ZGBriefs

ZGBriefs | September 24, 2015

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ZGBriefs is a compilation of news items gathered from published online sources. ChinaSource is not responsible for the content, and inclusion in ZGBriefs does not equal endorsement.

Featured Article

China’s gospel valley: Churches thrive among the Lisu people (September 22, 2015, Christian Century)
Pastor Jesse’s mud-plastered Mitsubishi SUV jolted wildly along the newly dug dirt road that zigzagged up the mountainside toward the construction site of the new church. We stopped to let a pedestrian squeeze by, a middle-aged Lisu woman with a pink, checkered headscarf and a giant bamboo back basket which was strapped to her forehead. The Lisu are one of the 55 ethnic minorities of China and the predominant tribespeople in Gongshan, which nestles on the slope of the Gaoligongshan mountain range.

Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs

China issues regulation to safeguard lawyers' rights (September 20, 2015, China Daily)
The regulation says those organs should respect lawyers, improve their systems to ensure lawyers' rights, and safeguard lawyers' rights to know, the rights of application, petition, and other rights of meeting defendants, reading files, collecting evidence, debating, raising questions and others.

Video: Who Is Xi Jinping? (September 21, 2015, The New York Times)
President Xi Jinping of China arrived in the United States on Tuesday for a state visit at a crucial crossroads in the Sino-American relationship.

What’s behind Beijing’s drive to control the South China Sea? – Podcast (September 21, 2015, The Guardian)
China's startling attempt to assert control over vast waters has alarmed nearby countries and escalated tensions with the US. Howard W French reports from Hainan, the island at the heart of Xi Jinping's expansionist ambitions.

A Chinese Jet Performed an ‘Unsafe’ Move Near a U.S. Spy Plane (September 22, 2015, TIME)
A Chinese military jet intercepted a U.S. spy plane off the coast of China last week, using a maneuver that Pentagon officials called “unsafe” when announcing the incident on Tuesday.

Knife Attack at Xinjiang Coal Mine Leaves 40 Dead, Injured (September 22, 2015, Radio Free Asia)
A knife attack orchestrated by alleged “separatists” at a coal mine in northwestern China’s troubled Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has resulted in at least 40 casualties, including the deaths of five police officers, and several suspects are believed to be on the run, according to local security officials.

Conflict Flavors Obama’s Meeting With Chinese Leader (September 22, 2015, The New York Times)
This week’s meeting between President Obama and Mr. Xi is fraught with points of conflict, and its unspoken subtext is whether the president will confront the Chinese directly, deliberately causing friction in the relationship in hopes of drawing some lines around their behavior, or celebrate an unexpected partnership on issues like climate change and Iran, handling contentious issues in private.

China Formally Arrests U.S. Citizen Accused of Spying (September 22, 2015, The New York Times)
An American businesswoman accused of spying has been formally arrested in China shortly before President Xi Jinping’s trip to the United States, her husband and a family lawyer said on Tuesday, adding to the brew of disputes that have dulled expectations for the visit.

Video: Five Things to Know About Xi Jinping’s U.S. Trip (September 23, 2015, China Real Time)
Chinese President Xi Jinping lands in the U.S. this week, meeting with business leaders in Seattle before heading east to meet President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. The WSJ’s Rick Carew explains five things you need to know about Mr. Xi’s first trip to the U.S. as China’s leader.

Xi Dada, So Cute:’ What Foreigners Think of China’s Leader (According to the People’s Daily) (September 23, 2015, China Real Time)
Xi Jinping isn’t only a bold and decisive leader, but a good-looking family man who would make a fine father — or a husband for interested young women. So says a new Chinese propaganda clip making the rounds online.

Video: China hacking: What is at stake from cyber-theft? (September 23, 2015, BBC)
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Seattle on Wednesday meeting top business and technology leaders from the US and China. Cyber security is expected to feature prominently in their discussions, after the US said economic espionage was putting an enormous strain on bilateral relations.

Gao Zhisheng: Chinese dissident describes 'torture' (September 23, 2015, The New York Times)
Prominent Chinese dissident and human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has broken his silence to describe how he was allegedly tortured and kept in solitary confinement while in detention.

Dinner Talk (September 28 issue, The New Yorker)
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in 1949, the United States has given the nation the full splendor of a state visit—including a twenty-one-gun salute and a black-tie dinner—on just three occasions, each at a different political moment.

China's Xi tells foreign NGOs to obey the law (September 23, 2015, Global Post)
China's President told US business leaders on Tuesday that foreign organisations in his country should "obey Chinese law", after draft legislation raised fears of a crackdown on overseas groups.

3 Questions: Carol Lee Hamrin: Regarding China’s National Security Commission (September 23, 2015, From the West Courtyard)
We recently asked Dr. Carol Lee Hamrin of Global China Center about the NSC. Drawing upon Lampton’s observations, she discusses the significance of the NSC and implications for those serving in China.

