ZGBriefs | November 21, 2024

Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States next Thursday, there will be no ZGBriefs on November 28.

Featured Article

Video – A Pilgrimage to China’s Noodle Capitol (November 15, 2024, Saint Cavish)
An obsession with Lanzhou’s hand-pulled noodles takes me to the grave of the man who started it all.

Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs

The Power Vertical: Centralization in the PRC’s State Security System (November 15, 2024, China Brief Archives – Jamestown Foundation)
Structural changes that began in 2016–2017 mean that local state security bureaus are no longer subject to the authority of local party committees, and so are freer to impose a security-first agenda on other government agencies, leading to a more oppressive political environment.

China Is Recalculating Its Middle East Policy (November 14, 2024, The Diplomat)
Since the October 7th massacre in southern Israel and the outbreak of the war in Gaza, China’s leadership has conveyed outright support in word and deed for the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance.” The display of strategic vulnerability by Iran and its proxies since mid-August appears to have prompted Beijing to pause and reassess. Upon return from the National Day holiday in early October, China’s official messaging on Iran noticeably shifted. 

Beijing Grows Anxious Over the Internationalisation of Cross-Strait Relations (November 19, 2024, East Asia Forum)
‘Internationalisation’ refers to framing China–Taiwan relations as a state-to-state relationship and an international dispute open to third-party intervention. Though the term originated in the 1950s, it resurfaced in Chinese official discourse when Beijing resisted comparisons between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan. Such rejections reflect Beijing’s long-standing assertion that Taiwan belongs to China, is an unresolved issue of the Chinese Civil War and that solving the issue in any way is a domestic Chinese matter.

Religion

Crossing Cultures: Enlightenment and the Middle Kingdom (November 19, 2024, ChinaSource)
The Lord builds his church, and the church he constructs will look a bit different in each climate and landscape. It is the seed that has power to grow roots down into deeply buried cultural expressions and expectations, roots that will produce fruit fitting the context, fruit that is both beautiful and empowering.

Engaging Chinese Students in the UK (November 18, 2024, ChinaSource)
Every September, there’s a new wave of young Chinese students crossing the ocean to study in the UK, forming a unique bridge between two cultures and opening a window to God’s work in China. Despite the pandemic and other challenges of recent years, the number of Chinese students applying to the UK has risen by 55% over the last five years (2019–2023).

Why Church Planting Among Unreached People Groups in China? (November 15, 2024, ChinaSource)
Most unreached people groups are unreached because they don’t have sufficient access to the gospel. When healthy churches are planted in and among unreached people groups, they begin to display the gospel. Yes, they can also read the Scriptures, but the local church is the display of the gospel and the body of Christ in the lives of the unreached.

Guangzhou: Challenges and Struggles (November 18, 2024, China Partnership)
I don’t complain. This is what God has given. If this is what God has given China, then the Chinese church must accept it. God is here, he must be doing his work here. It’s useless to complain. We trust his sovereignty.

Guangzhou: “A Time for Testimony” (November 14, 2024, China Partnership)
We are so grateful for how much we have been transformed, especially since 2018. God’s grace is often seen through trials. His grace has strengthened our faith, expanded our ministry, and given us a deeper commitment to our vision and the truth. God’s grace does not always come through smooth sailing, but through what we see as hardship. We do not view ourselves as victims of persecution – but as beneficiaries.

Society / Life

The Return of Li Ziqi: China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Holds An Enduring Appeal (November 19, 2024, ChinaSkinny)
Over the past week, one particular content creator has captured Chinese (and indeed world) social media. And no, she is not some new creator starting some youthful and energetic trend, but rather she has made a reappearance after three years of silence. This is none other than Li Ziqi (李子柒), a sensational Chinese video creator who is known for her very distinctive style of videos – slow and unfiltered, often set in the rustic Chinese countryside of Sichuan.

Car Crashes Into People Outside Primary School in Central China: State Media (November 19, 2024, CNN)
Multiple students were injured after a car crashed into people outside a primary school in central China on Tuesday morning, state news agency Xinhua reported. Authorities have not said how many people were injured in the incident, which took place in Hunan province’s Changde city. A 39-year- male suspect was arrested and the incident remains “under further investigation,” according to a local police statement.

Hangzhou’s Tower of Influence (November 13, 2024, China Media Project)
Behind its glassy, 40-storey facade is over 300,000 square meters of office and living space — a building big enough, it boasts, “to accommodate a town.” Even among the glittering towers of Qianjiang Century City (钱江世纪城), a new tech and innovation hub built for the 2022 Asian Games, its distinctive “S” shape leaves a unique footprint. It’s also acquired a memorable moniker: “Influencer Tower” (网红大楼). 

China’s Lonely-Heart Crisis Fuels a Growing ‘Companionship Economy’ (November 17, 2024, South China Morning Post)
In China, young people are increasingly using social media to not only connect with friends, but to pay strangers to talk with them. As society becomes more atomised, users on the social platform Xiaohongshu have begun using the hashtag “companion chat” to find others willing to buy or sell a few minutes of human conversation.

At Tiananmen Square, Tight Security with Metal Detectors Reflects a Changing China (November 15, 2024, NPR News)
Seventy-five years ago last month, Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic from atop Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Situated on the southern edge of the imperial Forbidden City, few symbols of power in China rival it. The vast square that unfolds at its feet is another symbol of power, which over the decades has vacillated between people — and the state.

