FEATURED ARTICLE
House Church and TSPM: Surprising Admissions in China's Official Press (October 22, 2013, ChinaSource Blog)
A recent article appearing in Global Times, the English-language mouthpiece of the authoritative People's Daily, raises interesting questions about how China's leaders view the relationship between the official and unofficial church. Entitled "Estranged Brethren," the article deals forthrightly with the longstanding division between Christians in churches under China's official Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and those who worship outside the TSPM umbrella.
GOVERNMENT / POLITICS / FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Chinese billionaire arrested for crossing 'red line' of political activism (October 21, 2013, NBC)
The detention of Wang Gongquan, who was held on suspicion of disturbing public order, sends a strong signal that Chinas new leadership will not tolerate any member of the rising entrepreneurial elite using their resources to agitate for democratic reform.
China struggles with the way forward on reform (October 21, 2013, East Asia Forum)
China has reached a critical point where fundamental reforms of factor markets are needed to achieve a new and sustainable growth path. Financial reform is at the centre of the new reform agenda. Distortions in interest rates have long caused enormous misallocation of capital, favouring state-owned enterprises and shielding the banking sector from the need to build risk-management capacity.
China challenged over human rights record at United Nations (October 22, 2013, The Guardian)
China told a United Nations review of its human rights record that it had made progress, but was challenged over its curbs on free speech and treatment of ethnic minorities, activists and dissidents, at the session in Geneva on Tuesday.
India and China in border defence agreement (October 23, 2013, BBC)
India and China have signed an agreement on border defence co-operation after a stand-off between their armies in disputed territory earlier this year. The deal aims to improve communication between the two armies. The agreement was signed during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Beijing. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said it would help maintain border "peace, tranquillity and stability".
Chinas Plutocrats With Opinions (October 23, 2013, The New Yorker)
In China, the Communist Party asks something of its entrepreneurs: be daring and ambitious in business, but not in politics. It is an odd arrangement. Men and women who have made it to the top of society by being unrelentingly determined are advised to relent when it comes to calling for the rule of law, adherence to the constitution, or an end to abuses of power.
RELIGION
Q. and A.: Yang Fenggang on the Oxford Consensus and Public Trust in China (October 18, 2013, Sinosphere)
In late August, two dozen Chinese public intellectuals from four of the countrys main ideological schools Confucian, New Left, Liberal and Christian met at Oxford Universitys Wycliffe Hall to discuss their countrys problems. Remarkably, for a group of people who in Chinese public life are often at each others throats, they came up with what is now being dubbed the Oxford Consensus four theses expressing their hopes for a pluralistic, liberal China.
China is a Top Producer of Bibles (October 22, 2013, Chinese Church Voices)
In a counter-intuitive and ironic twist, China has become one of the worlds top producer of Bibles, producing 3.5 million annually. At the recent Christian Congress held in Beijing, the China Christian Council, the governing body of Chinas Protestant Church released a report on the work of Bible production in China. The following article, originally published in the Christian Times, reports on the Congress.
Catholic or Christian (October 24, 2013, ChinaSource Blog)
When I first went to China, I was bombarded with many odd (to me anyway) questions: can you use chopsticks? How much money do you make? Why do American parents kick their children out of the house at age 18? On and on they went. But I'll never forget the time a student asked me, "What's the difference between Catholic and Christian?" The question itself made no sense to me; it was like asking, "What is the difference between a Volkswagen and a car?"
A Chinese Perspective on Justification (October 24, 2013, JacksonWu)
First, I need to make one clarification. Im prescribing what should be the case. Im not describing what Chinese pastors actually preach. This is because evangelical pastors in China have thoroughly western theologies. Why is this? Lets not forget. Chinese have great respect for tradition and value conformity. If missionaries dont understand and do contextualization, then the average pastor will make sure to rigidly affirm tradition. Its imbedded into the Chinese psyche.
