ZGBriefs | September 8, 2016

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. Please go here to support ZGBriefs.

Featured Article

Shariah With Chinese Characteristics: A Scholar Looks at the Muslim Hui (September 6, 2016, The New York Times)
Mr. Erie’s recently published book, “China and Islam: The Prophet, the Party, and Law,” is a look at how Shariah — Islamic law and ethics — is implemented among the Hui. In an interview he discussed his findings, which confound many preconceptions about Shariah, Chinese law and the rigidity of the Communist state.

---

Sponsored Link

Allied Passport & Visa, Washington, D.C.
Allied Passport & Visa can process 10-year tourist or business visas to China for US citizens in any jurisdiction. Mention that you heard about them from ChinaSource to receive a $5.00 discount on processing.

If you or your company/organization would like to sponsor a link in ZGBriefs, please contact info@chinasource.org for more information.

---

Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs

Why China Picked Hangzhou to Host G-20 (August 31, 2016, China Real Time)
China’s president, Mr. Xi, spent formative political years in Hangzhou, between 2002 and 2007, holding the Communist Party’s top job in Zhejiang. His background there and his support for Zhejiang entrepreneurs exemplify Mr. Xi’s stated top economic priority for the G-20: sparking “innovative growth” in the global economy.

US woman Sandy Phan-Gillis charged with spying in China (August 31, 2016, BBC)
An American woman held in China since last year has been charged with espionage, according to China's foreign ministry. Sandy Phan-Gillis, 56, was first detained in March 2015 while in China as part of a US trade delegation. Her husband, Jeff Gillis, said the charges were "absolutely false" and called for her release.

Innovation, so the Party can shine (September 2, 2016, China Media Project)
Since 2013, the Chinese Communist Party has moved to reassert its dominance over the message. Not only has General Secretary Xi Jinping, using the strongest language in decades, re-staked the CCP’s longstanding claim to media control — saying all media, from traditional newspapers to mobile platforms, “must be surnamed Party.” He has also moved aggressively against influential Weibo users, effectively muzzled the more outspoken commercial press, and placed himself at the helm of a powerful new Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs.

Why anti-China sentiment is surging in Hong Kong (September 4, 2016, Christian Science Monitor)
Elections for the Hong Kong Legislative Council were held Sunday with near-record turnout in the city. Many are voting for younger, more democratic candidates who want to become more independent from increasingly authoritative mainland China.

G-20 Summit Wraps Up In Hangzhou, China (September 5, 2016, NPR)
China pulled out all the stops to host President Obama and other leaders at the G20. That's the gathering of the world's 20 leading economies. Over the past weekend, China's government sent 2 million residents of the city of Hangzhou on vacation to ensure a flawless summit.

Hong Kong’s political class shaken up by new kids on the block (September 4, 2016, The Guardian)
As the count continued overnight, it appeared that the new kids on the block would have the last laugh. Six fresh faces had peeled enough votes from their more established counterparts within the opposition camp to become a force to be reckoned with in a fast-changing political landscape.

Xi Jinping’s G20 entourage: meet the Chinese power players at the president’s side (September 5, 2016, South China Morning Post)
The Group of 20 summit gives Beijing the opportunity to press its claim to have a greater international say. As such, the officials in the presidential entourage play a major role, giving a glimpse of some of the power players in Chinese politics.

New Challenge For China's Human Rights Lawyers: Defending Themselves (September 6, 2016, NPR)
Human rights lawyers in China have defended some of the country's most dispossessed citizens: migrant laborers, ethnic and religious minorities, victims of land grabs, and of course, political dissidents. Now these attorneys face an even tougher challenge: defending themselves.

China warns new Hong Kong lawmakers not to back independence (September 6, 2016, The Guardian)
Beijing has told newly elected politicians in Hong Kong not to back independence for the semi-autonomous territory, after young anti-China activists won seats for the first time at the weekend.  Sunday’s vote saw activists pushing for more autonomy from Beijing secure a crucial foothold in the city’s Legislative Council (LegCo), as fears grow that China is tightening its grip.

Religion

Time With A Living Legacy Of The Chinese Church – The Personal Story (September 1, 2016, China Partnership Blog)
ecently we were honored with time with a 70-year-old elder from a large Chinese church network. CP staff sat down to hear his stories and heart for China. It was a memorable conversation and we hope you are encouraged and blessed to read his words.

A Chinese Christian Funeral for My Grandmother (September 6, 2016, Chinese Church Voices)
One of the greatest struggles for believers of any culture is how to express their walk with God within that culture without becoming syncretistic or holding onto traditions that would dishonor God. One of the most difficult areas to parse out, across the board, seems to be funeral ceremonies. 

