ZGBriefs

A weekly roundup of news and analysis to help you follow key developments in China and the Chinese church.

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Latest

ZGBriefs | September 10, 2026

Two Filmmakers, 1,100 Villages, and a Race to Record Rural China (September 4, 2026, Sixth Tone)

Jon Kuert • September 10, 2026

App Life in China (August 26, 2026, ChinaFile) The country has gone cashless, and you need a mobile phone tied to a verified identity to use Alipay and WeChat Wallet, and these are the only digital wallets that work.

Jon Kuert • September 3, 2026

ZGBriefs | August 27, 2026

From Mahjong Clubs to ‘Chinamaxxing’, Why Chinese Culture Seems to Be Everywhere (August 18, 2026, The Christian Science Monitor)

Jon Kuert • August 27, 2026

Lisu Church in Fugong (福贡), Yunnan Province, China.

ZGBriefs | August 20, 2026

Video - Deep In Rural China, We Found a Christian World (August 14, 2026, Little Chinese Everywhere) Many Lisu communities here are Christian, with their own language and even a fascinating writing system. Join us as we explore this hidden valley and discover a side of China that few people have ever seen.

Jon Kuert • August 20, 2026

ZGBriefs | August 13, 2026

How Does China Build Everything So Fast? (Mar 31, 2026, Manocha Opinion via Substack) A couple days back, I was watching this reel on Instagram that it took China 9 hours to rebuild a railway station…

Jon Kuert • August 13, 2026

ZGBriefs | August 6, 2026

PLA 99th Anniversary (August 4, 2026, South China Morning Post - China Series) The People’s Liberation Army marks its 99th anniversary on August 1.

Jon Kuert • August 6, 2026

A container ship on blue water from above.

ZGBriefs | July 30, 2026

The Human Faces of China’s Belt and Road Strategy, Through Liu Heung-shing’s Lens (July 16, 2026, South China Morning Post)

Jon Kuert • July 30, 2026

Three elderly women chatting on a park bench.

ZGBriefs | July 23, 2026

Ten Years After the Charity Law: Whither Chinese NGOs? (July 21, 2026, Made in China Journal) While the Party-State’s firm grip on civil society has long rested on its formidable coercive capacities, it has increasingly sought to complement regulatory control with ideological legitimacy.

Jon Kuert • July 23, 2026