Stone Cold Craze: Why China’s Gen Z Is Falling for Pet Rocks (November 15, 2024, Sixth Tone)
It doesn’t chirp, purr, or wag its tail; nor does it fetch, cuddle, or respond to its name. In fact, it doesn’t do much of anything besides sit quietly. But for a growing number of young Chinese, that’s exactly the appeal of owning a chongwu shi or “pet rock.”

Education

Insight Report: One Year Into China’s 50,000 Student Initiative (November 15, 2024, American Chamber of Commerce)
In November 2023, during the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious initiative to host 50,000 US students for study and exchange programs in China over the next five years. A year later, our new AmCham China Insight Report evaluates the initiative’s first year of progress, examining enrollment trends, logistical challenges, and recommendations for fostering stronger educational and cultural ties between the US and China.

Science / Technology

China’s Cyber Sovereignty Norms Spread Abroad (November 15, 2024, China Digital Times)
China is leading the global trend towards cyber sovereignty, a norm based on the use of technology to control what sort of information can be accessed and exchanged within a national boundary and by whom. Several recent reports shed light on these practices and their diffusion around the world. 

Arts / Entertainment / Media

China’s Gaming Industry Comes of Age (November 16, 2024, East Asia Forum)
Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong represents a pivotal moment in China’s gaming industry evolution, marking the country’s shift from game consumer to global developer. The game’s success extends beyond sales, boosting PC component demand and cultural tourism while garnering international acclaim. But it also highlights complex issues including state-endorsed soft power initiatives, cultural nationalism and persistent gender inequality in gaming. 

As China Cracks Down on Bookstores at Home, Chinese-Language Booksellers Are Flourishing Overseas (November 18, 2024, AP News)
The crackdown has had a chilling effect on China’s publishing industry. Bookstores are common in China, but many are state-owned. Independent bookstores are governed by an intricate set of rules with strict controls now being more aggressively policed, according to bookstore owners. Printing shops and street vendors are also facing more rigorous government inspections by the National Office Against Pornography and Illegal Publication.

In China, a Debate Over What Makes Calligraphy ‘Good’ (November 15, 2024, Sixth Tone)
On Sept. 28, the famed calligrapher and educator Tian Yingzhang died at the age of 74. Arguably the best-known calligrapher in contemporary China, millions of Chinese learned Tian’s calligraphy style through his tutorials, workbooks, videodiscs, and online courses. After his passing, Tian’s fans showered him with praise, calling him “the sole master of our time,” “a true calligrapher,” and an unmatched artistic giant. But others — including many artists, critics, and connoisseurs — were more measured.

Language / Language Learning

Online Course – Welcome to The Fluent Listener, a New Course from Hacking Chinese! (November 2024, Hacking Chinese)
Learning to understand spoken Mandarin isn’t easy. Many students find listening to be the most difficult part of their language journey. In fact, in a survey conducted with several hundred learners, the majority identified listening as the most challenging aspect of learning Chinese. Registration is open until November 24, so don’t wait! Once enrolled, you’ll enjoy lifetime access and the freedom to study at your own pace.

Economics / Trade / Business

Trump Prepares for Economic Warfare with China (November 15, 2024, Christian Science Monitor)
At a recent Harvard University lecture, former Trump administration trade representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, grasped the podium and pitched his urgent imperative for U.S. policy toward China. “We must continue to strategically decouple our economy” from China, the trade lawyer told the student audience. “This,” he stressed in his raspy voice, “is the key economic policy battle of patriotic Americans in the upcoming generation.”

Travel / Food 

Nanjing: Why You Should Visit China’s Southern Capital (November 18, 2024, The Beijinger Blog)
Located along the Yangtze River just east of Shanghai, Nanjing (南京 Nánjīng), which translates to “Southern Capital”, served as the capital of several Chinese dynasties, including the Ming Dynasty and notably as the capital of the Republic of China. Nowadays, it’s a vibrant metropolis that blends its rich history and culture with modern development. I was amazed at just how much it has changed in the 12 years since I lived there, now it truly is a fully-fledged international city with all the amenities.

Education

Is China Winning Hearts and Minds among Global South Students? (November 14, 2024, Made in China Journal) 
According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, in 2018 China welcomed 492,000 foreign students from 196 countries, about 12.8 percent of whom received some form of financial support from the Chinese Government (Ministry of Education 2019). The Chinese State calls this initiative ‘opening the education sector to the world’ (教育对外开放) and explicitly declares that its aim is to enhance China’s global influence (Ministry of Education 2020).

Resources

Podcast – Help Me Understand My Cross-Cultural Teammates with I’Ching Thomas (November 14, 2024, Modern Day Missionaries Podcast)
How do you handle team conflicts when your cultural values clash? What’s the secret to building trust in a team of people from very different backgrounds? You may have learned about the culture you are going to serve, but did you learn about the cultures of the people you are serving with? Missions is much more complex and beautiful than we could ever know!

Pray for China

November 18 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On Nov. 18, 1957, Mao Zedong (毛泽东) launched the Great Leap Forward with a speech in the Soviet Union in which he boasted that in 15 years China would surpass Great Britain in prosperity. Extensive research by historian Yu Xiguang (余习广先生) indicates that as many as 55 million Chinese died from the famine and violence caused by this folly—far more than were killed by the Japanese in World War II. Pray for the oppressed to find life and freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32