Day: September 19, 2024

David Lin had been trying to help an underground Christian group build a church in Beijing when he was detained by the Chinese government in 2006. The ruling Communist Party does not look kindly on spiritual activities it does not control. So Mr Lin, an American pastor, was charged with contract fraud, a common pretext for jailing religious leaders. As expected, he was convicted and condemned to life in prison. Though his sentence was later reduced, he was not due to be released until 2029. The Economist

CHINA’S PENSIONS are underfunded and its population is getting older. So the government’s recent decision to raise the retirement age for state pensions seemed overdue. But it may create other problems, most notably in the field of child care. And these challenges may lead young people to have fewer babies, exacerbating the country’s demographic crisis. The Economist

Shanghai was hit by Typhoon Bebinca on September 16th. Hundreds of thousands of residents were evacuated in what state media called the strongest storm to rip through the financial hub in 75 years. Fierce winds uprooted trees and toppled billboards. The weather also disrupted the three-day mid-autumn festival. Officials had hoped to see a big increase in consumption during the holiday. Faced with a sluggish economy, the government is encouraging people to spend more. But Shanghai’s residents were stuck inside during much of the festival. Even elsewhere, consumer demand has…