ZGBriefs | December 19, 2024

Featured Article

China Extends Visa-Free Transit Stays to 10 Days (December 16, 2024, Reuters)
The measure, which is effective immediately, was announced by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on its official Wechat account. People from 54 countries including Russia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, “who transit from China to a third country (region), can enter China without a visa from any of the 60 open ports in 24 provinces and stay in the specified area for no more than 240 hours,” it said.

Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs

China Is Watching the Political Disarray in Nations Along the First Island Chain (December 11, 2024, The Diplomat)
From China’s perspective, the first island chain is a line of strategic containment near to its shore. China must break out of this island chain so that its blue water navy can have unfettered access to the Pacific and beyond. In that context, China is keenly interested in the strength of those governments and the popular support of their China policies – especially when such policies are against Beijing’s interests.

Interview: Gerald Roche on the Erasure of Tibet’s Minority Languages (December 12, 2024, China Digital Times)
As the Chinese Communist Party has intensified its policy of assimilation for cultural and ethnic minority groups in recent decades, language has been a key part of that effort. Mandarin is now the primary language of instruction in many schools, official communications and education have been Sinicized, and hundreds of thousands of Tibetan children are forced to attend boarding schools where they are cut off from their families, cultures, communities, and language.

Xi Jinping Urges Party to ‘Turn Knife Inward’ to Tackle Corruption (December 16, 2024, The Guardian)
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has sought to present an uncompromising crackdown on corruption as a hallmark of his leadership, with the twin objectives of consolidating his authority within the party and restoring eroded public trust.

Religion

What One Chinese Pastor Can Teach You About Suffering Faithfully (December 4, 2024, The Gospel Coalition)
Recently, an aged house-church pastor died in one of China’s global cities. Unlike the many famous Christians whose obituaries you read, you’ve never heard this pastor’s name. But his name is known by the Lord who gave him life, called him to ministry, and has now welcomed him into eternity.

China’s Churches Go Deep Rather than Wide at Christmas (December 11, 2024, Christianity Today)
For Robert Wang, observing Advent is a new Christmas tradition. In the past, his house church would hold large Christmas gatherings with around 60 first-time visitors in attendance. Because the Chinese government passed tighter religious regulations in 2018, the 150-member church has split into several smaller churches, one of which is pastored by Wang. Today, Wang has changed how the congregation celebrates Christmas, not because of government restrictions but out of a desire to better integrate Christmas into the life of the church.

Church and the War Between the Sexes (December 12, 2024, China Partnership)
Chinese Christians are not immune to the cultural movements of wider society. When women are frustrated and upset at men in general, these resentments are also present in the church. How can pastors help to nurture healthy relationships between and attitudes toward the opposite sex? There are no clear answers, but one Chinese pastor spoke with us about how he sees this play out in his church.

Xiamen: Sharing the Gospel with Pragmatic People (December 16, 2024, China Partnership)
It’s hard to share the gospel in Xiamen these days for many reasons: lack of interest, people who are too stressed about their finances to think about their souls, persecution, cultural differences between native Xiamenese and newcomers, and the need to build gospel conversations on strong relational connections. But despite these difficulties, people are still coming to faith. When this happens, it is clearly the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. As we continue to pray for the city of Xiamen this month, four local pastors shared the challenges and struggles they face as they minister to their city.

Faith Passed Down, Faith Made Personal (December 16, 2024, ChinaSource)
I was born in a Christian family and my grandma is a faithful Christian. She likes reading the Bible in the afternoon, even though she only has a primary school education. Every afternoon, she would sit by the window with her reading glasses perched on her nose, and her Bible open on her lap. Through the crack in the door, I could see her sitting there quietly, the sun shining on her and the book.

Engaging Gen Z Anew (December 17, 2024, Chinese Church Voices)
As churches face a decline in youth attendance, how can we engage young people in ways that resonate with their lives and speak to their hearts? This article from China Christian Daily highlights the innovative youth ministry strategies of two historical churches in Guangzhou, China. Their creative approaches offer valuable insights and inspiration for reimagining how we can connect with the next generation.

Cultural Harmony and Gospel Fidelity (December 13, 2024, ChinaSource)
A crucial conversation in the ever-changing global Christian scene is how cultural adaptability and unique Christian identity interact. Andrew Walls’ foundational ideas of the “indigenizing principle” and the “pilgrim principle” make understanding this connection possible.¹ Chinese house churches (家庭教会), which function under unique cultural and political constraints, should especially consider these ideas. This article examines these ideas and their significance and the practical implementation in the Chinese house churches movement. 

