China News – Drink of Jesus

25 dead after cargo ship fire in Chinese port

September 12, 2026September 12, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

A cargo ship docked for repairs in a Chinese port caught fire, killing 25 people, Chinese state media reported Thursday. The ship was being repaired in the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. at the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub on the northeastern Chinese coast. A photo released by Xinhua news agency identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the tracking website VesselFinder. A total of 42 people had been on the vessel, and 12 of them were safely evacuated, Xinhua reported.

Five were injured and taken to the hospital, and they remained in a stable condition. The fire started around 11 a.m. Thursday and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. local time. Videos online showed workers on the ship attempting to put out the fire. China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people on the ship, Xinhua said, adding that Premier Li Qiang called for “trapped” people to be rescued. Xi also called for ensuring “preventive measures are thoroughly implemented” and “resolutely prevent major and catastrophic accidents.”

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. In the verse David is praying in the morning while people who hate…

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September 17, 2026

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Humanoid robot imports banned as U.S. targets Chinese products over national security concerns

August 1, 2026July 31, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

The Federal Communications Commission is banning imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move that targets China. The measures are likely to test relations with Beijing ahead of a planned U.S. visit and meeting with President Trump by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in September. China dominates the global market for humanoid robots with an estimated market share of roughly 85%. The FCC’s ban also includes new imports of quadruped robots – often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. The FCC’s decision was based on findings from a task force convened by the White House that concluded foreign-built robots could create “a cybersecurity risk that threatens the security of critical infrastructure” and “the safety and security” of U.S. residents, French news agency AFP reported.

The agency added that offshore production of such equipment also leaves U.S. supply chains vulnerable to disruptions. The ban on power inverters, which are used to convert direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity and are used in renewable energy systems, data centers and household appliances, could have sweeping ramifications. FCC chairperson Brendan Carr said Tuesday that the move was to “secure America’s critical supply chains.” He said the bans apply to “new versions” of such imports. The FCC’s bans follow a slew of U.S. restrictions on imports of Chinese products, including drones, and on exports of U.S. advanced technology to China. The U.S. is also weighing controls on the use of Chinese open-source artificial intelligence models at a time when Chinese AI is rapidly gaining ground. “It’s a steady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into (the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September,” said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank focused on Chinese technology policies. China has been rapidly expanding its use of robots, with policies supporting its technology sector. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast its market for humanoids could reach $15 billion by 2030. “Chinese manufacturers have been scaling production and reducing costs faster than most overseas competitors,” said analyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar.

“Restricting their access to the U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition,” he said. “However, it will not materially slow China’s overall humanoid development, given the size of its domestic manufacturing base and opportunities in other export markets.” Of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT, two of China’s largest advanced robotics companies, each shipped more than 5,000. Their U.S. counterparts, like Tesla and Figure AI, each shipped a few hundred or less, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia. China’s Foreign Ministry hit back at the U.S. move, accusing Washington of overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese companies.

China will take “all measures necessary” to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses, it said. “Protectionism does not make the U.S. more competitive, and it will only hurt the interests of U.S. companies and consumers,” Mao Ning, a ministry spokesperson, told reporters at a regular press conference Wednesday in Beijing. The new bans could also potentially interfere with collaborations between U.S. and Chinese technology companies, said Lian Jye Su, a chief analyst at Omdia. Nvidia, for example, in June revealed a humanoid robot reference design that uses the humanoid chassis of China’s Unitree. The Pentagon recently included Unitree and several other major Chinese technology companies on its list of firms that it said have ties to or aid the Chinese military. Beijing has rejected that claim.

Source: Humanoid robot imports banned as U.S. targets Chinese products over national security concerns – CBS News

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September 11, 2026

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‘There is no longer a safe place to be a Christian in China’

July 15, 2026July 15, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

The Chinese government is increasingly cracking down on state-sanctioned churches as well as underground churches, leaving no “safe place” for Christians, according to International Christian Concern. A new report by ICC tracks persecution of Christians in China since July 2021 and records 32 cases of arrests and detainments, five raids on Christian schools, and 20 cases of the Sinicization of churches – where churches are forced to align their faith with the social and political messaging of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The ICC said that exact numbers were likely to be far higher because of the challenges of receiving information from China. “The government’s scrutiny of Christians is part of a wider effort to Sinicize the country by coercing religious groups to submit to the communist CCP ideology,” the report said. “The Religious Affairs Bureau and the CCP have one single goal regarding religion: to prevent religious influence from threatening their communist control.”

State-sanctioned churches are especially susceptible to the Chinese government’s Sinicization efforts. “All state-approved churches are required to raise the national flag, place regulations on worship, incorporate core socialist values into sermons, and maintain traditional Chinese culture,” the report said. The ICC report says that a new measure implemented by the Chinese government in June, called the ‘National Religious Organizations Common Initiative on Cultivating Frugality and Abstaining from Extravagance’, has allowed it to “tighten its grip” on major religions in China. “State-sanctioned churches today are increasingly at the mercy of laws and non-legislative regulations introduced by the government,” said ICC. “State-vetted churches have decided to follow the regulations, thereby pressuring unregistered churches to follow suit. “Three-Self churches are part of the legal framework the CCP uses to systemically curb Christianity. If a church is not registered as a state-sanctioned church, the church is violating the law and the CCP can step in at any time to shut down churches, prosecute individuals, and put enormous social pressure on attendees. “With the intensified crackdown against churches— both state-vetted and underground—there is no longer a safe place to be a Christian in China. Covid-19 has also had a lasting impact on religious liberty in China as the pandemic was used as a pretext to introduce more restrictions on religious activity. “Restrictions on religious activity have spread as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While public and commercial places such as malls, markets, restaurants, and libraries were allowed to open, church activities were banned by the government. “One report revealed that the state used epidemic prevention as a pretext to prevent churches from gathering to celebrate Christmas in Shandong, Anhui, and Guangdong provinces,” the report said. Even meeting online has become difficult after the Chinese government announced in March that it was banning online religious activity. Under the ban, Chinese churches and religious organizations must register with the state and receive permission to post religious content online. “The regulation was established to ensure all religious activity aligns with the Communist Party’s agenda,” ICC said. Data in the report has been drawn mostly from the ICC, ChinaAid, the Union of Catholic Asia News and Radio Free Asia. “ICC’s incident report continues to be a testament to China’s intensified crackdown against Chinese Christians and churches despite Beijing’s repeated claim that ‘respecting and protecting freedom of religious belief is the basic policy of the CCP and the Chinese government in dealing with religion’,” said Gina Goh, ICC’s regional manager for Southeast Asia.

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September 5, 2026

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US expert on underground nuclear tests detained in China for 18 months

July 15, 2026July 15, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

An American scientist who has studied underground nuclear tests has been detained in China for more than 18 months on spying charges, according to his supporters and a US lawmaker. Youlin Chen, a seismologist, has been “wrongfully detained” since November 2024, US Senator Edward Markey said in a statement Tuesday. President Donald Trump raised Chen’s detention and asked for his freedom during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, according to Global Reach, a US non-profit that has been working with Chen’s family on his case. Chen, who was living in Boston and has a college-age son, is the only American currently held in China designated as wrongfully detained, the non-profit said. The case adds another point of friction between the US and China as they try to stabilize ties, and ahead of Xi’s expected visit to the US later this fall.

Its revelation comes weeks after China confirmed the arrest of another US scholar, Min Zin, who it said is “suspected of spying and endangering Chinese national security.” Global Reach said there are suspicions that Chen’s detention is linked to China’s recent expansion of its nuclear capabilities, including carrying out an alleged underground nuclear test in 2020. Beijing denies this test. China and the US have both signed, but not ratified, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) – an international agreement prohibiting “any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion.” Chen’s work focuses on using seismological data to improve methods to identify and monitor nuclear tests. It has included research into North Korea’s underground nuclear testing. Chen’s research has been funded by the US State Department and US Air Force Research Laboratory.

