You have heard of Pandora, the woman who lifted the lid from the jar?
In Greek mythology it is said that the gods gave her a jar filled with all the world’s misfortunes. She was therefore strictly instructed to keep it closed. But her curiosity proved too strong. When she lifted the lid, disease, strife, sorrow and suffering flew out, and the world was never the same again. Only one thing remained at the bottom of the jar: hope.
The expression “to open Pandora’s jar” has since been used to describe an action that sets off a chain of events no one can control. The United States’ bombing of Iran may turn out to be precisely such a moment. In Washington the attacks are presented as necessary and limited. Their primary purpose is said to be the destruction of military installations, missile bases and whatever may remain of the country’s nuclear program.
fredag 6. mars 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: Opening Pandora’s Jar. The War With Iran
China is about to show the world its plan to win the future
China spent the last five years cultivating innovation and new technology at home. The next half decade will be dedicated to deploying the fruits of its labor to transform its economy – and its place in the world.
That’s set to be an overarching message as thousands of delegates from across China gather in the nation’s capital for the “Two Sessions” – a carefully choreographed annual meeting where the country’s leadership signals its priorities for the year ahead, and its rubber-stamp legislature approves them.
The pomp and ceremony of the gathering has long stood as a symbol of China’s tightly controlled political process, and Beijing’s authoritarian leaders are well aware of the juxtaposition that creates as the US, the world’s most powerful democracy, is riven with partisan infighting and engaged in another spiraling conflict in the Middle East.
That’s set to be an overarching message as thousands of delegates from across China gather in the nation’s capital for the “Two Sessions” – a carefully choreographed annual meeting where the country’s leadership signals its priorities for the year ahead, and its rubber-stamp legislature approves them.
The pomp and ceremony of the gathering has long stood as a symbol of China’s tightly controlled political process, and Beijing’s authoritarian leaders are well aware of the juxtaposition that creates as the US, the world’s most powerful democracy, is riven with partisan infighting and engaged in another spiraling conflict in the Middle East.
The US just took out two China-friendly leaders in two months. Why has Beijing done very little about it?
In quick succession, US President Donald Trump has taken out two of Beijing’s closest allies: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The former is now in shackles in a New York detention facility after being snatched from Caracas by US special forces in an extraordinary overnight raid. The latter was killed in a daring daylight bomb drop in the center of Tehran in a joint US mission with Israel.
In the aftermath, China has responded with anger – condemning the capture or killing of a sovereign leader and the apparent US attempt at regime change while reaching out to Iran express its friendship. But Beijing has done little more than look on as its geopolitical rival shakes up the rules of engagement.
The former is now in shackles in a New York detention facility after being snatched from Caracas by US special forces in an extraordinary overnight raid. The latter was killed in a daring daylight bomb drop in the center of Tehran in a joint US mission with Israel.
In the aftermath, China has responded with anger – condemning the capture or killing of a sovereign leader and the apparent US attempt at regime change while reaching out to Iran express its friendship. But Beijing has done little more than look on as its geopolitical rival shakes up the rules of engagement.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will not appeal outcome in landmark security case
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will not appeal against his conviction and 20-year jail term for collusion with foreign forces and sedition, his lawyer said on Friday, after a landmark case that sparked international criticism.
The founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, Lai, 78, was one of the most outspoken critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. A nearly five-year legal saga ended with his sentencing in February following a December conviction on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials.
The founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, Lai, 78, was one of the most outspoken critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. A nearly five-year legal saga ended with his sentencing in February following a December conviction on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials.
China’s Military Reveals 5 Lessons From US-Iran War
China's military leadership has been taking notes from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) releasing five major takeaways from the conflict.
Israel and the U.S. launched attacks Saturday despite ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. The strikes have killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 1,000 Iranians, according to state media. China has condemned the offensive as a violation of international law and called for a halt to the fighting as Iran retaliated against targets in countries hosting U.S. forces.
The conflict comes just two months after U.S. forces struck targets across another China ally—Venezuela—and captured former President Nicolás Maduro, catching Beijing off guard. Chinese military planners may apply lessons learned from these episodes to the Pacific, where Beijing seeks to supplant the U.S. as the dominant military power and where both sides are preparing for potential conflict, such as a over Beijing-claimed Taiwan.
Israel and the U.S. launched attacks Saturday despite ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. The strikes have killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 1,000 Iranians, according to state media. China has condemned the offensive as a violation of international law and called for a halt to the fighting as Iran retaliated against targets in countries hosting U.S. forces.