Singing from the same hymnal (October 24, 2013, Analects)
With all they seem to have in common, it is a pity that Mr Xi and Pope Francis are unable to get together for a chat. But since China and the Holy See do not enjoy official relations, that will have to wait. Hopes of progress have been raised, though, by the popes recent appointment of Pietro Parolin as the Vaticans new prime minister. The move is being seen as part of the popes overall effort at reform. It is notable too that Archbishop Parolin has been closely involved in the church's delicate business of trying to repair its relationship with China.
SOCIETY / LIFE
The Hong Kong Baby Dilemma (October 21, 2013, The Economic Observer)
Hong Kong was once attractive for mainland mothers about to give birth. The automatic citizenship it brought the child ensured better opportunities, but now its becoming more trouble than its worth for many. Some parents are finding themselves with no way to educate their children.
Testing Character: Spelling Bee is Chinas Latest TV Craze (October 21, 2013, China Real Time)
Long before learning Chinese became a de rigueur in international business, Western students were drawn to the language by the challenging beauty of its writing system. But with the advent of the Internet and the popularization of smartphones, both of which encourage the use of Latin script for typing characters, many inside China itself are struggling to write even basic words. The result: A creeping sense of dread among Chinese language purists, and a wildly popular new TV show that tests students on their writing ability.
China smog emergency shuts city of 11 million people (October 21, 2013, Reuters, via NBC)
Choking smog all but shut down one of northeastern China's largest cities on Monday, forcing schools to suspended classes, snarling traffic and closing the airport, in the country's first major air pollution crisis of the winter. An index measuring PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), reached a reading of 1,000 in some parts of Harbin, the gritty capital of northeastern Heilongjiang province and home to some 11 million people. A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the World Health Organisation recommends a daily level of no more than 20.
How to Say Truthiness in Chinese (October 22, 2013, Tea Leaf Nation)
In the face of these assaults on their right to speak out, grassroots Chinese are trying to turn the mirror back on officialdom by calling out instances where officials or state-owned media made statements that turned out to be false. The result is two types of rumors in Chinese argot: minyao, or rumors spread by Chinese citizens which may or may not be true, and guanyao, official rumors, which are falsehoods uttered by Chinese authorities.
Travails on Twitter for Chinas State Broadcaster (October 22, 2013, China Real Time)
Amid a sustained government crackdown on online rumors, Chinas state broadcaster is getting a bit of stick for an unauthorized tweet about ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang. The offending post, which managed to escape briefly onto the Twitter stream of China Central Televisions English-language service on Monday before being quickly erased, went like this: President Xi Jinping has set up a special unit to investigate corruption allegations against the retired leader Zhou Yongkang.
Report: Chinese Censorship Expanding Abroad (October 22, 2013, China Real Time)
Chinese censorship, far from a merely domestic concern, is increasingly spilling over the countrys borders. Thats the takeaway from a new study from the Center for International Media Assistance (pdf) that traces the Chinese governments influence on Western media within and outside of China, as well as Chinese-language media and other outlets in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Desperate Chinese Villagers Turn To Self-Immolation (October 23, 2013, NPR)
In order to turn China into an urban nation, local governments have demolished tens of millions of homes over the past decade. Homeowners have often fought back, blocking heavy machinery and battling officials. In recent years, resistance has taken a disturbing turn: Since 2009, at least 53 people across China have lit themselves on fire to protest the destruction of their homes, according to human rights and news reports.
Paper goes public over reporters detention (October 23, 2013, China Media Project)
In a rare case of open resistance by Chinese media against intimidation by the authorities, Guangzhous New Express newspaper today published an editorial on its front page appealing directly to its readers following the cross-regional detention of one of its reporters by police from Changsha, the capital of neighboring Hunan province. Under the bold headline, Release Him, the editorial occupies the full front page of todays New Express.
