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Featured Article
Youtube Video – Travel to China in 2026? Watch This First! (October 3, 2025, Adventures of Lauren & Jason)
Planning a trip to China in 2026? This is the comprehensive China travel guide you need! After spending 5 weeks exploring the country, we’ve created the ultimate resource to make your journey seamless and unforgettable. This guide answers all your questions and covers everything you MUST know, from navigating the visa requirements to easily setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay as a tourist. We’ll show you how to master China’s incredible high-speed trains, use ride-share apps, find the best VPNs to stay connected, and book the perfect accommodation. Beyond the logistics, we also share our full China itinerary, revealing the best places to visit in China, from bustling cities to stunning landscapes.
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
Xi’s Innovation Paradox (March 31, 2026, Foreign Policy)
Last Friday, the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued two mandates for officials. They must first “resolutely uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee [of the CCP] with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core” and second “take local conditions into account and enhance their initiative and creativity in work.” These statements neatly capture a central contradiction for Xi, China’s president: He wants total loyalty and obedience yet also sincerity and innovation.
In Trump Era, China Sees an Opportunity to Advance Its Long Game (March 31, 2026, The Christian Science Monitor)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping matched Mr. Trump blow by blow in the trade war last year, leveraging his country’s dominance over rare earths and other vital supply chains to force the United States to a truce. The country opened up new overseas markets to increase total exports, racking up a trade surplus of $1.2 trillion in 2025. China’s exports surged a whopping 21.8% year on year in the first two months of 2026, far outpacing expectations. Criticizing U.S. protectionism, Beijing has used the opportunity to cast itself as the new world champion of free trade.
Taiwan’s Opposition Leader Arrives in China for a ‘Journey of Peace’ (April 6, 2026, Reuters)
Taiwan’s opposition leader arrived in China on Tuesday for a “peace” mission and potential meeting with President Xi Jinping, as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te reiterated he was open for talks but the island had the right to chart its own course. Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s largest opposition party, is travelling at a time of increased Chinese military pressure on Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, and as the opposition-dominated parliament stalls a government plan for $40 billion in extra defence spending.
Beijing’s Foreign Influence Tactics, Hidden in Plain Sight (April 7, 2026, The Diplomat)
Over the past month, several reports offered new details on the scale and tactics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s foreign influence operations. In late February, OpenAI published findings on how ChatGPT was being misused, including by an account linked to Chinese law enforcement, to plan and document what that user termed “cyber special operations.” Meta’s first report of 2026 on adversarial threats detailed the takedown of a China-linked network targeting Taiwan. The European Council on Foreign Relations published an analysis of China’s influence playbook in Europe, drawing on a decade of documented activity in Poland and the Czech Republic. And the International Campaign for Tibet exposed a Chinese state-backed AI model designed to shape how Tibetan speakers view the region.
Religion
Podcast—The Rise of Christianity in China with Dr. Fenggang Yang (March 13, 2026, Center For Christian Virtue)
Aaron and Mike are joined by Dr. Fenggang Yang, a professor of sociology and director of the Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University. Yang provides a fascinating look at the “Triple Market” of religion in China. In a world dominated by a Communist regime that enforces “scientific atheism” and bans baptism for minors, Yang reveals how the underground “Grey Market” of Christianity is exploding. Discover how the Holy Spirit is outmaneuvering the Deep State of Beijing and why China is on a trajectory to become the largest Christian nation on the planet in our lifetime.
Xiangtan: Where Mao Is God (April 2, 2026, China Partnership)
Xiangtan is in south-central China, and sits on the Xiang River, which is a major tributary of the Yangtze River. It is the hometown of many prominent figures in China, including Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi (an early leader in the government of the post-1949 Communist Party). Pastors say, even decades later, locals have deified Mao and made him into an idol.
A Friend Loves at All Times (April 6, 2026, ChinaSource)
This has been one of the most discouraging experiences I have ever had in a partnership.A pastor I have known for over a decade—someone who has been a long-time ministry partner—once complained to me that in a project we were working on together, I seemed indecisive, even “going back on my word.” He said that if I had any reservations, or if I did not really want him involved, I should simply say so. I was stunned.
From Scar to Calling (April 7, 2026, ChinaSource)
Looking back over the years, I am often struck by the strange trajectory of grace in my life. If I were to name the thread that runs through it, I would call it this: a calling that emerged from wounded places. What I once wished to forget has become—over time—a mark of faith and a sign of mercy.
