Chinese Christians Gather for First Time
Although Christianity is still almost invisible in public, the Chinese Christian population is growing as the country opens up economically and spiritually.
More than 5,000 Christians from the mainland poured into Hong Kong last month to join the Gospel of China Conference organized by the Christian Life Quarterly, a Chinese-language magazine headquartered in Chicago.
Due to a shortage of hotel rooms in the city, conference-goers filled churches and took buses to the three-day meeting at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
The first Bible study class offered by the Bible Study Fellowship, an international organization, is expected to open in Beijing soon.
Christianity is filtering into Chinese society more, even under government surveillance. Some see it as a force to balance the new Chinese society — whose economic frenzy is leading to a different morality among the people.
— New America Media
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20 Million Vietnamese Have Access to Internet
HANOI, Vietnam — The Ministry of Information and Communications said it plans to focus on information technology in 2008 with the aim of building e-government services.
According to its statistics, Vietnam’s telecommunication network experienced a surge in 2007 with 19.5 million new telephone subscribers. The nation now has 46.94 million phone subscribers, or 55.5 subscribers per 100 people. Of them, mobile phone users account for 75%.
Ten years after its introduction, Vietnam is now a country with one of the highest numbers of Internet use. From a population of 85 million, close to 20 million have access to online data. Moreover, last year, electronics such as computers and computer components emerged as one of Vietnam’s key export staples, earning $3.9 million.
— New America Media
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Parents Play Big Role in Chinese Job Market
HAERBIN, China — Instead of questions relating to an applicant’s ability, experience and education, Chinese companies ask prospective employees, “What do your parents do?” reports the Haerbin Daily, the daily newspaper serving the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. In interviews, human resources personnel glance at resumes and want to know, “How old are your parents? Where do they work? What are their job titles?” On some application forms, there are no specific qualifications for applicants, only blank spaces for “parents’ jobs, companies/ organizations, titles and detailed job descriptions.” Graduating students looking for work say those who get final interviews or offers have parents working in good jobs. Job seekers whose parents failed to impress initially sometimes got offers after they embellished their parents’ job descriptions. Students whose parents have top government positions are the most popular on job markets.
— Haerbin Daily
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China’s Divorce Rate Rises by 20%
The divorce rate in China has increased by almost 20% over the past year, with 1.4 million couples filing for separation in 2007.
One possible reason for the increase is a 2003 law that made it possible for divorces to be obtained in one day. Previously, couples needed permission from either their employers or community committees to divorce.
The government also reported that the number of marriages rose by 12%. The rising divorce rate is part of a long-term trend.
Since China began its market reforms in the late 1970s, the number of people getting a divorce has quadrupled.
The increase in break-ups does not mean the Chinese are losing faith in marriage, said Xu Anqi of the Shanghai Academy of Social Science.
“People’s expectations are higher. The things couples compromised on 10 years ago aren’t tolerated today,” Xu said.
— BBC News
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Young Asian Men Retreat to Virtual World
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Parents in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and China are worried about their so-called “home boys,” a generation of young men who play online games at home, read fantasy comic books and complain in Internet chat rooms about women.
“Many 30-year-olds still have the mentality of children who want to rely on their parents’ care and financial support,” said sociology professor Hsueh Cheng-tai of Taipei’s National Taiwan University.
“They’re not ready to get married and fulfill family duties.”
Young Taiwanese are delaying marriage, and the fertility rate has fallen from 3.2 to 1.2 children per woman since 1971.
Home boys say they are not socially inept or women-haters; it’s just that women ignore, reject or betray them.
One man who calls himself “Klowa” said, “More so than politicians, women are swindlers among swindlers. They will cheat you of your money and time, or worse, steal from several men at the same time.”
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Chinese Students Rank Low On English Test
HONG KONG — The International English Language Testing System published the performance of students from all over the world, reported the Ming Pao Daily. Chinese students ranked the second to bottom. IELTS says Chinese students are doing well in reading and listening tests, but not in writing and speaking ones. It shows Chinese students are more capable in taking English tests than in using the language in real life. Most Chinese taking the tests are junior high or high school students, IELTS said, one reason for China’s bad performance. IELTS is based in England, but universities in other European countries and in the United States use IELTS reports as reference tools in admitting students.
— Ming Pao Daily
Items and photos compiled from news, staff and wire reports.