Hong Kong as a plan B: Why some mainland Chinese turn their back on city after acquiring top talent visas (March 16, 2025, Hong Kong Free Press)
The Hong Kong government has issued more than 90,000 visas under the Top Talent Pass Scheme since it was launched in late 2022, mostly to mainland Chinese. HKFP talked with some visa holders who decided to stay and those who chose to forgo living in the city.
China’s Space Dream: No Limits, No End (February 20, 2025, The Diplomat) (Subscription required)
Even as global attention turned to DeepSeek, which put China at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI), it is evident that China has yet to achieve its own “Sputnik moment” in the space sector.
Unpacking the Shifting Narrative of Christianity in China (March 11, 2025, ChinaSource)
This issue explores the Sinicization of Christianity, unpacking its historical roots, ideological implications, and contemporary debates. With contributions from leading scholars and experts, the journal examines how this evolving policy—driven by both state directives and grassroots religious dynamics—continues to shape the relationship between faith and politics in China.
Guilin: Restoring the Culture of Fellowship (March 10, 2025, China Partnership)
Three Guilin house church pastors told us about their city, and how it has changed (and stayed the same) in recent years. They say that area churches seem to be growing slowly, but overall, there are not many believers in Guilin. Their city is built around tourism, so Covid had a big impact on Guilin’s economy, and now many people are focusing on making as much money as possible, trying to make up for the time they lost during the pandemic.
Breaking the Cycle: Can Our Denomination Be Revitalized? (March 10, 2025, ChinaSource)
For decades, we have never seriously examined or reflected on the structure of our denomination—because, of course, we had no problems! If something wasn’t working, it had to be someone else’s fault. Naturally. When a church’s system is flawed, it is just like a company with structural problems—no matter how many people come in to serve, they ultimately cannot stay long. Either they become disheartened, or they burn out, leaving them no choice but to “fall in battle.”
Nestorian? Or Not? (March 7, 2025, ChinaSource)
While most of the steles told the accounts of emperors going hither and yon and engaged in this war or that, or promulgating policies, there was one that was of particular interest to me. It was a black marble stele that told the story of a religion called Jingjiao that had existed in the Chinese empire in the late 600s and early 700s.
Guilin: City of Beauty (March 6, 2025, China Partnership)
This March, we are praying for the southern China city of Guilin. Guilin is famous for its beautiful karst hills, rising up out of the misty air. The area is home to many ethnic minorities, and is one of China’s top tourist destinations. We spoke today with three Guilin pastors, who shared about the culture and gospel history of their beautiful city.
China’s Middle Class Searches for Faith and Meaning (January 8, 2025, Asia Society Policy Institute)
Guided by Marxist theory, China’s leaders once believed that religion would wither as the country became more educated, scientifically advanced, and economically developed. However, many policies meant to hasten modernization have created the very conditions for religion to flourish.
What does China Islamic Association’s rebrand reveal about Beijing’s integration drive? (March 15, 2025, South China Morning Post) (Subscription required)
The semi-official China Islamic Association has removed its traditional Arabic-style green logo featuring stars above a mosque dome from both its website and social media account as Beijing pushes the sinicisation of religions in China.
Is it the end of the road for the once-powerful opposition in Hong Kong? (March 16, 2025, The Star)
Hong Kong’s opposition camp of pro-democracy political parties once held enough power in the city’s legislature to block the passage of Bills that it deemed detrimental to the city’s residents.
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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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