torsdag 20. februar 2025
Report: The Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 2025
As a “partial power,” China will have significant limitations on its ability to project economic, military, and ideational power outside Asia and to force major changes in international rules and norms on a reluctant United States by 2025, even under the most optimistic assumptions about alternative futures. The ability of the U.S. to maintain its own economic growth, continue technological innovation, support a capable modern military, and continue to play its post-World War II international role will have a major influence on China’s international opportunities and constraints.
China’s foreign investment sank in January. Can Beijing turn things around?
Inbound investment in China plummeted to a four-year low in January, as the world’s second-largest economy grapples with a flurry of headwinds. The Ministry of Commerce reported on Wednesday that 97.6 billion yuan ($13.4 billion) in foreign direct investment was utilized last month, a 13% drop from the same period last year.
The weak start to the year came after a steep plunge of 27.1% in total annual foreign direct investment (FDI) last year to 826.3 billion yuan ($113.4 billion). It was the lowest figure since 2016. “The decline has narrowed compared to last year, but it is still on a downward trend,” Ling Ji, China’s vice commerce minister, said at a Thursday press conference, where multiple government departments unveiled a 20-point action plan to attract foreign capital.
The weak start to the year came after a steep plunge of 27.1% in total annual foreign direct investment (FDI) last year to 826.3 billion yuan ($113.4 billion). It was the lowest figure since 2016. “The decline has narrowed compared to last year, but it is still on a downward trend,” Ling Ji, China’s vice commerce minister, said at a Thursday press conference, where multiple government departments unveiled a 20-point action plan to attract foreign capital.
What China fears most about Trump’s turn toward Russia
US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine appears poised to hand key concessions to Russia, leaving Kyiv and its European supporters on the sidelines as they face the prospect of a peace deal made over their heads. But they aren’t the only major players grappling with the fallout of Trump’s pivot to Russia that has upended years of US foreign policy in a burst of rapid-fire diplomacy.
In Beijing, too, the breakneck turn of events is seen to be raising questions about how the US peace drive will impact Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s carefully wrought partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin – and China’s precarious relations with the Trump administration. Just weeks ago, China appeared set for a key role in Trump’s Ukraine peace efforts. The US leader had repeatedly suggested he could work with Xi, using China’s economic sway over Russia to help end the conflict – important leverage for Beijing as it aims to avert a trade war with the world’s largest economy.
In Beijing, too, the breakneck turn of events is seen to be raising questions about how the US peace drive will impact Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s carefully wrought partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin – and China’s precarious relations with the Trump administration. Just weeks ago, China appeared set for a key role in Trump’s Ukraine peace efforts. The US leader had repeatedly suggested he could work with Xi, using China’s economic sway over Russia to help end the conflict – important leverage for Beijing as it aims to avert a trade war with the world’s largest economy.
Inside the 48 hours that Trump turned on Zelensky
As the long-fraught relationship between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky ripped apart Wednesday, a question that lingered among allies of both men was whether the fight would dash hopes for a US-brokered peace — or, potentially, help it along.
Firing off an angry message on his social media platform, Trump labeled Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” blaming him for strong-arming the United States into spending hundreds of billions of dollars “to go into a War that couldn’t be won.” It turned into a daylong series of taunts, which Trump amplified during a speech Wednesday night in Miami, where he declared: “Zelensky better move faster. He’s not going to have a country left.”
Both accusations parroted Moscow’s own irony-laden talking points about the war and Ukraine’s president, who declared martial law at the onset of Russia’s invasion, which prevented scheduled elections. Trump’s post was hardly an isolated attack. For years, Trump has viewed Zelensky skeptically, questioning his decisions and — in an episode made famous during Trump’s first impeachment — pressing him to open an investigation into his then-rival Joe Biden.
Firing off an angry message on his social media platform, Trump labeled Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” blaming him for strong-arming the United States into spending hundreds of billions of dollars “to go into a War that couldn’t be won.” It turned into a daylong series of taunts, which Trump amplified during a speech Wednesday night in Miami, where he declared: “Zelensky better move faster. He’s not going to have a country left.”
Both accusations parroted Moscow’s own irony-laden talking points about the war and Ukraine’s president, who declared martial law at the onset of Russia’s invasion, which prevented scheduled elections. Trump’s post was hardly an isolated attack. For years, Trump has viewed Zelensky skeptically, questioning his decisions and — in an episode made famous during Trump’s first impeachment — pressing him to open an investigation into his then-rival Joe Biden.
