China Update

CHINA RELAXES MARRIAGE LAWS

The Chinese government will relax its traditional hold over the private lives of its subjects by allowing them to marry without the permission of their bosses. It has published three lengthy documents dealing with marriage laws and population control. From October 1 marriage applications will no longer have to be approved by the bride's and groom’s work units, while the health examinations forced on both will also cease to be compulsory. AIDS sufferers and others with infectious diseases will no longer be banned from marrying. State media said the measures were aimed at bringing the law up to date with modern China and a growing acceptance that people were entitled to private life.

Under new rules people wanting to wed will only have to provide their identification cards and residence permits and promise they are not already married. Divorce has been liberalized with permission from work units no longer required. There is no change in the law banning homosexual marriage. Reforms of the one-child policy are hinted at, but there is no suggestion it will be scrapped.

The powerful new State Family Planning and Population Commission will launch a vast database making it possible to check the entire population’s marital status on the internet. A similar databank will be created on women of child-bearing age. The two, combined with proposals to replace the current ID card with a computer chip smart card covering both personal details and social benefits, will provide the government with a vast technical apparatus to monitor, reward and punish it’s subjects’ social choices.

The male-female ratio is now officially 117:100 owing to parents’ preference for boys and consequent prenatal gender selection, abandonment and non-registration of girls. The proportion of the population over 65 is likely to reach 20% (over 250 million) by mid-century while the huge migrant population is adding it’s own pressures. (Daily Telegraph, 21 August 2003)

FLOODS AND HEROISM IN ANHUI
Since late June severe flooding of the Huai river has affected large parts of Anhui. Over 1 million people in Yingshang County (total pop. 1.5 million) suffered from the floods. There are 60,000 Christians in Yingshang meeting in 64 churches and meeting-points. Fifty-two churches were flooded and twelve collapsed. In Huoqiu County out of 159 churches and meeting-points 96 were damaged of which 67 were inundated. In one village, a Christian, 47-year-old Mr. Kang, was the first to leap into the river and block a leak in a dike with his own body. He was severely injured and is still in hospital, but his action saved his village. (Tianfeng, August 2003) We note that the CIM founded many vigorous churches in the area affected by floods which in recent years has experienced massive church growth. Please pray for our brothers and sisters there.

GOING TO CHURCH IN RURAL CHINA
“Our village is in a poor mountainous area. Our 50 brothers and sisters here have known Christ for over 20 years. We always go to church in the county town which is far away and the fares are expensive. Some Christians have to pick herbal medicine up in the mountains to scrape enough money together for the fares. Some have to start their 30- or even 40-mile trip before dawn. We would like to start a church here, but are financially too poor.” Letter from Miss Deng in Hunan province to FEBC.

“The journey to worship the Lord does not start on Sundays but on Saturdays. The fervent followers of Christ among the Miao church have to travel tens of miles along bumpy and winding paths across the mountains. They come as families, young and old, from scattered villages carrying with them ragged blankets and dried food. They make sure they will arrive at the church on time to participate in the Saturday evening prayer meeting. Upon arrival, they all kneel on the concrete floor without using cushions—even the elderly. Whole families sleep on the church floor. The only driving force that causes them to travel such a long distance and to endure all the hardship is their thirst to worship God and to hear his Word. If we were in the same situation would we be willing to cross mountains to worship the Lord? May God open our spiritual eyes, grant us a grateful heart, and help us to remember that there are still many Mainland Chinese Christians who suffer affliction.” Report of a visit to the Miao Christians of Guizhou (CCL March 2003)

IMPORTANCE OF URBAN MISSION
In 1949 only 10% of China’s population lived in cities. But by 2000 30% were urbanized. The government plans to increase the urban population to 50% by 2015 which means an annual rate of 20 million rural migrants to the city.

In terms of cash, a rural evangelist can survive in rural areas on RMB300 per month (US$40) but an urban evangelist needs 1000RMB or more in the city (US$125). The dilemma can only be solved if urban evangelists become self-supporting through tent-making.