In December 2020, he authored a technical report that used regional seismic data recorded across Asia, including data from stations in China, to improve methods for nuclear-test monitoring and yield estimation, according to Global Reach. A subsequent 2024 study that he authored was also funded by the US Air Force Research Laboratory and the US Department of State and “further reinforces Chen’s expertise in the seismic monitoring and detection of underground nuclear tests,” the group said. Detained at airport Chen was detained at the airport after visiting his parents in Beijing, according to Kieran Ramsey, chief investigative officer at Global Reach. “China is being accused … by the State Department of violating (the CTBT),” Ramsey said. “And at the same time they’re holding the American expert that would be able to identify that exactly.” “Unfortunately, this case is an example of China being willing to use hostage diplomacy as part of their great-power competition with the US and unfortunately Doctor Chen is the sole example right now officially designated by the US government,” he added.

Earlier this month a pastor who founded one of China’s most prominent underground churches was released from prison and reunited with his family in the United States after being detained in a crackdown in China last year. His release came after Trump raised his case with Xi during his May visit. A State Department spokesperson told CNN that the US has raised Chen’s case directly with Chinese officials and called for his immediate release. When asked by CNN whether the case was raised by Trump during his meeting with Xi, a White House official said that “President Trump has been clear that he wants every American detained abroad to return home.” China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denied that Chen was “wrongfully detained” and said judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law, when asked about the case at a regular press briefing. Chen was charged with espionage on May 1, 2025, but has not yet stood trial.

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September 1, 2026

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China conducts rare submarine-launched ballistic missile test, angering Pacific neighbors

July 7, 2026July 7, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

China on Monday conducted a rare test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean, sparking criticism from New Zealand and Australia for actions that they said threatened peace and stability in the region. A People’s Liberation Army Navy submarine “launched a strategic missile carrying a dummy warhead toward relevant high seas of the Pacific Ocean, which landed precisely within the designated waters,” said a statement from Senior Capt. Wang Xuemeng, a spokesperson for the PLA Navy. “This test launch was a routine part of China’s annual military training schedule,” said Wang, who added that “relevant nations” were informed in advance about the test.

“The operation was in accordance with international law and practice, targeting no specific country or objective,” Wang said. The missile traveled over the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Kiribati and Tuvalu and landed around the EEZ border of either Kiribati or Tuvalu, a regional source familiar with the matter told CNN. The US State Department said it had monitored the launch of a nuclear-capable but unarmed “intercontinental-range ballistic missile,” in a statement attributed to a spokesperson. “Beijing’s rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern to the region and the world,” it said, adding that it urged China “to engage in meaningful arms control discussions.” Beijing did not say what type of missile was tested. CNN has asked China’s Defense Ministry for comment on the test. The PLA Navy operates two types of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the JL-2 and the JL-3.

The latter has sufficient range to reach the continental United States from waters off the coast of China, including the South China Sea, according to missile experts. China’s main ballistic-missile submarine is the Type 094, also known as the Jin class, of which it operates six vessels. Beijing rarely reports its missile tests, but according to the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the JL-3 was first tested in 2018 and then once more a year later. ‘Unwelcome and concerning’ New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said Monday that China fired the missile into waters of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, established in 1986 by the Treaty of Rarotonga. China signed protocols II and III of the pact in 1987. Protocol II calls on signatories not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against other nations or their territories within the zone; protocol III bans nuclear testing in the zone.

“Earlier today, China informed us of its plans to launch a long-range ballistic missile into the South Pacific,” Peters said. “New Zealand considers this an unwelcome and concerning development. We, like our neighbors in other Pacific countries, have no interest in China using the South Pacific as a testing site for missile capability,” Peters said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday called the test “destabilizing to the region.” The test must be viewed “in the context of a rapid military build-up by China, which is lacking in the transparency and reassurance as to intent that the region expects,” Wong said, adding that she would leave it up to China to “speak to its intent.” A Japanese government statement expressed “serious concerns regarding China’s increasingly active military activities” and urged Beijing to reconsider ballistic missile testing. The self-ruled island of Taiwan – which Beijing has vowed to “reunify” with, by force if necessary – was also critical of the launch. Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Beijing’s actions had “caused unease” in the region and further highlighted “China’s increasingly obvious ambitions for expansion in the Western Pacific.”

New Zealand’s Peters said the Chinese test brought back memories of 2024, when the PLA test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in the region. “We as a region should not sit by and allow such tests to become normalized or routine,” Peters said. But missile tests are routine for nuclear powers. For instance, the US Navy last September conducted four tests of its Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile off Florida, according to a press release. India tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile in December, and Russia test-launched an SLBM last October. China has been building up its nuclear-powered sub fleet as part of an overall boost to its nuclear forces. China last tested an ICBM launched into the Pacific in September 2024, firing a DF-31B nuclear-capable missile from Hainan Island in the South China Sea into the open Pacific near French Polynesia.

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August 26, 2026

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Man blown from 12th-floor apartment as deadly tornado rips through central China.

July 7, 2026July 7, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

A deadly tornado, so powerful that it sucked a man out of his 12th-floor apartment, swept through China’s central Hubei province leaving behind a trail of destruction, according to state media reports. At least 11 people were killed and more than 331 injured when the tornado that brought winds of up to 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour struck late Monday evening, leaving houses ripped apart, overturning cars and damaging farmland, according to the Xinhua news agency. More than 4855 houses were damaged in Hubei, a major industrial hub known for its automotive manufacturing, Xinhua said. One of the worst-affected places was Huanggang city, where the wind was so strong that it sucked a 30-year-old man and some of his belongings, including his sofa and cabinets, from his 12th-floor apartment, local media reported.

The man is now in intensive care in hospital, the reports said. Elsewhere in the city, several heavy trucks were lifted and moved as far 30 meters by the winds. Dramatic video showed a large tornado tearing through nearby Ezhou city, where five people were killed. Local authorities acknowledged the “immense losses from the disaster” and said more than 3000 people were involved in rescue efforts. Tornadoes are rare in Hubei province, which experienced its last one in May 2021. The severe weather in Hubei is a result of Typhoon Maysak overlapping with the early-summer rainy season, experts say, and comes as China’s southwest Guangxi region experiences severe flooding and after a deadly landslide in Gansu province in the northwest. Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for an all-out rescue and relief effort, and the resettlement of those affected. Since Sunday, Typhoon Maysak has brought floodwaters to Guangxi region, where four people have been killed and eight remain missing.

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August 20, 2026

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China test-launches ballistic missile from sub in South Pacific, drawing protests

July 7, 2026July 7, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

China’s military test-launched a long-range ballistic missile Monday from one of its nuclear-powered submarines in the South Pacific, drawing protest and concern from countries in the region. The missile was launched at 12:01 p.m. and carried a dummy warhead, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. China last conducted a missile test in the Pacific two years ago, firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead. That previous launch in international waters was the first in decades, since 1980. Monday’s launch was part of routine annual training, complied with international law and practice, and was not directed against any country or target, according to a short statement from Xinhua, which was reposted by the Ministry of Defense.

The 2024 launch mirrored testing that the United States does for its own ballistic missile fleet, and experts viewed it at the time as an assertion of China’s growing superpower status. Monday’s test came on the same day China and Russia launched annual joint naval exercises off the Chinese coast, French news agency AFP reported. The “Joint Sea-2026” exercise began in the eastern Chinese port of Qingdao, Beijing’s defense ministry said in a statement, according to AFP. U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Monday that the U.S. monitored the test launch of the unarmed missile. “At a time when the United States is working harder than ever to prevent nuclear proliferation, China is doing the opposite. Beijing’s rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup is of great concern to the region and the world,” the statement reads.

