Biler og busser kjører i kø til Nordkapp, leser jeg i avisen. Hvordan var det å ankomme det ytterste nøgne punkt i 1907? Svaret finner vi i dagboken til kong Chulalongkorn, som det året besøkte Norge. Den avholdte kongen av Siam (Thailand) ville gjøre seg kjent med forholdene i Europa. Rundreisen i Norge varte i 25 dager.
Kong Chulalongkorn var nysgjerrig som få og dro fra sted til sted med bil og båt og hest og vogn. Reisen til Nordkapp gikk med den britiske dampbåten ”Albion”, en slank og vakker skute som også var utstyrt med tre master. Den ankom Hammerfest 11. juli og nådde Nordkapp ved midnatt. Neste morgen gikk kongen og hans følge i land.
”Fjellsiden består av nesten loddrette klipper av hard stein”, skrev han.
Kongen merket seg flere små hus langs den bratte stien til platået. Han ble fortalt at turistguidene bodde i dem sommerstid. Fra krakker og bord solgte de alskens suvenirer som krus, askebegre og prospektkort med bilder av Nordkapp. Etter hvert ble stien så bratt at thaiene måtte hale seg opp ved hjelp av tau. Tauene var festet til jernstolper som var slått i bakken med jevne mellomrom.
lørdag 27. juli 2024
fredag 26. juli 2024
Opinion: China’s ‘monster’ ship is a sign of a much bigger problem
For nearly 234 years, the US Coast Guard has been true to that ethos in carrying out its many missions around the country and the globe. Around the world, many countries with a coast guard use a facsimile of the distinguishing US Coast Guard ‘racing stripe’ and white paint scheme, which differentiates these vessels from the Navy, to mark their ships or cutters. It’s an homage, intended or not, to the nobility of purpose embodied in our coast guard.
That is why I find the conduct of the China Coast Guard so jarring and disconcerting — such as attacking and destroying a Philippine resupply mission. It is completely at odds with the ethos of coast guards not just here, but everywhere small naval forces seek to bring governance and stability to the waters for which they are responsible.
China recently continued this aggressive conduct by anchoring one of its behemoth 541-foot coast guard vessels, dubbed by some observers “The Monster,” within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) maritime territory. I’m struck by how closely the ship resembles the 378-foot cutter Mellon that I served aboard as an ensign more than 30 years ago, but the incongruity of the actions of this vessel with my experience is striking.
Peter Hessler: Sideline Sinology
When I moved to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, in August 2019, my intention was to take a break from journalism. I accepted a position at the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute, where I agreed to a relatively full teaching load, with around 60 students per semester in writing and journalism classes. One of my goals was to get a sense of how Chinese students and universities had changed over the past two decades. I had first arrived in Sichuan in 1996 as a Peace Corps volunteer posted to a small city called Fuling, and ever since I had stayed in touch with many of my former students. I planned to frequently revisit Fuling in order to write a follow-up to River Town.
I told my editors at The New Yorker that it would probably be at least two years before I transitioned back to journalism. During my first semester, the magazine sent two other writers, Evan Osnos and Jiayang Fan, to China and Hong Kong to research stories. But such travel became impossible after the country closed its borders in response to the pandemic. In mid-March of 2020, as part of an ongoing diplomatic dispute with the Trump administration, the Chinese government announced that it was expelling American correspondents from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. The expulsions targeted many of the most experienced journalists, leaving bureaus badly understaffed.
I told my editors at The New Yorker that it would probably be at least two years before I transitioned back to journalism. During my first semester, the magazine sent two other writers, Evan Osnos and Jiayang Fan, to China and Hong Kong to research stories. But such travel became impossible after the country closed its borders in response to the pandemic. In mid-March of 2020, as part of an ongoing diplomatic dispute with the Trump administration, the Chinese government announced that it was expelling American correspondents from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. The expulsions targeted many of the most experienced journalists, leaving bureaus badly understaffed.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s anti-corruption clampdown: Who’s next?
