Year Two of Praying for China’s Cities (January 2, 2025, China Partnership)
At China Partnership, we place a high value on cities. As I wrote in my introductory piece to 2024, Chinese cities have a special place in the work of the kingdom of God. Because of this belief, we spent all of 2024 praying for Chinese cities. We prayed for a different city each month, drawing our prayer requests from the Christians that call those cities home. The feedback we have received from this prayer focus–as well as our own internal experience–has been fantastic. So much so, that in 2025 we’re going to do it all over again.
China State Media Launches ‘China-U.S. Friendship Stories’ Campaign at Kuliang Forum, Rooted in Missionary Legacy (January 1, 2025, China Christian Daily)
The forum was held in Beijing on December 20, 2024, aiming to enhance understanding and promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States. It brought together over 150 representatives from the political, academic, media, and business sectors, as well as youth and members of the “Friends of Kuliang” organization.
Top Stories 2024: South China Sea Flashpoints (January 10, 2025, U.S. Naval Institute)
Throughout the year, numerous incidents involving dangerous maritime maneuvers, water cannons, and aerial interceptions occurred around and above other South China Sea maritime features, including the long-disputed Scarborough Shoal.
Why China Needs Comprehensive Welfarism (January 11, 2025, Modern Diplomacy)
The assertion that “without a well-functioning economy, political stability cannot be achieved” may sound all too cliché, yet it is certainly true. In the context of China, many of the nation’s challenges are deeply rooted in economic issues.
Hong Kong top judges told to ‘stop complicity in police state’ (January 8, 2025, The Straits Times)
A jailed Hong Kong activist on Jan 8 told five top judges to stop their “complicity” in a “police state”, an unusually direct rebuke that highlights a growing credibility crisis for the city’s courts.
Five things at the top of China’s agenda for 2025 (January 2, 2025, Asia Times)
The year 2024 has been a challenging one for China. As its government has tackled economic problems at home, internationally it has handled the complexities of an alliance with Russia. And, while China has continued to play a significant role in the global economy, there are five possible areas that could derail its plans in 2025.
China's overqualified youth taking jobs as drivers, labourers and film extras (January 4, 2025, BBC)
China is now a country where a high-school handyman has a master's degree in physics; a cleaner is qualified in environmental planning; a delivery driver studied philosophy, and a PhD graduate from the prestigious Tsinghua University ends up applying to work as an auxiliary police officer. These are real cases in a struggling economy - and it is not hard to find more like them.
Doomed to fail? Hong Kong’s attempt to tackle ‘shoebox housing’ runs into trouble (January 3, 2025, The Guardian)
Hong Kong is famous for its cramped and tiny apartments, or “shoebox housing”, a name that somehow still doesn’t fully convey the claustrophobic nature of the spaces. New reforms announced this year attempt to tackle the problem by mandating major improvements and regulations to be in place by the end of 2026.
What is HMPV? China steps up emergency measures amid new virus outbreak (January 5, 2025, The Independent)
China is experiencing a surge in infections of a respiratory virus, leading to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures, and public concerns about an outbreak. The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children.
Welcoming Chinese visitors: can Nepal cash in on Beijing’s tourism campaign? (November 9, 2024, South China Morning Post) (Subscription required)
Nepal should introduce more incentives and use Chinese social media platforms to promote itself to bring in visitors. Over the past decade, China has become a major tourist source for the Himalayan nation known for its trekking trails in the foothills of the Everest and Annapurna mountain ranges.
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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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