'We will unite with Kim Jong Un': Conspiracies grip South Korea
On a cold January afternoon, a young pharmacy student, Shin Jeong-min, waited restlessly outside South Korea's Constitutional Court, as the country's suspended president arrived to fight his impeachment. While Yoon Suk Yeol testified, she chanted along with hundreds of his incensed and worried supporters, who have rallied around him ever since his failed attempt to impose martial law. "Release him now. Cancel his impeachment," they shouted.
"If the president is impeached and the opposition leader is elected, our country will become one with North Korea and Kim Jong Un," Jeong-min said, citing a theory popular among President Yoon's most fanatical followers: that the left-leaning opposition party wants to unify with the North and turn South Korea into a communist country.
"If the president is impeached and the opposition leader is elected, our country will become one with North Korea and Kim Jong Un," Jeong-min said, citing a theory popular among President Yoon's most fanatical followers: that the left-leaning opposition party wants to unify with the North and turn South Korea into a communist country.
onsdag 19. februar 2025
The A-level student who became an enemy of the Chinese state
Just over a year ago, Chloe Cheung was sitting her A-levels. Now she's on a Chinese government list of wanted dissidents. The choir girl-turned-democracy activist woke up to news in December that police in Hong Kong had issued a $HK1 million ($100,000; £105,000) reward for information leading to her capture abroad. "I actually just wanted to take a gap year after school," Chloe, 19, who lives in London, told the BBC. "But I've ended up with a bounty!"
Chloe is the youngest of 19 activists accused of breaching a national security law introduced by Beijing in response to huge pro-democracy protests in the former British colony five years ago. In 2021, she and her family moved to the UK under a special visa scheme for Hong Kongers. She can probably never return to her home city and says she has to be careful about where she travels.
Her protest work has made her a fugitive of the Chinese state, a detail not lost on me as we meet one icy morning in the café in the crypt of Westminster Abbey. In medieval England, churches provided sanctuary from arrest.
Chloe is the youngest of 19 activists accused of breaching a national security law introduced by Beijing in response to huge pro-democracy protests in the former British colony five years ago. In 2021, she and her family moved to the UK under a special visa scheme for Hong Kongers. She can probably never return to her home city and says she has to be careful about where she travels.
Her protest work has made her a fugitive of the Chinese state, a detail not lost on me as we meet one icy morning in the café in the crypt of Westminster Abbey. In medieval England, churches provided sanctuary from arrest.
Taiwan May Have Reason to Worry About Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has framed the meeting as an early step toward ending the war. This has raised concerns in Kyiv and the European Union, which have insisted they be included in any peace talks. True to his dealmaking style, Trump has approached the talks with a more transactional mindset than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
More than 4,000 miles away in Taiwan, Trump's moves are being scrutinized, with some concerned that his administration's approach to Ukraine could signal how it would respond to a cross-strait conflict between the East Asian power and its diminutive neighbor.
China Issues New Demands to Trump's America
China had a list of demands for Washington after the State Department removed a line about the U.S.'s opposition to the independence of Beijing-claimed Taiwan from a fact sheet.
The government in Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has ruled the island since retreating there after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong's communist forces. Taiwan has never declared independence—a move China has threatened war over—but functions as a sovereign state with its own democratic government, military and defined territory.
To establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, China requires countries to recognize the "One China" principle and cut official ties with Taiwan. For more than four decades, the U.S. has followed a "One China" policy, acknowledging—but not endorsing—China's claim over the island of 23 million and not expressing support for de jure Taiwan independence.
The government in Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has ruled the island since retreating there after losing the Chinese civil war to Mao Zedong's communist forces. Taiwan has never declared independence—a move China has threatened war over—but functions as a sovereign state with its own democratic government, military and defined territory.
To establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, China requires countries to recognize the "One China" principle and cut official ties with Taiwan. For more than four decades, the U.S. has followed a "One China" policy, acknowledging—but not endorsing—China's claim over the island of 23 million and not expressing support for de jure Taiwan independence.
"Midtens rike - En vandring i Kinas historie" er i salg - revidert og utvidet, og i ny drakt
For 16 år siden utga jeg boken "Midtens rike - En vandring i Kinas historie" (Cappelen Damm, 2009). Senere er den trykket og utgitt i flere runder, og den også oversatt til fremmede språk. Nå foreligger en ny og revidert utgave - i ny drakt. Bokens forside viser en av Kinas store keisere, Qianlong, til hest. Qianlong styrte landet i en lang periode på 1700-tallet. Bildet er malt av den italienske jesuitten Giuseppe Castiglione, som bodde i Beijing og som fikk i oppdrag å male keiseren. Forsiden er designet av Stian Hole.
