ZGBriefs | June 15, 2023

Featured Article

Marriages in China drop to record low despite government push (June 13, 2023, The Guardian)
The number of marriages in China last year dropped to 6.83 million, the lowest since records began in 1986. Data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed the number of couples tying the knot in 2022 fell by about 800,000 compared with 2021, beating that year’s record low. China’s marriage rate has declined rapidly over the past 10 years, since peaking in 2013 when nearly 13.5 million couples wed, nearly double last year’s count.

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New ChinaSource Quarterly: The Pentacostal Church in China (Summer 2023)
In this issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly we take our first in-depth look specifically at the Pentecostal church in China. To help us weave this strand into the tapestry, we are honored to have contributors who have been active participants in and observers of the Pentecostal church in China.

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

Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs

Why Are More and More Chinese Migrants Risking Their Lives to Cross the US Southern Border? (June 9, 2023, The Diplomat)
Facing economic uncertainty and limited space for individual freedoms, a growing number of Chinese are seeking to migrate – even if it means a dangerous trek through Central America.

Sharp Decline in the Number of Foreigners in China Demands Serious Attention (June 11, 2023, Pekingnology)
Wang Wen, Executive Dean of Chongyang Institute, Renmin University says China must NOT prioritize security and in the process stifle development or international exchanges.

The Long Arm of the Law(less): The PRC’s Overseas Police Stations (June 12, 2023, China Brief)
There are a range of diverse activities attributed to these “overseas police stations” (or service centers), which require analysis to determine the aims and the PRC agencies involved.

China spinning a ‘web’ of influence campaigns to win over Taiwan (June 13, 2023, Al Jazeera)
Away from the headline grabbing military threats, Beijing’s propaganda department is working to woo hearts and minds.

His Authorship, Xi Jinping (June 13, 2023, China Media Project)
These are dark days for writers and publishers in China. And in a telling sign of the times, one writer reigns supreme at the printing press, and in the headlines. Guess who?

What Does the West Really Know About Xi’s China? (June 13, 2023, Foreign Affairs) (subscription required)
The big issue for foreign policy analysts is to figure out what they can know with some certainty about Chinese decision-making and what they cannot. 

Canada police investigating China meddling claims (June 13, 2023, BBC)
Canadian police have opened an investigation into allegations China sought to intimidate a member of parliament and his family. The RCMP commissioner said on Tuesday the investigation is one of several by the federal force looking into foreign election interference. China has denied claims it attempted to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong over his criticism of Beijing. Last month, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat over the allegations.

China inks ‘strategic partnership’ with Palestinan Authority as it expands Middle East presence (June 14, 2023, ABC News)
China said Wednesday that it established a “strategic partnership” with the Palestinian Authority during a visit to Beijing by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  The announcement marked another step in China’s campaign to gain political and economic influence in the Middle East, where it is competing with the United States.

Honduran President in Beijing cements official ties (June 14, 2023, The China Project)
Chinese leader Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 and his Honduran counterpart Xiomara Castro held their first meeting since the Central American nation switched official recognition from Taipei. Castro, who will wrap up her six-day trip to China today after meeting Xi in Beijing on June 12, is the first Honduran president to pay a state visit to the country.

China rebukes US in phone call ahead of Blinken’s Beijing trip (June 14, 2023, Reuters)
China’s foreign minister Qin Gang urged the United States to stop meddling in its affairs and harming its security in a phone call with his U.S. counterpart on Wednesday, a tense preview to Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing expected in coming days.

China’s efforts to catch up in global electronic spying race (June 14, 2023, Reuters)
Amid reports that China is expanding its electronic eavesdropping capabilities in Cuba – which Beijing has denied – China’s evolving military surveillance network has some way to go to match the sweep and reach of the U.S. and its allies, defence and intelligence analysts say.

China targets ‘unity in thought’ with campaign on Xi’s philosophy (June 14, 2023, Al Jazeera)
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in April that the study of ‘Xi Jinping Thought’ or ‘Xi Thought’, which encapsulates the vision and ideology of China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, would be required study for the bureaucrats, businesspeople, officials, military personnel and many others that make up the tens of millions of members of the CCP.

Religion

Behind a Rare Clash, a Fight Over Faith in China (June 8, 2023, The New York Times) (subscription required)
China is destroying Arab-style architectural features of mosques, such as domes and minarets. The tightened control on religion has been met with rare resistance.

Barriers to Apologizing, Part 1 (June 1, 2023, ChinaSource Blog)
The traditional Confucian way of viewing relationships continues to set the general expectations—the unspoken cultural guidelines—for how two people in Chinese culture should relate to each other, including when conflict happens.

Another Strand, Another Color (June 12, 2023, ChinaSource Quarterly)
The church in China is a rich tapestry made of many strands differing in texture and color. In our content over the years, ChinaSource has sought to show the depth, breadth, and beauty of the Chinese church. We have looked at the Three-Self church, various strands of the unregistered church, and the Catholic church. But a key strand and its colors have been missing in our display of the beauty of the Chinese church tapestry. In this issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly we take our first in-depth look specifically at the Pentecostal church in China. To help us weave this strand into the tapestry, we are honored to have contributors who have been active participants in and observers of the Pentecostal church in China.  