“We continue to urge China to engage in meaningful arms control discussions and commit to a regularized notification arrangement for all intercontinental-range ballistic missile and space launches consistent with commitments made by all other P5 members.” “The United States remains steadfast in our defense commitments to our allies and partners,” it added. Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan criticized China’s Monday missile launch. The New Zealand government said it was informed of the planned launch hours beforehand and noted that the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone. The nuclear-free zone was established by the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga, which prohibits nuclear weapons throughout the region. China in 1987 ratified the protocols pledging not to test nuclear weapons within the zone, or to threaten to use them against signatories with territory in the region.

“It appears that despite our long-standing concerns about this type of activity, China carried out the test within hours of informing us,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters told The Associated Press in a statement. The launch took place the same day Australia and Fiji signed a new mutual defense treaty that is meant to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific. “Australia has been clear with China that we regard this as destabilizing to the region,” Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters in Fiji, in response to the test. Tokyo said on Monday it had strongly urged China to reconsider the test after the Japanese Embassy in Beijing was told about it by Chinese authorities before the event, AFP said. “We strongly called for a rethink of the ballistic missile test-firing, so that it won’t pose a threat to Japan’s security such as by passing through Japan’s airspace,” a joint government statement said.

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August 13, 2026

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Trump Says China Is Trying To Take Over Panama Canal, Slams ‘Stupid’ US Decision

July 2, 2026July 2, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

For Donald Trump, the Panama Canal remains unfinished business. Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday, the US President returned to one of the foreign policy themes that has featured repeatedly during his presidency: the argument that Washington should never have surrendered control of the Panama Canal. This time, he coupled that criticism with a fresh allegation that China is seeking greater influence over the strategic waterway, insisting the United States would not allow such an outcome. Trump’s remarks came during an event celebrating Theodore Roosevelt, the US president whose administration oversaw construction of the canal in the early twentieth century.

Drawing on that historical backdrop, Trump criticised the decision to transfer control of the canal under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, arguing that successive toll increases had benefited Panama while weakening American strategic interests. Created with AI. Although he did not present evidence for his claims regarding Beijing’s role, the comments reflected his administration’s broader emphasis on countering Chinese influence in critical global infrastructure. “The Panama Canal, so we gave it away,” Trump told the audience. “The first thing they did, you know what they did? They raised the prices for the ships by four times… How stupid was that?” Trump Revives Debate Over Strategic Waterway Trump went on to argue that Panama had repeatedly increased transit charges without affecting shipping volumes, portraying the transfer of the canal as a costly strategic error for the United States.

“And now China’s trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we’re not going to let that happen,” he said, before joking that the remarks had not been part of his prepared speech because, in his words, he did not rely on a script. The Panama Canal is among the world’s most significant maritime chokepoints, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and handling a substantial share of global commercial shipping. While the United States built and operated the canal for decades, the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, established a phased transfer of authority.

Panama assumed full operational control of the canal on 31 December 1999 through the autonomous Panama Canal Authority. Trump has repeatedly criticised that agreement, arguing that it weakened US strategic leverage. Panamanian leaders, meanwhile, have consistently maintained that the canal remains under the country’s sovereign administration and is operated in accordance with international neutrality obligations. Supreme Court And Birthright Citizenship Also Feature Foreign policy was not the only issue Trump addressed during the ceremony.

He also turned to recent Supreme Court decisions, praising rulings that he said restored executive authority while expressing disagreement with the court’s approach to birthright citizenship. “We’ll take care of the birthright citizenship,” Trump said, arguing that the constitutional provision had been intended to protect the children of formerly enslaved people rather than wealthy foreign nationals. “I believe, no, I know they got it wrong, but that’s okay.” The President also welcomed a recent Supreme Court decision expanding presidential authority over executive branch appointments, describing it as one of the most consequential constitutional rulings in decades.

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August 3, 2026

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Ethnic Unity Law: China tells minorities to assimilate with sweeping new legislation

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

For years, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pushed ethnic minority groups like Tibetans and Uyghurs to adopt an identity rooted in Chinese nationality and allegiance to the ruling Communist Party. Now, that push has been codified into a sweeping new law that reaches into classrooms, neighborhoods and homes – and gives Beijing the right to target people outside of its borders that it believes violate its rules. The statute, officially known as the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, came into effect on July 1. It bans acts that “undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division” among China’s 56 officially recognized ethnicities, which include a Han Chinese majority that makes up over 90% of the country’s 1.4 billion people. Under the new rules, schools and government agencies must use Mandarin Chinese as their primary language; classrooms must ensure that their curriculum “forges a strong sense of the community of the Chinese people,” and all parents must guide children to “love the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people.”

The state is mandated to support museums, libraries and other cultural institutions to hold events reflecting Chinese history and national prosperity, while local authorities must work toward ethnic integration in their housing policies – a stipulation observers suggest could lead to housing relocations. Organizations and individuals outside mainland China that “undermine” ethnic unity or “create ethnic division” will also be held liable, the law says – a broad-based stipulation that critics say will impact activism, research and discussion of ethnic minority issues globally.

In an address marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party on Wednesday, Xi emphasized the law’s importance by calling on all party members to “continuously consolidate and strengthen the great unity of all ethnic groups.” The legislation has already drawn criticism from rights groups and experts, who say that it could suppress minority cultural identity, religious practice and language. In an April letter, United Nations human rights experts said the law “could have serious implications for the linguistic, cultural, and religious autonomy of ethnic communities, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Mongols.”

They also warned of the potential for “transnational repression,” given that the law may be applied overseas. A ‘chilling effect’ For some observers, the law appears to be a final step in a years-long evolution of Chinese policy to emphasize national identity over ethnic autonomy. Critics have viewed that policy shift as a aggressive push toward assimilation. It’s also widely seen as part of a broader vision to ensure national security under Xi, who came to power in 2012 following widespread 2008 protests in Tibet and deadly unrest in Xinjiang, home to its Uyghur minority. With the new law, “Beijing is no longer treating ‘ethnic unity’ as a general political slogan or a matter of local propaganda work,” said James Leibold, a professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne focused on China’s ethnic policies.

“It is making the production of a single Chinese national identity a binding responsibility across schools, families, media, museums, cadres, budgets, technology platforms and security organs,” he said. “The message is clear: minority identity is acceptable only when it is subordinated to a party-defined Chinese identity.” Leibold also points to a likely “chilling effect” of the law on overseas scholars, journalists, activists, diaspora communities and others who study or criticise China’s nationality and borderland policies, saying it could encourage “self-censorship, discourage travel, and narrow scholarly debate.”

In recent years China’s Communist Party has ramped up oversight of religious institutions, rolled back the use of ethnic minority languages in primary, secondary schools and kindergartens. Beijing has and been accused of serious human violations, including large-scale arbitrary detention of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities, in Xinjiang. Chinese officials deny those claims. It’s also faced allegations of widespread transnational repression. A 2022 report from human rights campaigner Safeguard Defenders said it had found evidence of more than 100 so-called overseas police stations across the globe to monitor, harass and in some cases repatriate Chinese citizens living in exile. Beijing has denied this.

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July 25, 2026

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From the Past: China operating over 100 police stations across the world with the help of some host nations, report claims

July 1, 2026July 1, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

Beijing has set up more than 100 so-called overseas police stations across the globe to monitor, harass and in some cases repatriate Chinese citizens living in exile, using bilateral security arrangements struck with countries in Europe and Africa to gain a widespread presence internationally, a new report shared exclusively with CNN alleges. Madrid-based human rights campaigner Safeguard Defenders says it found evidence China was operating 48 additional police stations abroad since the group first revealed the existence of 54 such stations in September. Its new release – dubbed “Patrol and Persuade” – focuses on the scale of the network and examines the role that joint policing initiatives between China and several European nations, including Italy, Croatia, Serbia and Romania have played in piloting a wider expansion of Chinese overseas stations than was known until the organization’s revelations came out.

