ZGBriefs

July 10, 2014

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FEATURED ARTICLE

Chinas churches: growing influence and official wariness present twin challenges (July 7, 2014, The Lausanne Global Conversation)

The growing influence of Christianity in China and reports of a government crackdown on churches have captured international attention. Much to the chagrin of Chinese officials, the London Daily Telegraph recently claimed that China would become the most populous Christian country in a mere 15 years. A week later, a standoff between parishioners of the Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou and the provincial government ended in the bulldozing of a 4,000-seat mega-church. In Beijing, members of the Shouwang Church were detained by the Public Security Bureau. Unfolding in little over a month, these events have stoked fears of a government campaign against both legal and illegal churches.

GOVERNMENT / POLITICS / FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Is Xi Jinping trying to provoke anger against Japan? (July 7, 2014, BBC)

In China, the 77th anniversary of an event rarely merits a nationally televised memorial service – or an appearance by President Xi Jinping. But on Monday more than 1,000 special guests, including top Communist officials, military veterans and young children, turned out for a highly choreographed memorial marking the Marco Polo bridge incident which sparked the Sino-Japanese war in 1937.

Mainland Takes Charge in Hong Kong (July 7, 2014, Asia Sentinel)

Chinas Xi Jinping administration, with its tougher stance on external and internal relations, is assuming greater control over Hong Kongs affairs through the China Liaison Office, the mainlands representative in the territory, setting the political agenda often without even consulting the citys own leadership.

How Chinese fishermen became pawns in Asia's maritime great game (July 7, 2014, Christian Science Monitor)

This is the human face of Chinas increasingly intransigent claim to most of the South China Sea: Chen Yiquan, a ship captain wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue cotton shorts, sitting dejectedly in a low-slung concrete jail outside this ramshackle provincial port.

Chinese Leaders One-Man Show Complicates Diplomacy (July 8, 2014, The New York Times)

On the Chinese side, Mr. Xi is making decisions based on his interpretation of Chinas national greatness and military effectiveness, said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China in Beijing who has advised the government on occasion. Power concentrated in one mans hand means foreign policy will be decided by his strategic personality and his political beliefs, he said. Mr. Xis sense that Mr. Obama is a lame-duck president propels his inclination to push and push again in the South China and East China Seas, Mr. Shi said.

Drawing the News: Hong Kong Referendum (July 8, 2014, China Digital Times)

A roundup of online political cartoons from June 2 to July 2.

China and South Korea Are Growing Cozier. Should the U.S. Be Worried? (July 9, 2014, China Real Time)

If you were Chinas president and wanted to weaken Americas dominance in Asia, what would you do? You might start by disrupting its network of allies as many foreign policy analysts believe Beijing is now doing, particularly in Seoul.

China's propaganda infiltrating our shores (July 9, 2014, The Age)

Over the past decade or so, something disturbing has been happening in the Chinese community media in this country. The Chinese Communist Partys propaganda bureau has been buying up radio stations and newspapers across the country and channelling the voice of Beijing into them from editorial offices in China. Increasingly, topics on which press discussion is forbidden in China have vanished also from the Chinese language media in our own country.

Chinese Hackers Pursue Key Data on U.S. Workers (July 9, 2014, The New York Times)

Chinese hackers in March broke into the computer networks of the United States government agency that houses the personal information of all federal employees, according to senior American officials. They appeared to be targeting the files on tens of thousands of employees who have applied for top-secret security clearances.

China Touts $14.4 Billion in Foreign Aid, Half of Which Went to Africa (July 10, 2014, China Real Time)

Chinas government has put a value on the aid largess that makes its leaders welcome visitors in many of the worlds poorest nations: $14.41 billion. Thats the amount Chinas government said it provided in aid over the three years between 2010 and 2012 to poorer countries through grants, interest-free loans and concessional lending. About half the money to 121 countries was earmarked to African states, according to Chinas second white paper on foreign aid, published Thursday.

Chinese Journalists Warned Not to Work With Foreign Media (July 10, 2014, Sinosphere)

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, which regulates the media, in a notice dated June 30 but posted on its website this week, alerts Chinese journalists not to pass on any information obtained in the course of their work to any foreign media groups or to domestic media where they are not employed, and it re-emphasizes that they are not permitted to write for foreign news agencies.

