Featured Article
China’s cities are growing FAST! (June 9, 2025, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations)
How will these megacities like Shanghai and Chongqing change the future of China?
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
Li Qiang’s Quiet Rise (June 4, 2025, China File)
Now in his 70s and serving a precedent-breaking third five-year term, Xi seems to be transitioning from hands-on control to a more oracular leadership style: preserving ultimate decision-making authority while entrusting more day-to-day policymaking to the loyalists who now dominate the Party’s elite 24-member Politburo. Prominent among them is Li Qiang, a key beneficiary of this shift, who served as Xi’s chief-of-staff in Zhejiang from 2004 to 2007 after rising through the province’s local ranks.
China and the Tragedy of Leninist One-Party Politics (June 7, 2025, The Diplomat)
The CCP is pulled between the opposing fears of factionalism and one-man rule – both of which stem from the inherent features of a Leninist system like China’s.
Chinese aircraft carrier group enters waters near Japan’s easternmost island for first time (June 9, 2025, The Guardian)
The Liaoning carrier, accompanied by two missile destroyers and a supply ship, entered Japan’s exclusive economic zone before exiting to conduct military drills.
Japan sights two Chinese aircraft carriers in Pacific for first time (June 10, 2025, Reuters)
Two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, in a move that Japan’s defence minister said signified Beijing’s intention to further widen its capabilities beyond its borders. The operations were a “routine training” exercise that did not target specific countries or regions, Wang Xuemeng, a spokesperson for the Chinese Navy, said in a statement, however.
Religion
From Seoul to Tokyo: A Korean Pastor’s Mission to the Chinese Diaspora in Japan (June 3, 2025, ChinaSource Blog)
A Korean missionary fluent in Korean, Chinese, English, and Japanese, serving Chinese in Tokyo, Park’s story is a powerful testament to God’s work in diaspora and global missions today.
October 2025 Study Tour Announcement (June 5, 2025, US-China Catholic Association)
This Study Tour will include 2 days in Hong Kong and 15 days (October 10–24) in mainland China. The 2 days in Hong Kong will be added to either the beginning or the end of the mainland visit. Food and lodging will be organized as part of the Study Tour; travel to Hong Kong or Beijing (from each participant’s home country) and from Hong Kong or Beijing (returning to each participant’s home country) are the responsibility of each participant.
Called to Stay, Equipped to Go (June 6, 2025, ChinaCource Blog)
Mission is not a straight line—it’s a web. And in today’s globalized world, where people are constantly moving across borders and cultures, Chinese Christians have a unique part to play.
Worship Leader: How Should We View Different Worship Styles in the Chinese Church? (June 8, 2025, China Christian Daily)
The worship styles in Chinese churches range from the solemn hymn tradition of Reformed churches to the passionate contemporary praise of the Charismatic movement—from the reverent tones of the pipe organ to the electrifying energy of the electric guitar. Different groups have varying understandings and interpretations of what constitutes worship that aligns with God’s heart.
Changsha: Internet Fame, Tight Control (June 9, 2025, China Partnership Blog)
Changsha is one of the hottest destinations in China, thanks to its Internet-fame as a city full of spicy food, shopping, and nightlife. The city’s fame has only increased in the past five years, and is now full of tourists and sightseers. Local pastors say that — like the rest of China — the city has also become much stricter than before, and that most churches now meet in small groups instead of in one large gathering place.
From Sticker to Sunday School (June 10, 2025, ChinaSource Blog)
I showed Ying the website of a local Chinese church with a wonderful children’s program and pointed out the Sunday school times. That weekend, Ying sent me a photo of the classroom door.
Society / Life
The Mother Line: Oldest Matrilineal Society Unearthed in China (June 6, 2025, Sixth Tone)
An archeological site in Shandong province has provided evidence of a matrilineal society dating back to 2750 to 2500 BC, shattering previous assumptions.