In early July, former Vice-Premier and former chair of the Straits Exchange Foundation Cheng Wen-tsan was detained and held incommunicado for allegedly accepting bribes in the development of the Huaya Science Park. This is a bombshell to the political circles in Taiwan.
Within two months of his presidency, Lai Ching-te has acted decisively against Cheng, who was once regarded as a potential presidential candidate. This drastic move has created fear within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and stunned the opposition parties.
Shenzhen’s rising unemployment a growing national concern
After being laid off by a consulting company at the end of 2023, 35-year-old finance manager Zheng Min (pseudonym) has since been unemployed. Zheng, who is from Zhangzhou, Fujian, told Lianhe Zaobao that in the past half year, she has applied for more than 100 jobs in Xiamen. Either she was unsuccessful or the terms offered by the company did not meet her expectations.
“I have been in finance for over a decade, and my salary was on average 25,000 RMB (US$3,500) per month. But for similar managerial roles, many companies are now only willing to offer 8,000 to 12,000 RMB, with longer work hours and less benefits,” she shared.
Feeling helpless from her unsuccessful job hunt, Zheng returned to Shenzhen in May in the hopes of finding a suitable job in the first-tier city.According to data from the Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the number of newly registered unemployed rose by 40.1% year-on-year in Q1 2024, 15% more than the previous quarter.
“I have been in finance for over a decade, and my salary was on average 25,000 RMB (US$3,500) per month. But for similar managerial roles, many companies are now only willing to offer 8,000 to 12,000 RMB, with longer work hours and less benefits,” she shared.
Feeling helpless from her unsuccessful job hunt, Zheng returned to Shenzhen in May in the hopes of finding a suitable job in the first-tier city.According to data from the Shenzhen Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the number of newly registered unemployed rose by 40.1% year-on-year in Q1 2024, 15% more than the previous quarter.
Involution: Unveiling the emperor’s dream within every Chinese
During a conversation, a friend expressed frustration in finding a private tutor for his middle school son. I reassured him that the enrollment rate in tertiary education in China was currently quite high. Moreover, gaining admission to one of the top 39 universities in China, known as a “Project 985” university, was not as challenging as he thought. Therefore, there was no need to be overly anxious. He chided me for lacking empathy, saying that while his son might get into a Project 985 university without tuition, with tuition, he might get into Tsinghua University or Peking University.
Involution due to lack of wealth?
Involution due to lack of wealth?
The country’s ban on the private tutoring sector has not stopped parents from becoming “involuted” (卷 juan, referring to various forms of inward spiral, regression or stagnation). Not only that, Chinese automobile companies are also lamenting that the intense price war has led to a severely “involuted” automotive industry where it is impossible to make profits. I cannot help but lament: it seems that the Chinese can never truly escape involution.
onsdag 24. juli 2024
"I do not expect a free trial. But to give up means the end of journalism in Mongolia"
As the police arrived at the door of our newsroom to march us out of the office, I wrote on the wall: “Freedom is precious.” Our news site was taken down from the internet and my colleagues and I set up a protest in front of the State Great Khural, the Mongolian parliament. Afterwards, a contact told me the government was looking to “shut me up”. I did not suspect that by “shut up” they meant imprison.
I have been a journalist in Mongolia for nearly 20 years. I started my career as the country was emerging from the democratic transformation that followed decades of state communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Corruption was endemic and there was no tradition of real journalism.
When I was a young reporter, it was not customary for journalists to question politicians. Rather, a politician would call on a reporter and expect them to write exactly what they were told. It was news to order.
I have been a journalist in Mongolia for nearly 20 years. I started my career as the country was emerging from the democratic transformation that followed decades of state communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Corruption was endemic and there was no tradition of real journalism.
When I was a young reporter, it was not customary for journalists to question politicians. Rather, a politician would call on a reporter and expect them to write exactly what they were told. It was news to order.
