Spotlight
ChinaSource Journal: Chinese Public Theology for Our Time (July 8, 2026, ChinaSource)
Featured Article
Unlike Their National Team, Chinese Fans Never Miss the World Cup (July 10, 2026, The World of Chinese)
When the World Cup kicks off, Chinese fans know one thing for certain: their team won’t be playing, but they will be watching. It has always been this way except for 2002, the first and only time the Chinese team qualified. Without a national team to support, fans have developed their own strategies for enjoying the tournament.
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
How China’s Communist Party Is Tightening Its Grip on Christianity (July 5, 2026, Sky News)
The founder of the Chinese underground Zion Church, Pastor Ezra Jin, has been released—but eight other members of the church remain in prison. Sky News has been investigating China’s largest arrest of Christians in decades. Asia correspondent Helen-Ann Smith witnessed the fear among family members of those still detained, and throughout the large community of Chinese Christians who choose not to worship in churches overseen by the Communist Party.
China detains US seismologist who has studied North Korean nuclear tests (July 13, 2026, Reuters)
A Chinese-born American seismologist who has published US-funded work on detecting North Korean nuclear tests has been detained in China for nearly two years and faces trial on spying charges, according to his wife, US lawmakers, and two hostage advocacy groups. The case of Youlin Chen, reported here for the first time, adds an irritant to the tense relationship between the nuclear-armed rivals and comes as President Donald Trump seeks to keep the relationship steady following last year’s trade war.
China purges third Politburo member in deepening anti-graft drive (July 14, 2026, Reuters)
China has expelled Ma Xingrui, a former Politburo member, from the ruling Communist Party on corruption charges, making him the third sitting member of the elite decision-making body to be purged since 2025 as President Xi Jinping intensifies an anti-graft campaign. Ma, who also served as the deputy head of the central rural work leading group, was placed under investigation in April over suspected “serious violation of law and discipline”—the party’s euphemism for corruption.
Religion
Public Theology Begins with God (July 8, 2026, ChinaSource Journal)
Public theology remains a somewhat awkward and easily misunderstood concept for Chinese churches. Their social and political environments vary greatly, and public space is often constricted. Culturally, our experience of the “public” is limited, and “theology” often raises suspicion. Is public theology truly important? What exactly is its significance? If public theology is understood merely as a theological response to social issues, it may indeed lead to a dead end. Yet like all theology, public theology begins not with issues, but with the knowledge of God.
Why Beauty Matters for the Chinese Church (July 8, 2026, ChinaSource Journal)
“Many Chinese churches place great emphasis on ‘truth’ and ‘goodness’ in their teaching and practice, yet they pay less attention to ‘beauty.’” Complaints of this kind are not uncommon. The Chinese church strives to defend doctrinal purity and earnestly emphasizes moral standards and the sanctification of life. When the discussion turns to art, the senses, form, and atmosphere, however, people often consider these matters secondary, or even somewhat unreliable.
Thailand: Praying for the Chinese Diaspora (July 9, 2026, China Partnership)
This July, we are praying for the Chinese diaspora throughout Asia. This week we are praying for Chinese migrants in Thailand. Pastor Joshua shares about his journey to plant a Chinese church in Bangkok while living in Thailand for his children’s education. He says the biggest challenge is building a stable church among a transient community.
Daughter of Pastor Released from Chinese Prison Recounts Being Reunited with Her Father (July 10, 2026, CBS)
Pastor Ezra Jin has landed safely in the U.S. after being released from a Chinese prison where he spent more than 250 days for running an unregistered church. His daughter, human rights activist Grace Jin Drexel, joins CBS News’ “The Takeout” to share his story.chinasource
When Cherry Blossoms Fall in the Sweet Potato Field (July 13, 2026, ChinaSource)
In recent years, churches in Taiwan have felt a growing burden for the gospel in Japan. Many churches now send regular short-term mission and vision teams to Japan each year, building deep relationships and fellowship in Christ with local churches there. Yet while we cross the sea to share the gospel, God is doing something wonderful as well—he has personally brought young Japanese souls from the land of the rising sun to Taiwan, this sweet-potato-shaped field.
Where Is Our Heavenly Home? (July 14, 2026, ChinaSource)
Shepherding a Chinese American church often poses significant challenges to an immigrant pastor’s sense of identity. This identity crisis is particularly common among pastors from Asia, especially those from China, who initially envision their ministry as serving Chinese immigrant congregations in North America.