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tirsdag 18. februar 2025
How China can really pivot to the Global South
The latest actions from the Trump administration have reaffirmed the imperative for Chinese firms to reduce their dependence on the American market. Trump’s 10% additional tariffs on all Chinese imports have predictably invited Chinese countermeasures. And markets remain fearful that Trump will continue threatening the 60% tariffs on all Chinese goods he promised to impose while on the campaign trail.
Taiwan negotiating new arms deal with US: media
Taiwan is in the process of negotiating a new arms deal worth billions of dollars with the United States, Reuters news agency reported, citing unidentified sources. Meanwhile, the top US military commander in the Indo-Pacific, Adm. Samuel Paparo, has warned that Chinese military drills around Taiwan were actually “rehearsals” for an attack on the island.
Three sources familiar with the situation, who wished to stay anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic, told Reuters that Taipei was “in talks with Washington” about an arms purchase worth between US$7 billion and US$10 billion and that the package could include coastal defense cruise missiles and high mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS.Taiwan’s ministry of defense declined to confirm the news but said Taipei was committed to strengthening national defense. Defense ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang told reporters in Taipei that all defense budgets follow government policy and that plans would be disclosed to the public when they had been finalized.
Xi Is Making the World Pay for China’s Mistakes
President Trump’s readiness to use coercive tariffs presents a profound threat to the postwar economic and political order, introducing an unpredictability to global commerce that makes it difficult for trade partners to know how to react — and next to impossible for businesses to plan.
But he is not the only danger the world economy faces and may not even be the biggest. That may be President Xi Jinping of China, whose more strategic and calibrated industrial and economic policies are fundamentally distorting and harming global trade.
Trade usually refers to the combination of imports and exports. But Mr. Xi has upended that idea, radically changing China’s trade interaction with the rest of the world, at least when it comes to manufactured goods. Over the past six years, China’s imports of such goods increased by an average of only $15 billion a year, essentially no change at all when inflation is taken into account. Its manufactured exports, on the other hand, have grown more than 10 times as fast, by over $150 billion a year. When it comes to manufactured goods, trade with China is virtually a one-way street.
But he is not the only danger the world economy faces and may not even be the biggest. That may be President Xi Jinping of China, whose more strategic and calibrated industrial and economic policies are fundamentally distorting and harming global trade.
Trade usually refers to the combination of imports and exports. But Mr. Xi has upended that idea, radically changing China’s trade interaction with the rest of the world, at least when it comes to manufactured goods. Over the past six years, China’s imports of such goods increased by an average of only $15 billion a year, essentially no change at all when inflation is taken into account. Its manufactured exports, on the other hand, have grown more than 10 times as fast, by over $150 billion a year. When it comes to manufactured goods, trade with China is virtually a one-way street.
The Guardian view on the US, China and the rest: Trump is opening doors for Xi
Donald Trump’s return to the White House is so far proving more nightmarish for US allies and friends than adversaries. China certainly doesn’t relish a trade war with the US, but it was better prepared than others for Mr Trump’s tariffs, and both sides appear to be leaving room for a potential deal. And, though China’s leader, Xi Jinping, is poised for worse to come, the second Trump term is bringing Beijing opportunities as well as problems.
International respect for the US plummeted under his last administration. As the US president turns the screws on long-term partners, China is looking to take advantage. Colombia quickly caved to Mr Trump on the matter of migrant returns, but China’s ambassador has been celebrating the “best moment” in relations between Bogotá and Beijing. Under pressure from the Trump administration, Panama announced that it would allow its participation in China’s global infrastructure plan, the belt and road initiative (BRI), to expire. Yet behind-the-scenes arm-twisting had already begun tilting Panama back towards the US. Mr Trump’s attempts to humiliate and bully may backfire there and across the region.
International respect for the US plummeted under his last administration. As the US president turns the screws on long-term partners, China is looking to take advantage. Colombia quickly caved to Mr Trump on the matter of migrant returns, but China’s ambassador has been celebrating the “best moment” in relations between Bogotá and Beijing. Under pressure from the Trump administration, Panama announced that it would allow its participation in China’s global infrastructure plan, the belt and road initiative (BRI), to expire. Yet behind-the-scenes arm-twisting had already begun tilting Panama back towards the US. Mr Trump’s attempts to humiliate and bully may backfire there and across the region.