Guo Wengui: How a Chinese tycoon built a pro-Trump money machine
An exiled Chinese billionaire has now been found guilty of multiple charges, including fraud and money laundering. Here's a look into how Guo Wengui, who built up a real estate empire in China, went on to run a billion dollar scam in the US.
In early June 2020, at the tail end of the city's first Covid lockdown, a fleet of small planes baffled New Yorkers. They circled overhead towing banners that read: "Congratulations to the New Federal State of China" and flew an unfamiliar-looking blue flag. Was it a prank? A stunt? Weird propaganda?
The mystery was solved a few days later when Guo and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon appeared live online. Together on a boat near the Statue of Liberty, with the same blue flag in the background, they awkwardly took turns speaking to the camera. "We must eliminate Marxism-Leninism, the pariah and totalitarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party," Guo declared.
In early June 2020, at the tail end of the city's first Covid lockdown, a fleet of small planes baffled New Yorkers. They circled overhead towing banners that read: "Congratulations to the New Federal State of China" and flew an unfamiliar-looking blue flag. Was it a prank? A stunt? Weird propaganda?
The mystery was solved a few days later when Guo and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon appeared live online. Together on a boat near the Statue of Liberty, with the same blue flag in the background, they awkwardly took turns speaking to the camera. "We must eliminate Marxism-Leninism, the pariah and totalitarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party," Guo declared.
China seeks to unite Palestinian factions with reconciliation deal
Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have signed a declaration agreeing to form an interim "national reconciliation government" for the occupied West Bank and Gaza after the war with Israel, in a meeting brokered by China, China's foreign minister and Hamas officials have said.
Representatives from the groups, along with 12 other Palestinian factions, pledged to work for unity after three days of talks in Beijing. It is the latest of several reconciliation deals Hamas and Fatah have agreed on in their long fractured relationship, none of which have yet led to the end of the schism. Israel has also ruled out a role for Hamas or Fatah in governing Gaza after the end of hostilities there.
The deep split began in 2007 when Hamas became the sole ruler in Gaza after violently ejecting Fatah from the territory. This came after Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Hamas-led unity government formed when Hamas won national elections the year before.
Representatives from the groups, along with 12 other Palestinian factions, pledged to work for unity after three days of talks in Beijing. It is the latest of several reconciliation deals Hamas and Fatah have agreed on in their long fractured relationship, none of which have yet led to the end of the schism. Israel has also ruled out a role for Hamas or Fatah in governing Gaza after the end of hostilities there.
The deep split began in 2007 when Hamas became the sole ruler in Gaza after violently ejecting Fatah from the territory. This came after Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Hamas-led unity government formed when Hamas won national elections the year before.
China to raise retirement age as population gets older
China will gradually raise its statutory retirement age in the next five years to try to cope with its ageing population and buckling pension system. Life expectancy in the country has now risen above the United States, to 78 years, from just 36 years at the time of the Communist revolution in 1949. But China's retirement age remains one of the lowest in the world - at 60 for men, 55 for women in white-collar jobs and 50 for working-class women.
The plan to raise retirement ages is part of a series of resolutions adopted last week at a five-yearly top-level Communist party meeting, known as the Third Plenum.
The plan to raise retirement ages is part of a series of resolutions adopted last week at a five-yearly top-level Communist party meeting, known as the Third Plenum.
Beijing and Manila made a deal in the South China Sea. But they’re already at odds over what was agreed
An interim deal to smooth deliveries to Philippine marines marooned on a ship at a hotly disputed reef in the South China Sea appears to be in doubt after Manila and Beijing gave opposing accounts over what they had agreed to. Fears of a conflict with global implications have risen in recent months following a series of increasingly violent clashes between Chinese coast guard vessels and Philippine ships at Second Thomas Shoal in the contested Spratly Islands, where Manila grounded a navy ship in 1999 to press its claims.
Following de-escalation talks, Manila and Beijing both said they had reached a “provisional arrangement” on the resupply of necessities to Philippine marines stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre – without either side conceding their maritime claims. But analysts were skeptical about whether the temporary deal would hold after the two sides provided conflicting details of what their agreement entails.