Power Shift: Hopeful Signs in Chinas Legal Reform Plan (July 10, 2014, China Real Time)

Judicial reforms being undertaken in China could, in theory, curtail a long-standing the problem with the countrys legal system: the ability of local government to conceal illegal activities through their control over local courts. The Central Leading Group for Judicial Reform of the Chinese Communist Party announced the reform measures last month and an overview of a new five-year plan issued by the Supreme Peoples Court on Wednesday signals a serious intention to implement them.

RELIGION

Hong Kong's Cardinal Joseph Zen asks Pope Francis not to visit China (July 3, 2014, South China Morning Post)

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Hong Kongs outspoken former bishop, has asked Pope Francis not to visit China, saying the pontiff would be manipulated. Improving ties between the Vatican and Beijing has given rise to speculation the pope could reach out to China. But Zen told the Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, in an interview: I would tell him now: Dont come, you would be manipulated. The few courageous [Catholics] could not meet [the Pope], and the Communist Party would show him the illegitimate bishops, including the three excommunicated ones, the 82-year-old said in the interview.

Christian leader jailed for 12 years amid Chinese church crackdown (July 4, 2014, The Telegraph)

A prominent church leader from central China has been jailed for 12 years amid claims that his imprisonment is an attempt to clamp down on the region's fast growing Christian church. Zhang Shaojie, the head of Henan province's Nanle County Church, received the sentence for gathering crowds to disturb public order and fraud on Friday morning, Zhang Xinyun, his lawyer, confirmed, declining to give further details. The pastor was detained last November along with 23 other church members after a dispute with local Communist Party officials who they claimed were trying to seize the land on which their place of worship was built, activists say.

China's Christians fear new persecution after latest wave of church demolitions (July 4, 2014, The Guardian)

For the Beijing pastor, this anti-Christian campaign is part of a stated objective by the new leadership to promote Chinese cultural traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism. It is no coincidence that much media attention was devoted to Xi's visit to Confucius's birthplace in February. On that occasion, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, Xi called for the propagation of a nationwide "ethical doctrine" with "fundamental socialist values" based on "traditional Chinese culture".

Chinese Uighurs defy Ramadan ban (July 5, 2014, Al Jazeera)

Chinese authorities have imposed restrictions on Uighur Muslims during the month of Ramadan, banning government employees and school children from fasting, in what rights groups say has become an annual attempt at systematically erasing the region's Islamic identity. [] Yet in Kashgar, in Xinjiang province, China's westernmost city, close to the border with Tajikstan and Kyrgyztan, Uighur Muslims say the restrictions have backfired. Not only have locals become more observant of Islamic practices, but many have found ways to flaunt Chinese laws restricting everything from who may attend the mosque, to which copies of the Quran are read.

It's Also about the History (July 8, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)

To better understand the recent Sanjiang Church demolition and what now appears to be a coordinated effort on the part of the government to curb visibility of Christianity in the public sphere, it is also helpful to briefly consider the relationship that Christianity has with China historically.

The Difficulty of Urban Missions in China (July 8, 2014, Chinese Church Voices)

In this article, translated from the site jidutu123.com, the author looks at the challenges of doing urban missions in China. His main point is that doing urban missions, traditionally defined as ministering to the marginalized, is difficult in China because it assumes that Christianity is already part of the mainstream of culture, something that is not true in China. He then calls on the church to look for ways to engage with society rather than standing in opposition to it. Only by doing this will Christianity gain influence in Chinese society.

Chinas Religious Policy: The Unfinished Mandate (July 9, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)

According to Zhang, the problem is that the Party has never abandoned its class struggle mentality in dealing with religion and thus continues to single out religious groups as potential threats to the national interest. Only when the government recognizes the legal status of grassroots religious organizations and allows them to have a voice in society will the current tensions between church and state be resolved.

Ten lessons from the church in China (July 10, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)

As the church in China continues to grow and mature, opportunities to connect and partner with churches in the West continue to grow as well. In many cases, these partnerships provide opportunities for churches in China to learn from the experiences of the churches in the West. This is a good thing. But partnerships are two-way, so it is also good to take some time to consider what the church in the West has learned and can learn from the church in China.

SOCIETY / LIFE

36 incredible pictures of floods in China (July 4, 2014, China Underground)

An Online Shift in China Muffles an Open Forum (July 4, 2014, The New York Times)

The shift from public to semiprivate communication, accelerated by a government crackdown on Weibo, has fundamentally reordered the social media landscape for the countrys 600 million Internet users, curbing what had been modern Chinas most open public forum. This is a new phase for social media in China, said Hu Yong, a journalism professor at Peking University. It is the decline of the first large-scale forum for information in China and the rise of something more narrowly focused.