Pentecostal Churches in China—An Introduction (June 12, 2023, ChinaSource Quarterly)
This issue of the ChinaSource Quarterly (CSQ) seeks to illuminate the origins, characteristics, and continuing influence of Pentecostal churches in China. While the contributors to this issue have studied widely and taught in a variety of academic institutions, they were asked to contribute to this issue because they are practicing Pentecostals and have ministered broadly in Pentecostal and charismatic churches in China.

Pentecost in China (1): Origins (June 12, 2023, ChinaSource Quarterly)
Pentecostal Christians in many nations will tell you how Pentecost came to their nation in the first years of the twentieth century. Americans talk about the Azusa Street Revival in 1906, and people living in the UK speak of the early Welsh revival. At the same time great revivals took place in Ireland, South Africa, Pyongyang, Korea, and the Khasi Hills in India. But many have not heard that Pentecost also came to China in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Pentecost in China (2): Church Growth in the “New China” Era (June 12, 2023, ChinaSource Quarterly)
During the past few decades, I have met with hundreds of house church leaders, and even many TSPM pastors, and have ministered in both types of churches on multiple occasions. This is what I learned: Through the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all Christians through which the Full Gospel2 was preached, with healings, deliverances, and signs following, the Protestant church of a million or less grew to a church of 70 to 100 million believers, conservatively speaking.

The Pentecostal Legacy of the Indigenous Churches in China (June 12, 2023, ChinaSource Quarterly)
A survey of the larger house church networks in China that grew dramatically during this earlier era (1980–2000) reveals that a majority are Pentecostal in theology and practice. The Fangcheng (or China for Christ) Church, the Li Xin (or Zhong Hua Meng Fu) Church, the Yin Shang Church (in Anhui), and the True Jesus Church are all strongly Pentecostal groups.

The Impact of a Gospel-Centered Life: A Reflection on the Ministry and Writings of Timothy Keller (June 14, 2023, ChinaSource Blog)
His humble, gospel-centered approach, combined with thoughtful exegesis and a winsomely reformed theological posture were Dr Keller trademarks. I remember watching his Prodigal God video series with Chinese subtitles during this time. I was impressed not only by the content and professionalism of the video series but also by how naturally Dr Keller acted despite the performance element of the video production.

Society / Life

Urban Villages, Grid Management, and the Contradictions of Capital (June 13, 2023, Made in China Journal)
The unrest among migrant labourers in Guangzhou’s urban villages (including Kanglecun, Lujiang, and Datang) in November 2022 […]  demonstrates how grid management—a key component of China’s zero-Covid policy (O’Donnell 2022)—exposed the contradiction between labour and capital in this manufacturing hub, rather than representing a simplistic ‘return’ to Maoist forms of state control.

Sichuan Crowd Turns Tables on Notorious Chengguan (June 14, 2023, China Digital Times)
A stand-off between residents of a Sichuan city and chengguan, notorious street-level law enforcement officers, over the beating of an egg vendor marks the latest national controversy over the ubiquitous state agents. [… ] Videos of the stand-off between angry residents and chengguan went viral on Weibo, until platform censors stepped in and tamped down the topic’s popularity. CDT Chinese editors have compiled a number of videos from the incident…

China’s Solution for a Growing Senior Care Crisis: Millions of Robots (June 14, 2023, Sixth Tone)
As China’s population rapidly ages, the country faces a critical shortage of health and social care workers. Authorities hope an army of AI-enabled robots can plug the gap.

Lights, Camera, Etiquette: China’s Film Fans Want a Silent Show (June 14, 2023, Sixth Tone)
To battle distractions, movie fans are now recording disruptive behavior during screenings in an online shared document. They hope it will help create a more respectful movie-watching culture.

Economics / Trade / Business

What Is the Impact of China’s New Rural Initiative? (June 10, 2023, The Diplomat)
China is more tightly controlling how farmland can be used in an attempt to bolster food security – but it risks undoing the progress made in alleviating rural poverty.

China’s real estate slump predicted to last for years, threatening to spill into the wider region (June 13, 2023, CNBC)
Weakness in China’s real estate sector could be a drag on the economy for years to come and could even impact countries in the wider region, Wall Street banks have warned.

Education

In China, Young Graduates Are Selling Their Knowledge on the Streets (June 8, 2023, Sixth Tone)
Facing a difficult job market, highly educated Chinese have found a new way to monetize their degrees: “knowledge street vending.”

Science / Technology

China plans new rules to regulate file sharing services like Airdrop and Bluetooth (June 9, 2023, The Guardian)
Under the proposal, service providers would have to prevent the dissemination of harmful and illegal information, save records and report their discoveries.

History / Culture

The Forgotten Story of China’s First Orchestra (June 14, 2023, Sixth Tone)
In the mid-19th century, a French Jesuit formed modern China’s first Western orchestra. A recent book and museum exhibit tell his story.

Living Cross-culturally

Should We Still Consider China? (June 9, 2023, ChinaSource Blog)
seeing how long it takes to recruit and get a worker on the ground in China, I think that we are very wrong to stop recruiting for the Middle Kingdom. China is still a country with many who need Christ. Though the opportunities may be fewer and different, please don’t stop considering China!

Pray for China

June 16 (Pray for China: A Walk Through History)
Taiping leader Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全) died on June 1, 1864, while Nanjing was besieged by the Manchu authorities. Hong considered himself the younger brother of Jesus and re-wrote the Bible to support his claims. Pray for Christians to pursue sound Biblical teaching and not be deceived by cults. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5