A God of Miracles: Giving Thanks and Continuing to Pray for Zion Church (July 15, 2026, ChinaSource)
On Saturday afternoon, July 4, as various members of the ChinaSource team were beginning their America250 celebrations, we began to receive text messages from friends that Pastor Ezra Jin of Zion Church had been released from prison in China and sent to the United States the day before. Like millions of Christians around the world who had prayed for Pastor Jin and the other church leaders imprisoned with him for the past nine months, we were thrilled.
Society / Life
China Is Dealing with Its Own Manosphere (subscription required) (July 12, 2026, The Economist)
To get a flavor of how some university-educated male influencers in China think, log on to Zhihu, a social-media platform, and find the account of someone who calls himself Peng Huitang. Mr Peng has 50,000 followers and regularly spews vitriol at modern women. “Young women brainwashed by feminist thinking became increasingly man-hating, which then evolved into the idea that men are born owing women something,” he rants.
The Fake Parenting Expert Chinese Daughters Invented to Talk to Their Parents (July 12, 2026, Global Voices)
At first glance, Old Zhao looked exactly like the kind of man Chinese parents might trust. His WeChat avatar showed a respectable middle-aged man in a suit. His articles came with serene images of lotus flowers, large fonts, and the solemn cadence of a family advice columnist who had seen it all. His bio listed an almost comically decorated life: a recipient of the 2008 “Touching China” Special Award, a specialist in parent-child relationships for over 30 years, a tireless helper of families. The account was called “Old Zhao Explains Reasoning” (老赵讲道理). But Old Zhao was not a man. He was not middle-aged. He was not a parenting expert. He was a young woman in her twenties with a phone, an AI tool, and years of failed conversations with her mother.
Costumes, Classes, Catwalks: China’s New Retirees Join the Club (July 14, 2026, Sixth Tone)
After decades in secure jobs, a new generation of Chinese retirees is entering later life with pensions, spare time, and an appetite for new experiences
History / Culture
From Ancient Texts to Modern Practices, Daoism Provides a Profound Framework for Understanding the World not as Broken but as Naturally Seeking Balance (July 6, 2026, The Conversation)
Daoism, China’s indigenous religion, is one of the country’s five officially recognized religions today. Practiced by millions of people in China and around the world, Daoism takes on many forms, stretching back from ancient roots to the modern world.
Beneath the Drum Tower: A New Teahouse Blending Old Beijing Charm with Modern Comfort (July 8, 2026, The World of Chinese)
As China enters a new phase of urban development, where construction and expansion are giving way to renovation and renewal, heritage conservation has become central to preserving a city’s memory. While museums and heritage sites welcome visitors, commercial venues that boost market vitality through cultural offerings are equally important in revitalizing historic areas.
Science / Technology
China’s Internet Rulebook Gets Its Biggest Rewrite in 25 Years (July 3, 2026, Geopolitechs)
A draft revision of the Administrative Measures for Internet Information Services marks China’s shift from regulating websites to governing platforms and AI.
China Reports Reusable Rocket Breakthrough as It Vies to Catch Up with the US (July 10, 2026, CNN)
Beijing—China has successfully recovered the first stage of a carrier rocket during an orbital launch test, state media reported Friday—a breakthrough for the country as it vies to catch up with American rivals in reusable rocket technology.
Podcast – China’s Massive AI Rollout (July 12, 2026, The Guardian)
While the spread of AI has been met perhaps with a lot of scepticism in the west, China has fully embraced the technology, explains Amy Hawkins, from millions of users talking to AI doctors, to the use of intelligent robots in factories, and drones delivering food on the Great Wall of China. AI has also been eagerly taken up by the state, not least in the opportunities it provides for further surveillance, the Guardian’s senior China correspondent says. Amy talks to Annie Kelly about the prospects and pitfalls provided by the technology in China, and whether such widespread adoption—and transformation of society—is a sign of what is to come around the world.
Economics / Trade / Business
China’s Graduate Glut: Millions Enter a Job Market With Little Use for Them (July 13, 2026, The Guardian)
This time of year is graduation season in China: traditionally a bittersweet period of solemn goodbyes and family celebrations as university students transition from campus life into adulthood. Now it also increasingly represents trepidation about the future. Each year, millions more graduates are thrust into China’s already saturated jobs market. The situation for this year’s cohort, flooding into an increasingly crowded pool of applicants fighting for an insufficient number of positions, is arguably the bleakest yet.
