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 | February 23, 2023
China declares 'decisive victory' over COVID-19 (February 16, 2023, Reuters) China's top leaders declared a "decisive victory" over COVID-19, claiming the world's lowest fatality rate, although experts have questioned Beijing's data as the coronovirus tore across the country after largely being kept at bay for three years.
ZGBriefs | February 16, 2023
Beijing Shouwang Church was Raided, and Pastor Zhang Xiaofeng Detained (February 10, 2023, China Aid) On February 8, Shouwang Church held a church service at a place they rented in Kemao Market, Zhongguancun, Beijing when it was interrupted by police. […] They announced that the gathering held by Shouwang Church was illegal pursuant to the new Regulations of Religious Affairs and the shutdown decision issued by Bureau of Civil Affairs.
ZGBriefs | February 9, 2023
On a Spring Roll (February 4, 2023, The World of Chinese) Spring rolls are considered a classic Chinese food, but did you know they actually come in many varieties across the country?
ZGBriefs | February 2, 2023
Video: China’s New Civil Religion (February 1, Center for Religion and Culture, Fordham University) How is the Chinese government combining patriotism with local faiths? Can authoritarianism and religious life coexist? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Ian Johnson, discusses these questions and more.
ZGBriefs | January 26, 2023
Frontline Wuhan: the first city struck by Covid-19 learns its lessons (January 25, 2023, South China Morning Post) Emergency doctor Ai Fen was one of the first in the world to see the effects of the new coronavirus and has just coped with latest wave. The city’s healthcare system was better prepared this time and handled the rising cases with ease, but there is still room for improvement.
ZGBriefs | January 18, 2023
China's population falls for first time since 1961 (January 17, 2023, BBC) The population in 2022 - 1.4118 billion - fell by 850,000 from 2021. China's birth rate has been declining for years, prompting a slew of policies to try to slow the trend. But seven years after scrapping the one-child policy, it has entered what one official described as an "era of negative population growth".
ZGBriefs | January 12, 2023
Xi’s China, Christ’s Kingdom, and a Suffering Church: Review: ‘Faithful Disobedience’ by Wang Yi (January 11, 2023, The Gospel Coalition) The rich analysis of China’s house church and its theology contained in this collection offers precious insights into one of history’s most remarkable Christian movements.
ZGBriefs | January 5, 2022
Confucius, the Buddha, and Christ - Book Review (January 4, 2022, Global China Center) In this book, Covell tries to analyze outstanding attempts to “bring the Christian faith and Chinese culture together,” and the focus “is on the shape and nature of the message that has been preached in China – the gospel in Chinese.
ZGBriefs | December 29, 2022
China says it will resume issuing passports and visas as virus curbs ease (December 28, 2022, NPR) The agency said it will take applications for ordinary visas and residence permits. It said the government will "gradually resume" allowing in foreign visitors and gave no indication when full-scale tourist travel from abroad might be allowed.
ZGBriefs | December 22, 2022
Expatriates Serving in China’s New Era: Recent Developments, Future Prospects (December 12, 2022, ChinaSource Quarterly) It is important to recognize that China today is not closed to expatriates. On the contrary, China still needs, and indeed welcomes, foreigners to work in many sectors of Chinese society. Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has, however, adjusted its regulatory processes and shaped the worldview of its officials in order to ensure that only the “right” kinds of expatriates are allowed to reside in China.