The conflict comes just two months after U.S. forces struck targets across another China ally—Venezuela—and captured former President Nicolás Maduro, catching Beijing off guard. Chinese military planners may apply lessons learned from these episodes to the Pacific, where Beijing seeks to supplant the U.S. as the dominant military power and where both sides are preparing for potential conflict, such as a over Beijing-claimed Taiwan.
Why Hasn’t China Come to the Rescue of Ally Iran
Beijing's conspicuously restrained response to the United States and Israel's devastation of Iran's leadership and military capabilities has sparked debate over the impact on China's credibility among allies.
Some claim, just as they did after the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, that this inaction has exposed impotence in the face of its U.S. rival’s global power-projection capabilities—and the limits of Beijing’s efforts to make inroads into Washington’s influence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
China has accused the U.S. and Israel of violating international law over the attacks, launched despite negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, and the assassination of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But observers note a lack of support beyond public protests.
Some claim, just as they did after the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, that this inaction has exposed impotence in the face of its U.S. rival’s global power-projection capabilities—and the limits of Beijing’s efforts to make inroads into Washington’s influence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
China has accused the U.S. and Israel of violating international law over the attacks, launched despite negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, and the assassination of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But observers note a lack of support beyond public protests.
China Announces Biggest Defense Budget—What To Know
China announced its largest defense budget yet Thursday as it presses forward with its goal of becoming the dominant military force in the West Pacific. The draft budget was released by China's Ministry of Finance as the Communist Party leadership's top legislative body, the National People's Congress, began its annual meeting to approve the country's priorities for the coming year.
China is the world's second-largest military spender, though it still lags considerably behind the United States. Chinese President Xi Jinping has set the goal of achieving a "world-class" military by mid-century.
The increasingly assertive posture of the People's Liberation Army, its rapid buildup, and advances in naval, air and missile forces have prompted neighbors such as Japan to ramp up their own spending. They have also led the U.S. to label China its "pacing challenge," and raised concerns over a potential invasion of Beijing-claimed Taiwan.
China is the world's second-largest military spender, though it still lags considerably behind the United States. Chinese President Xi Jinping has set the goal of achieving a "world-class" military by mid-century.
The increasingly assertive posture of the People's Liberation Army, its rapid buildup, and advances in naval, air and missile forces have prompted neighbors such as Japan to ramp up their own spending. They have also led the U.S. to label China its "pacing challenge," and raised concerns over a potential invasion of Beijing-claimed Taiwan.
China Is Betting on a Declining America
The United States' war against Iran is likely to reinforce the widely held view in China that Washington is a power in decline, analysts say. The country's political class believes time is on its side in the great power competition, according to an analysis of official messaging by China Leadership Monitor, a publication focused on the country's elite politics.
The narrative characterized by Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2020 statement that the "East is rising and the West is falling" emerged around the time of the 2008 financial crisis and gained traction early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when China brought its domestic outbreak under control after the virus spread beyond its borders while the U.S. grappled with soaring infections and deaths.
This early success, along with China's closing the gap with the United States in artificial intelligence and other technologies, as well as militarily, has been presented as evidence that the country is ascendant.
The narrative characterized by Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2020 statement that the "East is rising and the West is falling" emerged around the time of the 2008 financial crisis and gained traction early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when China brought its domestic outbreak under control after the virus spread beyond its borders while the U.S. grappled with soaring infections and deaths.
This early success, along with China's closing the gap with the United States in artificial intelligence and other technologies, as well as militarily, has been presented as evidence that the country is ascendant.
Australia Sounds Alarm After Chinese Military Incident
The Australian defense ministry has accused the Chinese navy of another "unsafe and unprofessional maneuver" that endangered lives. The encounter follows a string of complaints from Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and other U.S. allies about alleged unsafe behavior by the Chinese military in recent years. Beijing has frequently rejected these accusations and accused the other party of violating its sovereignty and of threatening regional stability.
tirsdag 3. mars 2026
Did Germany's Merz pull off business balancing act in China?
During talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized expanding economic ties with China in the face of erratic US trade policy, while at the same time addressing concerns over managing competition and heavy trade imbalances.
"We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair," Merz said during a meeting with Li on Wednesday. Notably, he avoided referring to China as a "systemic rival," a term used by predecessor Olaf Scholz that served to irritate Beijing. Merz, who traveled to China with 30 German business leaders, also met leading Chinese and German business figures in Hangzhou, China's tech hub.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted the German business delegation as an example of "practical cooperation" that said "a lot about Germany's expectation of and confidence in deepening practical China-Germany cooperation."
