ZGBriefs by Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs.
Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (MN), and Chinese Culture and Communication at Wheaton College (IL) and Taylor University (IN).
Joann has a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (MN), and an MA in teaching from the University of St. Thomas (MN).
She is the author of Survival Chinese Lessons and The Bells Are Not Silent: Stories of Church Bells in China.
Her personal blog, Outside-In can be found at joannpittman.com, where she writes on China, Minnesota, traveling, and issues related to "living well where you don't belong."
You can find her on Twitter @jkpittman.com and on Facebook at @authorjoannpittman.
She makes her home in New Brighton, Minnesota.
ZGBriefs | September 23, 2021
Can I travel to mainland China? A guide to entry restrictions, documents, and vaccination and testing requirements (September 17, 2021, South China Morning Post) The measures look set to continue despite the potential long-term economic impact and the nation’s plans to host international events including the Winter Olympics. Here is what you need to know about China’s latest entry restrictions.
ZGBriefs | September 16, 2021
Buddies With Rice: China’s Simplest and Most Loved Dishes (September 10, 2021, The World of Chinese) Probably the simplest of all xiafancai is the legendary spicy sauce Laoganma, but there are many more nutritious (and delicious) rice partners out there.
ZGBriefs | September 9, 2021
Beijing 2022 Olympics presents opportunities & challenges for China (September 7, 2021, Dao Insights) Now there is a new event on the horizon for China – another Olympic Games that promises to be just as spectacular as the last. The 2022 Winter Olympics is being held in Beijing, the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games, making this event one that will truly go down in history. But what will these Games mean for China, and China’s image in the eyes of the world?
ZGBriefs | September 2, 2021
China limits children to 3 hours of online gaming a week (August 30, 2021, AP) Minors in China can only play games between 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, weekends and on public holidays starting Sept. 1, according to a notice from the National Press and Publication Administration.
ZGBriefs | August 26, 2021
U.S. granted Chinese student visas at pre-pandemic levels in June (August 24, 2021, Sup China)The U.S. issued nearly 34,000 F1 visas in June for Chinese students, about the same level as 2019. It’s not yet clear if the total number of Chinese students for the fall semester will be higher or lower than before the […]
ZGBriefs | August 12, 2021
Worship Music for the Chinese Soul (August 5, 2021, CantoSense) Do the worship songs we sing reflect our cultural values? A discussion of the significance of culturally relevant music and lyrics in a worship experience.
ZGBriefs | July 29, 2021
Canadian swimmer's success throws spotlight on China's one-child policy (July 28, 2021, CNN) The 21-year-old was drawing wide attention for another reason, as news spread that the Canadian girl who beat China's top woman swimmer, Zhang Yufei, by 0.05 seconds was actually born in China and adopted as a baby by a Canadian couple.
ZGBriefs | July 22, 2021
Chinese city inundated with a year's worth of rain in just 4 days (July 21, 2021, Accuweather) As of Wednesday night, local time, at least 25 people deaths were being blamed on the flooding, which occurred after days of heavy rainfall swamped cities across the Henan province in east-central China.
ZGBriefs | July 15, 2021
Why China Is Going After Its Tech Giants (July 10, 2021, China File) To understand why, it is best to try to think from the perspectives of China’s leaders. Their intended messages are aimed at different audiences: domestic Internet firms and the domestic public at large, as well as those outside of the country.
ZGBriefs | July 8, 2021
My Life as a Christian Under a Communist Regime (July 1, 2021, The Gospel Coalition) Since we don’t have full religious liberty, there’s always a heavy price to pay if one decides to follow Christ. We are not under severe persecution—compared to Christians in North Korea or Iran, we are just experiencing some troubles.