Hengli is “one of Tehran’s most valued customers” and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian military through crude oil purchases, the Treasury added. It also imposed new sanctions on about 40 shipping firms and vessels alleged to be operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet. The Chinese embassy in Washington, DC pushed back against the move.
Trump’s war: the kind of military misadventure that ends empires
Writing more than 2,000 years ago, the Greek historian Plutarch gave us an eloquent description of what modern historians now call “micro-militarism.”
When an imperial power like Athens then, or America now, is in decline, its leaders often react emotionally by mounting seemingly bold military strikes in hopes of regaining the imperial grandeur that’s slipping through their fingers.Instead of another of the great victories the empire won at its peak of power, however, such military misadventures only serve to accelerate the ongoing decline, erasing whatever aura of imperial majesty remains and revealing instead the moral rot deep inside the ruling elite.
There is mounting historical evidence that America is indeed an empire in steep decline, while President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran is becoming the sort of micro-military disaster that helped destroy successive empires over the past 2,500 years — from ancient Athens to medieval Portugal to modern Spain, Great Britain, and now the United States.
When an imperial power like Athens then, or America now, is in decline, its leaders often react emotionally by mounting seemingly bold military strikes in hopes of regaining the imperial grandeur that’s slipping through their fingers.Instead of another of the great victories the empire won at its peak of power, however, such military misadventures only serve to accelerate the ongoing decline, erasing whatever aura of imperial majesty remains and revealing instead the moral rot deep inside the ruling elite.
There is mounting historical evidence that America is indeed an empire in steep decline, while President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran is becoming the sort of micro-military disaster that helped destroy successive empires over the past 2,500 years — from ancient Athens to medieval Portugal to modern Spain, Great Britain, and now the United States.
Why is India’s Manipur burning for three years?
Violence has erupted yet again in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, shattering months of relative calm after a bomb blast earlier this month killed two children.
The state, sharing a 400km- (250-mile-) long border with Myanmar, is bitterly divided between the mainly Hindu Meitei majority, who live in the valley, and the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo community that mostly lives in the hills.The renewed violence is the latest chapter of a three-year-long civil conflict that has torn the state apart, leaving communities living in deep segregation, and raising questions about the apparent inability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to put an end to the fighting.
Over this period, the state has seen a year of federal rule, and Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party – which rules the state – changed the chief minister. Yet none of those moves has been able to resolve the conflict or rebuild bridges between communities that have lived by each other for centuries.
The state, sharing a 400km- (250-mile-) long border with Myanmar, is bitterly divided between the mainly Hindu Meitei majority, who live in the valley, and the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo community that mostly lives in the hills.The renewed violence is the latest chapter of a three-year-long civil conflict that has torn the state apart, leaving communities living in deep segregation, and raising questions about the apparent inability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to put an end to the fighting.
Over this period, the state has seen a year of federal rule, and Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party – which rules the state – changed the chief minister. Yet none of those moves has been able to resolve the conflict or rebuild bridges between communities that have lived by each other for centuries.
lørdag 25. april 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: Should Trump Call Off His China Visit? Opinions Are Divided.
Could President Donald Trump be forced to cancel his planned visit to China for the second time?
Speculation is running high in both Beijing and Washington. In the Strait of Hormuz, confrontations have now entered their eighth week, and Trump is struggling to find a way out of the الأزمة.
Earlier this year, the White House announced that he would visit China at the turn of March–April. When it became clear that the war with Iran would prevent him from traveling, the visit was postponed to May 14–15. But even that schedule may collapse. In both countries, thousands of people are involved in the preparations, not least the Chinese leadership, which is eager to see a swift end to the war.
“There must be an end to the law of the jungle in international politics,” President and Party leader Xi Jinping said recently. He did not mention the United States by name, but there was no doubt whom he was referring to. Since the beginning, official Chinese media have described the U.S. war against Iran as irresponsible and dangerous.
Speculation is running high in both Beijing and Washington. In the Strait of Hormuz, confrontations have now entered their eighth week, and Trump is struggling to find a way out of the الأزمة.
Earlier this year, the White House announced that he would visit China at the turn of March–April. When it became clear that the war with Iran would prevent him from traveling, the visit was postponed to May 14–15. But even that schedule may collapse. In both countries, thousands of people are involved in the preparations, not least the Chinese leadership, which is eager to see a swift end to the war.
“There must be an end to the law of the jungle in international politics,” President and Party leader Xi Jinping said recently. He did not mention the United States by name, but there was no doubt whom he was referring to. Since the beginning, official Chinese media have described the U.S. war against Iran as irresponsible and dangerous.
Is Trump heading to a Pyrrhic victory in Iran?
President Donald Trump has claimed victory in the war in Iran even before the conflict is over. But despite the killing of the country’s leader and seriously degration of its military, there is an argument being made that the Islamic Republic has emerged all the stronger for having simply survived.