China anger as US amends wording on Taiwan independence
The US State Department has dropped a statement from its website which stated that Washington does not support Taiwan's independence - a move which has sparked anger in China. China said the revision "sends a wrong... signal to separatist forces advocating for Taiwan independence", and asked the US to "correct its mistakes".
The department's fact sheet on Taiwan-US relations earlier included the phrase "we do not support Taiwan independence" - this was removed last week as part of what it said was a "routine" update. A US spokesperson was quoted as saying that it remains committed to the "One China" policy, it said, where US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan.
mandag 17. februar 2025
Is China’s military really built for war? New report questions Beijing’s arms buildup
China is not ready for war, according to a contentious report from a US think tank, which claims the main motivation for the ruling Communist Party’s expansive push for military modernization is to retain its grip on power – not fight an overseas foe.
Beijing has pursued a head-turning military buildup under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – previously not even one of the strongest in Asia – has started to rival, or in some categories surpass, the US military in analysts’ estimations. Simulations by US defense experts have repeatedly shown the US – widely regarded as the world’s strongest military – having a tough time matching the PLA in a fight close to China’s shores, especially over the democratic island of Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing.
Beijing has pursued a head-turning military buildup under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – previously not even one of the strongest in Asia – has started to rival, or in some categories surpass, the US military in analysts’ estimations. Simulations by US defense experts have repeatedly shown the US – widely regarded as the world’s strongest military – having a tough time matching the PLA in a fight close to China’s shores, especially over the democratic island of Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing.
In from the cold? Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma spotted among top tech bosses who met China’s Xi
Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and the country’s top tech executives in Beijing on Monday, in a meeting that signals officials could be steering the country in a more business-friendly direction after a yearslong regulatory crackdown.
Besides Ma, the other tycoons in attendance included Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu, CATL CEO Zeng Yuqun and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, according to a report from state broadcaster CCTV.
The symposium on private business comes just weeks after Chinese startup DeepSeek’s latest AI model roiled global stock markets and AI players by delivering comparable performance to US-based industry behemoths at significantly lower cost. Its success has also brought optimism to China’s tech sector, which is still recovering after a severe regulatory crackdown lasting more than three years.
Besides Ma, the other tycoons in attendance included Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, BYD CEO Wang Chuanfu, CATL CEO Zeng Yuqun and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, according to a report from state broadcaster CCTV.
The symposium on private business comes just weeks after Chinese startup DeepSeek’s latest AI model roiled global stock markets and AI players by delivering comparable performance to US-based industry behemoths at significantly lower cost. Its success has also brought optimism to China’s tech sector, which is still recovering after a severe regulatory crackdown lasting more than three years.
I was 10 when my father paid a smuggler to take me out of Tibet
When my editor asked me to report on the secret journey Tibetans take to escape into exile, I did not think that there was much worth writing about. It is the story of almost everyone in my community. It is not news, and we are in the news business. But as I reported the story, I could feel its power – and it reminded me of details of my own journey that I hadn’t thought about in years.
I was born in Kham, in eastern Tibet, my parents' firstborn. A brother and sister followed, and the five of us lived with two cousins in a home that sat in a valley where the Salween River flows, surrounded by farm fields and mountain peaks.My mom sold produce in a town closer to the border with China, and I remember her taking me with her to pick the fruit to sell, teaching me a little Chinese as we worked. When she sold the fruit, she would bring back Chinese toys. All the neighborhood kids would gather around to play with me and my new plastic guns and cars. I loved the attention the gifts from my mother brought me.
Ukraine broadcasts appeal to North Korean soldiers to surrender
Ukrainian troops have begun broadcasting surrender appeals in Korean, assuring North Korean soldiers fighting in Kursk they will be treated humanely as prisoners of war, according to a Ukrainian activist group. The report comes after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had requested a few thousands more troops from North Korea.
As many as 12,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia to fight Ukrainian forces who occupied parts of the Kursk region in August, according to Ukraine and the United States, although neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has acknowledged their presence.InformNapalm, an investigative group covering Russia’s war against Ukraine, shared a video of a broadcast on its Telegram channel, saying that Ukrainian forces started radio transmissions aimed at North Korean troops.
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