Among the fresh claims leveled by the group: that a Chinese citizen was coerced into returning home by operatives working undercover in a Chinese overseas police station in a Paris suburb, expressly recruited for that purpose, in addition to an earlier disclosure that two more Chinese exiles have been forcibly returned from Europe – one in Serbia, the other in Spain. Who runs the police stations? Safeguard Defenders, which combs open-source, official Chinese documents for evidence of alleged human rights abuses, said it has identified four different police jurisdictions of China’s Ministry of Public Security active across at least 53 countries, spanning all four corners of the globe, ostensibly to help expatriates from those parts of China with their needs abroad. Beijing has denied it is running undeclared police forces outside its territory, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs telling CNN in November: “We hope that relevant parties stop hyping it up to create tensions. Using this as a pretext to smear China is unacceptable.”

Instead, China has claimed the facilities are administrative hubs, set up to help Chinese expatriates with tasks like renewing their driver’s licenses. China has also said the offices were a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which had left many citizens locked down in other countries and locked out of China, unable to renew documentation. When approached by CNN last month about Safeguard Defenders’ original allegations, China’s foreign affairs ministry said the overseas stations were staffed by volunteers. However, the organization’s latest report claims one police network it examined had hired 135 people for its first 21 stations. The organization also sourced a three-year contract for a worker hired at an overseas station in Stockholm. Undeclared consular activities outside of a nation’s official diplomatic missions are highly unusual and illegal, unless a host nation has given their explicit consent, and the Safeguard Defenders report claims China’s overseas offices predate the pandemic by several years. Their reports have prompted investigations in at least 13 different countries so far and enflamed an increasingly heated diplomatic tussle between China and nations like Canada, home to a large Chinese diaspora.

China isn’t the only superpower to be accused of employing extrajudicial means to reach targets for law enforcement or for the purposes of political persecution abroad. Russia, for instance, has on two occasions been accused of deploying lethal chemical and radioactive substances on British soil to try to assassinate its former spies – allegations Russia has always denied. In the United States, the CIA was embroiled in a scandal over the extraordinary rendition of terrorism suspects from the streets of Italy to Guantanamo Bay after 9/11. Yet the suggestion of widescale repression of Chinese citizens in foreign countries comes at a pivotal time for a nation contending with its own unrest at home, amid fatigue at the country’s restrictive zero-Covid policy, as leader Xi Jinping’s third term in power gets under way. Last week, China indicated it would loosen some of its pandemic restrictions, three years after the onset of Covid-19. As the second largest economy in the world, China has developed a deepening relationship with many of the countries where the new police stations have been allegedly found, raising awkward questions for national governments balancing commercial interests against national security.

China signs police patrol agreements with nations Italy, which signed a series of bilateral security deals with China over successive governments since 2015, has kept largely silent during the revelations of alleged activities on its soil. Between 2016 and 2018 Italian police conducted multiple joint patrols with Chinese police – first in Rome and Milan – and later in other cities including Naples where at the same time, Safeguard Defenders says, it has found evidence that a video surveillance system was added to a Chinese residential area ostensibly “to effectively deter crimes there.” In 2016, an Italian police official told NPR that joint policing would “lead to a wider international cooperation, exchange of information and sharing resources to combat the criminal and terrorist groups that afflict our countries.” The NGO determines Italy has hosted 11 Chinese police stations, including in Venice and in Prato, near Florence. One ceremony in Rome to mark the opening of a new station was attended by Italian police officials in 2018, according to videos posted on Chinese websites, demonstrating the close ties between police forces in the two countries.

Earlier this year, the Italian newspaper La Nazione reported local investigations into one of the stations had not unearthed any illegal activity. Il Foglio quoted police chiefs as saying recently that the stations did not present any particular concern as they appeared to be merely bureaucratic. Italy’s foreign and interior ministries did not reply to questions from CNN. China also struck similar joint police patrol agreements with Croatia and Serbia between 2018 and 2019 as part of the nation’s increasing strategic footprint along the path of Xi’s defining foreign policy, dubbed the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese officers were seen on a joint patrol with their Croatian counterparts on the streets of the capital Zagreb as recently as July of this year, Chinese media reported. A Zagreb police official interviewed by Xinhua said the patrols were essential for “protecting and attracting foreign tourists.” A 2019 report from Reuters said Chinese officers had joined Serbian officers on patrol in Belgrade to help address the influx of Chinese tourists.

One Serbian officer noted the Chinese didn’t have the power to make arrests. Safeguard Defenders also says Chinese stations were able to get a toehold in South Africa, and in nearby nations thanks to a similar accord with Pretoria, in place for years. China began laying the foundations for closer policing ties with South Africa’s law enforcement agencies almost two decades ago, later setting up a network of what are officially called “Overseas Chinese Service Centers” in cooperation with the government of South Africa thanks to successive bilateral security agreements. China’s consulate in Cape Town has said the plan “unites all the communities, both South Africans and foreign citizens in South Africa.” Since its establishment, the framework “has been actively preventing crimes against the community and reducing the number of cases significantly,” the consulate has said while noting that the centers are non-profit associations with no “law enforcement authority.”

South African government officials have frequently been featured by Chinese media expressing support for the centers and saying their work has helped police deepen their relationship with Chinese expatriates who live there, according to a 2019 report from the Jamestown China Brief. CNN reached out to the South African Police Service, but it has not yet received comment. China tries to return people against their will Safeguard Defenders stumbled on the police networks while trying to assess the scale of China’s efforts to persuade some of its people to return to China even against their will, which, based on official Chinese data, could number almost a quarter of a million people around the world during the time Xi has been in power. “What we see coming from China is increasing attempts to crack down on dissent everywhere in the world, to threaten people, harass people, make sure that they are fearful enough so that they remain silent or else face being returned to China against their will,” said Safeguard Defenders Campaign director Laura Harth. “It will start with phone calls. They might start to intimidate your relatives back in China, to threaten you, do everything really to coax the targets abroad to come back.

If that doesn’t work, they will use covert agents abroad. They will send them from Beijing and use methods such as luring and entrapment,” Harth said. The French interior ministry declined to comment on the allegation that a Chinese citizen was coerced into returning home by a Chinese police station in a Paris suburb. Reports spark anger and investigations The revelations have prompted vocal outrage in some countries and a conspicuous silence in others. Last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Homeland Security Committee he was deeply concerned about the revelations. “It is outrageous to think that the Chinese police would attempt to set up shop, you know, in New York, let’s say, without proper coordination. It violates sovereignty and circumvents standard judicial and law enforcement cooperation processes,” he said. Ireland has shut down the Chinese police station found on its territory, while the Netherlands, which has taken similar measures, has a probe underway, as does Spain. Harth told CNN the organization will likely find more stations in the future. “It’s the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “China is not hiding what it is doing.

Pip: A mountain village, a wandering stranger, a mother weaving a basket by the river — Drink of Jesus has been building a world where ancient scripture lands like it’s happening right now,…

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July 22, 2026

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Political dissident who fled China by boat arrives in Canada, his friend says

June 29, 2026June 29, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

A Chinese political dissident who fled to South Korea last month in a dinghy has arrived in Canada, his friend said on social media Saturday. Dong Guangping was aboard a 10.8-foot inflatable boat in the waters off a western South Korean island in May when he was detained by South Korea’s coast guard for allegedly violating the country’s immigration law. It was his fourth known attempt to flee China. Dong, a former police officer in China, had previously been detained several times for his activism.

