Posts in East Asia Perspectives
CHINA’S RELIGIOUS POLICY: A BALANCING ACT

For over a year, many are speculating on what Beijing would do with China’s Christian movement as the Zhejiang provincial government continues to take down crosses from church buildings—over a thousand by now, and counting.  There are also reports of increased suppression of church activities in other provinces.  Is this part of a systematic ideological tightening across the country that may step up in the days ahead?

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DIAOYU-SENKAKU ISLANDS DISPUTE: HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CHINESE FRIENDS

September 11, Japan announced plans to “nationalize” three islands that are part of the Diaoyu-Senkaku territorial dispute with China since 1971.  This came one week before the 81st anniversary of Japan’s occupation of N.E. China in 1931, which was the first step to full-scale invasion of the country as part of WWII in Asia.  In terms of cultural trauma for a nation, 9-18 to the Chinese is what 9-11 is to Americans. 

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