Displaying items by tag: China

Thursday, 25 July 2019 22:47

South Korea: jets fire at Russian aircraft

South Korean F-15 fighter jets, sent to intercept a Russian surveillance plane, fired 360 machine-gun rounds to prevent it from entering the airspace over the disputed Dokdo/Takeshima islands, occupied by South Korea but claimed by Japan. Russia denied violating the airspace, saying two of its bombers carried out a planned drill with China over ‘neutral waters’, and denied any warning shots were fired by South Korean jets. Russian and Chinese bombers and reconnaissance planes have occasionally entered the zone in recent years, but now Japan has confirmed that its military has also deployed fighter jets in response to the Russian incursion. Because it claims sovereignty over the islands, Japan's government said that Russia had violated its airspace. It also said that South Korea's response was extremely regrettable.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 12 July 2019 13:03

China: religious minorities suppressed

Eager to suppress religions, authorities in Xingyang city shattered numerous Christian and folk religion places of worship and there is also a systematic plan to eliminate the faith and customs of Hui Muslims by removing all Islam-related symbols from buildings. China is also separating Muslim children from their families, faith and language. Hundreds of thousands of adults are being detained in giant camps while a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools is under way. The BBC has comprehensive evidence about what is happening to children. In one township alone over 400 children have lost both parents to internment in camps or prison. The children are removed from their cultural and religious roots and being ‘educated’ by the Communist Party. ‘I don't know who is looking after them,’ one mother says, showing a picture of her daughters, ‘there is no contact at all.’ Another mother, wipes away tears. ‘I heard that my children are in an orphanage.’ See

Published in Worldwide

The 1984 treaty between the UK and China paved the way for sovereignty over the territory to pass back to Beijing. A joint declaration set out how the rights of Hong Kong citizens should be protected for the next 100 years. Hong Kong has a judicial system independent from China, but a controversial proposed extradition bill flies in the face of the treaty. It caused huge protests, and activists occupied parliament buildings. China’s reaction to this event prompted Jeremy Hunt to summon its ambassador on 3 July, saying that he rejected Beijing’s ‘unacceptable behaviour and inaccurate remarks’. On 4 July China warned the UK not to interfere in its domestic affairs and labelled the UK ‘hypocritical’, saying that it no longer has a say in how Hong Kong should be run and managed. See also ‘Hong Kong Christians’ in world section.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 05 July 2019 10:13

Hong Kong: Christians and demonstrations

Last week we praised God for the peaceful anti-extradition bill rallies in city streets. This week violent demonstrators stormed the legislative building in protest against the extradition bill. Many Christians feared for their lives in light of the now-suspended bill, due to China having some of the most restrictive religious freedom laws on earth. According to the law, religious assemblies in public areas are not deemed illegal, so if people sing hymns together, it could actually work as a protection and guarantee that they stay safe. But this week people started to sing ‘Sing hallelujah to the Lord’ to protect themselves in chaotic scenes of huge groups storming into government buildings, painting graffiti on the walls and even draping the front lectern in a British Hong Kong flag used during the colonial period. Amid the political turmoil, Hong Kong’s many Christian leaders have called for peace and progress. Pray for people with different positions and opinions to listen to each other.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 05 July 2019 09:39

Global: post-G20 foreign bribery unchecked

China, Mexico and Russia are just some of the countries represented at this year’s G20 summit which are failing to enforce their laws and promises against corruption, and in particular foreign bribery. International bribery is one of the many ways in which corruption heavily impacts sustainable development and economic growth. It hinders fair access to markets as well as progress on today’s most pressing issues like education, healthcare, gender equality and the climate crisis. To make economic development work for all, anti-corruption should be mainstreamed into every decision and policy. G20 governments must enable clean contracting provisions, publish open registers of beneficial owners of companies, and create strong whistle-blower protection. G20 leaders must focus on implementing their commitments and not feel tempted just to keep making more promises.

Published in Worldwide

In this season, we have seen the Lord highlighting our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ – not only in Asia, but across the Globe, and not only for their own breakthrough, but also for the sake of the Global Body.

This July there will be another “Chinese Homecoming Gathering” in Hong Kong, where several thousand Chinese believers (from China, throughout Asia and beyond) along with other Global Family members in Christ will gather together to worship, pray and seek God’s face for the sake of seeing His Kingdom come and His will being done, on earth as it is heaven (Matthew 6:10). 

At this time, the Lord is particularly highlighting the need for the kind of ‘oneness’ within the Body that Jesus prays about in John 17:21-23.  We are responding to His longing for us to be ‘one’ as He and the Father are ‘one’ so that the world will know that He was sent by the Father.  

This is a personal invitation to all those connected with IPC, as well as all family and friends, to join your Global Family for this “Chinese Homecoming Gathering: Oneness” July 24-27, 2019 in Hong Kong.  And, whether you can or cannot join us physically, we encourage you to join us through prayer for this very significant time. 

