FEATURED ARTICLE
Chinas Next Generation (August 12, 2014, My Faith Radio)
China has been undergoing dramatic change in the last 20 yearspolitically, economically, and spiritually. We take a closer look with China expert and author Dr. Brent Fulton, focusing on these changes, challenges, and opportunities in China. How has the church expanded so dramatically?
GOVERNMENT / POLITICS / FOREIGN AFFAIRS
China jails British investigator Humphrey linked to GSK (August 8, 2014, BBC)
A British company investigator, Peter Humphrey, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for trafficking personal data in China. The Shanghai court also sentenced his American wife Yu Yingzeng to two years.
China Thwarts U.S. Bid to Reduce South China Sea Tensions (August 10, 2014, Bloomberg)
China's rejection of U.S. and Philippine proposals to regulate countries' behavior in the South China Sea signaled tensions are likely to persist in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. At a regional security meeting this weekend, China rebuffed a U.S. proposal for nations involved in disputes to voluntarily avoid actions that could be provocative. The proposal, and a similar measure by the Philippines at the Asean Regional Forum in Myanmar, were aimed at breathing life into stalled talks on drafting a code of conduct.
Chinas Power Politics (August 11, 2014, The New York Times)
The four Chinese characters that heralded President Xi Jinpings war against corruption in a speech by a political ally in December 2011 can easily lose impact in translation. Life-and-death struggle, while idiomatic in English, is too passive. Do-or-die lacks the necessary intent.The crude, word-for-word translation better captures the essence, said Charles Qin, a professional translator. You die, I live.
China cracking down on Christian groups along North Korea border: sources (August 11, 2014, Reuters)
China is cracking down on Christian charity groups near its border with North Korea, missionaries and aid groups say, with hundreds of members of the community forced to leave the country and some who remain describing an atmosphere of fear. The sweep along the frontier is believed to be aimed at closing off support to North Koreans who flee persecution and poverty in their homeland and illegally enter China before going on to other nations, usually ending up in South Korea.
Arrested, Detained: A Guide to Navigating Chinas Police Powers (August 12, 2014, China Real Time)
As China continues to step up its campaign against citizens who protest, talk about protesting or commit other acts the state deems disruptive, this review should be helpful to readers:
25 Sentenced on Terrorism Charges in Western China (August 12, 2014, The New York Times)
A court in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang has sentenced 25 people to prison for taking part in terrorist activities and harboring criminals, according to a report on Tuesday by Peoples Court Daily, an official publication. The names of the 25 people sentenced indicated that they were all from the Uighur ethnic minority.
China Presses for Japan's Return of Plundered Antiquities (August 12, 2104, Business Week)
China has plenty of ways to poke its neighbor. Determined to leave no grievance unaired, China has opened a fresh front in its battle against Japan: A group has demanded the return of a 1,300-year-old relic that Japanese soldiers whisked away from Chinas northeast a century ago. The Honglujing Stele, three meters wide, 1.8 meters tall, and two meters thick, dates back to the Tang Dynasty and now belongs to Japans Emperor, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
China dissident lawyer Gao Zhisheng 'destroyed by jail' (August 14, 2014, BBC)
Leading Chinese dissident, Gao Zhisheng, has been "utterly destroyed" after three years in jail, says his international lawyer, Jared Gensher. Mr Gao – who was released from prison last week – was emotionless, "basically unintelligible" and had lost teeth through malnutrition, Mr Gensher said.As a prominent human rights lawyer, Mr Gao had defended China's Christians and followers of the Falun Gong movement. He is alleged to have suffered physical and psychological abuse in jail.
RELIGION
In China, it's a cross they can't bear (August 8, 2014, AP)
Across Zhejiang province, which hugs China's rocky southeastern coast, authorities have toppled or threatened to topple crosses at more than 130 churches. In a few cases, the government has even razed sanctuaries. Authorities say the churches in question had violated building codes, even though they generally won't specify which ones. They also deny that they are specifically targeting churches, and point to the demolition of other tens of thousands of other buildings, religious and non-religious, that have apparently broken regulations. But experts and church leaders in Zhejiang, the only province where the incidents are happening, believe there is a campaign to repress Christianity, which has grown so rapidly as to alarm the atheist Communist government.