"We have very specific concerns regarding our cooperation, which we want to improve and make fair," Merz said during a meeting with Li on Wednesday. Notably, he avoided referring to China as a "systemic rival," a term used by predecessor Olaf Scholz that served to irritate Beijing. Merz, who traveled to China with 30 German business leaders, also met leading Chinese and German business figures in Hangzhou, China's tech hub.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted the German business delegation as an example of "practical cooperation" that said "a lot about Germany's expectation of and confidence in deepening practical China-Germany cooperation."
Iran’s Oil Trade With China—What To Know
Global shipping has ground to a near halt in the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Saturday.
Iran has declared the waterway effectively closed, stranding more than 100 vessels in the strait, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne energy passes each day. Oil prices hit a 14-month high of $82 Monday and remain elevated as the conflict widens, with Tehran's retaliatory strikesexpanding to hit oil refineries in Gulf neighbors hosting U.S. bases.
“With no quick de-escalation in sight, the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and Iran showing a willingness to target energy infrastructure in the region, upside risks remain and they grow the longer the conflict drags on,” IG Australia market analyst Tony Sycamore said, per Reuters.
Iran has declared the waterway effectively closed, stranding more than 100 vessels in the strait, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne energy passes each day. Oil prices hit a 14-month high of $82 Monday and remain elevated as the conflict widens, with Tehran's retaliatory strikesexpanding to hit oil refineries in Gulf neighbors hosting U.S. bases.
“With no quick de-escalation in sight, the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and Iran showing a willingness to target energy infrastructure in the region, upside risks remain and they grow the longer the conflict drags on,” IG Australia market analyst Tony Sycamore said, per Reuters.
Iran to do ‘utmost’ to protect China’s citizens amid US-Israel attacks: FM
The Iranian minister of foreign affairs has briefed senior members of China’s central committee and his counterpart, Wang Yi, promising to do everything to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in the country amid the war launched by the US and Israel.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the comment in a call on Monday with Wang, which focused on the situation in Iran as Tehran defended “itself at all costs”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said in a statement. “Seyed Abbas Araghchi noted that the Iranian side will do its utmost to guarantee the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Araghchi told Wang that Washington had “launched war against Iran for the second time during their ongoing negotiations”, despite the two sides having made “positive progress in the latest round of negotiations”.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the comment in a call on Monday with Wang, which focused on the situation in Iran as Tehran defended “itself at all costs”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said in a statement. “Seyed Abbas Araghchi noted that the Iranian side will do its utmost to guarantee the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Araghchi told Wang that Washington had “launched war against Iran for the second time during their ongoing negotiations”, despite the two sides having made “positive progress in the latest round of negotiations”.
What China’s response to the US attack on Iran says about its foreign policy
The day the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, China waited several hours before taking its first official position. It said it was “highly concerned” and called for an immediate halt to military operations and the resumption of dialogue. The next day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the strikes as unacceptable and again called for more talks.
There were no indications of direct intervention — but such an expectation wouldn’t be realistic. As in other recent conflicts, including last year’s attack on Iran, China has condemned the use of force while remaining on the sidelines, keeping in mind its long-term interests. This time, those interests include a highly anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, expected to take place around early April.
There were no indications of direct intervention — but such an expectation wouldn’t be realistic. As in other recent conflicts, including last year’s attack on Iran, China has condemned the use of force while remaining on the sidelines, keeping in mind its long-term interests. This time, those interests include a highly anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing, expected to take place around early April.
China’s economic ambitions hit limits to growth as its national congress meets
China’s progress in building a modern economy, evident in its kung-fu fighting robots and self-parking cars, is hitting limits as a downturn in its housing industry drags on, small businesses suffer and young people struggle to find jobs.
The gap between Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s high-tech, artificial intelligence-driven ambitions and the hard realities of slowing growth is the backdrop for the annual meeting of the country’s largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People’s Congress, which begins Thursday.
During the meetings, which draw about 3,000 deputies to Beijing, top leaders will outline China’s annual target for growth and the congress will endorse a five-year blueprint of policy priorities until 2030.
The gap between Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s high-tech, artificial intelligence-driven ambitions and the hard realities of slowing growth is the backdrop for the annual meeting of the country’s largely ceremonial national legislature, the National People’s Congress, which begins Thursday.
During the meetings, which draw about 3,000 deputies to Beijing, top leaders will outline China’s annual target for growth and the congress will endorse a five-year blueprint of policy priorities until 2030.
mandag 2. mars 2026
China’s Surprise New Hit Is a Dating Show for Middle-Aged Singles
“Would you like to meet me?” Wang Yan, 47, asks into a walkie-talkie.
Dozens of meters away in a sunflower field in southwestern China, Liu Yugang — a divorced father in his 50s — answers without hesitation: “Yes, I would.”
