FEATURED ARTICLE
Does China Need More Leadership Training? (August 29, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)
Last week I had two meetings in as many days regarding two proposed leadership training efforts aimed at Christians in China. Both were well thought through and grew out of decades of China experience. As we looked at the various offerings already available to church leaders in China, the question that emerged in both cases was, "Is this really needed?"
GOVERNMENT / POLITICS / FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Could China Ever Govern Taiwan? (March 29, 2014, The Diplomat)
Chinas leaders, not used to dealing with public opinion, are unprepared to handle Taiwans vocal population.
China's censorship leverage: Watch what you say, even at home (March 31, 2014, The Economist)
CHINA has long enjoyed leverage over foreign businesses and governments thanks to the lure of its huge market. This goes back even to the latter days of Mao when there was no market to access, just the portent of one. Today the Communist Party wields its now formidable leverage in all manner of ways, successfully muting or softening criticism from CEOs and world leaders. Purveyors of contentwhether Hollywood studios or internet companiesreadily make compromises in order to do business in China.
Philippines stares down China in South China Sea dispute (+video) (March 31, 2014, Christian Science Monitor)
The Philippine government is refusing to yield in a territorial standoff with China. Braving threats of retaliation, Manila lodged its legal case with a United Nations tribunal on Sunday, challenging Beijings sovereignty claims in the South China Sea and raising the stakes in a longstanding dispute.
Feng-shui-friendly Rose Hills cemetery cultivates Chinese clientele (March 31, 2014, Los Angeles Times)
Bruce Lazenby remembers the spring morning when the management staff of Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier gathered in a boardroom, baffled by the events of the weekend. In two days, the cemetery had seen Dodger Stadium-size crowds of Chinese mourners. Their cars backed up traffic for miles. Every trash can overflowed, and at many of the graves, people had laid out a confusing feast: fruits, vegetables, entire dishes on disposable plates wrapped in plastic. The staff later learned that the crowds were celebrating the Qingming Festival, a Chinese holiday on which families tend the graves of relatives and leave food offerings.
Caring for the Dead: Its the Thought That Counts (April 1, 2014, Sinosphere)
Too busy to care for your dead relatives? Cant afford a train ticket home? Chinese who cannot go home and sweep family graves this weekend for the traditional tomb sweeping festival, known as Qingming (pronounced Chingming), can rent professional tomb sweepers from online companies.The people will be clean, show respect and even hold a mobile phone to the grave so that you can talk to your loved ones, some companies say.
The press in China since June 4th (April 1, 2014, China Media Project)On March 29, CMP director Qian Gang attended the Annual Kam Yiu-yu Press Freedom Awards in Hong Kong and gave the following address on the struggle for freedom of speech in China since the 1989 June 4th Incident. The Kam Yiu-yu Press Freedom Awards are named in honour of former Wen Wei Po editor-in-chief Kam Yiu-yu . After martial law was declared in China in May 1989, Kam and other top editors at the CCP-aligned Hong Kong paper made the decision to leave a blank space, or tian chuang (), in place of their lead editorial as an expression of protest.The text in the blank space read simply: Bitter and hateful lamentations!
Nepal targets Tibetan exiles, under pressure from China: rights body (April 1, 2014, Reuters)
Tibetan refugees living in Nepal face tighter curbs on freedom of expression and assembly as the tiny Himalayan nation succumbs to pressure from neighbour China, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday.
China's Military Latest Target In Anti-Corruption Drive (April 1, 2014, NPR)
China's anti-corruption campaign has expanded its reach to the country's military, with a former top general being charged and news that widespread wrongdoing had been uncovered at key units of the People's Liberation Army. Former Gen. Gu Junshan, who served as the PLA's deputy logistics chief, has been charged of "suspicion of corruption, bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power," state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. Until now, it has been extremely rare for high-ranking military figures to be caught up in such probes. A guilty verdict is considered a near certainty.