He was imprisoned for three years in 2001 for “inciting subversion of state power” and spent more than eight months behind bars after being arrested in 2014 for participating in a memorial for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to past statements from Amnesty International. He previously escaped to Thailand and Vietnam, but authorities there deported him back to China. Dong also unsuccessfully tried to swim to a Taiwanese island.

The rubber boat that a Chinese national was in when he was detained in the waters off South Korea’s west coast, at a port in Taean, South Korea. The Taean Maritime Police via AP

At a court hearing in South Korea after his arrest, he told reporters that he hopes to go to Canada to reunite with his wife and daughters, who have already been resettled there, according to South Korean media. In a post Saturday on X, his friend Sheng Xue, a Chinese Canadian activist, said Dong had landed in Toronto following an Air Canada flight on Friday. “He just had a big bowl of noodles with eggs, tomatoes and shrimps,” she wrote in the post, adding that she has spent more than 10 years trying to get him out of China.

June 27, 2026June 27, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

A light aircraft crash into Beijing’s tallest building on Friday killed the pilot and injured 13 people who were not on ‌board, the local government said following the unusual accident for the Chinese capital, where airspace is heavily restricted. Those injured are receiving medical treatment and authorities are investigating the incident, Chaoyang district government said in a statement on Saturday. “A single-engine, two-seat light sport aircraft collided with ⁠a high-rise building while flying near the East third ring road in Chaoyang, at 5:55 p.m. (0955 GMT) on June 26,” said the statement, which was posted on social media.

“There was only one person on board, the pilot, who died,” the statement added, without giving any further details of the possible cause of the crash. Damage to the facade of the skyscraper appeared to be limited to a hole caused by the loss of ‌two ⁠large glass panels. The gap had been temporarily boarded up as of Saturday. Reuters reported on Friday the crash into the 528-metre-high building, known as CITIC Tower or China Zun, in Beijing’s Central Business District. It is about 6 km (3.7 ⁠miles) from the Forbidden City visited by thousands of tourists each day. It is also near Zhongnanhai, a compound that houses the offices of China’s top political leadership. The ⁠incident follows Beijing’s ban since May on buying, renting or flying drones without authorization, due to public security concerns.

Friday is off to another warm start across North Texas, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Throughout the day, highs reach the 100° mark once again with feels-like temperatures…

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July 10, 2026July 10, 2026

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A small plane hit Beijing’s CITIC Tower. Hours later it was like nothing had happened

June 27, 2026June 27, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

On Friday afternoon a small plane appeared to evade some of the world’s strictest aviation controls and slam into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing, the 109-story CITIC Tower that dominates the city’s skyline, killing the pilot and injuring 13 other people. The crash sent shards of glass and aircraft debris plummeting hundreds of feet down to the streets below as office workers left for the weekend, causing panic in the heart of China’s most protected city. A short while later, it was like nothing had happened. All mention of the incident – and the shocking footage of it – had been scrubbed from Chinese social media. The government initially did not publicly acknowledge any incident had taken place.

State media – including the country’s national broadcaster CCTV, headquartered across the road from the crash site – made no mention of the shocking incident. That’s thanks to the work of China’s army of censors and the Communist authorities’ obsessive control over information – particularly concerning events they believe may bring negative attention or consequences The information vacuum left a host of unanswered questions for those who witnessed the event, or saw reports of it. For almost a day it was unknown how many people were injured in the incident. On Saturday afternoon local time, media affiliated with the Beijing government reported a “single-engine double-seat light sports aircraft collided with a high-rise building in flight,” and that the pilot – the only person on board – had been killed and 13 people injured at the scene.

The incident was being “investigated,” it said. It’s still unknown whether the crash was accidental or intentional. Perhaps most worryingly for authorities, it’s also raised questions of how the pilot managed to fly over China’s fortified capital, where most of the Communist Party elite live, and where even flying drones is effectively banned. The CITIC tower, is 528-meters tall (equivalent to 1,732 feet). It has been Beijing’s tallest building since 2018 and dominates the skyline. It hosts China’s state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group and tech giant Alibaba and the surrounding neighborhood is a prime location in Beijing, and frequented by foreigners and diplomats. The embassies of countries ranging from the UK to Vietnam are just steps away, as are big names in global finance including the World Bank and IFC’s China offices.

The crash happened on Friday late afternoon during rush hour. Footage shared online in the brief window before the censors swung into action showed a small plane crashing into the upper level of the building, also known as China Zun, sending debris and a tail section of the plane showering down onto the city. Online images showing the plane’s registration code seemed to point to a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, owned by a local general aviation company, which offers services like pilot training, personal recreational flights and aerial photography. CNN saw crowds evacuating from the skyscraper gathering on the streets near the entrance, along with firetrucks, police cars and an ambulance. Information vacuum Beijing resident Anna, who wanted only her first name used, said she went to the site after hearing about the crash online.

“I was just like two stops away… and I saw this post… but it gets deleted soon. So I just came here.” The footage has since gone viral on social media outside mainland China. Inside the country, a search for “plane crash in Beijing” on Weibo, China’s version of X, produced no relevant results. It is common practice for Chinese authorities to act quickly to censor or impose an information blackout and deploy a heavy police presence to any incident that is seen as potentially destabilizing social stability. On Saturday, roads near the CITIC Tower were closed and police were present around the site. Only people who could prove they work in the area were allowed to enter. Delivery drivers were stuck outside and waiting for employees to come out to collect their orders, according to a CNN journalist. A press official with the Beijing municipal government said in a phone call on Saturday that “the incident is currently under investigation, and an official statement will follow” without saying when.

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July 7, 2026

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Morgan Stanley raises China humanoid robot shipment forecast as adoption picks up

June 24, 2026June 24, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

Morgan Stanley has sharply raised its outlook for China’s humanoid robotics market, saying the industry’s shift from demonstration to commercial deployment has proved faster than expected. The Wall Street bank upgraded its forecast for China’s humanoid robot shipments for a second time this year on Tuesday, expecting 50,000 units to ship this year, nearly double its previous projection of 28,000. The bank had already doubled its initial January forecast of 14,000 units.

Morgan Stanley estimated China’s humanoid robot market will reach $2 billion this year and grow to $15 billion by 2030. Annual shipments are forecast to reach 446,000 units by then. The forecast includes only external sales, excluding those produced for prototypes, pre-order trials, or internal use. “Commercial verification, policy support, and supply-chain feedback point to faster humanoid adoption in China,” Sheng Zhong, equity analyst at Morgan Stanley, said in a note Tuesday. China has accelerated its push to dominate the industry, with a growing roster of domestic manufacturers racing to scale production and deploy robots in real-world settings such as factories, convenience stores and restaurants.

Beijing has also made developing “embodied AI” — artificial intelligence embedded in physical systems such as robots — a priority for the coming five years, directing local governments to subsidize startups with land and office space while ordering banks to extend favorable lending terms. Investment opportunity Last year, about 13,000 humanoids were shipped worldwide, according to research firm Omdia. Chinese companies dominated the top five positions by shipments, while American rival Figure AI ranked seventh, and Tesla was ninth. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that the company’s Optimus humanoid robot wouldn’t start sales to the public until the end of 2027.

Humanoid robotics could become the “next big frontier” for investors eyeing China’s rapid tech development, said Joe Ngai, senior partner and chairman of McKinsey Greater China. “When you walk outside [in China], you see all these startups and more advanced companies, all these robots dancing — but robotics usage on the industrial side is often a below-the-radar story,” Ngai told CNBC’s Elaine Yu on Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in the city of Dalian. “If you go to any Chinese factory right now, there’s more automation and robotics that’s been deployed than anywhere else in the world,” Ngai added. Morgan Stanley’s supply chain field research also pointed to faster commercialization, citing factory and logistics settings, as well as further rollouts in unmanned retail stores and interactive commercial services.