These maps show the geographic concentration of Chinas most popular last names (October 23, 2013, The Atlantic, via Quartz)
For a country of 1.3 billion people, there is a remarkably small number of common last names in China. An estimated 87% of the population shares one of 100 surnames, and more than one in five Chinese citizens is surnamed Li, Wang, or Zhang: more than 275 million people in all. (By contrast, 90% of the United States population encompasses over 150,000 different last names).
The Story of IKEA: Foreign Shame Fuels National Rectitude (October 23, 2013, Sinopathic)
Stories have abounded regarding IKEAs Chinese stores being treated as an amusement park by a Chinese middle-class dabbling into a freaky three-way with crass materialism, a free market and an obsession with wealth. The Chinese media has finally gotten around to chronicling this phenomenon, and the measured wrath by which morals are to be taught is doled out with the biggest yardstick of all, the shame by which the shame-based culture of China is most humbled by: shame from non-Chinese.
Author: In China, 'everyone is guilty of corruption' (October 23, 2013, CNN)
Much as I appreciate our president's determination, his battle feels like an attempt to "put out a big fire with a glass of water," given how corruption has reached every corner of our society. Chinese public opinion surveys identify corruption as the most hated social problem, yet everyone is also guilty of it.
China orders severe penalties for child abuse (October 24, 2013, Xinhua)
Chinese authorities released a guideline on the handling of sex offences against minors on Thursday, promising severe penalties and minimum tolerance following many recent incidents. Heavier sentences should be handed down for offenses committed by teachers and government personnel tasked with educating and protecting the victims, according to a joint communique by the Supreme People's Court (SPC), the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice.
Juvenile crime: Hard times (October 26, 2013, The Economist)
The number of juvenile criminals sentenced by courts each year in China more than doubled from 2000 to 2008, to almost 89,000, at a time when the population of young people was dropping.
EDUCATION / HISTORY
Chinese university 'expels' economist Xia Yeliang (October 18, 2013, BBC)
An elite university in China has terminated the contract of the outspoken economist and champion of free speech Xia Yeliang, reports say. Mr Xia told the Associated Press that the economics faculty at Peking University voted to expel him. The professor has spoken in favour of democratic values.
Xian Walls (October 20, 2013, Frog in a Well)
The city of Xian is in the process of re-building the city wall and adding four new museums, one each for the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties. I was not surprised by the museums. Xian has a lot of history, and they have pretty obviously been trying to preserve/cash in on it for years. I did wonder a bit about the walls, since last time I was there they looked fine. What is going to happen with them? Remembering, and Forgetting, the Flying Tigers (October 21, 2013, Sinosphere)
The decrepit state of a graveyard that is connected to one of the most famous World War II fighting forces in China has revived questions about the countrys ability to honor its veterans. In August, the grave sites of several hundred Chinese military personnel who served with the force the Flying Tigers were rediscovered on a trash-strewn hillside in the southern city of Kunming. Researchers had reported on the cemetery in 2007, but despite official pledges to restore and protect it, little has been done.
Chinese temple's garish restoration prompts outrage (October 22, 2013, The Guardian)
With its bright colours and bold lines, the new fresco on display at a Chinese temple is certainly eye-catching. Unfortunately, it bears no resemblance to the delicate historical images it replaced prompting anger and the sacking of officials who authorised the botched restoration.
China to downgrade English section of college admissions test (October 22, 2013, The Guardian)
Beijing education authorities plan to de-emphasise English scores on standardised tests, a sign that China's obsession with the language may be waning. The Beijing municipal commission of education plans to reduce the English section of the all-important college admissions test, the Gaokao, from 150 points to 100 points in major cities by 2016, China's official newswire Xinhua reported. It will boost the value of the Chinese section from 150 to 180 points. Currently, the test weighs English, Chinese and maths equally.
Those Arguing against Learning English Should Do Their Homework (October 23, 2013, Caixin)
Cutting back on studies of foreign language won't improve people's Chinese skills, and is unwise in an era of globalization.
