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.
Is the Door Slowly Opening?
In recent weeks there have been encouraging (even exciting to some) signs that the door to China is beginning to open, just a crack.
ZGBriefs | July 28, 2022
China approves Genuine Biotech's HIV drug for COVID patients (July 25, 2022, Reuters) The availability of effective COVID vaccines and treatments is crucial in laying the groundwork for China's potential pivoting from its "dynamic COVID zero" policy, which aims to eliminate every outbreak - however small - and relies on mass testing and strict quarantining.
ZGBriefs | July 21, 2022
What inflation? China’s peppercorn purveyors are feeling the heat (July 15, 2022, The New York Times) (subscription required) The Sichuan peppercorns are ripe here in southwestern China, with a spicy, minty fragrance emanating from the rows of scrubby trees.
Yinchuan!
You can find Hui people in many provinces in China but most live in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous region in northwestern China. Yinchuan is the capital city of Ningxia.
ZGBriefs | July 14, 2022
China’s Top 10 Most Livable Cities, According to Chinese Youth (July 9, 2022, Radii China) Last week, China’s biggest lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu published a study revealing the factors that impact young Chinese people’s decisions on where to live in the country. Changsha, a city in Central China known for its underground scene, tops the list.
Webinar Recording: “Where Are the Churches in China? And Why?”
The recording of this recent lecture is now available along with additional resources.
ZGBriefs | June 30, 2022
China cuts travel quarantine but retains zero-Covid approach (June 29, 2022, CNN) On Tuesday, the National Health Commission said incoming visitors need only spend seven days at a quarantine facility and three days at home.
ZGBriefs | June 23, 2022
20 Things We Learned from China’s 7th Census (June 17, 2022, Sixth Tone) There’s a lot to explore in this data, but here’s some of the first things we noticed, from an improving sex ratio to the tiny group of households who reported five generations sharing a single room.
Our Books for the Summer of 2022
In case you’re looking for summer reading ideas, here’s a list of books that are in the summer book bags of the ChinaSource team members.
ZGBriefs | June 16, 2022
China is encouraging college graduates to work in the countryside (June 13, 2022, CNN) China is urging college graduates to seek jobs in the countryside as youth unemployment in urban areas soars to the highest level in history.