The bank named Shanghai-listed Leaderdrive as a major beneficiary of the rise in humanoids, raising its 12-month target price to 464 yuan ($68) from 269 yuan. The Suzhou-headquartered company supplies precision robotic components to domestic humanoid makers such as Ubtech and Galbot. Leaderdrive could hold a 40% global market share this year and 25% over the longer term, Zhong said, supported by robust shipments and its strong customer exposure. Chinese robotic firms are also increasingly eyeing overseas expansion. Seer Intelligent, a Shanghai-based robotics company that began trading in Hong Kong on Wednesday, has expanded beyond China since 2021, with overseas revenue from more than 65 countries contributing 18% of its total sales last year, according to Jonathan Fan, the company’s chief operating officer.

Fireworks won’t be the only thing keeping people awake this Fourth of July weekend. As temperatures across the Big Apple soar into the triple digits, a staggering 850,000 New Yorkers…

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July 3, 2026

The Story of America; An introduction to America

The White House Salute to America 250 Task Force has partnered with Hillsdale College to provide a history series that tells the remarkable story of American Independence. It will highlight…

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July 3, 2026

‘Second-class citizens’: Angel Families describe two-tiered justice system for illegal immigrants

President Donald Trump has made fighting illegal immigration the centerpiece of his second administration, but for too many families across the country, finding justice has been elusive. Many illegal immigrants…

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July 3, 2026

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China fueling anti-data center sentiment across US: Trump admin

May 30, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

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June 30, 2026

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North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile and other weapons toward sea, South says, in latest weapons demo

May 27, 2026May 26, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

Seoul, South Korea — North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile and other weapons toward the sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, the latest in a series of weapons demonstrations by North Korea this year. The missile fired from Jongju, a city near the North’s west coast, flew about 80 kilometers (50 miles), South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The body of water there is known as the Yellow Sea or West Sea and separates the Korean peninsula and China. North Korea launched other types of projectiles as well, the statement said, but didn’t elaborate. South Korea’s military, under a solid alliance with the U.S., maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and has bolstered its surveillance posture, the Joint Chiefs said.

Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images It was North Korea’s first weapons launch since April 19, when it fired multiple short-range missiles in what state-media described as a demonstration of cluster bomb warheads. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has focused on expanding his nuclear and missile arsenals since his nuclear diplomacy with President Trump collapsed in 2019. Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to resume talks with Kim, but Pyongyang has so far ignored the overtures and urged Washington to drop demands for the North’s nuclear disarmament as a precondition for talks. Kim has taken an increasingly hardline stance toward South Korea, calling it his country’s permanent and most hostile enemy and taking steps to terminate all ties. Earlier Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called during a Cabinet meeting for stronger efforts to advance the country’s military.

Extreme temperatures are on the horizon in Southeast Michigan, setting the stage for a prolonged and dangerous heat wave next week. High temperatures beginning Monday will reach 90 degrees, and starting…

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June 27, 2026

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Chinese Communist Party Erasing Religion with Village Renaming Effort

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

The 630 changes exhibit a greater campaign within China toward eliminating all religious belief, according to Reggie Littlejohn, founder and president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers. Catalina Scheider Galiñanes, June 25, 2024 – National Catholic Register The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has enacted a campaign of widespread renaming of villages across the Xinjiang province, in an attempt to remove references to religion or religious history. Human Rights Watch (HRW), along with Norwegian organization Uyghyr Hjelp (“Uyghur Help”), released research on Wednesday, June 18. It reveals a systematized effort to reframe the traditionally Islamic and Uyghur names into Communist references. By analyzing the National Bureau of Statistics of China, HRW uncovered that “the names of about 3,600 of the 25,000 villages in Xinjiang were changed” during the period of 2009 to 2023.

The report states, “About four-fifths of these changes appear mundane, such as number changes, or corrections to names previously written incorrectly. But the 630, about a fifth, involve changes of a religious, cultural, or historical nature.” These 630 changes exhibit a greater campaign within China toward eliminating all religious belief, according to Reggie Littlejohn, founder and president of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, an international coalition devoted to exposing and opposing abortion, gendercide and sexual slavery in China. “China is one of the greatest persecutors in the world on the basis of religion, and that includes all religions,” Littlejohn told the Register. “So be it the Uyghurs, Protestants, Catholic, Falun Gong … Christians believe that God is No. 1 and not the Chinese Communist Party, but the Chinese Communist Party wants to be on top, in terms of people’s loyalty.”

Federal prosecutors are continuing to dismiss charges initially brought against people in Minnesota for allegedly assaulting federal officers during the winter. WCCO dug through court filings and identified at least 18…

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June 23, 2026

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Organ Harvesting in China

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

You may think you know about the illegal world of organ harvesting, but there’s an even a darker side to this practice than merely procuring an organ on the black market. In China, two groups in particular, Uyghur Muslims as well as Falun Gong practitioners, are often targeted to be killed for their organs, especially young men and women in their late 20s. These two groups, in particular, are first shamed publicly for believing in God or in even having a spiritual life, for atheism is “god” in Communist China. The two group are then sent to prison camps, where they are blood-typed and categorized for various organ extractions. When a request comes in from a dying patient who is willing to pay top-dollar for an immediate organ match, even from patients in the United States, Chinese military doctors and staff are able to get the requested organ in as little as two weeks!

Deterrents, deer hunting or trapping, and even deer birth control are among the options city officials are considering to lower the deer population in Beverly Hills. “First and foremost…

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June 11, 2026

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Explosion at fireworks factory in China kills at least 26

May 5, 2026May 5, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

An explosion at a fireworks plant in a central Chinese province has killed at least 26 people and injured 61, prompting the halting of all firework manufacturing near the site. The blast occurred in the city of Changsha, in Hunan province, on Monday afternoon, China’s official news agency Xinhua said. China Daily said the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co in the Changsha-administered, county-level city of Liuyang.

Law enforcement officers arrested a man in south Minneapolis Tuesday evening following an hourslong standoff. The deputies were attempting to serve an arrest warrant for 31-year-old Tyler Joseph O’Brien around 11:30…

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by Drink of Jesus

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China will send giant pandas to Atlanta again

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

China is sending two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta, the China Wildlife Conservation Association says. The China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement that male panda Ping Ping and female panda Fu Shuang, from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, will kick off a decade-long conservation partnership under an agreement it signed with the zoo last year.

The association did not specify the pandas’ departure date but said the U.S. side was carrying out facility upgrades, among other preparation work, to create a more comfortable and safer environment for the pair. Chinese experts provided technical guidance on the upgrades, it said.

A Tasmanian devil named Mary successfully eluded searchers equipped with a thermal-imaging drone for a third day on Thursday after escaping from an Australian wildlife park. Keepers discovered the furry, carnivorous…

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by Drink of Jesus June 4, 2026

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RED FLAG: FBI says these apps let China suck up your personal data

April 18, 2026April 18, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

Centralized smartphone app storefronts, like Apple’s App Store for iPhone and the Google Play Store for Android, make apps feel like they all come from the same safe place online, but the developers behind these apps are spread out all over the world. This month, the FBI brought attention to international developers, warning that installing apps built by foreign nations could pose a major threat to user privacy and security. Are they right? Let’s find out. Do you use these popular Chinese apps? On the final day of March, the FBI issued a warning “to highlight data security risks associated with foreign-developed mobile applications (apps) frequently used in the United States.” The FBI was especially critical of apps developed in the heart of China. Although it didn’t go out of its way to list some of the most dubious offenders, you may have heard of these popular candidates:

TikTok, before its USDS joint venture, was made and owned wholly by ByteDance in Beijing.

Temu and Shein, two popular online discount stores, are Chinese-owned with the former belonging to PDD Holdings Inc. in Shanghai and the latter founded by Chris Xu, who moved his company’s headquarters from China to Singapore earlier this decade, though there are talks that Xu may relocate back to the mainland for an IPO.