China Yangtze River yields American WWII bomber (October 23, 2013, BBC)
The wreckage of a plane discovered by fishermen in China's Yangtze River has been brought to the surface and identified as a World War II bomber. Four fishermen searching for crabs discovered the wreckage last week. It took two days to salvage the plane from the river.
HEALTH
China reports new human H7N9 bird flu case (October 23, 2013, Xinhua)
A new human H7N9 bird flu case was reported on Wednesday in east China's Zhejiang Province, the second in China this autumn, according to the provincial health authority. The patient, identified by his sirname as Chen, 67, tested positive for the virus at the Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said a statement by the authority.
China makes dramatic progress in reducing child mortality: report (October 23, 2013, Xinhua)
China had made dramatic progress in reducing preventable child deaths and inequality in healthcare access, a report said Wednesday. China has reduced its child mortality rate, improving its ranking to seventh among the 75 countries that account for most of the world's maternal and child deaths, according to the report published by Save the Children.
ECONOMICS / BUSINESS / TRADE
China home prices rise by a record in four major cities (October 22, 2013, BBC)
China's four major cities saw record rise in new home prices in September, stoking fears of a housing bubble. Prices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou saw their biggest jump since the government changed its calculation method in January 2011. Property remains a popular investment choice in China and prices have now risen for nine months in a row.
China, Singapore to allow direct trading between currencies (October 22, 2013, Channel News Asia)
China and Singapore have agreed to allow direct trading between each other's currency, Singapore's central bank said on Tuesday.
China's lopsided, slowing economy (October 22, 2013, Los Angeles Times)
Despite calls for change from within the party's new leadership, China's economy seems to be falling back on what it knows best: opening lines of credit at government-run banks not for small businesses but for state-owned enterprises to build roads, high-speed rail and gleaming office towers. This formula ensures that the bulk of China's money supply flows between the Communist Party's network of state banks and state companies rather than into the pockets of everyday Chinese. Despite the economic slowdown, the party's sitting on a big pile of money. The question is whether it wants to share.
China's factory sector may contract in October (October 22, 2013, CNBC)
China's manufacturing sector may have slipped into a contractionary phase in October following two months of expansion, according to Nomura.
China Pushes Genetically Modified Food (October 23, 2013, China Real Time)
Caught between rising pressures to increase its food resources and popular skepticism over allowing more genetically modified food, Chinas government is stepping up a public-relations campaign that could pave the way toward full approval for commercial production of these politically sensitive crops.
Aging Population Could Trim 3% Off China GDP Growth (October 23, 2013, China Real Time)
Chinas one-child policy has hastened such a big slowdown in Chinas working-age population that the countrys demographic future is starting to look a lot more like that of rich nationsand thats bad news for China.
Slideshow: Xinjiang Cotton Picking (October 23, 2013, Caixin)
SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY / ENVIRONMENT
Beijing to ban half of private cars on high-pollution days (October 23, 2013, Xinhua)
Beijing will ban half of its private cars and 80 percent of public vehicles from the roads if a red alert is issued on days of persistent pollution, the capital's information office said on Tuesday. Private vehicles will be barred from using the roads, based on odd and even license plate numbers, when pollution is predicted to linger in the city for three or more days.
ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT
Chairman Mao's teen years set for 3D cartoon (October 22, 2013, The Guardian)
New animation When Mao Zedong was Young targeted at informing a new generation of Chinese about the legacy of the former leader.
Silk Road secrets: The Buddhist art of the Mogao Caves (October 23, 2013, BBC)
In a secret cave on China's ancient Silk Road, one of the world's most incredible collections of art lay locked away in darkness for 900 years. It held a treasure trove of 50,000 Buddhist paintings and manuscripts dating back to the 5th Century. And it would have remained hidden from the world if it had not been accidentally uncovered by a curious priest – who sold it away for a fraction of its worth. The cave is one of the 500 surviving caverns at the Mogao Caves, on the edge of the Gobi desert, at Dunhuang in western China.