Following de-escalation talks, Manila and Beijing both said they had reached a “provisional arrangement” on the resupply of necessities to Philippine marines stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre – without either side conceding their maritime claims. But analysts were skeptical about whether the temporary deal would hold after the two sides provided conflicting details of what their agreement entails.
Trump says Taiwan stole America’s chip industry. But that’s not true
Former US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows last week when he accused Taiwan of snatching America’s crown in the $500 billion business of making computer chips. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, the Republican presidential nominee repeated his assertion, first made last year, that the island democracy and US ally had taken “almost 100%” of the industry from the United States. “We should have never let that happen,” he added.
Except, it didn’t. Industry experts tell CNN that, far from stealing, Taiwan grew its own semiconductor industry organically through a combination of foresight, hard work and investment. School children on the island know that the father of its world-beating chips sector is Morris Chang, a 93-year-old Chinese-born American, who started Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) in 1987 at age 55 after a long career working with semiconductors in the US.
Except, it didn’t. Industry experts tell CNN that, far from stealing, Taiwan grew its own semiconductor industry organically through a combination of foresight, hard work and investment. School children on the island know that the father of its world-beating chips sector is Morris Chang, a 93-year-old Chinese-born American, who started Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) in 1987 at age 55 after a long career working with semiconductors in the US.
onsdag 17. juli 2024
Trump says Taiwan should pay the US for its defence as ‘it doesn’t give us anything’
Donald Trump has said Taiwan should pay the US for protection from China, calling into question Washington’s support for the island democracy should he win back the White House in November’s presidential election.
In response to Trump’s comments, premier Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and the US have good relations despite the lack of formal ties, but added that Taiwan was increasing its capabilities to defend itself. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would defend Taiwan against China if he wins the US election in November. China’s ruling Communist party claims Taiwan as a province and has vowed to annex it, refusing to rule out the use of military force. The US does not formally recognise Taiwan but is it’s most important security partner.
In response to Trump’s comments, premier Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and the US have good relations despite the lack of formal ties, but added that Taiwan was increasing its capabilities to defend itself. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would defend Taiwan against China if he wins the US election in November. China’s ruling Communist party claims Taiwan as a province and has vowed to annex it, refusing to rule out the use of military force. The US does not formally recognise Taiwan but is it’s most important security partner.
Guo Wengui: How a Chinese tycoon built a pro-Trump money machine
An exiled Chinese billionaire has now been found guilty of multiple charges, including fraud and money laundering. Here's a look into how Guo Wengui, who built up a real estate empire in China, went on to run a billion dollar scam in the US.
In early June 2020, at the tail end of the city's first Covid lockdown, a fleet of small planes baffled New Yorkers. They circled overhead towing banners that read: "Congratulations to the New Federal State of China" and flew an unfamiliar-looking blue flag. Was it a prank? A stunt? Weird propaganda? The mystery was solved a few days later when Guo and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon appeared live online.
Read more
In early June 2020, at the tail end of the city's first Covid lockdown, a fleet of small planes baffled New Yorkers. They circled overhead towing banners that read: "Congratulations to the New Federal State of China" and flew an unfamiliar-looking blue flag. Was it a prank? A stunt? Weird propaganda? The mystery was solved a few days later when Guo and former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon appeared live online.
Read more
Tech stocks fall after report that Biden administration plans to crack down on China chipmakers
Tech shares fell Wednesday as investors shed the behemoths that fueled Wall Street’s monster stock rally this year. The Nasdaq Composite index tumbled 2.7% and the S&P 500 lost 1.3%. The Dow rose 0.5%. Shares of tech heavyweight Nvidia (NVDA) slumped 6.2% and rival chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) dropped by 7.8%.