Society / Life
Jiang Shengnan Is the Most Vocal Woman in Chinese Politics (subscription required) (March 26, 2026, The Economist)
When Jiang Shengnan, a Chinese lawmaker turned political adviser, was born in 1973, a third daughter to parents in the coastal city of Wenzhou, many urged her mother to keep trying for a son. She refused and gave her daughter the name Shengnan, which means “better than men”. Ms Jiang insists she just wants women to be equal, but striving for that equality requires a mix of the resistance imbued in her name and a level of pragmatism in a country where feminism is fraught.
Ethnic Unity Law Enforces Mandatory Assimilation (April 2, 2026, Jamestown Foundation)
The newly adopted Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress Law represents the ultimate legal codification of the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign to erase minority identities. The Law elevates a Han-centric national identity as a supreme statutory directive, fundamentally hollowing out the framework of ethnic autonomy by redefining “ethnic unity” as the legal pretext for mandatory assimilation.
The Earth Between Us (April 3, 2026, Sixth Tone)
“Don’t drop your tears on him!” a relative standing by the bed warned me. No one explained why. I knelt next to my grandfather, wailing in shock: my Yeye died, and yet I was not allowed to cry. The rituals followed immediately. The incense was lit, the ghost money burned, the rice wine served, and his clothes changed. My uncles and male cousins busied themselves while my mother and I, lower-ranked in the patrilineal hierarchy, were asked to stand outside. The death rituals forced a change upon me: I could no longer relate to my grandfather as an individual; we were part of a complex social hierarchy and cultural web. Yet, as I found over the next three days, the rituals also helped loosen my grip on my grandfather.
What Next for the Struggling Rural Mothers in China Who Helped to Build AI? (April 4, 2026, South China Morning Post)
Before autonomous driving freed up the hands of Beijing’s middle class, thousands of workers some 1,500km (930 miles) away in China’s southwestern Guizhou province clicked away at computer screens to teach AI about navigating traffic. In the mountainous city of Tongren, where incomes are less than half those in Beijing, the work of data labelling – marking residential buildings, pavements, roadways and traffic lights—shaped the artificial intelligence guiding those vehicles.
I’m a First-Generation Chinese American Mom Living in L.A. A 2-Month Trip to China Made Me Question Where to Raise My Daughter (April 5, 2026, Business Insider)
This winter, I returned to Qingdao, China, to celebrate Lunar New Year with my family for the first time in 10 years. I missed the family reunions, the festive atmosphere, and the food from my hometown. I was especially excited to bring my daughter, who had never experienced the holiday. To help her immerse herself in Chinese culture, I decided to enroll her in a local school during our two-month stay.
Economics / Trade / Business
The Worst Oil Crisis in History Comes at a Good Time for China’s Troubled EV Giants (March 24, 2026, CNN Business)
The United States and Israel’s war against Iran has disrupted critical fossil fuel supplies from the Middle East, pushing up crude oil prices to as high as $119 a barrel last week. This has sparked fears of worsened inflation, or even a global recession. But the turmoil couldn’t have come at a better time for China’s EV industry. While China manufactures and exports more electric cars than any other nation, its carmakers face fierce price competition and slowing growth at home. Chinese brands are under increasing pressure to find other markets.
‘China Shock 2.0’ Is a False Narrative Born of Western Anxiety: Chinese Media (April 2, 2026, South China Morning Post)
A leading Chinese state media outlet has run back-to-back front-page editorials over the past two days pushing back against claims that China’s economy is losing steam and that the global economy is experiencing a “China shock 2.0”. “Looking across the globe, China’s growth target stands out as second to none,” the state-run Economic Daily wrote in a Thursday editorial, noting that the country’s goal of achieving 4.5 to 5 per cent growth in 2026 was far higher than the 2.6 percent global growth rate forecast by the World Bank in January.
How China Turns Intangible Heritage Into Tangible Returns (April 6, 2026, World of Chinese)
Tangshan Feast is just one of a growing number of attractions in recent years that lean into marketing intangible cultural heritage (ICH). With the Spring Festival officially added to UNESCO’s ICH list in 2024, a renewed wave of interest has swept across the sector. No longer confined to quiet workshops or remote villages, these traditions are spilling onto social media feeds, lining the shelves of boutique stores, and becoming a central draw in tourism experiences.
Travel / Food
How Instant Retail Is Rewiring Consumption in China (April 1, 2026, Chinaskinny)
Imagine you’re out with a few friends on one of those early April days in Shanghai when the weather finally starts to turn. You’re in a park, blossoms out, spirits high. “Who fancies a wine?” a friend asks, reading the moment perfectly. There’s no debate, and within a minute you’ve ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc on your phone. It arrives in under 20 minutes, chilled of course. This is Instant Retail, also known as Quick Commerce, and it is reshaping customer journeys and consumption in China.