How Many NGOs does China Really Have? (July 7, 2014, ChinaSource Blog)

According to a recent article in The Economist, over the past 25 years half a million non-governmental organizations have registered in China. Another 1.5 million social entities have not registered and are effectively functioning illegally. Many others are registered as businesses.For a country that has done its best to keep the lid on the development of civil society, these numbers are quite impressive. However, as is often the case in China, the numbers tell only part of the story. In reality the number of functioning, truly independent non-profit organizations focused on serving society is considerably smaller. Those of sufficient scale to make a difference beyond just their own local area are fewer still.

Outspoken commentator Li Chengpeng silenced on Chinese social media (July 8, 2014, South China Morning Post)

Chinese top internet portals have suspended the social media and blog accounts of Li Chengpeng, silencing one of Chinas most outspoken political commentators online. The 45-year old television celebrity and author of best-selling books has over the last years shifted from commenting on soccer to talking about politics, not shying away from controversial social issues such as the death penalty, corruption and violent urban law enforcers.

Photo Essay: Chinese Shoppers Penchant for Catching Zs in IKEA (July 8, 2014, China Real Time)

One Getty photographer recently focused on a subspecies of the Chinese nappers: Those who like to frequent IKEAs beds. As any visitor to a Chinese IKEA can attest, such stores have a particularly convivial feel, with locals flocking to the store to simply hang out, as well as shopor, as the case may be, catch a few winks.

Chinas bizarre billionaire hits hard times (July 9, 2014, Bloomberg)

What does it take to bamboozle the self-described most influential person of China? If that person is Chen Guangbiao, the Chinese billionaire who held a luncheon for several hundred homeless in Central Park two weeks ago, it might require little more than a certificate from the United Nations naming him the worlds most prominent philanthropist and global peace and goodwill ambassador.

Demand grows for skilled yue sao nannies (July 9, 2014, China Daily)

The demand for Chinese yue sao – nannies for baby and mother in the first months after birth – is rising on the back of an expected baby boom in the Year of the Horse and relaxed family planning regulations. The salaries of some of these highly sought nannies – who specialize in taking care of newborns and mothers for the first few months after childbirth – are even surpassing those of white-collar workers, said childcare and homecare professionals.

Infographic: The Changing Face of Beijing's Hutongs (July 10, 2014, The Beijinger)

Upon giving a brief description of the hutongs rise in the capital during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the diagram delves deeper into the socioeconomic and geographical significance of hutong life and the degradation and demolition that has occurred since the economic reforms of Deng Xiaoping.

EDUCATION / HISTORY

US professor says China denied him entry (July 7, 2014, AFP)

China denied entry to a prominent US scholar of Tibetan issues, he said Monday, after he advocated on behalf of a detained Chinese minority academic. Elliot Sperling, of the University of Indiana, was ordered to return home shortly after arriving at Beijing's international airport this weekend despite having a valid visa for entry, he told AFP.

Chinas Communist Party Reminds Colleges: Keep it Clean (July 8, 2014, China Real Time)

The chiefs of some of Chinas most prestigious universities last week reported to their version of the principals office: the Communist Partys Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.The party-appointed heads of 26 top Chinese colleges and universities were reminded at a meeting last week of their obligations to run honest institutions, according to the commission. The commission, which acts as the internal party watchdog, said the officials signed a clean-governance pledge before the Ministry of Educations top official, Yuan Guiren, and that several more will do so later this month.

Teaching Confucianism in Beijing (July 9, 2014, The Useless Tree)

I've been here over a week and have hardly had time to even think about blogging. It turns out that getting my class, "Confucianism in America," up and running has been a lot more time-consuming than I realized. The central challenge is adapting my methods and expectations to this particular context.T

eachers barred from attending students' graduation dinners (July 9, 2014, China Daily)

The education authorities in Anhui, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces issued official documents recently to ban students from inviting their teachers to graduation dinners, Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday. During the graduation season in July, many parents whose children are enrolled in universities would hold banquets in the name of thanking their children's teachers. But in recent years, such banquets became more luxurious, and some parents used the opportunity to receive gift money from subordinates. Some parents also gave teachers money at the dinners, the report said.