Towards a New Model for Christian Education in China (September 7, 2016, From the West Courtyard)
Dissatisfied with the current educational system and wanting their children to be taught from a biblical worldview, Christian parents in China are exploring a variety of alternatives. In the latest episode of ChinaSource Conversations, "Christian Education in China: Inside and Outside the Classroom," we explore these alternatives in Christian education with three educators who have firsthand experience with schools in China.

China’s Tech-Savvy, Burned-Out and Spiritually Adrift, Turn to Buddhism (September 7, 2016, The New York Times)
As a spiritual revival sweeps China, Longquan has become a haven for a distinct brand of Buddhism, one that preaches connectivity instead of seclusion and that emphasizes practical advice over deep philosophy. The temple is run by what may be some of the most highly educated monks in the world: nuclear physicists, math prodigies and computer programmers who gave up lives steeped in precision to explore the ambiguities of the spiritual realm.

Society / Life

The lonely men of China's 'bachelor village' (August 28, 2016, BBC)
At 43, Mr Xiong is what is called a "bare branch" in China – single, unmarried, a bachelor.This is the label given to men like him who have not found a wife, in a country where a man in his twenties is still expected to marry, provide a home and carry on his family line. He lives in Laoya village in a very rural part of Anhui province of eastern China.

How Some Chinese Men Meet Summer’s Swelter: With Midriff Bare and Bulging (September 1, 2016, The New York Times)
But nothing defines China’s most sweltering season (or bewilders foreigners) more than the curious sartorial habits of grown men who neatly roll up their shirts to reveal bellies, often in glorious plenitude, without the teeniest hint of shame (nor the teeniest hint of a six-pack).

Dancing Tool: China Uses Dance to Promote ‘Socialist Values’ (September 2, 2016, China Real Time)
One Chinese province has an unusual idea for how to shore up political ideology: interpretive dance. Hunan province this week rolled out a set of 20 dance routines intended to help promote “core socialist values”—a campaign championed by President Xi Jinping to give Chinese a set of values that will strengthen support for the Communist Party.

Bad Driving in Beijing: Poor Planning, or Lack of Enforcement? (September 2, 2016, The Beijinger)
Cars are something of a wedge issue between the international community and local citizens of Beijing. Many foreign residents of Beijing eschew driving themselves for bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, public transport, or walking. When cars are needed, they are summoned by apps. A sizable and growing section of the local Beijing population prefers to drive themselves. 

Chinese Tycoons Who Won the 90s Change Course for 21st Century (September 5, 2016, Sixth Tone)
Zhao is the prototypical successful businessman. He began his career as a van loader, lugging 100 kilogram bags of sand, and gradually worked his way up. Now he is the chairman of one of the world’s largest retailer of men’s socks, Top Circle Hosiery Mills Co. Inc. His company exports to every part of the world and grosses 400 million yuan (about $60 million) each year in sales.

Ghost town: how China emptied Hangzhou to guarantee 'perfect' G20 (September 5, 2016, The Guardian)
More than a third of Hangzhou’s population were reportedly “convinced” to leave town as part of what Chinese state media called a massive exodus that saw cars forced off the roads and a seven-day public holiday declared. Thousands of residents were ordered to vacate the towering apartment blocks that surround the conference centre where world leaders had gathered, to prevent an assault from above.

China’s Illicit Adoption Market Goes Online (September 6, 2016, Sixth Tone)
With China’s often long and cumbersome adoption process, many prospective parents are turning to internet chat groups to buy children instead, The Beijing News reported Tuesday.On messaging app QQ, the more than 470 members of the “Home to Fulfill Your Dream” group look for either babies that can be adopted, or prospective foster parents. When supply meets demand, parties pair up and continue the discussion in private to hash out the particulars of the deal.

Economics / Trade / Business

A Chinese Mystery: Who Owns a Firm on a Global Shopping Spree? (September 1, 2016, The New York Times)
Owners of Anbang, a Chinese insurer behind a wave of multibillion-dollar deals, include relatives and friends of its politically connected chairman.

One-third of Chinese shopping malls to close in five years: report (September 7, 2016, ECNS.cn)
One-third of China's overabundant shopping malls will close down in five years and the rest will have to transform to survive, according to a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Shopping centers are rapidly losing appeal to consumers in many cities due to their lack of competitive strengths, the report said.

Yiwu, a City at the Core of Cheap Chinese Goods – A Sinica Podcast (September 7, 2016, China File)
In this episode of Sinica, Kaiser and David Moser speak with Dan Whelan, director and producer of Bulkland, a film about Yiwu and the people who live and trade in it: British, Australian, and German product sourcers; Yemeni merchants, some of whom have been in the city for 30 years; Russian bar dancers; and the locals who work tirelessly to sell the rich harvest of Chinese-made tchotchkes to the rest of the world.