Chinas Pragmatic Perspective on Christianity (August 11, 2014, Jackson Wu)
Recently, Stratfor.com had an excellent summary of the Chinese governments perspective of Christianity. The article is titled China Takes a Pragmatic Approach to Christianity (Aug 8, 2014).
Churches Respond to the Earthquake in Yunnan (August 12, 2014, Chinese Church Voices)
On August 3, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck a remote region of Yunnan Province, in Chinas southwest, killing more than 600 people. The Chinese government quickly launched rescue operations and continues to provide relief for those affected. But what about the churches in the area? A reporter from the mainland site Christian Times talked with a local pastor in the area about how the churches in the area are responding.
Toward a Partnering Mindset (August 12, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)
Recently I found myself in a discussion with several colleagues about what it takes to "partner well" in China. A generous spirit was at the top of the list. Those who collaborate well with others are usually those who are willing to make available resources, ideas, relationships, and opportunities for the good of the community, whether or not the benefits accrue directly to themselves or to their organization. This generosity tends to engender more of the same, as other potential partners follow the example of the one who is generous.
As Pope Visits Asia, Catholic Church Sets Its Sights on China (August 12, 2014, China Real Time)
Pope Francis first trip to Asia could afford the pontiff a fresh opportunity to reach out to China, one of the most complex and troublesome issues facing the Vatican.
Chinas Not Anti-Religion, Its Anti-Threat (August 12, 2014, The Diplomat)
Recent crackdowns on Islam and Christianity are part of a larger campaign to reassert the CCPs social control.I
f China Is Anti-Islam, Why Are These Chinese Muslims Enjoying a Faith Revival? (August 12, 2104, TIME)
Beijing bans some Muslims from observing Ramadan, or boarding public transport while veiled, but it allows millions of others to practice their religion without hindrance
Why Is China Nationalizing Christianity? (August 12, 2014, The Diplomat)
Last week China announced it was nationalizing Christianity. What are the motives behind this?
No, China Is NOT Nationalizing Christianity (August 13, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)
"Is it possible," I wondered, "that a writer for The Diplomat thinks that Christianity (or any religion) in China is not already under state control (nationalized), that it has some measure of independence from the state?" Here's the thing: China is not nationalizing Christianity. Christianity has never not been nationalized in China. The fact that there is a government agency called the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA) is the first clue that religion (including Christianity) is already nationalized in China.
The Chinese cult that kills 'demons' (August 13, 2014, BBC)
China is about to try one of the most notorious murders in recent memory.In late May a group belonging to a banned cult beat a woman to death in a fast food restaurant. Her only crime was to refuse to give them her telephone number. The cult in question is called the Church of the Almighty God and claims to have millions of members.
Do you want to save face? (August 13, 2014, Jackson Wu)
Have you ever wondered how honor-shame might influence a gospel presentation?
11 Lessons from the Church in China (August 13, 2014, The Gospel Coalition)But partnerships go both ways, so it is also good to consider what the church in the West has learned and can learn from the church in China. I recently posed this question to a number of foreign workers involved in serving the church in China: what specific lessons can the church in the West learn from the church in China?
Popes Korea Trip Also Puts Focus on Rise of Christianity in China (August 13, 2014, VOA)Pope Francis has arrived in Seoul Thursday marking the first trip to Asia by a pontiff in more than a quarter century. He will honor martyrs in South Korea who helped bring Catholicism to that country, but some Vatican watchers believe the visit is also intended to send a message to China, where the Christian population is growing rapidly even though it is officially an atheist nation.
