As Georgia presses on with ‘Russia-style’ laws, its citizens describe a country on the brink (July 21, 2024, The Associated Press)
The “foreign influence” law requires media, civil society groups and nonprofit organizations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. It also subjects them to intense state scrutiny and imposes steep fines for noncompliance.
Why Tunisia Lost Faith in Democracy (July 18, 2024, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
Today, Tunisia is on the verge of an economic meltdown. Yet many Tunisians no longer support the political framework of a democracy. They have lost faith that a democratic system is preferable, much less needed, for achieving economic prosperity.
All eyes on poll date in Sri Lanka amid concern over Bill (July 19, 2024, The Hindu)
While constitutional experts noted the gazette had no implication on the coming presidential election, government critics and lawyers question the timing of the gazette.
Border Dispute No More: Are Bishkek and Dushanbe Ready to Make Peace? (June 24, 2024, The Times of Central Asia)
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have long been restless neighbors from Tashkent and Astana’s point of view. In many respects, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan forced the current rapprochement of the Central Asian republics, as expressed on the outer perimeter in the C5+1 format, where the region strives to put forward a consolidated position. After all, investment does not come to problematic areas.
Nguyen Phu Trong, who led Vietnam’s outreach and crackdowns, dies at 80 (July 19, 2024, The Washington Post)
On the world stage, Mr. Trong was seen as an artful practitioner of Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” — called so for bending in different directions — as the country navigated ties with its most important economic partners, China and the United States, while also building bonds with nations such as India and Russia.
Tribal leaders in Iraq call for action to “stop Turkey’s crimes against humanity (July 18, 2024, ANF News)
Turkey's systematic attacks on people and nature in the Kurdistan Region continue. Villages and cities are being evacuated, burnt down and people's safety of lives is being jeopardised. The local population is forced to leave their homes and the region is being turned into a military zone.
Jordan’s Islamists have been boosted by the war in Gaza (July 11, 2024, The Economist) (Subscription required)
The king’s government has tried to outflank the Islamists. Ayman Safadi, the foreign minister, has repeatedly denounced Israel’s campaign as genocide. Queen Rania, who is of Palestinian origin, has castigated it on television. Jordan has taken a lead in trying to send aid to Gaza.
Will Nepal’s new coalition government tip the scales of India-China rivalry? (July 21, 2024, South China Morning Post)
Nepal will continue its delicate balancing act between India and China, according to observers, after political manoeuvrings saw a new government coalition formed and a new prime minister sworn in this week.
China and Russia Are Breaking the World Into Pieces (July 21, 2024, Bloomberg)
From Ukraine to Gaza to the South China Sea, the world is littered with crises. International cooperation is paralyzed by diplomatic rivalry; techno-optimism has given way to a pervasive techno-anxiety . The sole superpower is limping toward an election with fateful consequences, as its rivals feverishly arm themselves for wars present and, perhaps, future. Each of these challenges, in turn, is symptomatic of a deeper historic shift underway.
Taiwan’s military drills turn serious as China threat escalates (July 21, 2024, Financial Times)
Taiwan’s armed forces will use combat exercises next week to rigorously test its warfighting capabilities for the first time, in a radical departure from decades of scripted performances as the military steels itself against the growing threat from China.
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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