A Merkel, a Map, a Message to China? (April 2, 2014, Tea Leaf Nation)
Historical maps are sensitive business in China. Every schoolchild in China learns that Tibet, Xinjiang, Taiwan, and the Diaoyu Islands have been inalienable parts of China since ancient times. The dAnville map, at least visually, is a rejection of that narrative.
China Maoming environmental protest violence condemned (April 2, 2014, BBC)
Authorities have condemned an environmental protest in southern China that turned violent, calling it "serious criminal behaviour". Residents in Maoming, Guangdong province, on Sunday protested against the construction of a petrochemical plant that manufactures paraxylene.Violence broke out, with reports of several injured protesters. On Tuesday, the protests spread to Guangzhou.
Chinas Fifteen-Billion-Dollar Purge (April 2, 2014, The New Yorker)
Now on to the questions: Why take Zhou down now? For President Xi Jinping, Zhous downfall serves both practical and strategic purposes. The Zhou network runs powerful entities, including oil, gas, and security, and Xis maneuver means that he can shore up his authority by replacing Zhous allies with his own loyalists, as well as scare low-ranking fence-sitters into something closer to coperation.
Xi Jinping says multi-party system didn't work for China (April 2, 2014, Reuters)
China experimented in the past with various political systems, including multi-party democracy, but it did not work, President Xi Jinping said during a visit to Europe, warning that copying foreign political or development models could be catastrophic.
Despite protests in Taiwan, trade deal with China likely to proceed (+video) (April 2, 2014, Christian Science Monitor)
While President Ma Ying-jeous efforts to deepen ties between Taiwan and mainland China are contentious, the protests, including an occupation of the parliament, also highlight public discontent with his domestic policies and his governing style, says our correspondent on the ground in Taipei.
China-Malaysia Friendship Year Hits the Rocks (April 3, 2014, China Real Time)
As tempers fly over the fate of the still-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370which vanished nearly a month ago on March 8senior Malaysian officials are growing increasingly annoyed at what they see as excessive pressure from Chinese authorities to find the plane. Despite the fact that this year was earlier declared China-Malaysia Friendship Year by the two governments, relations have been steadily more strained by the tragedy.
Chinese tourist, hotel worker abducted in Sabah, Malaysia (April 3, 2014, BBC)
A Chinese tourist and a hotel worker have been abducted by gunmen from a holiday resort in eastern Malaysia. The tourist, 29, and the 40-year-old Filipino hotel worker were forced into a boat by six men armed with pistols late on Wednesday, local media said. The holiday resort is in Semporna district in the eastern state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo.
China Unveils Mini Stimulus as Economy Sputters (April 3, 2014, ABC News)
China's leaders have unveiled a mini-stimulus aimed at shoring up sputtering growth in the world's No. 2 economy. Under the measures announced by Premier Li Keqiang, small businesses will get bigger tax breaks, social housing will be built to replace shantytowns and railway construction will be sped up. Li, China's top economic official, announced the new measures on Wednesday evening after a regular meeting of the State Council, China's cabinet.
RELIGION
Visible Expressions of Confucianism in Everyday Life (March 14, 2014, ChinaSource Quarterly)
So, what of Ruism? Is it dead? Far from it. Is it the leading force of the nation, guiding decisions from the top leaders down to the "man on the street"? Hardly. It occupies a fuzzy place in between. What we experience today is "post-"Chinapost-Ruist, post-Marxist, post-modernbut "post-" anything implies a focus on the past, emphasizing what once was but now is not. What does the future hold for Ruism and for China? I think it is safe to say it will not die out, but neither will it be able to reclaim the status it held for ages.
Ten Reasons I am a Christian (March 24, 2014, Chinese Church Voices)
Like most Chinese people, I was born into a family with no Christian background. Up until now, we still live in a society that is quite unfriendly to Christianity. Our culture also has absolutely no connection with the Christian religion. However, like millions of Chinese young people of my generation, I have become a devout Christian. Why am I a Christian? Id like to share a simple explanation, including my personal experiences and some objective facts of Christianity.
