At speeds of almost 100 miles an hour, the Chinese-built train zips over the Mekong River and careers through dozens of newly bored tunnels as it travels north from the capital. At its last stop, near the Chinese border, brand-new residential towers rise out of the jungle. China funded much of the glistening new infrastructure Read more
The Pope’s historic four-day visit to Mongolia ended on Monday amidst discussions about charity. Pope Francis’ main purpose in visiting Mongolia was to visit its tiny Catholic community. He completed his trip with a stop to tour and inaugurate the House of Mercy. The House of Mercy provides health care to the most needy in Read more
Pope Francis on Sunday told Mongolian Catholics that only love can truly satisfy our hearts’ thirst. In his historic first visit to Mongolia, the pope spoke to about 2,000 people at Ulaanbaatar’s Steppe Arena and emphasised God’s presence in difficult times. Francis drew parallels with life in Mongolia, where about 30% of the land is Read more
Gaining attention are disturbing reports of Beijing seeking to control Chinese diaspora communities in New Zealand and elsewhere. The New Zealand intelligence agency’s annual security threat report says a top concern is ethnic Chinese communities being targeted by people and entities linked to Beijing. Elsewhere around the world, reports about China’s influence and information operations Read more
The appointment of Hong Kong’s Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan as a Cardinal a little over a year and a half after he began his Episcopal ministry in the city is yet another sign of Pope Francis’ devotion to Asia and to China in particular. It is also a sign of the Holy Father’s commitment to Read more
A Catholic defector granted asylum in New Zealand in 2018 says he wants New Zealanders to understand the importance of democratic freedom. When Dong Luobin, now 39, fled from Auckland’s Consulate for the People’s Republic of China nearly five years ago, he told NZ police he feared his Catholicism was putting his life in danger. Read more
They have become a symbol of China’s recent wave of protests: Blank, white sheets of paper held aloft by demonstrators to signify their opposition to anti-virus lockdowns, censorship and freedom of speech. As videos of crowds holding up paper sheets and chanting slogans flooded the internet last weekend, Chinese-language social media posts have come to Read more
On October 30, 2022, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislative body, passed the revised Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests (hereinafter referred to as the “Women’s Protection Law”). The amended Women’s Protection Law, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, added nearly 30 new provisions Read more
China has intensified a crackdown on Uyghur and Kazakh Muslims. There have been mass arrests and detentions ahead of this week’s 20th national congress of the Chinese Community Party (CCP). Bitter Winter, a magazine covering human rights and religious liberty, says the dozens of detainees include religious figures and imams who had been arrested and Read more
A court in Hong Kong has adjourned the trial of outspoken Catholic activist Cardinal Joseph Zen and four co-defendants until October 26. Retired Catholic bishop and Cardinal Joseph Zen and five co-defendants pleaded not guilty at the West Kowloon Magistrates Court to failing to properly register their 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which offered financial, legal Read more