The selloff comes after a Tuesday report from Bloomberg that the Biden administration is mulling plans to impose more sanctions on Chinese tech firms and to heighten semiconductor trade restrictions between the US and China. Investors are also selling tech stocks after a cool inflation report last week and stronger-than-expected retail sales data on Tuesday pushed up bets for a rate cut in September. Wall Street is looking to beaten-down stocks that tend to perform better when borrowing costs are low.
A spate of stabbings has sparked online debate about China’s economic woes
The fatal stabbing of two people by a man at a residential compound in southern China has ignited an online debate that has amplified during a summer scarred by a spree of similar crimes across the country. Two days after those June 28 killings in the Guangxi region, national attention shifted to another stabbing incident, thousands of miles away – which was then followed by two others, also unrelated attacks in public places, taking the toll to seven dead in four provinces within two weeks.
The circumstances differed in each case; one perpetrator had been in a drunken argument, while another has a history of mental illness, according to police. All cases remain under investigation, and scant information has been released on the suspects or their motives.
The country of 1.4 billion has generally low violent crime rates and very tight gun controls. But China has been rocked by a number of high-profile stabbing cases in recent decades, including multiple such attacks at schools. What stands out about the latest stabbings is the social media debate triggered by them, which experts say reflects a growing sense of anxiety and discontent that has spread across the nation in recent years as the country’s economy struggles to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The circumstances differed in each case; one perpetrator had been in a drunken argument, while another has a history of mental illness, according to police. All cases remain under investigation, and scant information has been released on the suspects or their motives.
The country of 1.4 billion has generally low violent crime rates and very tight gun controls. But China has been rocked by a number of high-profile stabbing cases in recent decades, including multiple such attacks at schools. What stands out about the latest stabbings is the social media debate triggered by them, which experts say reflects a growing sense of anxiety and discontent that has spread across the nation in recent years as the country’s economy struggles to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
tirsdag 16. juli 2024
Torbjørn Færøvik: Når Kina spionerer - i partilaget
Nærmer du deg Xiyuangaten 100 i Beijing, får du øye på en grå bygning hvor alvorstemte kinesere går inn og ut til alle døgnets tider. Bygningen er hovedkvarteret til Ministeriet for offentlig sikkerhet (MSS), en stor organisasjon med mer enn hundre tusen ansatte. Rundt ti tusen personer antas å ha sin arbeidsplass i denne bygningen og i et tilhørende bygningskompleks nær Den himmelske freds plass. Det bør være unødvendig å tilføye at ingen utlendinger slipper inn i dem. Enda flere ansatte arbeider i provinsene eller i fremmede land, som Norge. MSS’ hovedoppgave er å beskytte kommunistpartiet og staten mot indre og ytre fiender.
China’s Third Plenum: What to Watch for Foreign Investors
The third plenum is, as the name implies, the third plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which has been in session since the 20th National Congress held in October 2022. Plenums are usually held in the fall each year, but the expected plenum in October 2023 did not materialize and has been postponed until now.
During the third plenum, the Central Committee will approve a draft document titled The Central Committee’s Decision on Further Comprehensive Deepening of Reforms and Advancing Chinese-style Modernization. The draft document was formulated and revised based on opinions from within and outside the Party, according to the readout of the Politburo meeting on June 27. This document will outline the planned economic reforms for the coming years.
Although past plenums have seen major reforms and policy decisions, the Committee is not expected to announce any drastic pivots at this year’s meeting. Instead, more granular reforms that align with the country’s current development trajectory may be announced in key target sectors, such as the private sector, technology, and property.
During the third plenum, the Central Committee will approve a draft document titled The Central Committee’s Decision on Further Comprehensive Deepening of Reforms and Advancing Chinese-style Modernization. The draft document was formulated and revised based on opinions from within and outside the Party, according to the readout of the Politburo meeting on June 27. This document will outline the planned economic reforms for the coming years.
Although past plenums have seen major reforms and policy decisions, the Committee is not expected to announce any drastic pivots at this year’s meeting. Instead, more granular reforms that align with the country’s current development trajectory may be announced in key target sectors, such as the private sector, technology, and property.
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