Pope Francis sends greetings as he flies over China (August 14, 2014, UCA News)
Pope Francis sent a rare public greeting to President Xi Jinping during the first ever papal flight across China en route to his landmark visit to South Korea. Amid the most severe Chinese crackdown on Christianity in years, the government permitted the popes passage over Inner Mongolia and past Beijing at daybreak before skirting North Korea and landing in Seoul. Upon entering Chinese air space, I extend best wishes to your excellency and your fellow citizens, and I invoke the divine blessings of peace and well-being upon the nation, the pope said in a message radioed to Xi a Vatican custom during a papal over-flight.
A Bottom-Up Faith in a Top-Down Country (August 14, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)
According to Rob Gifford, China Editor for The Economist, much has been written about the growth of the church in China, but to understand the church's impact we need to look beyond the numbers.Speaking recently at a forum in Hong Kong sponsored by the Kaifa Group and Island Evangelical Community Church, Gifford noted that the growth of China's church roughly parallels that of the growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire during the 4th century, following the Edict of Toleration. According to Gifford, the question is not how many, but rather what kind of impact China's Christians are having on their society. Here are a few takeaways from Gifford's remarks about the church in China:
SOCIETY / LIFE
The last of the gilded citadels: Life inside the secretive world of Beijings PLA Compounds (August 2014, Thats Beijing)
As the daughter of a high-ranking colonel in the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), Wang grew up in a military compound 25km northwest of Tiananmen Square. They call me a Beijingren, and of course, technically, thats not wrong its what it says on my ID card, she explains. But my relationship with Beijing is closer to that of a migrant worker. I remember the very first time that I met my classmates at school in Dongcheng real Beijing kids who talked in Beijing dialect. I realized then that I was different. I remember thinking, who am I?
China Cracks Down on Public Figures Online Political Posts (August 8, 2014, TIME)
Chinese actors, pop stars and other popular figures with public accounts on one of the countrys most popular social media platforms will no longer be allowed to post or share political news, according to restrictions issued Thursday by Chinas State Council Information Office (SCIO).
PSB Crackdown on Dual Citizenships: Who Will Be Affected? (August 9, 2014, The Beijinger)
Sina News reported this week that the Public Security Bureau (PSB) will crack down on dual citizenships, namely people who obtain citizenship in another country but try to keep their Chinese citizenship and hukou. However, this move is also likely to affect mixed-nationality families. Although China doesn't technically allow dual citizenships, the law hasn't always been enforced.
Banned on Weibo: President Xis Facebook presence (August 11, 2014, China Media Project)
The post discusses Chinese President Xi Jinpings apparent presence on Facebook, and suggests China allows its citizens the same access beyond the Great Firewall that it appears to offer its leaders:
Chinas Troubled Media (August 11, 2014, Sinostand)
Once upon a time, it was good to be an investigative journalist in China. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, we saw arguably the best officially sanctioned media atmosphere in PRC history. Muckraking private outlets like Caijing and Economic Observer sprouted up. Investigative journalist Wang Keqin came to prominence with stories on AIDS villages and securities fraud. And the Southern Media Group did a series of hard-hitting reports that actually prompted changes to long-standing government policies
Televised confessions on state-run TV consolidate China's social control (August 11, 2014, The Guardian)
Over the last year, China has paraded a series of high-profile detainees on television, ranging from 70-year-old journalist Gao Yu to Peter Humphrey, the British investigator jailed last week for illegally obtaining private information. Many have confessed their guilt to the nation before they have been indicted, let alone tried and convicted. Most have been held for weeks before their admissions were aired
Video: Chinese Dreamers (August 12, 2014, China File)In a country that has long defined its interests in collective terms, people are no longer waiting for their goals and sacrifices to be decreed from above. In Sharron Lovells insightful short film, she shows us the Chinese Dream not as a slogan but as the possession of the ordinary young men and women who will determine Chinas future.
The Jiangxi Township Doing a Brisk Trade in Cambodian Wives (August 12, 2014, Caixin Online)One area of an eastern province has gained a reputation as a distribution center linking Chinese men and women from Cambodia, but marital bliss is proving hard to buy.