Society / Life

Rough life vs polished social photos: what do they tell about Chinese youth? (November 1, 2024, ChinaSkinny)
Authenticity vs. Ostentation’ emphasizes the diversity of Chinese society, demonstrating the different lifestyles and values across various segments of the population. However, from a long-term perspective, young people are increasingly seeking authentic experiences and self-exploration, moving away from the empty slogans and stories of flashy consumerism.

Unequal Separation: Chinese Women and Divorce (December 9, 2024, National Committee on U.S. China Relations)
Although Chinese marriage law states that men and women are equal, implementation of the law in divorce cases reveals gender disparities. In divorce lawsuits, women are often left without remedies for domestic violence and mothers lose custody of their children. Rural women face the additional disadvantage of lacking resources to help them navigate the divorce process. How are gender disparities revealed when women seek divorce in China?  Ke Li joins the National Committee in an interview recorded on November 21, 2024 to share her research into the processes and challenges rural women go through to obtain a divorce in China. 

China Sentences Former Premier League Soccer Star to 20 Years in Prison for Corruption (December 13, 2024, CNN)
A former Chinese soccer star and coach of the country’s national men’s team has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption, state media reported on Friday. Li Tie, 47, who played for the English Premier League Everton alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, is the biggest name to fall foul of a sweeping crackdown on rampant graft in China’s professional soccer league.

Shanghai Launches Campaign Against Smoking in Outdoor Public Spaces (December 13, 2024, Sixth Tone)
After decades of campaigns to enforce indoor smoking bans, Shanghai is now moving to try and stop residents lighting up in outdoor public spaces as part of a wider effort to turn the city into a smoke-free environment.

China’s Dark New Trend: ‘Self-Discipline Challenges’ (December 16, 2024, Sixth Tone)
Companies are luring the poor and unemployed to take part in dubious “challenges” with the promise of winning a hefty cash prize. Most are isolation challenges similar to the one attempted by Zhang, with participants spending days inside small rooms under the gaze of clusters of CCTV cameras. If the contestants win, they can earn life-changing sums that often run into hundreds of thousands of yuan. But they rarely do.

City or Not City? The Buzzwords That Defined China’s 2024 (December 17, 2024, Sixth Tone)
Did you spend 2024 as a “beast of burden” or embracing your destiny as the “Greek god of sleep”? Unsure what we’re talking about altogether? Sixth Tone has you covered with the year’s top slang.|

Economics / Business / Trade

Why RED (Xiahongshu) is Standing Out for Marketer’s in China’s Crowded Online Ecosystem (November 27, 2024, ChinaSkinny)
Last week, we were asked what makes RED different, particularly when so many Chinese apps appear to offer the same features? It’s a good question. The answer lies in the platform’s unique consumer base, why they use it, how it fits into their customer journey, and the algorithms that power it.

‘Italian’ Purees in UK Supermarkets Likely to Contain Chinese Forced-Labour Tomatoes (December 1, 2024, BBC News)
The BBC has spoken to 14 people who say they endured or witnessed forced labour in Xinjiang’s tomato fields over the past 16 years. “[The prison authorities] told us the tomatoes would be exported overseas,” Ahmed (not his real name) said, adding that if the workers did not meet the quotas – as much as 650kg a day – they would be shocked with electric prods.

Global Growth Requires Middle-Ground Trade Policies with China (December 13, 2024, East Asia Forum)
Trade relations between the West and China seem to be on an inexorably worsening path, especially with an incoming second Trump administration in the United States. This creeping protectionism could also damage ASEAN member states’ economic growth. Instead, a more moderate path of protecting vulnerable supply chains in critical areas while otherwise deepening trade with China would bring greater prosperity for all, especially ASEAN.

Education

From Ambition to Anxiety: The Unraveling of Xi Jinping’s Vocational Education Policy (December 6, 2024, China Brief)
The reforms have exacerbated an emerging mental health crisis among students, deepening dissatisfaction and exposing systemic flaws in the PRC’s governance model.

China Urges Schools to Teach AI as Tech War and ChatGTP Drive Demand for Talent (December 15, 2024, South China Morning Post)
China has urged its primary and secondary schools to add artificial intelligence to the curriculum as it moves to nurture young talent in the emerging field. The Ministry of Education has asked the schools to improve AI education to “meet China’s future demand for innovative talent” and improve students’ digital skills and problem-solving abilities, according to a ministry circular released last week.