Religion

The more things change… (September 22, 2015, ChinaSource Quarterly)
In this issue of ChinaSource Quarterly we have collected a handful of experienced China workers and asked them to share some of their insights regarding expatriate ministry in a changing China. Hopefully, their reflections will help equip all of us to more ably respond to the rapid speed and complex nature of the shifts taking place in China today.

Changing China, Changing Roles, Unchanging Commission: Foreigners in China Today (September 22, 2015, ChinaSource Quarterly)
As we consider the ways in which foreigners might make a contribution to the welfare of Chinese society and to the growth of Christianity in China, we must first remind ourselves of the rapidly changing situation there.

A Life that Belongs in Heaven (September 22, 2015, Chinese Church Voices)
One issue for younger Christians in China is where to turn for good teaching on issues related to relationships and marriage. Because there are fewer Christians in the generation that preceded them, there are few role models. Therefore, the need for resources and training for the Chinese church in this area is great.

In Search Of Holistic Ethics: A Chinese Pastor Considers Sexual Identity And The Christian Faith, Part 1 (September 22, 2015, China Partnership Blog)
This is the first post in a series by a Chinese house church pastor engaging the issues concerning homosexuality and the Christian faith not only in his Chinese context, but also in the light of Western developments.

China's religious affairs official investigated (September 22, 2015, China Daily)
Chinese disciplinary authorities are investigating Zhang Lebin, deputy director-general of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, for suspected "serious violation of discipline."

Society / Life

Comparing Peaches and Coconuts: More on Indirect Communications (September 18, 2015, From the West Courtyard)
As you dig into such cultural differences, you learn a lot about the core of Chinese culture—even if making such an adjustment is uncomfortable.

Adoptions approved for abduction victims (September 18, 2015, China Daily)
Abducted children rescued by police can now be legally adopted, instead of being left stranded at welfare institutions waiting for their parents to find them. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, children can be adopted after a 12-month search fails to locate their parents or other guardians. 

More Chinese choose to click and donate (September 20, 2015, China Daily)
China's social media have become the main channel for the public make charitable donations, a report showed. Among the total of 104 billion yuan (about $160 million) donations China received in 2014, about 61 percent were made through Weibo and Wechat, according to a report released by the China Charity and Donation Information Center, which is under the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Cement and pig consumption reveal China's huge changes (September 21, 2015, BBC)
This is the story of China's astounding transformation – in pictures, interactive graphics and video.

Can China keep its new city dwellers healthy and happy? (September 21, 2015, BBC)
But the successes of China's urban adventure have been matched by equally great failures. The test now is to avoid repeating the mistakes and to make the next chapter for China's cities better in the interests of the one billion people who have to live in them.

Street Photography in China: How I began photographing the streets of China while on business trips. (September 21, 2015, Petapixel)
That’s exactly what happened in my career about 30 years ago, with the exception that I’ve remained active in product design plus I’ve become a street photographer in China over the course of the last 5 years.

National database opens to bring abducted children home (September 21, 2015, China Daily)
Chinese authorities have published photos and personal information of 284 children rescued from kidnappers on an online database to help them find their birth parents, Beijing Youth Daily reported Monday. The database, qgdgxq.mca.gov.cn, went live on Saturday. By 11am Monday morning, the website had attracted 2.28 million visits.

China issues white paper on gender equality, women's development (September 22, 2015, China Daily)
China issued on Tuesday a white paper on gender equality and women's development, providing a comprehensive overview of the country's women policies as well as unremitting efforts made and measures implemented in this regard.

Education

Court catalogs schools' violent crimes (September 19, 2015, China Daily)
The Supreme People's Court published a list of 67 criminal cases on Friday which they say is typical of the crimes being committed in middle schools. The list shows that campus violence is a serious problem nationwide. It has prompted experts to call upon the public, especially NGOs, to help schools advise students on how to avoid crime and stay safe at school.

Social media buzz over the ugliness of Chinese school uniforms (September 20, 2015, China Daily)

In an article that went viral on WeChat, one of the most popular messaging applications in China, Chinese school uniforms were ruthlessly lambasted. It said, "the ugliness of Chinese school uniforms could claim the global crown."

Respect Your Elders: Confucian Kindergartens Catch On in China (September 21, 2015, China Real Time)
The re-introduction of classical literature in China’s education system is part of a broader push by President Xi Jinping to revive elements of traditional culture, especially Confucianism, as a new source of political legitimacy.

Why is China Talking ‘Democracy’ and ‘Freedom’ in Schools? (September 21, 2015, China Real Time)
Through billboards, rhymes, pop quizzes and newly penned songs, the effort aims to promote what the ruling Communist Party calls “core socialist values.” A dozen in all, the values include rule of law, patriotism, honesty and justice as well as democracy and freedom. Schools in particular are a focus of the push.