Fundamentally Freund: The first Chinese rabbi in 200 years (March 26, 2014, Jerusalem Post)
Yaakov Wang, a descendant of the Jewish community of Kaifeng, China, completed his conversion before a rabbinical court in Jerusalem last year.
Are Most Chinese Really Atheist? (March 28, 2014, Outside-In)
Its an interesting question, and, as the saying goes, it depends on what the meaning of the word Atheist is. Earlier this month Pew released the results of survey that tried to determine peoples beliefs about the relationship between believing in God and morality. According to their results, 75% of respondents in China said that it is not necessary to believe in God to be moral, and 14% said that it is necessary to believe in God to be moral.
China's underground resistance (March 31, 2014, Reuters)
This underground Catholic church, which has no name, is a testament to the Roman Catholic Church's ability to survive as well – outside the control of the Communist Party. The priest, who declined to be identified, said his church has been operating since 1989 and now has a congregation of 1,500 to 2,000.
Special Report: The bishop who stood up to China (March 31, 2014, Reuters)
It was shaping as a win in the Communist Party's quest to contain a longtime nemesis, the Roman Catholic Church. In July 2012, a priest named Thaddeus Ma Daqin was to be ordained auxiliary bishop of Shanghai. The Communist body that has governed the church for six decades had angered the Holy See by appointing bishops without Vatican approval. Known as the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, it was now about to install Ma, one of its own officials, as deputy in China's largest Catholic diocese.
Praying for Kazakhstan (March 31, 2014, Chinese Church Voices)
We love stories about churches in China praying for their brothers and sisters world-wide. This one, in the mainland site Christian Times is about a special prayer time held at a church in Beijing for the people of Kazakhstan.
Reflections on China 2014: Two Ships: Different Directions (March 31, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)
This final reflection is more of a vision than a report. As I traveled and spoke with people concerned about the future of China and the church my mind kept going back to my deep concerns about the future of the church in America. As I moved back and forth and considered the past, present and future of God's people in both countries, an image took shape in my imagination. I had a recurring vision of two ships passing on a great ocean. Here is what I saw.
SOCIETY / LIFE
In China, an odd mix of bawdy and serious (March 28, 2014, China Media Project)
Read the news about the news in China today and you might note the sober and severe tone. The official Xinhua News Agency reports that nine government departments have jointly launched a concerted campaign to crack down on news extortion and fake news. [Click here for a past CMP example of "fake news"].
(March 28, 2014, The World of Chinese)To understand CCTV news, you will first have to master its language. Since theres little room for ad-lib, all the anchors have to do is read the teleprompter. To make things even easier, the reports are very, shall we say, economicalthey recycle words and expressions. Though the day to day issues may vary, the language used to describe them stays roughly the same.
Chinese parents, trapped in one-child web, give babies away on Internet (March 30, 2014, Reuters)
Lu Libing knew he had only one choice as the birth of his third child approached. He couldn't afford hefty fines that would be meted out by Chinese authorities, so he put the unborn child up for adoption. On the Internet he found "A Home Where Dreams Come True", a website touted as China's biggest online adoption forum, part of an industry that has been largely unregulated for years. Expectant couples, unwilling or unable to keep their children, go to the website looking for adoptive parents rather than abort their babies or abandon them.
No guns, just knives: Chilling details of 'China's 9/11' (March 30, 2014, USA Today)
A month ago, in a nation of mostly unarmed police and wholly unarmed citizens, a small gang of killers with knives brought mass murder to the Chinese city of Kunming in the country's first major exposure to terrorism outside its restive northwest, home to the suspected perpetrators. In the weeks since that blood-soaked first day of March, police nationwide have stepped up gun training. More armed patrols visit train stations and public squares. Experts call for quicker use of guns in emergencies.