Indeed, a phrase that has repeatedly cropped up as the US has sunk more and more military hardware and credibility into Operation Epic Fury is “Pyrrhic victory.”That term also shows up in Iraq War retrospectives, in postmortems of US operations in Libya and in just about every serious attempt to make sense of the past two decades of Western intervention in the Middle East.
But what exactly is a Pyrrhic victory? And is the US really heading toward one in Iran?
Indeed, a phrase that has repeatedly cropped up as the US has sunk more and more military hardware and credibility into Operation Epic Fury is “Pyrrhic victory.”That term also shows up in Iraq War retrospectives, in postmortems of US operations in Libya and in just about every serious attempt to make sense of the past two decades of Western intervention in the Middle East.
But what exactly is a Pyrrhic victory? And is the US really heading toward one in Iran?
US sounds alarm on China’s AI distillation as DeepSeek V4 debuts
Washington has vowed to curb what it sees as the unauthorized extraction of intellectual property from United States-developed artificial intelligence models, sharpening its stance just as China’s DeepSeek unveiled its latest system.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) said on Thursday, April 23),that information indicated that foreign entities, principally based in China, are engaged in deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to distill US frontier AI models.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) said on Thursday, April 23),that information indicated that foreign entities, principally based in China, are engaged in deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns to distill US frontier AI models.
“Leveraging tens of thousands of proxy accounts to evade detection and using jailbreaking techniques to expose proprietary information, these coordinated campaigns systematically extract capabilities from American AI models, exploiting American expertise and innovation,” Michael Kratsios, an assistant to the president for science and technology director, OSTP, said in a memorandum for the heads of US government departments and agencies.
US chasing AGI myth while China builds the AI future
The United States is increasingly organizing its artificial intelligence strategy around a concept it cannot clearly define, cannot reliably measure and may never achieve in the singular, decisive form imagined.
That concept is Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. In Washington and Silicon Valley, AGI has become the policy anchor and rhetorical North Star. Lawmakers invoke it to justify massive investments. Tech executives tie timelines to presidential terms or national dominance. Analysts warn that the first country to reach it will shape the global order. The language is urgent: a race, a finish line, a winner-take-all victory.
There is only one problem: no one agrees on what AGI actually is.
That concept is Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. In Washington and Silicon Valley, AGI has become the policy anchor and rhetorical North Star. Lawmakers invoke it to justify massive investments. Tech executives tie timelines to presidential terms or national dominance. Analysts warn that the first country to reach it will shape the global order. The language is urgent: a race, a finish line, a winner-take-all victory.
There is only one problem: no one agrees on what AGI actually is.
Ex-Philippines leader to go on trial over dozens of murders committed when he was mayor and president
Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for deadly anti-drug crackdowns he allegedly oversaw while in office.
A three-judge panel found unanimously there were “substantial grounds” to believe the ex-leader was responsible for dozens of murders, first as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later when he was president. Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in the Philippines last year and flown to The Hague, where the global court is located. He denies the charges against him.
A three-judge panel found unanimously there were “substantial grounds” to believe the ex-leader was responsible for dozens of murders, first as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later when he was president. Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested in the Philippines last year and flown to The Hague, where the global court is located. He denies the charges against him.
Asia’s spiraling supply shock is coming for America
Gas stations are rationing fuel. Hospitals are running out of medical supplies. People are hoarding plastic bags, and factories face packaging shortages. That’s all happening in Asia now.
That could become a problem for the United States: About half the stuffAmericans buy comes from Asia. If Asian factories are dealing with a lack of supplies, should Americans expect shortages, too? Possibly – but not just yet. At least not in any widespread or severe manner. But the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the harder it will become for the United States to avoid the problems piling up elsewhere.
US imposes sanctions on a China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iranian oil
President Donald Trump’s administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, announced Friday and first reported by The Associated Press, makes good on Trump’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It’s also part of his Republican administration’s overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.
Concurrently, the U.S. this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.
The sanctions, which cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them, come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping are due to meet in China.
Concurrently, the U.S. this month imposed a physical blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.
The sanctions, which cut off the companies from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them, come just a few weeks before President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping are due to meet in China.
Chinese foreign minister and Thai prime minister agree to collaborate on fighting cyberscams
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday during a visit aimed at strengthening the countries’ strategic partnership and expanding cooperation. The two agreed to strengthen collaboration in fighting transnational crime and cyberscams and other areas, Thai government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said.
She said Anutin thanked China for its continued support for Thailand, while Wang congratulated Anutin on retaining his office after an election and expressed confidence that Thailand-China relations will continue to improve. Anutin greeted Wang at Government House in Bangkok. They shook hands while posing for photographs before the meeting. Wang also talked earlier with his Thai counterpart Sihasak Phuangketkeow, officials said.
Wang arrived in Thailand on Thursday for a three-day visit following meetings with government ministers in Cambodia focused on enhancing their countries’ political and security ties.
She said Anutin thanked China for its continued support for Thailand, while Wang congratulated Anutin on retaining his office after an election and expressed confidence that Thailand-China relations will continue to improve. Anutin greeted Wang at Government House in Bangkok. They shook hands while posing for photographs before the meeting. Wang also talked earlier with his Thai counterpart Sihasak Phuangketkeow, officials said.
