China – Advent Cable Network Nigeria

First Atlas Picturing China’s Religious Landscape

ACNN ADMIN — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 22:58:12 +0000

A book launch on the map of China’s contemporary religious landscape has been published.

The virtual release event for Professor Yang Fenggang’s new work Atlas of Religion in China: Social and Geographical Contexts was held online on December 18.

This atlas has been regarded by some as an unprecedented work showing China’s contemporary religious landscape.

Published by Brill Publishers initially in 2018, the book’s digital version is now available through open access.

Compiled by Professor Yang and his team at Purdue University’s Center on Religion and the Global East, this English-language atlas offers over 150 maps, a review of China’s religions, as well a close-up analysis of 31 provinces.

Professor Yang, the founding Director of the Center on Religion and the Global East at Purdue University and also the founding Editor of the Review of Religion and Chinese Society, mentioned how the atlas features six components: authoritative data; theories and categorization; introductions and reviews; full-color maps; charts; and pictures.

According to the professor of sociology, the majority of the data used in the book came from the National Economic Census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics of China in 2004. Religious organizations with any economic activity were subject to the census, and a total of 72,887 sites of five legal religions (Buddhism, Islam, Protestantism, Daoism, Catholicism) were included.

Other data include the 2007 Chinese Spiritual Life Survey (CSLS) conducted by HorizonKey, the 2010 China General Social Survey (CGSS), the 2010 National Population Census, and other field study data.

“Data from these censuses are authoritative yet limited to registered religious organizations in Mainland China. Underground religious sites or those in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau were not covered in the censuses,” said Professor Yang.

Based on these data, the book offers an overview of the overall religion “market” at a national level. Professor Yang’s “Triple Markets” theory divides all religious organizations in China into three colors. The “Red” market refers to the legal organizations of the five legal religions in China, and detailed figures, maps and analysis are devoted to each religion.

The “Gray” market refers to what he called “semi-legal religions”, such as Confucianism and Protestant house churches. And the “Black” market refers to the illegal religions, including the Shouters and Falun Gong. “The gray and black markets were not covered by the authoritative data achieved through censuses, so mainly they were given only reviews and descriptions.”

At the provincial and county levels, Professor Yang and his team formulated topography maps, religious site maps, as well as maps of noteworthy demographic features particular to the province, such as immigration, education, and young population changes. Visualized maps, charts, and pictures are supplemented with text introductions of local topography, demography, and key religious facts.

He concluded that this atlas was intended to be a true representation of the religious landscape in contemporary China, analyzed using sociological and geographical approaches.

At the book release, several scholars from different disciplines offered their comments. Professor He Guanghu commented that religion is an indispensable part of human geography. As a philosophy and religion professor at the Renmin University of China, he called for more geographical studies in religion.

Dr. Paulos Huang, adjunct professor of the Study of Religions at the University of Helsinki, suggested to those attending that future research could take into account the predominant religion-like element in China – the ideology of Chinese communism. He observed that political seminars were a CCP counterpart of Christians’ Bible studies and could be counted as a religious activity.

Professor Jiang Wu, director of the Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Arizona, noticed that the atlas created a new paradigm for religious studies. The maps visualized features and variability in religious site distribution, inviting future studies to interpret. He also called for researchers to focus on the gray market.

Dr. Wang Chao, adjunct professor of Ethnology at Northwest Minzu University also pointed out a few possibilities for future research. While this atlas provides a relatively static picture of contemporary Chinese religions, diachronic studies showing historical changes could be beneficial too. Other factors, including denomination and ethnic background, should also be taken into account, he believed.

The digital version of Atlas of Religion in China: Social and Geographical Contextscan be accessed here.

China Christian Daily

Chinese President Xi Writes President Buhari of Nigeria

ACNN NEWS — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 11:59:33 +0000

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said his country will use the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Nigeria to promote a strategic partnership to new heights.

This is according to a statement by Femi Adesina, the special media adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Adesina, President Xi disclosed his intentions in a letter addressed to the Nigerian leader on Friday.

“Nigeria is an important strategic partner of China in Africa. China-Nigeria cooperation has been the pacesetter of China-Africa cooperation,’’ the Chinese President is said to have written in his piece to President Buhari.

President Xi’s letter is said to be an appreciation of Buhari’s congratulatory letter on the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which came up on October 1.

The Chinese leader said he attached great importance to the development of China-Nigeria relations and assured President Buhari that his country would spare no effort in strengthening existing relations.

China Orders Mines To Up Coal Production By Nearly 100m Tonnes

ACNN ADMIN — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:09:57 +0000

Chinese authorities have ordered dozens of coal mines to expand production amid a nationwide energy crunch, state media reported Friday.

Dozens of mines in China’s Inner Mongolia, a major coal producing region, were instructed to increase their capacity by more than 98 million tonnes in an official notice not released to the public, the state-run Securities Times reported.

Nearly 60 percent of China’s energy-hungry economy is fuelled by coal, and the country has struggled to wean itself from the fuel despite its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060.

China has been hit by widespread power cuts that have forced factories to delay production as businesses are ordered to minimize energy usage.

Record coal prices, state electricity price controls and tough emissions targets have combined to squeeze the power supply, pushing over a dozen provinces and regions to announce curbs on energy usage in recent months.

The 72 mines in Inner Mongolia were asked to “accelerate the release” of production capacity, the official Securities Times said, citing the current supply crunch as a likely factor behind the order.

China’s coal supply has been disrupted by the pandemic, under pressure from tough emissions targets and squeezed by a drop in coal imports exacerbated by a trade tiff with Australia.

Earlier this month, coal prices hit a record high.

Meanwhile China’s power needs in the first half of the year exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to the National Energy Administration, as demand for factory goods picked up with the rest of the world emerging from Covid lockdowns.