13 things you need to know before starting an NGO in China (August 12, 2014, The Guardian)
Restrictions on charities are easing, but before you leap read our panel 's insights into the state of Chinese civil society.
Richer, But Not Happier: Hong Kongs Quality of Life Drops (August 14, 2014, China Real Time)Hong Kong residents may have gotten wealthier in recent years. But a new analysis finds that the citys quality of life continues to slide amid ever-rising, unaffordable property prices. According to the latest Hong Kong quality of life index compiled by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the universitys housing affordability index last year reached its lowest point in a decade, even as the unemployment rate improved and average wages rose.
EDUCATION / HISTORY
24 images of the Flying Tigers training camp for Chinese pilots in Arizona (August 10, 2014, China Underground)
Many Chinese (mostly coming from Guangdong) joined the American Flying Tigers in Yunnan to fight Japanese invading forces. Chinese government sent many students to Arizona to train. Back in China, they become members of the Tigers along with many other American pilots.
Netizen Voices: Confucius Institutes Lose Face (August 11, 2014, China Digital Times)
Confucius Institutes are no strangers to controversy. Affiliated with Chinas Ministry of Education and hosted by schools abroad, in 2009 then propaganda chief Li Changchun called Confucius Institutes an important part of Chinas overseas propaganda setup. The American Association of University Professors has called on US institutions to rework or abandon their contracts with Confucius Institutes, which include nondisclosure clauses and unacceptable concessions to the political aims and practices of the government of China. A fresh scandal could do severe damage to the future of the Confucius Institute enterprise.
HEALTH
China downplays possibility of Ebola outbreak (August 14, 2014, China Daily)
Chinese authorities are moving to downplay concerns about a possible Ebola outbreak in China. Xiang Nijuan is a researcher from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "Based on our analysis, there is a risk that the virus can be transported to China. But such a risk is relatively low, and the possibility of an outbreak is slim. The virus has spread to four African countries. Chinese nationals have traveled to the countries now and then, but recently due to the outbreak, the number of travelers has gone down. Meanwhile, more Chinese nationals in the affected countries are likely to head home."
ECONOMICS / BUSINESS / TRADE
Chinas Energetic Enforcement of Antitrust Rules Alarms Foreign Firms (August 10, 2014, The New York Times)
The swoop on Microsoft stood out for its scale, but it was just one of dozens of similar actions across China recently that have set off alarm in boardrooms across the globe. Chinese regulators appear to be energetically expanding enforcement of the antimonopoly law, and foreign companies fear that they could become easy targets for officials from an array of competing agencies and local governments aiming to impress President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party leader who has promoted visions of patriotic resurgence and technological pre-eminence.
China Says 150 Economic Fugitives Flee to US (August 12, 2014, Yahoo!)
China says that a portion of the fugitives from the country lives in America. China Daily calls these very special kind of people "economic fugitives," whatever that may be. Apparently, they are targets of recent efforts to root out corruption in China.
SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY / ENVIRONMENT
A Chinese Internet Giant Starts to Dream (August 14, 2014, Technology Review)
Baidu is a fixture of online life in China, but it wants to become a global power. Can one of the worlds leading artificial- intelligence researchers help it challenge Silicon Valleys biggest companies?
China Dam Project Slated for Tibet Quietly Passes Key Hurdle (August 14, 2014, China Real Time)Controversial efforts in China to construct a dam on the free-flowing Nu River recently got a quiet boost. In a little-noticed July decision made public last week, a corporate statement quoted an expert panel in approving a pre-feasibility study for a dam on the river in Tibet. According to the statement, also published on official news portal China Energy News, the panel formed by China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, Tibets economic planning department and associated organizations concluded the feasibility study basically meets the survey and design requirements at this stage.
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT
In China, Online Novelists Can Become Millionaires (August 8, 2014, China Real Time)
Writers publishing their work solely online have become some of the highest-paid authors in China. They have tens of millions of followersusually young men in Chinas smaller citieswho each pay a small sum to read the novels on their smartphones. Their superhero science-fiction stories can be uplifting to young men who feel frustrated because they cant find a wife or buy a home.