ECONOMICS / BUSINESS / TRADE

Five Common China Mistakes to Avoid (July 6, 2014, China Law Blog)

American companies typically make a lot of mistakes in China. And even when they dont make mistakes, they get frustrated. Though mistakes and frustration will always be par for the course in China, at least some heartbreak can be avoided by following these five principles:

China must accept slower growth to avoid no growth (July 8, 2014, East Asia Forum)

Major reform and structural change are necessary for China to sustain growth and enter the ranks of developed countries. Chinese reform and economic growth over the past three-and-a-half decades have been successful, but it would be unwise to presume that China can smoothly transition to an advanced economy.

Chinese Lead $92 Billion of U.S. Home Sales to Foreigners (July 8, 2014, Bloomberg)

Foreigners purchased $92.2 billion of U.S. homes in the 12 months through March, led by buyers from China, according to the National Association of Realtors. Spending by Chinese buyers soared 72 percent from a year earlier to $22 billion, with their purchases accounting for 24 percent of spending by international buyers, the trade association said today from Washington. Total investments by foreigners jumped 35 percent. Chinese buyers acquired 16 percent of houses sold to foreigners, up 4 percentage points, spurred by currency appreciation, rising affluence and concerns about an economic slowdown in the worlds most-populous country, the group said.

China's trade surplus narrows in June (July 9, 2014, BBC)

China's trade surplus narrowed to $32bn (18bn) in June after export growth slowed and imports increased, showing the economy is still stabilising after a weak start to the year. Exports rose by 7.2% from a year earlier, which was below market expectations for a 10.6% increase. Imports also missed forecasts, rising by 5.5% due to sluggish demand.

Hot Pot to Herbal Tea: Report Names Chinas 10 Most Eye-Catching Companies (July 10, 2014)

According to consultancy Boston Consulting Group, which ranked the top 50 domestic-focused companies from emerging markets, companies like restaurant chain Hai Di Laoand mobile phone maker Xiaomi Inc.are among the top 10 Chinese companies that are finding success on their own and becoming formidable challengers to global companies. Theyre competing on innovation rather than lower cost, Boston Consulting Group said in its ranking report.

China State Broadcasters Rare Attack on Big State Bank (July 10, 2014, China Real Time)

The nearly 20-minute report, aired during a morning news program, accused Bank of China branches in several cities of transferring gobs of money abroad on behalf of customers who planned to emigrate, in some cases helping clients disguise the source of the cash.

China's Booming Real Estate Market Finally Begins To Slide (July 10, 2014, NPR)

After years of stunning growth, China's go-go real estate market is now in retreat.Prices fell last month in 79 out of 100 cities, according to the China Real Estate Index run by SouFun Holdings, a real estate website. Land sales dropped nearly 30 percent this spring from a year earlier.Real estate has been one of the engines driving the world's second-largest economy, which is why economists in China and around the world are watching the market closely these days.

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY / ENVIRONMENT

Special report: the legacy of Hunan's polluted soils (July 7, 2014, China Dialogue)

Cadmium pollution in the soils of China's largest rice-growing province will take take many years to clean up.

Chinese Cities Deploy Useless Water 'Cannons' Against Smog (July 9, 2014, Business Week)

Chinas infamous smog problems have inspired some creative thinking. Not necessarily practical thinkingor government dollars always well spentbut surely some inventive attempts at removing fine particle pollution from the air.

ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT / SPORTS

Yes, Beijing is a Finalist for the 2022 Winter Olympics. What Are Its Chances? (July 8, 2014, China Real Time)

When news arrived in November that Beijing was bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics, many observers in the Chinese capital briefly choked on their tea or was that the smog? A few years removed from hosting the Summer Olympics, with virtually no winter sports tradition to speak of and bad air that gets worse when the temperatures drop, Chinas capital seemed as likely a choice to host the Winter Games as Dubai or Bangkok. Eight months later, the International Olympic Committee has named Beijing, which has proposed hosting the games in conjunction with the nearby city of Zhangjiakou, as one of the three finalists for the bid, along with Oslo in Norway and Kazakhstans Almaty.

How Transformers 4 Became the No. 1 Film in Chinese History (July 8, 2014, TIME)

The latest film in Michael Bays Transformers series was largely set in China, had its premiere in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong and is now the highest-grossing film in the countrys history, having earned $222.74 million in ticket sales in less than two weeks.

Music Dies Amid Crackdown on Chinas Gilded Performers (July 10, 2014, China Real Time)

Has Viennas storiedMusikverein, one of the worlds finest concert halls, simply become a glorified Chinese karaoke club? According to Chinese media, the answer, sadly, may be yes. In recent years, hundreds of Chinese performers have gone overseas to share their talentor at least shore up their reputation. Between January and August last year, some 133 Chinese groups alone performed at the Musikverein, the state-run Peoples Daily recently reported. To rent the 19th-century concert hall for a performance costs around $27,100. Thats hardly chump change, but from Chinese companies to the Chinese government, there are plenty of backers who have been willing to pay for the privilege.