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng had recently warned fuel companies to make sure there is enough fuel to keep the country running, according to Bloomberg News.

AFP

China Declares Crypto Transactions Illegal

ACNN ADMIN — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 20:37:59 +0000

China’s central bank on Friday said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal, sounding the death knell for digital currencies in China after a crackdown on the volatile trade.

The global values of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin have massively fluctuated over the past year partly due to Chinese regulations, which have sought to prevent speculation and money laundering.

“Virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities,” the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said in an online statement Friday, adding that offenders would be “investigated for criminal liability in accordance with the law.”

The notice bans all related financial activities involving cryptocurrencies, such as trading crypto, selling tokens, transactions involving virtual currency derivatives and “illegal fundraising”.

The central bank said that in recent years the “trading and speculation of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies have become widespread, disrupting economic and financial order, giving rise to money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities.”

In June, Chinese officials said more than 1,000 people had been arrested for using the profits from crime to buy cryptocurrencies.

Several Chinese provinces had already banned the operation of cryptocurrency mines since the start of this year, with one region accounting for eight percent of the computing power needed to run the global blockchain — a set of online ledgers to record bitcoin transactions.

Bitcoin values tumbled in May on the back of a warning by Beijing to investors against speculative trading in cryptocurrencies.

AFP

Severe Rainstorms Causes Flooded China Subway, Kills 12

ACNN ADMIN — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 09:47:53 +0000

Twelve people died after torrential rains flooded a subway in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, as shocking images showed passengers struggling against chest-high water inside a train carriage.

As dams burst and river embankments were breached in record downpours across Henan province, President Xi Jinping described the situation as “extremely severe” with flood control measures entering a “critical stage”, state media reported Wednesday morning.

Around 200,000 city residents were evacuated, local government officials said, with soldiers leading rescue efforts in the city of over 10 million people, where days of rain have inundated the streets and subway.

Rainstorms submerged Zhengzhou’s metro, killing 12 people and injuring five, while hundreds were rescued from the subway, city officials said in a Weibo post.

Nerve-shredding images shared on social media showed shocked passengers contending with the fast-rising waters inside a train carriage. Rescuers cut open the roof of the coach to pull people to safety, local media reported.

Others showed dramatic rescues of pedestrians in Zhengzhou from torrents gushing through the streets.

This photo taken on July 20, 2021 shows people wading through flood waters along a street following heavy rains in Zhengzhou in China’s central Henan province. STR / AFP

Relatives outside the city made anxious pleas on China’s Weibo for information as communications to the city went down.

“Is the second floor in danger? My parents live there, but I can’t get through to them on the phone,” one user wrote.

“I don’t know more about their situation. I’m in Tianjin and my parents are in Zhengzhou,” she said, giving her surname only as Hou when contacted by AFP.

“I’m very anxious.”

Authorities have issued the highest warning level for Henan province as floods continue to hammer the region.

As the scale of the disaster continued to unspool on Wednesday, the Chinese army warned that a stricken dam around an hour from Zhengzhou city “could collapse at any time” after being severely damaged in torrential storms.

The regional unit of the People’s Liberation Army alerted Tuesday that the relentless downpour had caused a 20-metre breach in the Yihetan dam in Luoyang — a city of around seven million people.

The PLA’s Central Theater Command said it had sent soldiers to carry out an emergency response including blasting and flood diversion.

“On July 20, a 20-metre breach occurred at the Yihetan dam…. the riverbank was severely damaged” it added in the statement.

Soldiers have been deployed to other rivers nearby to reinforce embankments with sandbags as the floods fanned out across Henan and warnings were issued of other near breaches of dams.

“Some reservoirs had their dams burst… causing serious injury, loss of life and property damage,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

“We have already entered the critical stage of flood control, leaders and cadres from all walks of life must… take the lead in commanding, quickly organise forces for flood protection and disaster rescue.”

This photo taken on July 20, 2021 shows a man riding a bicycle through flood waters along a street following heavy rains in Zhengzhou in China’s central Henan province. STR / AFP

Annual floods during China’s rainy season cause chaos and wash away roads, crops and houses.

But the threat has worsened over the decades, due in part to widespread construction of dams and levees that have cut connections between the river and adjacent lakes and disrupted floodplains that had helped absorb the summer surge.

Scientists say climate change is also worsening flooding around the world alongside other increasingly extreme weather patterns.

According to the authorities, the rainfall in the region was the heaviest since record-keeping began 60 years ago, with Zhengzhou seeing the equivalent of a year’s average rainfall in just three days.

Source: Channels tv

China To Allow Three Children Per Family: Birth Limit Policy

ACNN ADMIN — Mon, 31 May 2021 15:35:16 +0000

China has announced that married Chinese couples are now allowed to have up to three children, easing the child limit policy that restricted couples to just two children.

The announcement was made on Monday, following a need to cope with the risk faced by Chinese economy as a result of the increasing aging population in China, according to Reuters.

In order to reduce economic risks stemming from the rapidly aging population, China introduced the two-child limit policy in 2016 after its one-child policy that had been practiced for decades.

However, the country expressed worry over a rapid fall in the working population and claimed that such is capable of disrupting the country’s future plans for the economy.

Recent data has shown that there is a dramatic decline of birth and a rapid increase in the aging population, leading to more concerns.

The reduction in birth rate, resulting from the high cost of child up-keep in China, has led to more provisions by the government.

The new policy change will come with “supportive measures, which will be conducive to improving our country’s population structure, fulfilling the country’s strategy of actively coping with an aging population”.

Other measures put in place include reduction of educational costs for families, increased support for tax and housing, guaranteed legal interests of working women, and clamp down on “sky-high” dowries, according to the outcome of the China ruling party meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping.