A weekly roundup of news and analysis to help you follow key developments in China and the Chinese church.
No Shenfenzheng, No Problem: China to Roll out Real-Time Passport Authentication for Foreigners (September 17, 2019, The Beijinger)
Whether you hold a B-grade work visa or are just coming to China for a lark, your name and passport information will soon be added to a national expat ID authentication platform…
Held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important Chinese festivals. On this day, people reunite with their families and eat mooncakes.
Love from the Margins: Lessons from 4 Pastors in China (August 29, 2019, The Gospel Coalition)
The power of perseverance comes from the Holy Spirit, not from social position or privilege.
How Basketball Became China’s Most Beloved Sport (August 27, 2019, Radii China)
Here’s a look at how the country became so enamored with a game that has only been around for a little over a century.
U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China (August 20, 2019, NPR)
Last year, China put the kibosh on imports of the world's waste. A huge market for plastic waste had just dried up. Where was it all going to go now?
I don’t’: why China’s millennials are saying no to marriage (August 10, 2019, South China Morning Post) Ran’s thinking is typical among Chinese born after 1990. She is part of a generation who are in no rush to tie the knot in large part as a result of huge social and economic changes that have overturned tradition for China’s millennials.
An Illustrated Guide to Chinese Dumplings (July 25, 2019, Radii China)
From soup to rice, here's a handy guide to the most popular types of Chinese dumplings
Redeeming China’s sweatshops: Christianity and migrant factory workers in Shenzhen (July 31, 2019, Asia Dialogue)
The culture of Christianity, such as fellowships, Bible study classes, choir and Christmas celebrations, is increasingly popular among rural migrant workers…
How China is slowly expanding its power in Africa, one TV set at a time (July 24, 2019, CNN)
Xi's dream was to upgrade huge swathes of Africa to modern, digital satellite TV networks, […] so long, in fact, that a TV channel from Beijing could be beamed to African homes.
China’s “5,000 Years of History”: Fact or Fiction? July 14, 2019, Radii China)
The recent elevation of the 5,300-year-old site of Liangzhu to UNESCO World Heritage status revives an old debate about modern China's historical narrative.
Summer Censorship: Weibo Launches “Project Sky Blue” (July 6, 2019, What’s on Weibo)
Earlier this week, the administration of Sina Weibo announced a special summer holiday crackdown on “vulgar content.”
Chinese Christianity encounters Islam along the Belt and Road Initiative (July 3, 2019, East Asia Dialogue)
Not only is it exporting cultural and economic influence, but with more than thirty million Christians in China, it is slated to become a major exporter of Christianity as well.