Prayer points:

  1. As God is doing a deep, exciting thing, the enemy has been working overtime trying to irritate the Chinese Family and create hostility in their hearts against each other. Please pray that the body of Christ will transcend the political spirit and continue to declare "We are one," in the spirit, so that the secular world can see the Way, the Truth and the Light through His Body. 
  2. Pray that the Lord will protect the fruits of unity within the Chinese Body of Christ and that the church would be able to overcome the disturbances of the political spirit.
  3. Pray for safe travel of attendants from their countries to Hong Kong.  *Especially pray for favor in getting visas for those from “restricted” countries* – as they will be the majority.
  4. Pray for the financial provisions for the "Oneness" Chinese Gathering.
  5. Pray for the Hong Kong administration team and that there will be plenty of volunteers. Pray that they will all flow as a family working together in love, honor, and God's anointing. Bless the department leaders with strength, wisdom and health and also pray they will have the heart of the Father as they host and receive the nations coming.
  6. Pray for the worship family, including the prophetic dance team and the team of prophetic artists – that they will flow as one with constant sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and that they will get lost in His Presence and be totally enveloped in His love and protection.
  7. Pray for travel mercy and physical adjustment for those travelling from overseas to Hong Kong. 

Thank you for your invaluable prayer support!

Please note that this is an open Gathering and everyone is most welcome to attend!  Details can be found at https://watchmen.org/upcoming/chinese2019

https://watchmen.org/upcoming/chinese2019

More info and book here:http://www.asiagathering.hk/

Thursday, 27 June 2019 21:32

China: ‘Christianity harmful to security’

A seminar held in Hebi, Henan for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) discussed the ‘enormous harm’ officials believe Christianity poses to national security. All CCP members were urged to maintain ‘correct views’ with regard to religion, and to avoid being persuaded by any ‘ideology’. The government openly forbids CCP members from practising a religion, saying Christianity is attempting to undermine its rule. There is no evidence for this, but the CCP exhibits extensive social management, with different departments managing religion ‘through non-religious ways’, in an effort to claim religion is a threat. Unfortunately, only a few countries are willing to stand up to China on human rights violations and religious persecution.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 21 June 2019 11:19

North Korea / China: sex trade trafficking

China’s president Xi Jinping visited North Korea on 20/21 June. It is the first visit by a Chinese president in over a decade. While the world ponders Korea’s denuclearisation issue, the plight of trafficked victims from North Korea to China is being ignored. Women and girls from the reclusive state are being taken to China and forced to work as prostitutes or sold as brides, and Beijing is doing little to stop it. Fleeing a patriarchal regime of tyranny and poverty, they are passed through the hands of traffickers, brokers, and criminal organisations before being pulled into China’s sex trade. Pray for sexual slavery and trafficking to be topics of conversation  between Xi and Kim. Xi is also expected to attend the G20 summit in Osaka the following week. Pray for a positive meeting between him and Donad Trump there.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 21 June 2019 11:11

China: earthquakes and fracking

On 17 June buildings collapsed, trapping people underneath in a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in the south-west Chinese province of Sichuan. Thirteen people have died so far, and 4,000+ people have been relocated from damaged and destroyed homes. Landslides damaged major roads. Over 500 firefighters were deployed to the area, and rescue teams are bringing in 5,000 tents, 10,000 folding cots, and other supplies. See  Earlier this year a thousand residents gathered outside government buildings in Sichuan province, blaming recent earthquakes on shale gas exploration in the area. The county subsequently suspended fracking operations. The Seismological Society of America attributed a 5.7 quake in December 2018 and a 5.3 quake in January 2019 to fracking activities in the region. Quake-prone Sichuan has extensive fracking operations, accounting for about a third of China's total shale gas production. Chinese geologists said that over-development of hydropower resources has undermined the seismic stability of Sichuan. Some blame the 2008 catastrophic earthquake on large-scale damming.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 13 June 2019 21:16

China, Hong Kong: Catholics urge restraint

A proposed bill allowing mainland China to pursue government critics and criminals in Hong Kong and extradite them to China drew protest marches by thousands on 9-11 June, causing a debate on 12 June to be cancelled. The Catholic diocese of Hong Kong joined the social welfare sector and the largest teachers’ union in voicing concerns about the bill. Two thousand counsellors, carers, therapists, and religious groups went on strike. A strike organiser said, ‘We are forced to take a stand on this moral question of right and wrong.’ Several other Christian denominations in Hong Kong also voiced concerns. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters, who threw bricks and projectiles back. People are worried that the civil rights and freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong under the ‘one country two systems’ arrangement will be eroded under the new law. China often uses accusations of non-political crimes to prosecute its critics.

Published in Worldwide