Almost 10,000 Divorces Each Day in China's Breakup Boom (March 31, 2014, Business Week)
China is facing a boom in breakups. Almost 10,000 marriages end in divorce every day, a figure that has been growing for the past decade, according to a report in China Daily citing Zhang Shifeng, head of the department of social affairs at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Bags of Mountain Air Offered in Smog-Addled Chinese City (March 31, 2014, China Real Time)
Proving that Chinas fight against pollution has moved decisively into the realm of parody, bags containing mountain air were shipped into one particularly smog-addled city over the weekend. No, it wasnt a scene from Spaceballs. According to the organizer, a Henan-based travel company, 20 bright blue bags of air were shipped to Zhengzhou, capital of central Chinas Henan province, as a special treat for residents. The air originated from Laojun Mountain, some 120 miles away from the city, and was brought as part of a promotional gimmick to show oxygen-deprived city residents what theyre missing.'
China lays out charges for Kunming attack suspects' (March 31, 2014, AFP)
China has laid out the charges against four suspects captured after a brutal railway station attack that killed 29 people and injured 143 earlier this month, officials said. Eight members of what Beijing labelled a "terrorist gang" carried out the stabbing spree at Kunming railway station in southwestern China, with four of them killed at the scene.
Caring for the Dead: Its the Thought That Counts (April 1, 2014, Sinosphere)
Too busy to care for your dead relatives? Cant afford a train ticket home? Chinese who cannot go home and sweep family graves this weekend for the traditional tomb sweeping festival, known as Qingming (pronounced Chingming), can rent professional tomb sweepers from online companies.The people will be clean, show respect and even hold a mobile phone to the grave so that you can talk to your loved ones, some companies say.
Fed-Up Chinese Residents Blast Dancing Grannies With $42,000 Sound System (April 2, 2014, China Real Time)
Where verbal abuse, sand and buckets of human waste have failed, a warning message blasted over and over again through a $41,900 speaker system appears to have succeeded. Aggrieved residents in the coastal Chinese city of Wenzhou declared victory this week after successfully routing packs of public dancers that had been gathering in a nearby park, according to state media reports.
Rain death toll hits 15 in Guangdong (April 2, 2014, China Daily)
The death toll from rainstorms in South China's Guangdong province has risen to 15, while four other people remained missing, local authorities said on Wednesday. Four more people were confirmed to have died on Tuesday, the provincial bureau of civil affairs said in a statement. Days of torrential rain have also left at least 14 injured.
Beijing clothing wholesale market moving to Langfang (April 2, 2014, China Daily)
The Beijing Zoo Wholesale Market, the largest clothing wholesale distribution center in North China, will be relocated to Langfang, Hebei province, China Business Journal reported. On Thursday morning, the governments of Langfang and Beijing's Xicheng district will sign a contract to relocate the market to Yongqing county. Due to too many traders and customers, the market, which formed in the 1980s, has brought transportation, security and sanitation problems to Beijing's Xicheng district. The relocation is expected to divert about 100,000 people from the capital city to Langfang.
Ignorance or Racism: Being Black in China (April 3, 2014, The World of Chinese)
Over anr over again, in the conversation about black and Chinese relations, Ive heard the word curiosity, or ignorance. While some black people dont find the reactions they receive from Chinese people offensive, some have had truly troubling experiences. Like any country, ethnic relations in China are complex.
For Chinas Would-Be Retirees, the Good Life May Come a Little Later (April 3, 2014, China Real Time)
Chinas prospective retirees may have to wait a little longer to enjoy their quiet years. Facing a rapidly aging population and declining numbers of working-age people, government officials are strongly hinting that they may raise the retirement age. In a recent study, government researchers suggested raising the retirement age by three months every year over the next decade so that Chinas workforce can continue to grow and help drive the nations economic expansion.
Can Crowdfunding Change China? (April 3, 2014, Tea Leaf Nation)
Crowdfunding, which allows web users to contribute small sums of money to fund collective projects like concerts and films, is taking off in China and just how far it will go is more than a business question. By allowing netizens to vote with their renminbi, online crowdfunding could become an economic activity with political effects, bringing closer two separate spheres that rarely overlap in China. As a result, in the future, crowdfunding platforms could do more than make music; they may also help bring political changes to the country.