Education

For China’s Children, a Resoundingly Patriotic Return to School (September 2, 2016, The New York Times)
Education departments across the country also announced a broader campaign to propagate the “Long March spirit,” 80 years after the end of the military trek that is a founding narrative of the Communist state. Educators have been exhorted to give speeches, assign homework and spread the word on social media like Weibo and WeChat. Model essays for children to crib were already circulating online on Friday.

The “Tents of Love” Phenomenon: Chinese Parents Sleep in Tents At Their Kids’ New University (September 5, 2016, What’s on Weibo)
At the start of a new semester, more universities across China are setting up tented camps for parents who are seeing off their college freshman children. On Chinese social media, netizens discuss if these so-called ‘tents of love’ (爱心帐篷) are indeed a sign of love, or if they epitomize the non-independence of China’s post-1990s generation.

Science / Technology

Before the computer, there was something almost as complex: the Chinese typewriter (September 3, 2016, Los Angeles Times)
Chinese typewriters look something like a cross between a deli-meat slicer and a small printing press. There are no keys, just thousands of little metal characters arranged in a grid system. Because Chinese has no alphabet and no alphabetical order, the operator must essentially memorize the location of each character — about 2,500 on a typical machine. 

Posers for the party: How an online forum catches censors unawares (September 3, 2016, The Economist)
Internet users everywhere migrate between social-media platforms as preferences change. But in China a site’s popularity is determined as much by users’ pursuit of freedom as it is by their love of fashion. Weibo, a Twitter-like microblogging site, gained a colossal following after it was launched in 2009 (Twitter itself is blocked). Many users relished the opportunity to air sensitive views and link up with like-minded people. It has since been eclipsed by the rise of WeChat, a messaging app which the authorities find less threatening, and so censor less.

History / Culture

What Is Cultural About the Cultural Revolution? Creativity Amid Destruction (August 31, 2016, China File)
Most histories of the period focus on violence committed by the Red Guards, the imprisonment of people in cow sheds, and other terrifying acts, but Paul Clark’s book The Chinese Cultural Revolution: A History examines the art of the era.

Collective Confusion (September 2, 2016, The World of Chinese)
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a public initiative or event led by the government in China must be in want of a slogan.

Does Chinese Civilization Come From Ancient Egypt? (September 2, 2016, Foreign Policy)
A new study has energized a century-long debate at the heart of China's national identity.

Of Road Trips and Chinese History (September 5, 2016, From the West Courtyard)
I also gravitate towards historical podcasts. And my favorite historical podcast is the Chinese History Podcast. It is the brainchild of Lazlo Montgomery, a businessman from Southern California who started it for the joy of educating people about Chinese history. The uniqueness of this podcast is Montgomery’s story-telling style, which makes the historical events so accessible to those who are new to the field. What’s not to love about that?

How did China save the giant panda? (September 5, 2016, BBC)
They're cute, they're cuddly and they've just been brought back from the brink of extinction.We're talking about the giant panda, a global icon that's just been taken off the endangered list, largely due to Chinese conservation efforts. But how exactly did they do it? It's all about the bamboo

A Stroll Along Beijing’s Restored Canal System and the Ongoing Plan to Revive its Ancient Waterways (September 6, 2016, The Beijinger)
For centuries, engineers have attempted to wrestle water from the springs around today’s Beijing to build lakes and canals to service the city. Beijing is one of the few major cities in the world today – and one the only ancient capitals – which does not sit on a significant natural body of water.

Lessons from the G20 “tarmac row” (September 6, 2016, China Solved)
Your negotiating counter-party is a serious person with experience, values, and attitudes that are very different from yours. Culture gaps are real, and they are not going away. If you are going to work with counter-party, then these differences will be part of your business — and part of your life.

Arts / Entertainment / Media

Shanghai Violin Competition Celebrates Isaac Stern’s Legacy in China (September 5, 2016, The New York Times)
Isaac Stern’s dedication to training young musicians was perhaps most vividly captured in the 1979 documentary “From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China.” The film, which won an Academy Award for best documentary feature, chronicled Mr. Stern’s two-week trip to China for a series of concerts and master classes.

What’s Inside Yulin’s Hidden Art Gallery (September 6, 2016, Chengdu Living)
It was only a few weeks ago that I heard about a somewhat “underground” art gallery just a few blocks from where I live, in the south of Chengdu. It turns out this is a beautiful, secluded private collection curated by an art enthusiast from France named Donal. I visited the gallery and talked with Donal and what he’s doing there.

The Underground Sound Rising Up From China’s Cities (September 7, 2016, Sixth Tone)
Ever since the explosion of China’s underground music culture around the turn of the century, the cultural, historical, and physical differences that exist between its metropolises have meant that musical communities around the country have grown, and continue to grow, in varied ways. In addition, China’s post-’80s artists are the first of their time to self-educate through the internet and self-organize through online message boards, social networking, and mobile apps, adding to the diverse ways in which musical communities around the country are developing.