Fortunately rural migrants can be located easily in the cities. With China joining the WTO foreign investment will create more factories and hence more jobs for these migrants. If the rural church gathers Christian youngsters for urban mission and factory evangelism they can be equipped before being sent to these factories. Instead of dispersing to different factories in different cities they can go to the same factory in the same city as a mission group. In this way Christians can maintain worship and fellowship in a small group, which can’t take place in a dormitory. Preferably the church also sends an evangelist along with the band to shepherd the group and plant a church in or alongside the factory.

By networking with Christian businessmen who own factories in China and house-churches which send Christians to the factories the strategy was proven effective. Rural Christians are the most effective harvesters in the factory because the workers there are all from rural areas. This explains why it is urgent to equip rural churches for urban mission and why it is important to partner with the house-churches in doing factory church-planting. (China Mission Outlook, May 2003)

UNDERCOVER WITH FOOD GANGS
According to an article in the UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph of 21 July 2003, “Much of the UK’s food is processed by illegal immigrants who are ruthlessly exploited by their bosses.” The article, written by an undercover reporter, gave disturbing details of the plight of Chinese illegal immigrants in the UK:

“In June 2003 a fire broke out in a house on an estate in King’s Lynn [Norfolk, England]. Eighteen Chinese people leapt from the three-bedroom former council house or emerged from the garden shed and garage where they had been sleeping. None spoke English. A few days later all had disappeared. The fire revealed a disturbing fact about this pretty, Georgian town in Norfolk. King’s Lynn’s Chinese population, which has been stable for many years at around 300 has exploded in just nine months to 1500. In the countryside around the town Triad gangs have started supplying local farmers and fresh-produce packing factories with illegal labor. Their involvement shows just how organized, profitable and criminal the industry has become.

“Members of King’s Lynn’s Chinese community explained the recruitment process. Ads that specifically mention King’s Lynn as a lucrative place to work are placed in Chinese newspapers published in London, and then sent to China. So profitable is this business that a turf war has broken out. A few days after the fire, detectives from the Metropolitan Police arrived in King’s Lynn to investigate the murder of a Chinese man from Hackney [north London] who was linked to the people smugglers. Suddenly the town realised it was a centre of major criminal activity. The Triads were on the doorstep.

“What did the authorities do? King’s Lynn Asylum and Refugee Service met with the council and the police. One issue appeared to grip them: how to voice concern without appearing racist? The Chinese community had no time for such niceties. When the Triads move into your area and start demanding protection money, political correctness becomes a luxury. As one member of the police force said in exasperation: ‘It is not a matter of race—it is a matter of criminality. There are issues here which no one wants to deal with. We don’t even know the size of the problem because no one is looking.’ Another policeman worries what will happen to the Chinese when the work bandwagon stops. There is no question of deporting them—China refuses to take them back without documentation. So how can they be integrated into the community? Will they become a permanent underclass? Some will voluntarily return home, but a lot can’t. A lot only just manage to get through the day. They never pay off their debts.”

Pray that Christians will have opportunities to reach out with practical help and the message of Christ to desperately needy illegal Chinese immigrants in the UK and many other countries in Europe and North America.

IF CHRISTIANS DON’T GO TO TEACH ENGLISH—THE CULTS WILL!
In November 2003 the Education Department of Taiwan opened up 3,000 teaching positions for Americans to teach in Taiwanese public schools in order to improve the teaching of English. The salary ranges from US$1,400-2,000 per month, plus bonus and other benefits. However, the Mormon church has offered Taiwan 60 "free" teachers, without requiring a salary, and the Department has reportedly already signed a contract with the Mormon church. The Christian churches in Taiwan are very worried. Before long, hundreds or even thousands more Mormons will flood into Taiwan to take more of these teaching positions. If the Mormon church flourishes in Taiwan then there will be more Mormon missionaries for China sent from Taiwan in the future. Christians and churches in North America need to take these teaching posts as soon as possible. Can your church encourage mission-minded Christians to spend one year or longer in Taiwan? (Letter from a missions coordinator in Taiwan)