Film-maker defies China's censors to reveal horrors of the Great Famine (August 9, 2014, The Guardian)For modern Chinese students it is not the Great Famine but the Three Years of Difficulties. The catastrophe remains so sensitive that their history books do not document how many starved to death, or why. Yet more than 50 years ago, at the height of the disaster, a handful of their predecessors published an underground magazine bluntly accusing Communist leaders of causing the devastation. "The dead couldn't tell," said one of the authors, Xiang Chengjian. "I decided to sacrifice myself I was ready to die."
Chinese TV series on former leader Deng Xiaoping offers rare glimpse of turmoil (August 13, 2014, Washington Post)
For a government that controls official history as zealously as Chinas ruling Communist Party, the past is often laden with land mines. So viewers here were shocked when state broadcasters began airing a 48-episode docudrama on the life of Chinas former paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, including periods of political turmoil that have rarely before been broached so publicly.
FOOD / TRAVEL / CULTURE
How 100 million Chinese travellers are changing global tourism (August 11, 2014, Matador Network)
The boom in Chinese tourism isnt just a way for Chinese citizens to learn about the rest of the world. Its also an opportunity for the rest of the world to learn about the Chinese. As the anthropologist James Clifford once said, not only do tourists travel, but their cultures travel as well. Here are some of the things the new Chinese traveler would like you to know.
How to visit Shanghai off the grid (August 11, 2014, Another Nomadic Disciple)
However, if you are looking to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of the city or want a more historic, cultural, or traditional visit of Shanghai, you should check out the places below:
Xinjiang Safety Update | Traveler Feedback (August 13, 2014, Far West China)
I recently asked a number of FarWestChina readers to give me their feedback on recent trips to Xinjiang and I wanted to share their responses to questions about Xinjiang safety here. Although my advice is to always be cautious and use common sense when traveling out here, perhaps what these travelers have to say will set your mind at ease concerning your travel plans to Xinjiang.
LANGUAGE / LANGUAGE LEARNINGHow long have you studied Chinese? (August 13, 2014, Hacking Chinese)
The question of how long I have studied Chinese has followed me almost from day one (which was in 2007). It have been asked this question a lot, I have asked others the same question and I have spent a good deal of time thinking about both the question and the answer.
BOOKSSimon Leys Remembered: A China File Conversation (August 8, 2014, China File)
ARTICLES FOR RESEARCHERSA Collection of Simon Leys Essays (China File)
RESPONDING TO INDO-PACIFIC RIVALRY: AUSTRALIA, INDIA AND MIDDLE POWER COALITIONS (August 8, 2014, Lowy Institute)
In this Analysis, Lowy Institute International Security Program Director Rory Medcalf and Nonresident Fellow C. Raja Mohan argue that Chinese assertiveness and uncertainties about Americas role in Indo-Pacific Asia are causing middle powers to look for alternative approaches to regional security. The Analysis argues that enhanced security cooperation between Indo-Pacific middle powers should be extended to the creation of middle-power coalitions in the region.
RESOURCES
The Hui of Ningxia (August 6, 2014, pray4hui.com)Youtube has a few videos that provide a helpful introduction to Chinese Muslims. In this post we will highlight an episode of Rediscovering China that aired on CCTV9 called Unveiling the Hui Life. The whole episode can be watched at this link, or you can watch most of the episode in the embedded videos below.
ZGBriefs is a free weekly compilation of the news in China condensed from published online sources. Highlighting articles and commentary from major news sites, blogs and other new media sites, ZGBriefs brings you the most important stories of the week in order to help deepen your understanding of what is happening in China today. Coverage includes domestic and international politics, economics, culture, and social trends, among other areas. Seeking to explore all facets of life in China, ZGBriefs also includes coverage of spiritual movements and the role of religious believers and faith-based groups in China. ZGBriefs is a reader-supported service. If you find this resource useful, please consider making a donation.
Image credit: Joann Pittman