Travel / Food

11 cities that China ripped off from the rest of the world (August 23, 2016, This Is Insider)
That China is really good at producing counterfeit goods is well documented, but the country has really outdone itself by copying entire towns or cities from other parts of the world. Here are 11 cities that China copied from the rest of the world.

Hangzhou At A Glance: Qiantang River Tidal Bore (August 31, 2016, The World of Chinese)
The unique shape of the river’s mouth, combined with tidal forces, created the world’s largest river tidal bore, where the difference between high and low tides can be as much as ten meters. It’s often described as roaring like thunder and resembling 10,000 horses galloping forward from the horizon.

The Top Archaeological Sites in China to Visit (September 1, 2016, Wild China Blog)
Concealed under clay earth and behind secret doors, treasure troves of ancient archaeological finds lay scattered across every corner of China. Like an explorer on a path of discovery, you’ll be astounded by these hidden gems of Chinese civilization. It’s time to get your hands dirty and step into these remnants of the world’s oldest civilization.

Chinese Online Booking Giant Ctrip Readies Itself for Global Expansion (September 1, 2016, Skift)
China’s largest online travel player, Ctrip, wants to get more global so it can serve travelers outside of China while domestically it is taking profits from high-end hotel-room sales and investing them into subsidizing the rates at lower- and mid-priced hotels to ward off competitors.

The Future is Now: WeChat Allows Restaurant Service to Take a Great Leap Backward (September 2, 2016, The Beijinger)
Picture yourself entering a restaurant: no one shows you to your seat, no one takes your order, no one serves your food, and no one cleans up for you. You do it all. Sound good? Well, Beijing's Renrenxiang, a proprietor of Hunanese cuisine, has implemented such a system.

What Should I Eat in Xinjiang? 10 Best Uyghur Food (September 2, 2016, Far West China)
It’s not just Uyghur food, though. Whether you want to eat Hui food, Kazakh food or Chinese food – Xinjiang has it all. Unfortunately, not everybody knows what to eat…or even how to order it! That’s where you’ll find this guide and video useful

World's longest glass bridge closes for maintenance two weeks after opening (September 2, 2016, CNN)
“We’re overwhelmed by the volume of visitors,” a spokesperson from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon’s marketing and sales department said. He said the bridge could hold 8,000 people per day but demand exceeded that ten times.

Organic Awakening (September 4, 2016, The World of Chinese)
Given that food safety issues are a very real and daily concern for most Chinese, it’s understandable that some form of the organic food movement would take root in Chinese soil. However, those expecting it to resemble the Western concept ought to realize that the pressures Chinese consumers face have created a rather different movement.

Air China magazine warns London visitors to avoid ethnic minority areas (September 7, 2016, CNBC)
Then, after a section on transport options and lifestyle and cultural activities in London, Wings of China offers some "Tips from Air China." "London is generally a safe place to travel, however precautions are needed when entering areas mainly populated by Indians,Pakistanis and black people," China's flagship carrier advises. "We advise tourists not to go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when traveling."

Language / Language Learning

One-to-One Chinese Online Lessons: Our Review of the Best Platforms (September 2, 2016, Sapore di Cina)
in this article, we are going to focus on individual lessons online, which constitute a veritable revolution, as they permit access to good teachers regardless of where you are.

The Life and Death of Shanghainese (September 5, 2016, Sixth Tone)
The Shanghainese dialect belongs to the Wu family, one of the nine main Chinese language groups spoken in the country. In total, the Wu family of languages is spoken by some 70 million people — close to the 77 million or so native speakers of French. But increasingly, even children from Shanghainese families are speaking Mandarin as a first language.

Mandarin Monday: A Lesson in Chinese Internet Slang (September 5, 2016, The Beijinger)
Using online slang to chat can be great fun and instantly rewarding when employed correctly, but also extremely confusing if you're unfamiliar with it. Yes, you can always rely on common online acronyms like LOL or LMAO, but why not destroy those cultural barriers by using some Chinese slang instead?

Books

China Conflict of Laws: The Book (September 3, 2016, China Law Blog)
We received the book, Conflict of Laws in the People’s Republic of China, a few weeks ago, and our China attorneys have been using it ever since. It is that good.

Events

ChinaFile Presents: ‘The Boat Rocker’: A Conversation with Novelist Ha Jin (ChinaFile)
Thu 20 Oct 2016, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Ha Jin will discuss his experience as a Chinese American novelist, writing in English (his second language), and his new book, in a conversation with Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of the Asia Society Center on U.S.-China Relations. He will also share his reflections on China from the vantage point of having lived in the U.S. since the 1980s.

Image credit: Bearded Hui Man, by eye/see, via Flickr