Progressive Activists in USA Inspired by Sweeping Action as China Tears Down Thousands of Crucifixes in Campaign to ‘Regulate Excessive Religious Sites’
Posted: April 9, 2016 Filed under: Asia, China, Health and Social Issues, Mediasphere, Religion | Tags: Bailiff, Beijing, China, China Christian Council, China Resources Land, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Communist Party of China, Crucifixion of Jesus, Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Jones Lang LaSalle, Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, Wenzhou, Zhang Kai, Zhejiang Leave a comment
China’s leadership launched the crusade to eradicate Christianity almost two years ago.
Lizzie Stromme reports: More than two thousand crosses have now been forcefully removed from churches as part of a government campaign to regulate “excessive religious sites”.The nation’s leadership launched the crusade to eradicate Christianity in the coastal province of Zhejiang almost two years ago.
“Christian charity China Aid confirmed just before Easter that more than 2000 crosses had now been demolished by the government as part of their ‘Three Rectifications and One Demolition” campaign.'”
Several members of the public have since been arrested for attempting to halt the government’s crude attempt to suppress the Christian faith.
In this photo taken July 15, 2014, Pastor Tao Chongyin, left, speaks with church member Fan Liang’an in front of the Wuxi Christian Church with the words “Church of Jesus” in red, in Longwan, Wenzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. Across Zhejiang province, which hugs China’s rocky southeastern coast, authorities have toppled, or threatened to topple, crosses at more than 130 churches. “I won’t let them take down the cross even if it means they would shoot me dead,” said Fan Liang’an, 73, whose grandfather helped build the church in 1924. (AP Photo/Didi Tang)
“It also claimed that since the beginnning of 2016 to early March, 49 Churches had been destroyed in the rampage to abolish Christianity.”
Among the arrested was prominent human rights lawyer Zhang Kai, who was detained after he mounted a legal campaign to challenge the removal of the crosses.
Mr Kai was detained for six months before he was “forced” to appear on the State channel to “confess” his
crimes against the Chinese governement by supporting the anti-establishment protest of the demolition of crucifixes.
Local Christian leaders condemned the forced confession from the lawyer, who also represented a group Christians who were detained for suspected financial crimes last year after they protested at the demolation of crosses, in a public letter.
“There are concerns that this campain to curtail the visable Christian precens in the province could gather momentum.”
Christian charity China Aid confirmed just before Easter that more than 2000 crosses had now been demolished by the government as part of their “Three Rectifications and One Demolition” campaign. Read the rest of this entry »
Another Chinese Billionaire Goes Missing
Posted: January 7, 2016 Filed under: Asia, China, Crime & Corruption, Global | Tags: Alibaba, Barack Obama, Beijing, Chengdu J-10, Communist Party of China, Counterfeit, Fosun International Limited, Government of the People's Republic of China, Guo Guangchang, Hong Kong, Jack Ma, Rui'an, Wenzhou, Wuzhen, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang Leave a comment
The billionaire founder of Metersbonwe, one of China’s best-known fashion brands, has gone missing, the latest in a series of Chinese business people and financiers apparently embroiled in the country’s anti-corruption campaign.
“The company said in a second statement on Thursday night that it was unable to reach Mr Zhou or the secretary of the board, Tu Ke. The statement gave no further details.”
Metersbonwe suspended trading in its shares on the Shenzhen stock exchange on Thursday while the company said it was investigating reports in the Chinese media that Zhou Chengjian, its chairman, had been picked up by police.
“Mr Zhou is the latest high-profile private sector businessman believed to have been caught up in probes, and his disappearance follows the detention last month of Guo Guangchang of the conglomerate Fosun, which owns Club Med.”
The company is a household name on the Chinese high street and Mr Zhou was China’s 65th-richest man last year, according to the Hurun Rich list, with a fortune of Rmb26.5bn ($4.01bn).
The company said in a second statement on Thursday night that it was unable to reach Mr Zhou or the secretary of the board, Tu Ke. The statement gave no further details.
[Read the full story here, at FT.com]
Mr Zhou is the latest high-profile private sector businessman believed to have been caught up in probes, and his disappearance follows the detention last month of Guo Guangchang of the conglomerate Fosun, which owns Club Med. Read the rest of this entry »
China’s Crackdown on Christianity
Posted: August 8, 2014 Filed under: Censorship, China, Religion | Tags: Beijing, China, Christianity, Christianity in China, Communist China, New York Post, Pew Research Center, Wenzhou, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang Leave a comment
Photo courtesy of Lecheng neighborhood church
The crackdown may foreshadow a national shift in official policy on religion, a bid by President Xi Jinping to shore up political stability.
For the New York Post, Jillian Kay Melchior writes: Chinese police attacked the Christians gathered outside of Wenzhou Salvation Church last month, beating them with electric batons.
Pastor Tao Chongyin, left, speaks with church member Fan Liang’an in front of the Wuxi Christian Church with the words “Church of Jesus” in red, in Longwan, Wenzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. (AP Photo/Didi Tang)
“I won’t let them take down the cross even if it means they would shoot me dead.”
— Fan Liang’an, 73, whose grandfather helped build the church in 1924.
At least 14 and as many as 50 worshippers — some elderly — sustained wounds, including a fractured skull, broken bones and internal injuries.
Their crime? Rallying to guard their church cross, government-slated for demolition.
“It’s a risky game: In targeting the church, the Communist leaders also target a crucial source of social stability…”
It was just the latest in the intensifying persecution in Zhejiang Province, one of China’s most Christian regions.
[From our August 3rd edition: Report: China on Course to Become World’s Most Christian Nation within 15 years]
Communist China’s effectiveness at resisting reform and discouraging dissent would almost guarantee that Christianity’s future in China is not hopeful as it might appear. With Maoist China’s record of hostility to Christianity, and current success at containing or crushing competing ideologies, is this report drawing premature conclusions? (read more)
Since January, Communist officials there have toppled the crosses of at least 229 churches. The government has also torn down some churches entirely, and issued demolition notices to over 100 more.
“…and may end up politicizing a large and growing part of the population.”
And the crackdown may foreshadow a national shift in official policy on religion, a bid by President Xi Jinping to shore up political stability. Read the rest of this entry »
China: Babies wearing watermelon overalls is all the rage
Posted: August 14, 2013 Filed under: China, Mediasphere | Tags: Asia, China, Kotaku, Sina Weibo, Twitter, Watermelon, Wenzhou, Xinhua News Agency Leave a commentMy first official post at China Daily Mail. I was among some bloggers invited to contribute. I’m proud to report that this completely silly news item is currently getting the most traffic at China Daily Mail. Which suggests that whack, non-serious news is as popular in China as it is here. I’m also happy to report that this week marks the ONE THOUSANDTH POST at punditfromanotherplant.com For a blog site less than a year old, that’s a nice marker. I plan to celebrate it with a slice of watermelon. Enjoy!
Images of Chinese children wearing watermelons in a variety of styles have gone viral on social networking sites such as China’sWeibo and even made their way to the country’s TV news.
According to the state news agencyXinhua, the trend started in July in the city of Wenzhou when pictures of a small child in a watermelon suit appeared online. Others then followed as parents tried to outdo each other with elaborate watermelon designs.
Watermelon armour, watermelon bikinis and hula-style outfits have all made an appearance online.
Users of social media sites have embraced the idea that the fruit’s refreshing qualities when eaten could also be effective when used as an outfit.
However experts have said it is not a good idea to wear a watermelon suit for extended periods. A dermatologist told People’s Daily, that although few people are allergic to watermelon, sensitive baby skin…
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