China’s Middle Class Frets as Macau Colleges Ban Non-‘Gaokao’ Students (December 17, 2024, Sixth Tone)
Many Chinese families send their children to international schools to avoid the country’s grueling college-entrance exams. But they are facing growing barriers. 

Health / Environment

PodCast – Give Me Maw: China’s Craze for the Cocaine of the Seas (December 9, 2024, The Little Red Podcast)
Few outside the Chinese wedding banquet circuit have heard of fish maw, a flavourless, unappetising-looking swim bladder found in bony fish. In dried form, a kilo from the right species goes for around $150,000 on the world market, double the price of a kilogram of cocaine. The most prized maw is found in one of the remotest corners of the planet, the Kikori Delta in southern Papua New Guinea, where the once ignored scaly croaker is being targeted on an industrial scale by Chinese fishing companies, transforming the lives of villagers—and the ecosystem.

History / Culture

The Chinese Saint of the Christian Orthodox Church (December 12, 2024, Greek Reporter)
St. Metrophanes Chi-Sung, also known as Father Metrophanes, is a key figure in the history of Orthodoxy in China. On June 11, the Church commemorates Saint Mitrophan Chi-Sung and those martyred with him. These include Tatiana, Isaiah and John, his sons; Maria, his bride; Saint Ia (or Iya), his teacher; and 222 other Chinese martyrs.

Travel / Food 

China’s Hottest New Tourist Attraction is 5,000 Feet In the Air (November 26, 2024, CNN)
China has 3.7 million square miles of land to explore. But more and more young Chinese travelers are opting to see their country from the sky. The newest of these not-for-the-faint-of-heart structures is called Tianti (“Sky Ladder” in Chinese). It clocks in at 551 feet long (168 meters) and stretches between two cliffs at a height of 5,000 feet, according to Chinese state media.

The Insane Amount of Work Behind Shanghai’s Best Crab Soup Dumpling (December 14, 2024, Saint Cavish)
Shanghai is crazy about crabs. How crazy? I went to the 40-person factory of my favorite crab soup dumpling restaurant (Lai Lai Xiaolong) to find out, where they pick the meat out of more than 10,000 crabs per day, to find out. The amount of work blew my mind, and then realizing this only serves two restaurants blew my mind a second time. Come with me behind the scenes to see what it takes to make Shanghai’s best crab soup dumpling

Arts / Entertainment / Media

Ian Johnson on China Correspondence, from 1984 to Now (December 10, 2024, China Books Review)
Ian Johnson is a Pulitzer-winning journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Review of Books during a career spanning three decades. He has published four books on China, also including The Souls of China (Vintage, 2017) and Wild Grass (Vintage, 2004). The below interview is the first excerpt — edited for brevity and clarity — from our full oral history conversations, which amounted to 18 hours across seven sessions. In this episode, Johnson discusses his first trip to China, his shifting interest in Chinese intellectuals, his views on conducting journalism in China, and engaging with grassroots civil society:

Language / Language Learning

Benchmarking Progress in Chinese to Stay Motivated (December 16, 2024, Hacking Chinese)
When we begin learning Chinese, everything feels new and exciting. Every word we learn opens new doors and moves us forward, and when we listen and read, we can feel we’re making progress. This sense of forward movement can be strongly motivating. I love learning new things, and I think part of the reason is that progress is so noticeable. This is great for beginners, but the effect diminishes as you learn more. You reach the intermediate plateau, No matter how much effort you invest, you don’t seem to be moving forward anymore.

Pray for China

December 16 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On Dec. 16, 1832, Zhu Qing (朱清老师) was baptized by Robert Morrison (马礼逊). Zhu was one of the first Chinese scholars to come to Christ, and he was the last of the four persons baptized by Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China. Zhu Qing was around 42 at the time and had been working for over a decade as a Chinese teacher to missionary colleagues of Morrison in Malaysia. Though he had been reading the Bible and hearing the gospel during that time, he had not become a Christian. However, during a severe storm on the voyage back to China, he gave his life to Christ. When the boat landed in China, all the passengers except Zhu Qing offered sacrifices at the local temple. He instead sought baptism from Morrison. After Morrison’s death in 1834, Zhu Qing worked at various times for other missionaries as a Chinese teacher and cultural mentor, providing invaluable help for them in understanding Chinese culture and customs. Pray for those now far from God to be brought near by the blood of Christ. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13