FOOD / TRAVEL / CULTURE

The Growth of China in 15 photos (June 26, Teaching Nomad)

While these facts are certainly amazing it can be hard to visualize this change on an individual level. Thats why weve scoured the net to dig up some photos of the China gone by so you can compare it the booming China of today and properly appreciate how amazing it is to live and teach in this epicenter of global change.

One billion Chinese drinkers can be wrong (July 2, 2014, Foreign Policy

)China's most popular spirit is coming to the U.S. Here's why you shouldn't drink it.

Quackery: In Beijing, A New Museum to Roast Duck (July 4, 2014, China Real Time)

Beijing has dozens of museums, but the latest museum to join its ranks is a particularly distinctive one: Its devoted exclusively to roast duck. Located at a downtown branch of Quanjude, one of the citys most famous roast duck restaurants, the museum opened its doors this week to the public. The opening was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Quanjudes founding. Though foodies might not tout Quanjude for its quality, theres no doubt that when it comes to quantity, the restaurant knows its business.

Chinas Glimmering Red Mountains Look Like the Surface of Mars (July 9, 2014, TIME)

Carved from a long weathering process out of sandstone, northwestern China's unusual rainbow mountains are otherworldly.

Direct flights to be offered from Guangzhou to New York (July 9, 2014, China Daily)

China Southern airlines will offer direct flights from Guangzhou in Guangdong province to New York City in the US starting August 6, 2014, China News Agency reported on Tuesday. Flight CZ 399 will run four times a week, departing from Guangzhou at 1:40 am local time and arriving in New York at 5:15 am local time. Return flights leave New York at 11:15 am local time and arrives in Guangzhou at around 3:15 pm. The trip takes about 15 hours each way.

LANGUAGE / LANGUAGE LEARNING

Three online platforms for improving your Mandarin (July 7, 2014, The Beijinger)

Whether you want to maintain your Chinese during the summer months while away from Beijings sweltering heat or want to continue learning Chinese after youve moved away, online language learning platforms are effective and convenient.

A learners guide to TV shows in Chinese, part 2 (July 7, 2014, Hacking Chinese)

BOOKS

How China Rose? Edward Wilsons The Whitehall Mandarin on China and Vietnam (July 4, 2014, China Rhyming)

Edward Wilson is a favourite espionage writer of mine who deserves a lot more readers. His latest novel, The Whitehall Mandarin, is effectively the fourth in what I think was planned as a trilogy that comprised The Envoy, The Darkling Spy and The Midnight Swimmer.

The China Threat: Memories, Myths, and Realities in the 1950s (July 6, 2014, China Rhyming)

A new book from Nancy Bernkopf Tucker that looks at the larger forces that shaped Eisenhower Administration policy toward China in what was an especially critical moment for US relations with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan.

Chinas Reforming Churches: Mission, Polity, and Ministry in the Next Christendom (July 7, 2014, The Gospel Coalition)

Edited by Bruce Baugus, associate professor of philosophy and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, China's Reforming Churches: Mission, Polity, and Ministry in the Next Christendom is a delightful, stimulating, and equally encouraging and sobering read about the growing Reformed church in China. As we've witnessed in the West with the "young, restless, Reformed movement," so in China there's been a reformation among Chinese churches. Not only has the Christian faith been growing in China, but Reformed distinctives in particular have been spreading among these churches.

Writing China: Yan Geling, The Criminal Lu Yanshi (July 7, 2014, China Real Time)

The Criminal Lu Yanshi tells the story of a Chinese professor sent to a labor camp during the countrys anti-rightist campaign of the 1950s, a period during which more than a half-million Chinese were persecuted as intellectuals. The story formed the basis for the hit film Coming Home, released in May and directed by Zhang Yimou.

ARTICLES FOR RESEARCHERS

Papers of prominent Chinese evangelist donated to YDS Library archives (June 9, 2014, Yale University)

The personal papers of Chinese evangelist John Sung have been donated to the archival collection of the Yale Divinity Library. Sung (1901-1944) was a significant figure of the revival movement in China in the 1920s and 1930s. The YDS library holds the largest North American collection of archival and published documents about the missionary movement and the development of Christianity in China.

Image credit: Joann Pittman

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