Science / Technology
Why China’s Space-Based Solar Power Is the Next Frontier of Green Energy (March 28, 2026, South China Morning Post)
Amid turmoil in the Middle East, including the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil passes, Beijing is pressing ahead with its Zhuri (sun-chasing) project to build solar power stations in space. Chinese Academy of Engineering academician and senior rocket scientist Long Lehao likened this space-based solar power programme to putting the Three Gorges Dam into geostationary orbit, underscoring its extraordinary scale and ambition. China plans to conduct a megawatt-level in-orbit test by around 2030.
‘System Malfunction’ Causes Robotaxis to Stall in the Middle of the Road in China (April 1, 2026, The Guardian)
A “system malfunction” has caused several self-driving robotaxis to stall in the middle of the road in China, police have confirmed, after distressed riders were stranded for hours. Local authorities in the central Chinese city of Wuhan said they began receiving calls “one after another” on Tuesday night from riders reporting that autonomous vehicles operated by the Chinese internet company Baidu had frozen.
China Catches ‘Lobster Fever’ as Cloud Companies Embrace OpenClaw (April 6, 2026, Global Voices)
Released in November 2025, OpenClaw is an open-source and locally run AI agent developed by Austrian coder Peter Steinberger. Once set up on a computer, the virtual assistant can connect to LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude and perform tasks such as replying to emails, managing calendars, booking hotels, and managing social media accounts. Users can also install “skills” from platforms such as ClawHub to add new functions, such as controlling electronic appliances.
History / Culture
Roaming Famous Mountains, Wild and Unrestrained: How Ancient Scholars Sought Knowledge on the Road (April 3, 2026, The World of Chinese)
Walk around a Chinese museum, historical site, or university during school holidays, and there is one group you will likely encounter: students dressed in school uniforms and waving colorful flags. Their footprints can be found across China and abroad, as they are learning about the world through travel—a practice known as youxue (游学) or “study tours.” But this is not a modern invention. In China, the tradition of traveling to study dates back more than 2,000 years, and has helped build the foundations for Chinese philosophy, historiography, and poetry.
Arts / Entertainment / Media
AI for Human Propaganda (April 1, 2026, China Media Project)
The theme of this year’s Internet Media Forum, co-organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and held in Henan province on March 28–29, was the “2026 Digital Intelligence Empowerment: Positive Energy Production and Dissemination Conference.” That is a mouthful, but the concept is simple enough: AI has the power to revolutionize the Chinese Communist Party’s demand that journalism and media serve its interests by emphasizing positives and suppressing critical coverage.
Events
Webinar – Five Things to Know about China in the Era of Xi jinping (China Center, University of Minnesota)
This presentation will focus on placing major trends in today’s People’s Republic of China into comparative and historical perspective. Zeroing in on domestic issues ranging from censorship and internet to protest and repression and international ones ranging from the Chinese diaspora to global images of Beijing’s shifting place in the world order, the speaker will offer some basic information and also suggest the value of unexpected analogies in sharpening our understanding of the subjects at hand.
Date: Thursday, April 16
Time: 12PM CDT
Online Book Club (ERRC)
The next book for ERRC’s online book club discussion will be Other Rivers: A Chinese Education, by Peter Hessler. The discussion will be facilitated by Joann Pittman from ChinaSource. Grab the book and start reading today! Check back in this space and at the ERRC website for more details and a registration link.
Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 5PM PST / 8PM EST
Conference: Nourishing Trust and Friendship: Following the Way of Christ (United States – China Catholic Association)
Join us for the 30th Biennial Conference of the US-China Catholic Association.
Dates: July 31–August 2, 2026
Location: University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX
Pray for China
April 12 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On Apr. 12, 1964, pastor and theologian Jia Yuming (贾玉铭牧师) rested in the Lord at age 84. Rev. Jia was born in Shandong in 1880 and came to Christ while studying at a missions school. He was one of China’s leading evangelical voices in the first half of the 20th century. Jia served as a pastor in Shandong for 12 years and then for 20 years taught in seminaries in Shandong and Jiangsu. In 1936 he founded a retreat center that provided training for countless Christians for more than a decade. During this time he spoke at churches across the country and authored a number of books and hymnals that were foundational for a church that would soon face its severest trial. In 1954, the 74-year-old Jia responded to calls for unity and became one of the six Vice Chairmen of the Three Self Movement. He spent the last decade of his life with little public involvement. Pray for seminary professors and pastors to seek first the kingdom and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33
Activating Prayer for China (February 23, 2026, ChinaSource)
Prayer 2026: Off the Beaten Path (January 1, 2026, China Partnership)
Praying Through the ChinaSource Journal (October 13, 2025, ChinaSource)
Praying Through ZGBriefs (August 29, 2025, ChinaSource)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)