Chinese Filmgoers Journey Away From the West (October 24, 2013, China Real Time)
In the surprising battle for Chinas box office so far this year, the Monkey King gave Iron Man an improbable beat down and a gaggle of Chinese college kids managed to hold their own against a group of tower-sized monster-destroying robots.
FOOD / TRAVEL / CULTURE
The Great Wall Fact or Fantasy? (October 22, 2013, Outside-In)
Whenever I take visitors to one of the Great Wall tourist sites outside of Beijing, I have to break the news to them that the Wall is not visible from space, nor is it one complete wall stretching from west to east. The disappointment is usually palpable.
The Essential Guide to Backpacking China's Silk Road (October 24, 2013, Lonely Planet)
Chinas Silk Road is an epic journey through desert dunes to the end of the Great Wall, a length of pink mud that ends abruptly in the magnificent beige towers of the Jiayuguan fort. This is not a voyage that many travellers experience; it's often and understandably overlooked in favour of more accessible and famous destinations in China.
LANGUAGE / LANGUAGE LEARNING
Resources for Learning Chinese (September 17, 2013, erenlai)
Common Society Concepts in Chinese (October 22, 2013, carlgene.com)
Recently I have been busy collecting common society concepts in Chinese that are difficult to translate due to social, cultural and political differences that exist between China and the West.Heres the results of my research.
The Shaping of a Bilingual Childs Reality (October 22, 2013, Sinosplice)
My daughter is almost 2 years old now, and as she talks more and more, not only is it a blast to see that this little crying pink thing has grown into a real human, but Ive also got front row seats to the amazing phenomenon of first language acquisition. If youve never seen a kid acquire language from scratch, or have never seen it happen bilingually, there are bound to be a few surprises. Its kind of messy, and sometimes it feels like a wonder that it even works.
Why Kenyan students are hooked on Chinese (October 22, 2013, China-Africa Reporting Project)
After completing her bachelors degree in international relations at the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi, Kenya, Georgia Gitonga decided that she needed to learn an international language in order to boost her job prospects. Eventually Gitonga, who is in her early twenties, zeroed in on a language that she believed would not only offer her great career prospects but also open the door to other opportunities to serve her country and continent. I developed an interest in learning Chinese so that I could be able to bring Chinese people and African people together so that they can understand each other, she said.
BOOKS
My Favorite China History Books (October 18, 2013, Outside-In)
To wrap up my week of posts on Chinese history, here are TEN of my favorite Chinese history books:
Henrietta Harrisons new book is the work of a gifted storyteller. In its pages, the reader will find Boxers getting drunk on communion wine, wolf apparitions, people waking up from the dead, ballads about seasickness, and flying bicycles. You will also find a wonderfully rich account of three centuries of Chinese history.
Modern Chinas Encounter with the World (October 15, 2013, Dissertation Reviews)
A review of Internalizing the West: Qing Envoys and Ministers in Europe, 1866-1893, by Jenny Zhengzheng Huangfu.
Author bows to Chinese censorship of his Deng Xiaoping biography (October 22, 2013, The Guardian)
A Harvard professor and scholar of Chinese history has bowed to state censors in return for having his book distributed in China, as the gradual opening up of the country's book market raises such issues for growing numbers of western authors.
How to Deal with the Chinese Police (November 7, 2013, New York Review of Books)
Review by Perry Link of In the Shadow of the Rising Dragon: Stories of Repression in the New China edited by Xu Youyu and Hua Ze, translated from the Chinese by Stacy Mosher.
China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa, by Howard French (Amazon)
ARTICLES FOR RESEARCHERS
Chinese Legal Research at the University of Washington
ARTICLES IN CHINESE
基督教宪政与人性论 Pacific Institute for Social Sciences)
Image credit: Beijing Bicycle, by Sean Byron, via Flickr