CapCut, a popular mobile video editing app, is also developed by ByteDance, especially to help users create more engaging TikTok videos.

RedNote (aka Xiaohongshu), a TikTok alternative that briefly garnered public attention in the USA after TikTok’s USDS joint venture launch, is also based in Shanghai.

Tencent, a technology giant out of Shenzhen, owns the popular texting app WeChat. The company also invests in many U.S.-based game companies, including Epic Games (makers of Fortnite), Larian Studios (the group behind Baldur’s Gate 3), and FromSoftware (the developers of Elden Ring).

A Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport Sunday was diverted to Miami when a passenger tried to open the door mid-flight. In a statement,…

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by Drink of Jesus June 2, 2026

All The Ways China and Russia May Be Aiding Iran Against The U.S.

April 13, 2026April 13, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

KEY FACTS:

Both the New York Times and CNN reported in the last week that China was preparing to ship new air defense systems to Iran, citing sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments.
These would include new shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, according to both reports, similar to the device President Donald Trump said Iranians used to shoot down an F-15 fighter jet earlier in April.
When asked by reporters about reports of China sending the weapons, the president said Saturday that “if China does that, China will have big problems, OK?” The Chinese government denied to CNN and the Times it intends to send weapons to Iran.
Russia, meanwhile, has reportedly supplied Iran with military intelligence, including satellite images of U.S. bases in the Middle East before they were targeted by strikes, according to Ukrainian intelligence assessments reported by Reuters last week.
Speaking to a British podcast after the Ukrainian intelligence was made public, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he did not receive a reaction from the U.S., adding, “the problem is they trust Putin.”

POSSIBLE PAYMENTS FOR MOVING THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

There have been unverified reports that Iran has been charging fees to allow ships to pass through the strait since mid-March. Among the slow trickle of foreign ships have been able to travel safely through it: Those owned by China and Russia. China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, according to the BBC, have gone through the passage, and on Friday a Russian-flagged oil tanker made it through apparently without any difficulty. Iran has signalled it wants to charge ships tolls using cryptocurrency to use the strait in the future, with a spokesperson for the country’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union telling the Wall Street Journal last week this could be a tariff of $1 per barrel. On Sunday, Trump threatened to interdict any ships in international waters that paid a toll to Iran, raging in a Truth Social post “no one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

Source: All The Ways China and Russia May Be Aiding Iran Against The U.S.

France condemns China’s execution of a French citizen held on death row for 15 years

April 6, 2026April 6, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

PARIS — France said China has executed a French citizen convicted of drug trafficking after keeping him on death row for more than 15 years. Chan Thao Phoumy, 62, was executed in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, despite French authorities’ clemency appeals, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Saturday. It didn’t say when the sentence was carried out. A Chinese court sentenced him to death in 2010. The ministry’s statement expressed “consternation” and added: “We particularly regret that Mr. Chan’s defense did not have access to the final court hearing, which constitutes a violation of his rights.”

Zoo Atlanta has two new additions, and they are members of one of the rarest reptile species on Earth. The zoo announced that two Guatemalan beaded lizards hatched on May 14…

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by Drink of Jesus May 30, 2026

China Is About To Lose Its Cuban Military Bases

March 28, 2026March 28, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

Baltimore police are looking for two men after an 11-year-old boy and an adult were shot at a playground in the city’s Upton neighborhood Wednesday evening. Officers were called…

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by Drink of Jesus May 28, 2026

Recent News on Prominent Christian Figures & Cultural Impact (March 11 – March 18, 2026)

March 18, 2026March 18, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

The week brought poignant tributes to a civil-rights giant, urgent papal appeals for peace amid Middle East tensions, a major realignment in global Anglicanism, and ongoing signs of a “Quiet Revival” among younger generations. Reports continued to reference the lingering “Charlie Kirk Effect” from his 2025 assassination, while new data highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s unexpected draw for both Catholics and Protestants.

1. Pope Leo XIV Issues Strong Peace Appeals and War Critique

In his March 15 Angelus address and recent general audiences, Pope Leo XIV lamented “atrocious violence” in the Iran-related conflict, called for an immediate ceasefire (“Let the roar of bombs cease!”), and urged Christian political leaders who initiate wars to “go to confession.” He also expressed concern over political violence broadly and offered prayers for the family of the late activist Charlie Kirk. Vatican observers noted his balanced approach, continuing Francis-era priorities on migrants and ecology while adopting a more traditional style. New Pew and Vatican data this week suggested his papacy has contributed to a measurable uptick in Catholic conversions and interest among Protestants. ^{thedailybeast.com +2}

2. Passing of Dr. John M. Perkins at Age 95

On March 13, beloved evangelical leader, author, and civil-rights pioneer Dr. John M. Perkins died peacefully in Jackson, Mississippi. Perkins founded the Christian Community Development Association and spent decades championing racial reconciliation, holistic gospel ministry, and community justice. Tributes from across the evangelical world (including Christianity Today and Religion News Service) underscored his influence on forgiveness after personal experiences of brutality and his model of “relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution.” ^{religionnews.com}

3. Historic Anglican Realignment at GAFCON G26 in Nigeria

Conservative Anglican leaders gathered in Abuja formally launched a new Global Anglican Council (replacing the former GAFCON Primates Council) and elected Archbishop Laurent Mbanda of Rwanda as chairman. The body signaled a “principled disengagement” from Canterbury over doctrinal differences on LGBT issues, women’s ordination, and authority. Organizers described the gathering as a “kairos moment” representing the majority of the world’s practicing Anglicans. ^{biblegateway.com}

4. Signs of “Quiet Revival” and Gen Z Church Growth

The Bible Society and Albert Mohler highlighted record Bible sales in the UK (up over 130% since 2019) and sharp rises in church attendance among 18–24-year-olds the core of the ongoing “Quiet Revival.” In the U.S., King’s Church DC reported ~2,000% growth over seven years (largely Gen Z and millennials), while pastors continued crediting the “Charlie Kirk Effect” for increased Bible reading and first-time church visits among young conservatives. Broader Barna and American Bible Society data noted sustained spiritual interest amid secular trends, though nearly half of American Christians still report not attending services in the past six months. ^{denisonforum.org +1}

5. Other Notable Developments

Francis Chan publicly apologized this week for past endorsements of leaders later accused of misconduct (including Mike Bickle), acknowledging the hurt caused and clarifying he no longer supports those in “unrepentant immorality.”
A 1,000-person U.S. evangelical pastors’ delegation to Israel (largest since the nation’s founding) wrapped up follow-up activities, training “ambassadors” against antisemitism and producing related media.
Faith-based entertainment continued its cultural footprint: coverage of The Chosen’s impact and the Movieguide Awards spotlighted how such projects are reaching millions and sparking spiritual conversations.

These stories reflect Christianity’s ongoing global influence through leadership transitions, calls for peace and justice, institutional realignments, and pockets of cultural resurgence—amid persistent challenges. Organizations and media outlets across evangelical, Catholic, and Anglican spheres provided the primary reporting.