Wang arrived in Thailand on Thursday for a three-day visit following meetings with government ministers in Cambodia focused on enhancing their countries’ political and security ties.
fredag 24. april 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: Bør Trump droppe Kina-besøket?
Kan president Trump bli tvunget til å avlyse sitt planlagte besøk i Kina for andre gang?
Spekulasjonene går høyt i både Beijing og Washington. I Hormuzstredet fortsetter konfrontasjonene på åttende uke, og Trump strever med å finne en vei ut av uføret.
Tidligere i år kunngjorde Det hvite hus at han skulle besøke Kina i månedsskiftet mars-april. Da han innså at krigen mot Iran hindret ham i å reise, ble besøket flyttet til 14. og 15. mai. Men også denne tidsplanen kan sprekke. I begge land er flere tusen mennesker involvert i forberedelsene, ikke minst de kinesiske lederne, som ønsker en rask slutt på krigen.
«Det må bli slutt på jungelens lov i internasjonal politikk», sa president og partisjef Xi Jinping nylig. Han nevnte ikke USA ved navn, men det var ingen tvil om hvem han siktet til. Offisielle kinesiske medier har siden starten omtalt USAs krig mot Iran som uansvarlig og farlig.
Spekulasjonene går høyt i både Beijing og Washington. I Hormuzstredet fortsetter konfrontasjonene på åttende uke, og Trump strever med å finne en vei ut av uføret.
Tidligere i år kunngjorde Det hvite hus at han skulle besøke Kina i månedsskiftet mars-april. Da han innså at krigen mot Iran hindret ham i å reise, ble besøket flyttet til 14. og 15. mai. Men også denne tidsplanen kan sprekke. I begge land er flere tusen mennesker involvert i forberedelsene, ikke minst de kinesiske lederne, som ønsker en rask slutt på krigen.
«Det må bli slutt på jungelens lov i internasjonal politikk», sa president og partisjef Xi Jinping nylig. Han nevnte ikke USA ved navn, men det var ingen tvil om hvem han siktet til. Offisielle kinesiske medier har siden starten omtalt USAs krig mot Iran som uansvarlig og farlig.
China teases new aircraft carrier, vows to build up islands
China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims.
The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian.
Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking public speculation that it was referring to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as the navy recruit’s name is a homophone of “nuclear vessel” (hejian), in Mandarin.
The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian.
Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking public speculation that it was referring to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as the navy recruit’s name is a homophone of “nuclear vessel” (hejian), in Mandarin.
US urged to act over Chinese pressure
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday urged Washington not to normalize Chinese pressure, while a US lawmaker called on the US government to hold countries accountable for yielding to Beijing’s pressure to block President William Lai’s planned trip to Eswatini.
Lai had been scheduled to visit Eswatini to attend birthday events for King Mswati III of Eswatini this week, but on Tuesday, the eve of his planned departure on Wednesday, the Presidential Office said the trip was “suspended” after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly withdrew overflight permission.
“China reportedly pressured Mauritius, Seychelles, and Madagascar to deny airspace access to Taiwan’s President Lai, escalating Beijing’s campaign to isolate Taiwan,” the committee wrote on X.
Lai had been scheduled to visit Eswatini to attend birthday events for King Mswati III of Eswatini this week, but on Tuesday, the eve of his planned departure on Wednesday, the Presidential Office said the trip was “suspended” after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar unexpectedly withdrew overflight permission.
“China reportedly pressured Mauritius, Seychelles, and Madagascar to deny airspace access to Taiwan’s President Lai, escalating Beijing’s campaign to isolate Taiwan,” the committee wrote on X.
How China is gaining from Iran war by showing it is different from US
As Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz this week, the pragmatic approach Beijing has taken to the US-Israel war on Iran was on full display.
Speaking to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on the phone on Monday, Xi reiterated China’s support for “all efforts conducive to restoring peace and stands for resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means”. “The Strait of Hormuz should maintain normal passage, as this serves the common interests of regional countries and the international community,” Xi said, according to a Chinese readout of the call.
The readout did not specifically mention any of the key players in the war, although the United States and Iran have, between them, brought the strategic waterway to a standstill for the past seven weeks. Iran moved to close the strait to most marine traffic following the launch of the war on February 28, while the US launched a blockade of all Iranian ports on April 13.
Speaking to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on the phone on Monday, Xi reiterated China’s support for “all efforts conducive to restoring peace and stands for resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means”. “The Strait of Hormuz should maintain normal passage, as this serves the common interests of regional countries and the international community,” Xi said, according to a Chinese readout of the call.
The readout did not specifically mention any of the key players in the war, although the United States and Iran have, between them, brought the strategic waterway to a standstill for the past seven weeks. Iran moved to close the strait to most marine traffic following the launch of the war on February 28, while the US launched a blockade of all Iranian ports on April 13.
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