The Chinese Clan Networks Behind the World’s Biggest Electronics Market (July 13, 2026, Sixth Tone)
If you wanted to find a place in China that looked as though it had been lifted straight from a science-fiction novel, chances are someone would point you to Huaqiangbei, an area in the country’s southern tech hub of Shenzhen. Known as “China’s No. 1 Electronics Street,” it is home to the world’s largest electronics market. Here, customers weave through narrow, maze-like corridors in search of virtually every electronic product imaginable, from the latest smartphones, drones, and robots to the precision capacitors and resistors needed to make them.
Health / Environment
Tibet’s Role in China’s Green Energy Supply Chain (July 10, 2026, The Diplomat)
Amid the global shift to renewable energy, China leads the world in manufacturing and processing capacity. It is building major green infrastructure in Tibet, including large solar projects and the planned Metok mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo. Many batteries used in clean technologies also depend on materials produced in the region. Tibet, therefore stands at the forefront of China’s green energy development across wind, solar, and hydropower.
Schools and Tourist Sites Closed as Typhoon Bavi Heads Through Northern China (July 12, 2026, South China Morning Post)
Bridges were under water, cornfields were flooded, and classes and work were cancelled in northeast China as Typhoon Bavi continued to move north on Monday, prompting several local governments to issue emergency alerts. In Shenyang, capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning, all classes at junior high schools, primary schools, and kindergartens were suspended for the day, along with construction work and outdoor activities, while 94 tourist attraction sites remained closed.
Heavy Floods Submerge Roads, Vehicles in Northern China (July 13, 2026, Reuters)
Severe flooding in China’s northern Hebei province and northeastern Liaoning province submerged roads and swept away cars, while people swam, paddle-boarded and wake surfed along neighborhood streets, videos on social media showed. Water levels rose to more than two metres on roads in Kuancheng, a county in Hebei, according to a resident’s account that was broadcast by local official media.
Arts / Entertainment / Media
The Propaganda Promise of AI (July 9, 2026, China Media Project)
In a recent piece for Qiushi (求是), the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship theoretical journal, China Daily president and editor-in-chief Qu Yingpu (曲莹璞) writes that artificial intelligence is shifting from a tool that helps state media better parse and understand global audiences to one that can directly do the work of reaching those audiences. Qu describes this as AI evolving from a “cognitive tool” (认知工具) to an “action tool” (行动工具).
Books
Between History and Public Theology (July 8, 2026, ChinaSource – Journal)
Ping-cheung Lo’s Shui shi shidai de xianzhi?—Mading Lude Jin’en yu Gelihan de gonggong shenxue shijian [Who Is the Prophet of Our Time?: The Public Theology Praxis of Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham] is a voluminous, structurally complex, and highly ambitious work. The book spans nearly six hundred pages. It employs a case-study approach to construct a parallel narrative of two of the most representative religious figures in twentieth-century America, and on this basis develops a systematic reflection on public theology.
Resources
A Reading Guide to Chinese Public Theology (July 8, 2026, ChinaSource – Journal)
Events
Online Book Club Discussion (ERRChina)
Join us for a discussion of the book Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan Wang. Now would be a great time to purchase the book and start reading it in order to be ready for a lively and vibrant discussion.
Date: August 5, 2026
Time: 5pm PST / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST (US)
Platform: Zoom
Register here
Pray for China
July 19 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
The PRC government took steps in July 1958 to make Wenzhou the nation’s first “religion-free” zone, and 80-year-old Pastor Yang Zuoxin (杨作新牧师) found himself in the center of the controversy. The government required Christians in Pingyang County to implement the “Three Offerings and One Withdrawal”: give up church buildings, give up Bibles, give up all religious materials, and withdraw from church life. Pastor Yang played a key role in rallying Christians to continue fellowship during this campaign and the subsequent Cultural Revolution. Wenzhou emerged as the “Jerusalem of China” and is known for the zeal of her Christians. Pray for Wenzhou Christians not to forsake Christ as their first love. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Revelation 2:4
Prayer 2026: Off the Beaten Path (January 1, 2026, China Partnership)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)