Source: Grok on X

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

3 Pastors Killed Returning from Peace Conference

Three tribal church pastors from the Thadou Baptist Association (TBA) of India were killed, and four others were injured in an armed ambush on May 13 in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. Roughly 10 armed men used automatic weapons to shoot two vehicles carrying the church leaders as they returned from a peace and reconciliation conference…

The owner of a Marietta tree cutting service says business is up this week as residents grow concerned about the effects of heavy rain on their trees. Tree-cutting crews report they are working nonstop, removing trees as more severe storms are forecast. Crews with Top Tier Trees cut down a tree that fell in the…

by Drink of Jesus May 27, 2026

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara resigns after internal probe into his conduct, mayor says

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has resigned following an internal investigation into his conduct, the mayor announced Tuesday evening. In a press conference, Mayor Jacob Frey said Assistant Police Chief Katie Blackwell is the acting police chief effective immediately. In a written reprimand to the police chief, Frey said an investigation into O’Hara’s behavior found…

by Drink of Jesus May 27, 2026

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Recent News on Christian Persecution (March 11 – March 18, 2026)

March 18, 2026March 18, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

Advocacy groups including International Christian Concern (ICC), Open Doors, and Persecution Relief released multiple reports this week documenting fresh incidents of violence, arrests, and systemic discrimination. The global picture remains unchanged: roughly 388 million Christians (about 1 in 7 worldwide) continue to face high or extreme levels of persecution according to the 2026 World Watch List.

1. India – Mob Assault on 28 Christian Families in Chhattisgarh

On March 10 (reported March 16), a mob in Millampalli village, Sukma district, attacked 28 Christian families with wooden rods and sticks. The families had been denied government food rations since November 2025 solely because of their faith; when they complained, a local food inspector allegedly incited the violence and issued threats. Police complaints were filed, but witnesses claim authorities showed bias or inaction.

2. Nigeria – Fulani Militia Attacks Continue in Plateau State

A March 17 ICC report highlighted ongoing raids by Fulani militants and bandits on Christian farming communities in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos areas. Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo of the Church of Christ in Nations publicly stated that repeated appeals for protection, including direct outreach to the U.S. administration, have gone unanswered, leaving Middle Belt Christians exposed despite broader U.S. military operations elsewhere in the country. Churches and homes remain primary targets.

3. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – Weekly ADF/ISIS-Linked Violence

ICC’s March 13 briefing detailed near-weekly attacks by the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces in eastern provinces. Christians are being murdered, abducted, and displaced, with churches deliberately destroyed as militants seek to impose stricter Islamic rule. The situation has worsened in recent months, with hundreds killed or kidnapped in targeted Christian villages.

4. Cuba – Pastor Arrested for Posting Bible Teaching Online

On March 15, Pastor Rolando Pérez Lora was arrested after uploading a simple Bible teaching video to YouTube. The arrest drew international attention March 16–18, underscoring growing restrictions on online Christian expression in Cuba. Local believers and advocacy groups are calling for his immediate release.

5. Iran & China – Heightened Pressure Amid Conflict and Surveillance

Open Doors issued updated “Dispatches from Iran” (March 17) noting that at least 48 Christians remain imprisoned amid regional chaos, communication blackouts, and economic hardship affecting underground churches. In China, ICC’s new feature “Persecution Has No Borders” detailed intensified domestic surveillance plus overseas harassment of Chinese Christians abroad through “police stations” and digital monitoring.

6. China – “Persecution Has No Borders”

ICC’s March 17 feature emphasized the Chinese Communist Party’s expanding reach: intensified surveillance, church demolitions, and “Sinicization” campaigns inside China, alongside overseas “police stations” harassing Chinese Christians abroad. Long-term prisoners and families of detainees continue to suffer, with authorities tightening controls on online Bible studies and house churches.

7. Iran – Christians Endure War Chaos and Imprisonment

Open Doors issued a March 17 dispatch on the situation inside Iran amid regional conflict. At least 48 Christians remain imprisoned, many in the overcrowded and chaotic Evin Prison, while others are missing. Communication blackouts, economic collapse, and forced conscription have hit underground churches particularly hard. Believers have been actively supporting displaced families, demonstrating remarkable resilience despite the risks of arrest for “apostasy” or “propaganda against the regime.”

8. Broader Regional Warnings

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reiterated that escalating violence in the Middle East threatens the very survival of ancient Christian communities. The Vatican and UN statements this week again described anti-Christian persecution as the most widespread form of religious oppression globally.
The Vatican and several UN statements this week reiterated warnings about the scale of anti-Christian violence, especially in conflict zones. European commentators also discussed “polite persecution” , subtle legal and cultural pressures in Western societies, alongside the more violent incidents in the Global South. No major new policy shifts were announced, but advocacy groups continue pressing Western governments for stronger diplomatic action.

These reports emphasize both sudden violence and long-term systemic pressures. Relief organizations are actively providing emergency aid, legal assistance, and documentation. For ongoing monitoring, the primary sources remain ICC (persecution.org), Open Doors, and ACN.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday as officials desperately search for a safe resolution to a leaking toxic chemical tank at an aerospace facility. “The safety of Orange County residents is the top priority,” Newsom said. “We are mobilizing every state resource available to support local responders and make…

by Drink of Jesus May 24, 2026

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Surging cases of HMPV in China draw worrying parallels with COVID pandemic, as nation steps up emergency response

by Drink of Jesus May 21, 2026

Wildfire near Breezy Point grows to 1,600 acres in northern Minnesota, DNR identifies “people of interest”

A wildfire roaring about 10 miles east of Breezy Point, Minnesota, has grown to over 1,600 acres, officials said in a Tuesday morning update. According to the Minnesota Incident Command System, the Flanders Fire is now nearly 60% contained. Crews have been working since the weekend to contain the flames. The Department of Natural Resources…

by Drink of Jesus May 21, 2026

Bain Fire burns over 1,400 acres, injures 4 in Southern California; evacuation orders issued

A fire that originated in the Santa Ana River bed in Riverside County on Tuesday morning has injured multiple people and prompted evacuations, authorities said. According to Cal Fire, the blaze, dubbed the Bain Fire, started sometime before 11:30 a.m. near Bain Street and Limonite Avenue in the Mira Loma neighborhood of Jurupa Valley. The…

by Drink of Jesus May 21, 2026

Three arrested after Hong Kong fire leaves at least 36 killed and 279 missing as bamboo-clad buildings burn

by Drink of Jesus May 19, 2026May 19, 2026

Primary Elections; May 19, 2026

Today, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, is a major primary election day in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. These are mostly partisan primaries (Democratic and Republican) to select nominees for the November 3, 2026, general election. Races include U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state legislature,…

by Drink of Jesus May 19, 2026

Santa Rosa Island Fire burns more than 10,000 acres in Channel Islands National Park

A brush fire burning on Santa Rosa Island has burned more than 10,000 acres in the Channel Islands National Park, according to the U.S. National Park Service. The blaze was reported on Friday afternoon at around 4:20 p.m. between Ford Point and South Point on the southern side of Santa Rosa Island, firefighters said. Within…

by Drink of Jesus May 18, 2026

Chinese national arrested over attempt to smuggle 2,000 queen ants from Kenya

March 13, 2026March 12, 2026by Drink of JesusLeave a comment

The suspect had packed some ants in test tubes while others were concealed in tissue paper rolls, prosecutor says.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company is warning residents in several Northern California counties that power shutoffs will be likely starting later this weekend. High winds and dry conditions are forecasted across the region in the coming days – prime weather for fire danger. A Red Flag Warning is already set to go into effect for…

by Drink of Jesus May 16, 2026

Chinese universities surge in global rankings as US schools slip

by Drink of Jesus May 14, 2026

Pennsylvania woman finds 3.09-carat white diamond at state park in Arkansas

A woman from Pennsylvania found a 3.09-carat white diamond at a state park in Arkansas. Keshia Smith found the diamond during a visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Pike County, Arkansas State Parks said in a post on Facebook on Monday. Source: Pennsylvania woman finds 3.09-carat white diamond at state park in Arkansas…

by Drink of Jesus May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

Florida fire map shows live updates on wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade

Two wildfires in Broward and Miami-Dade counties are now mostly contained after burning thousands of acres and impacting air quality across parts of South Florida for days, according to the Florida Forest Service and other state and local agencies. The fires are highlighted on Florida’s Active Wildfire Points map, an interactive tool that tracks current…

by Drink of Jesus May 14, 2026

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