SUPPORTIVE MINISTRIES

1 Missionaries, as such, are not welcome in China

a) Tourists — over 30m visited China in 1995 and spent $US9 billion

b) Students — usually for language or cultural studies in various universities

c) Foreign experts and businessmen

d) Chinese family members who visit their ancestral homes

2 Provision of Bibles is still inadequate, despite the large increase in the number of copies available

3 Video and audio tapes

a) The JESUS film is being widely seen on home video in 20 completed language versions

b) Teaching tapes

c) GRN has produced gospel messages or tapes in 160 languages and dialects;

4 Christian literature

a) Literature production in Hong Kong from where a widening range of literature is being published

b) Suitable literature and books for intellectuals are a great need

c) The Amity Foundation Press in Nanjing has printed 10m copies of 130 book titles

5 The Internet has become very popular and in 2000 there were an estimated 10m Internet users

6 Christian radio has been and still is one of the most potent pre-evangelism and Christian teaching media for China today

a) The many hundreds of hours of broadcasting in Putonghua and other Han Chinese dialects

b) FEBC’s use of four wave bands in Guam to minister simultaneously to young people, young Christians, church leaders and ethnic minorities

c) The protection of listeners

Politics

This great and ancient nation has regained its place of importance in the world after nearly two centuries of decline and humiliation at the hands of the Western powers and Japan.

Religion

Elimination of all religious groups has always been the ultimate aim of the Marxist government.

Churches in China

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Geography

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Area 9,573,000 sq.km. The third largest state in the world, also containing the highest mountains and plateaus in the world.

Population (2000) 1,262,556,787 +0.93%AGR

Capital Beijing (Peking) 12,033,000.

Peoples

Han Chinese 91.3%.

Ethnic minorities 8.7%.

Literacy 81.5%. Official language Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese); local languages in the five Autonomous Regions. All languages 470. Languages with Scriptures 13Bi 13NT 16por 24w.i.p.

Economy

The Cultural Revolution with its application of an extreme Marxist economic system was a fiasco. HDI 0.701; 98^th/174. Public debt 11% of GNP. Income/person $860 (2.7% of USA).

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