Chinese university offers dating course (September 22, 2015, China Daily)
The increasingly skewed sex ratio in China not only worries the parents of marriageable young people, but also their schools. Tianjin University in northern China has defied traditional Chinese conservatism by offering its students a dating course.

Economics / Trade / Business

Can China Repair Its Financial System and Avoid Crisis? (September 17, 2015, China Real Time)
Charlene Chu, a senior partner of Autonomous Research Asia, talks with the WSJ’s Abheek Bhattacharya on the future of China’s financial system.

Photos: Inside a Chinese-Owned Auto-Parts Plant in Michigan (September 18, 2015, China Real Time)

Let’s Face It, China Runs U.S. Monetary Policy Now (September 21, 2015, TIME)
In important ways, China now controls U.S. monetary policy. What happens in the Middle Kingdom affects the decisions that Fed chair Janet Yellen can make about whether to raise or lower interest rates.

Video: How Did Apple’s App Store in China Get Hacked? (September 22, 2015, BBC)
Some of the most popular Chinese apps in Apple’s App Store were found to be infected with malicious software in what is being described as a first-of-its-kind security breach. Here’s how it happened.

China factory activity contraction worsens (September 23, 2015, BBC)
The Caixin/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 47 in September, below forecasts of 47.5 and down from 47.3 in August. A reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector, while one above shows expansion.

Report: China inks deal to buy 300 Boeing jets (September 23, 2015, The Seattle Times)
Chinese companies have agreed with Boeing to buy 300 jets and build an aircraft delivery center in China in deals signed during President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, the official Xinhua news agency said Wednesday.

Health / Environment

What’s Up, Daifu? Navigating the Chinese Public Hospital System (September 18, 2015, The Beijinger)
Nothing makes a foreign country feel more foreign than getting sick and being unable to get the right treatment. Though major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have an extensive network of public and private medical facilities, figuring out where to go can be overwhelming.

Look: Photo series captures what life is like in a Chinese coal mining town (September 22, 2015, Shanghaiist)
These photos taken from 2013 to 2015 show a coal mining town located in northeast China in Haizhou District of Fuxin city, Liaoning province. 

Science / Technology

China Tries to Extract Pledge of Compliance From U.S. Tech Firms (September 16, 2015, The New York Times)
The Chinese government, which has long used its country’s vast market as leverage over American technology companies, is now asking some of those firms to directly pledge their commitment to contentious policies that could require them to turn user data and intellectual property over to the government.

Google is returning to China? It never really left (September 21, 2015, The Guardian)
Google Analytics has continued to transmit data across the Great Firewall despite other services being blocked.

Arts / Entertainment / Media

Video: Meet China’s Barack Obama Impersonator, Xiao Jiguo (September 23, 2015, China Real Time)
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s U.S. visit has put the spotlight on actor Xiao Jiguo. The Wall Street Journal’s Menglin Huang caught up with Mr. Xiao at the site of his latest movie shoot in Guangzhou to find out how the 29-year-old impersonates the American president — without speaking English.

Travel / Food

China’s First Fast Food Restaurant (September 17, 2015, What’s on Weibo)
Not KFC or McDonald’s, but Yili was China’s very first fast food restaurant. Its opening in 1984 became the talk of the day.

Scenic high-speed rail route opens in Jilin (September 22, 2015, China Daily)
China's first high-speed passenger railway line to the borders with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Russia has started business. The 361-kilometer line runs from Jilin city, the second-largest city in Jilin province, to Hunchun, near to where the borders of the three countries meet. Dubbed by the media as the most beautiful rail line in Northeast China, the route opened on Sunday.

Language / Language Learning

500 Most Common Chinese Character Components (Traditional Chinese Version) (September 17, 2015, Carl Gene)

How I Learned Chinese (part 4) (September 22, 2015, Sinosplice)
This post is more of a look at how I learned, rather than specifically what I did. I’d also like to look more closely at the relationship between study and practice. This balance is essential to any learner’s long-term progress, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Learning Chinese characters through pictures (September 22, 2015, Hacking Chinese)
When starting to learn Chinese characters, there are a few basic things you really need to know. The first is that Chinese characters aren’t pictures.

Articles for Researchers

Xi Jinping's U.S. Visit: What You Need To Know (National Bureau of Asian Research)
For 25 years, The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) has sustained a focus on China’s emergence as a regional and then global power and its impact on U.S. interests and policy. In advance of this visit and during its course, NBR will provide new content and regular updates via this website dedicated to President Xi’s visit, as well as through planned live expert briefings and scheduled meetings.

Articles in Chinese

天国人或社会人?──谈基督徒的公民责任 (September 18, 2015, Pacific Institute for Social Sciences)

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Joann Pittman

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 …View Full Bio