China’s warning against cross-border marriage scams reveals the pitfalls of human trafficking · Global Voices (June 6, 2025, Global Voices)
On May 25, the Chinese embassy in Bangladesh issued a public notice urging Chinese citizens to comply with laws governing cross-border marriages and to be cautious about dating content on social media platforms, as well as illegal matchmaking agencies. The notice also cautioned against the idea of “buying a foreign wife,” and advised Chinese nationals to carefully consider marriage in Bangladesh, warning them to avoid “losing both money and person.”
Cheng Lei: ‘I’m catching up on four years. I missed my children so much’ (June 6, 2025, The Guardian)
After years in a Chinese prison, the journalist talks about freedom, falling foul of Chinese authorities and trying to make fried potato on her cell floor.
Economics / Trade / Business
China’s electric cars are becoming slicker and cheaper – but is there a deeper cost? (June 9, 2025, BBC)
It is, of course, a car. A very small one, designed as a cheap city runabout – but it could have huge significance. Available in China since 2023, where it has proved extremely popular, it has just been launched in Europe with the name Dolphin Surf (because Europeans apparently aren’t as keen on seagulls as Chinese people). When it goes on sale in the UK this week, it’s expected to have a price tag of around £18,000. That will still make it, for an electric car on western markets, very cheap indeed.
Tariffs: US and China meet for trade talks in London (June 9, 2025, BBC)
A new round of talks aimed at resolving the trade war between the US and China has started in central London. A senior US delegation including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met Chinese representatives such as Vice Premier He Lifeng at Lancaster House to resolve tension between the world’s two largest economies, which is threatening global growth.
Science / Technology
China eyes 10 new national data zones in digital economy push, AI race with US (June 6, 2025, South China Morning Post)
The National Data Administration (NDA) said the zones would be established in Beijing, Zhejiang, Anhui and other regions. The initiative encourages select local governments to spearhead efforts “in nurturing data-related market entities and expanding the data market”, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
History / Culture
Hong Kong in 1980 (June 9, 2025, Everyday Life in Maoist China)
The Lost Art of Chinese Purple (Sixth Tone)
The nearly 3,000-year-old synthetic pigment’s invention has long been a mystery. Now, archaeologists think they’ve finally cracked the code.
Education
Amid Gaokao, Students Turn to a Reclusive Math Genius for Luck (June 10, 2025, Sixth Tone)
in 2021. But a surprise appearance on Douyin ahead of China’s college entrance exam last week drew millions of new followers within days.Wei Dongyi had largely stayed out of the public eye since going viral
Health / Environment
From Avatar to mountain of rubbish: China pulls decade of trash from historic caves (June 9, 2025, South China Morning Post)
Chinese authorities have cleaned up more than 50 tonnes of rubbish from ancient caves in Zhangjiajie, a stunning site that inspired a location in Avatar, and punished four officials after the cavities became a stinking dumping ground.
Language / Language Learning
The agonies of an ABC learning Chinese (June 6, 2025, Language Log)
Mandarin Monday: All About Chili Peppers (June 9, 2025, The Beijinger)
As an ode to the vibrant little plants that set our mouths – or hearts, if the Ghost Pepper gets you there – ablaze, we’ve compiled a list of the most well-known naturally occurring chili peppers, their names in Chinese, and where to find them in Beijing and/or China.
Books
Reaching Chinese Students in Korea: Insights from a Groundbreaking Study (June 9, 2025, ChinaSource Blog)
Review of Conversion of Chinese Students in Korea to Evangelical Christianity: Factors, Process, and Types by Chang Seop Kang. This book is a study about the conversion processes for Chinese students studying in South Korea. The author is a long-term missionary among the Chinese diaspora and did the research work as part of his post-graduate studies in Korea.
Pray for China
June 13 (Pray for China: A Walk Through History)
In the aftermath of the Second Opium War, on June 11, 1862, the Chinese government opened the Tong Wen Guan (同文馆), a school dedicated initially to learning foreign languages. John S. Burdon (包尔腾), a British missionary, was hired as the first English instructor. Burdon & Dr. William Lockhart (雒魏林) were among the first missionaries to take up residence in Beijing. Pray for effective witness by foreign Christian teachers and students now in Beijing. For you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. Acts 22:15
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Praying for China | Prayercast (January, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Pray for China (China Partnership)