EDUCATION / HISTORY / CULTURE
Hutong Heritage: Shijia Hutong Museum Preserves the Courtyards (April 1, 2014, The Beijinger Blog)
Opened in November with funding and support from the Princes Charities Foundation China and the Chaoyangmen local government, Shijia Hutong Museum is the first facility in Beijing specifically established to preserve hutong history. While the capital is dotted with courtyards offered protection either as outstanding examples of hutong homes or for their famous previous occupants, only this museum has been set aside as a model hutong in its own right.
April Fools Day Invented in China (April 1, 2014, The World of Chinese)
The Chinese term for April Fools Day is (yrnji literally idiots festival). And as some of you will know apologies to the old hands to whom this is old hat playing jokes on friends today is a tradition which originated in China, in the Warring States period.
In Praise ofTeaching English in China (April 2, 2014, The Nanfang Insider)
While the Chinese word for teacher (laoshi) is an antiquated term full of respectful connotations, the word for foreign teacher (waijiao) is a recent addition to the language. This little piece of linguistic apartheid says much about what website Middle Kingdom Life (MKL) called the de-professionalised status most expats have when they come to China to teach.
How Foreign Universities Are Attracting Chinese Students Using Social Media (April 2, 2014, Chairman Igo)
The popularity of social media has exploded around the world in the last five to ten years with sites like Facebook boasting over 1 billion users. The potential to market products and services through social media is enormous, which is why social media marketing has become big business, but how have universities managed to remain active in a country like China, where many Western social media sites are not accessible? Many universities have adapted to Chinas internet norms and are currently running successful campaigns on sites including Sina Weibo, RenRen, Gter and many more. So, what techniques are they using and what actually works?
ECONOMICS / BUSINESS / TRADE
Made In China But Was It Made In A Prison? (March 29, 2014, NPR)
The U.S. has tried to ensure that China abides by its own laws that ban the export of products made by prison labor. But proving the origins of such products is difficult and requires the cooperation of the Chinese government.
Map: Half of Chinas GDP Comes From Major Cities (March 31, 2014, Tea Leaf Nation)
Inspired by a similar map which highlights uneven economic activity in the United States, Foreign Policy compiled GDP figures reported by municipalities across China and found that 35 cities contributed just under half of Chinas GDP in 2013.
One country, Two systems, Two China Mobiles (April 3, 2014, Offbeat China)
As the famous Confucius quote goes: Inequality, rather than want, is the cause of trouble. Chinese people have always had complaints about high cell phone charges, but the knowledge that people in Hong Kong are offered a much more superior plan by China Mobile for the same price seems to be the tipping point when many mainland consumers decide that enough is enough.
For Chinas Jobseekers, Multinational Companies Lose Their Magic (April 3, 2014, China Real Time)
In the past, Chinese university students like Guo Wen typically would have been snapped up by a multinational firm before graduation. Instead, 24-year-old Mr. Guo, who will graduate from prestigious Peking University this year with a degree in microelectronics, has opted to work for Chinese Internet giant Tencent. A study released Thursday by employer-branding consultancy Universum suggests students like Mr. Guo are increasing. This year, just 21% of Chinese university students polled said they wanted to work for an international organization on graduation, down from 38% in 2013.
SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY / ENVIRONMENT
Everything You Need to Know About WeChat (March 28, 2014, Nanjing Marketing Group)
What is WeChat? Its a question that clients often ask us at Nanjing Marketing Group. More specifically clients want to know how WeChat (wei xin in Chinese) can be used for marketing.So that is the inspiration behind this blog. I want to give you a simple explanation of this very popular Chinese instant messaging (IM) app. Ill look at some of the numbers behind WeChat, what it is primarily used for, the diverse ways it can be used and Ill also look at its marketing potential.
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT100 best Mainland Chinese films (Time Out Shanghai)
The best movies of all time as picked by 88 international film experts
FOOD / TRAVEL / CULTURE
In the Sky is Heaven, and on Earth is Yubeng (March 28, 2014, Be My Travel Muse)
The hike started out on steep dusty tracks, challenging me at first as my lungs made sense of the thin air. In time, with my walking stick in hand and music in my ears, I pulled ahead and separated from the group Ya Ting and I had found and joined at the hostel after the first kilometer and remained solo for the rest of the trek.