The two have never spoken. Armed only with a name, a photograph and a brief profile, they choose each other from a distance and step aside for their first date. They trade stories, laugh easily and sketch a cartoon portrait of themselves together. Liu jokes that it looks like a wedding photo.By nightfall, Wang chooses someone else.
The twist is built into “Forever by Your Side,” a dating show that has surged to the top of Chinese streaming charts since December. In a genre typically dominated by people in their 20s, the series centers on contestants in their late 40s and early 50s — many divorced, some with children, all carrying decades of lived experience.
Dozens of meters away in a sunflower field in southwestern China, Liu Yugang — a divorced father in his 50s — answers without hesitation: “Yes, I would.”
The two have never spoken. Armed only with a name, a photograph and a brief profile, they choose each other from a distance and step aside for their first date. They trade stories, laugh easily and sketch a cartoon portrait of themselves together. Liu jokes that it looks like a wedding photo.By nightfall, Wang chooses someone else.
The twist is built into “Forever by Your Side,” a dating show that has surged to the top of Chinese streaming charts since December. In a genre typically dominated by people in their 20s, the series centers on contestants in their late 40s and early 50s — many divorced, some with children, all carrying decades of lived experience.
North Korea Codifies Nuclear Statehood and Hostile ‘Two-State’ Relations at 9th Party Congress
The Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), which concluded its final session on February 25, fundamentally reordered the geopolitical framework of the Korean Peninsula. Through a comprehensive review of the party’s strategic direction, Kim Jong Un, the autocratic leader of North Korea, formalized the permanent severance of ties with South Korea and institutionalized a high-tech nuclear doctrine for the newly elected WPK leadership.
The Ninth Congress – held for seven days from February 19 to 25 – served as a definitive proclamation that North Korea has moved beyond the era of nuclear aspiration, cementing its status as a permanent nuclear-armed state with an operationalized arsenal.
A pivotal outcome of the Congress was the formalization of “Haekpangasoe,” translated literally as “nuclear trigger.” In the report on the Ninth Congress released by Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s state media outlet, Haekpangasoe represented an integrated nuclear crisis response system designed to ensure that the national nuclear shield could be operated promptly and accurately at any moment.
The Ninth Congress – held for seven days from February 19 to 25 – served as a definitive proclamation that North Korea has moved beyond the era of nuclear aspiration, cementing its status as a permanent nuclear-armed state with an operationalized arsenal.
A pivotal outcome of the Congress was the formalization of “Haekpangasoe,” translated literally as “nuclear trigger.” In the report on the Ninth Congress released by Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s state media outlet, Haekpangasoe represented an integrated nuclear crisis response system designed to ensure that the national nuclear shield could be operated promptly and accurately at any moment.
After North Korea party congress, Kim gifts rifles to officials, daughter
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has presented new sniper rifles to top government and military officials following a weeklong governing party congress lauding his leadership. State media highlighted an image of his teenage daughter taking aim at a shooting range as her increasingly prominent appearances stoke speculation that Kim is grooming her as a future leader.
Kim presented the rifles to senior party and military officials on Friday, calling them a sign of his “absolute trust” and gratitude for their commitment over the past five years since the last Workers’ Party of Korea congress in 2021, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday.
Kim presented the rifles to senior party and military officials on Friday, calling them a sign of his “absolute trust” and gratitude for their commitment over the past five years since the last Workers’ Party of Korea congress in 2021, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday.
As China’s economy slows, some young people are snapping up cheap apartments to ‘retire’ early
The “Life in Venice” housing development, a multibillion-dollar replica of the Italian city on the Chinese coast, stands silent. Many of the tens of thousands of homes are hollow husks of concrete and alabaster. But in recent years the remote, partially abandoned complex has drawn unlikely new residents like Sasa Chen, a burned-out young Chinese woman who until recently worked a high-earning finance job in Shanghai, China’s bustling commerce hub.
The appeal?
Chen pays just 1200 RMB, or $168, a month for her apartment in faux Venice in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. It’s so cheap that it’s allowed Chen to retire at the tender age of 28. Experts say Chen is part of a broader trend that has seen a growing number of young people across China migrating to small towns and cities, taking advantage of cheap real estate prices that have been plummeting since the COVID pandemic.
The appeal?
Chen pays just 1200 RMB, or $168, a month for her apartment in faux Venice in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. It’s so cheap that it’s allowed Chen to retire at the tender age of 28. Experts say Chen is part of a broader trend that has seen a growing number of young people across China migrating to small towns and cities, taking advantage of cheap real estate prices that have been plummeting since the COVID pandemic.
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