An Inside Look at the Martial Arts Training Regime of Shaolin Monks (17 pics) (March 28, 2014, Crack Two)
In the shadow of Yulong Snow Mountain: Yuhu Village (March 31, 2014, Go Kunming)
Lijiang's Dayan Old Town is a beautiful place, but the crowds of tourists, neon lights of Bar Street and row upon row of identical souvenir shops can begin to grate on the nerves after a while. That's why we decided to escape to Yuhu Village () for a day of peace and relaxation.
Photo Essay: The Tajik People Of China (April 1, 2014, Bored Panda)
Renting a Car in China: Joys of Independent Travel (April 1, 2014, Far West China)
The sun was beginning to set over the ancient Silk Road city of Turpan and I had parked the car on the side of a hill near the famous Emin Minaret (). The tourist area was closed for the day and other than a few vendors attempting to close up shop, the entire area was a ghost town.No tourist buses. No blazing hot sun beating down on me. No need to pay an entrance fee.Just the pure joy of independent travel in my favorite province in China.
Beijing Capital International Airport Now the World's Second Busiest (April 3, 2014, The Beijinger)
Beijing's Capital International Airport (BCIA), which established itself as the worlds most delayed airport in July 2013, at least has a bit of an excuse it is the world's second busiest airport, behind only Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, according to Airports council International.
Report: China to Power Growth in World Tourism (April 3, 2014, TIME)
A new report by the Amadeus travel and consultancy group Oxford Economics says China and other emerging markets are the main forces that will drive the travel industry, which is expected to grow at a faster rate than the global economy over the next decade.
LANGUAGE / LANGUAGE LEARNING
An Introduction to Chinese Grammar (Chinese Notes)
Stepping Stones (Clavis Sinica)
Stepping Stones is a series of lessons in written Chinese for adult beginners. The goal of the series is to provide a systematic introduction to the 300 most commonly used Chinese characters, which together account for 65% of the characters typically found in modern Chinese texts. After completing the 15 lessons in the series, the student will be able to read, write, and pronounce these characters and some of the basic compounds that they form.
BOOKS
What Its Like To Get Up-Close And Personal With Chinas New Elite (March 31, 2014, The Jing Daily)In China, the term tuhao (), a phrase that is commonly used to describe the countrys tacky nouveau riche, conjures up very specific imagery for those familiar with it. Logo-laden luxury goods, over-the-top wedding ceremonies, and the unmistakeable hue of tuhao gold () that graces everything from flashy cars to expensive iPhone cases are classic signifiers of the ostentatious lifestyle. []Read below to learn more about Gordons experiences, and check out an excerpt from her story and interview with Unsavory Elements editor Tom Carter. The book is available available on Amazon and at Earnshaw Books.
Video: Kowloon Walled City/City of Darkness Revisited (April 2, 2014, Giant Robot)
While locals didnt seem to care much when when Kowloon Walled City was leveled in 1993 to make space for a shiny new airport, Greg says that he and Lambot have been impressed by the unexpected ways in which it was turning up as an obvious inspiration in popular culture, and also being referenced in architecture, urban theory and other areas. So on 20th anniversary of the demolition they decided to update and expand City of Darkness.
Salt and Light in China (April 3, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)
Adding to my recent list of Ten Books on Christianity, I'd like to also commend the three volumes of Salt and Light: Lives of Faith that Shaped Modern China, by Carol Lee Hamrin and Stacey Bieler. While most books about Christianity in China are usually centered on the work of foreign missionaries, these volumes focus on the lives and work of Chinese Christians throughout the twentieth century.
How China and America See Each Other: And Why They Are on a Collision Course (March, April 2014, Foreign Affairs)
Review of Debating China: The U.S.-China Relationship in Ten Conversations. Edited by Nina Hachigian. Oxford University Press, 2014, 272 pp. $21.95.
Image credit: Joann Pittman