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MARCH 2015 “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 Day challenges facing Chinese companies which are Innovation and 1 on the path of international development. Leadership The first is the Chinese habit of copying. “The esus said: “For the sons of this world are more practice of copying and producing fakes is so Jshrewd in their generation than the sons of entrenched in Chinese culture that there’s even a light” (Luke 16:8). Are there then lessons that the word for it - Shanzhai.” Tapping tells of a Western Chinese church, called to be a significant new CEO who visited China and was approached by force in the world missionary movement, can “one man in particular (who) was keen to meet learn from the experiences of secular businesses him, offering to meet any time of day or night.” in China? The man explained that in 2007 he had to set up a particular kind of business, working in co-operation with CCSM to match the needs inside China Leadership expert Steve Tappin but had no idea of how to do with the resources outside recently analysed the challenges that. So he had simply copied facing Chinese companies as they exactly the company owned by seek to grow and expand their the Western visitor, and wanted If you wish to donate: Mailing Address: PO Box 2046, Robinson Road influence into Western markets. to express to that CEO his Post Office, Singapore 904046 Please write cheque payable to “Antioch Missions” In an article called “China’s appreciation for that! Obviously Or by bank transfer to – Office Address: 5001 Beach Road, #04-01C Golden Mile Complex, Singapore 199588 Development Bank of Singapore Challenge: Moving From Copier the westerner’s reaction would Tel: 65-6392 1812 Current a/c no. 065-005675-5 To Innovator” on the BBC website, vary between puzzlement and DBS Bank Swift Code: DBS SSG SG Fax: 65-6392 1823 Bank Code: 7171 Email: [email protected] Tappin points to two strong outrage! Tappin also mentions Branch Code: 065 www.am.amccsm.org for internal circula tion only Seeking to Serve, Strengthen and Support the Church and People of China 2 | China Prayer Update China Prayer Update | 3 the fake Apple Stores that sprang up in 2011. Equally, the missionary element of the Chinese “In the future, students will be allowed to submit students concentrate on its core subjects from 21 such stores were discovered in the south of church needs to consider its management style, the scores of three subjects from a pool of six - the beginning of secondary school, giving them China alone. The US embassy estimates that 20% and reinvent its ideas on leadership from a Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, Physics a very narrow educational focus… Under the of all consumer products in the Chinese market ruggedly Biblical perspective. The differences in and Politics - together with their mandatory proposed reforms, tens of millions of Chinese are counterfeit. culture, location and focus between the sender Chinese, Math and English scores,” the Beijing students, besides studying the three core subjects and the sent demand a new generation of Pauls Review continued. examined at national level, will now have the The challenge that Chinese firms face if they are linked to a new generation of Barnabases in the opportunity to select three other subjects… to expand abroad is the need to innovate and Chinese church. This year Shanghai Municipality and Zhejiang not just to copy. There are already successes Province are acting as testing grounds for Students will also be evaluated on their personal here, Tappin observes. For example Alibaba and If Lenovo and Wechat can succeed, then the reform. Students will be able to take and social qualities. This will require secondary Wechat (run by Tencent). “They have learnt from how much more should the Chinese church, examinations on subjects other than Maths and school students to present a record of information their western rivals but then developed and empowered by the Spirit of God and serving the Chinese twice between the 11th and 12th grades relating to moral standards, physical health, improved their services for the Chinese market”. risen Lord Jesus. and submit the highest score to their college general culture, such as hobbies, and social or As Youku Tudou boss Victor Koo commented: Day applications. “Currently, 12th-graders’ last year community engagement and contribution, such “You have to adapt or else you won’t win. That’s Reforming the Gaokao 2 in high school is extremely stressful because as volunteering. The planned reforms send a really the essence of it.” of the gaokao. They have to work very hard on clear message to secondary school students and hina’s government has decided to reform its at least six subjects during that year. With the their teachers that a narrow focus on classroom The second challenge is that of management Cgaokao examination system. “The Ministry reform, they can distribute what they study into rote learning, together with a lack of engagement style. One Chinese leader said: “managing in of Education (MOE) announced specific reform with the wider community, may not be enough China means how to control people. We have to measures of the gaokao system on December 16, to ensure entry to higher education, which is so change the mindset, myself and all these Chinese asking universities not to base their judgment important for future life chances. The reform entrepreneurs, to encourage and lead people of applicants solely on scores but to make should have a major impact on the organisation rather than just manage or tell them what to do.” comprehensive assessments of applicants,” and management of secondary education in That will require hiring from overseas, especially according to the Beijing Review. China which, for almost 40 years, has been for facilities placed overseas. The world’s largest different periods, which will help them learn dominated by the gaokao.” PC firm, Lenovo,”has offices in more than 60 China’s Gaokao or college entrance examination each subject better,” commented Dai Xiaoping, Day countries and 40% of its board members are non- system was established in 1977. Since then, an expert with the Zhejiang Research Institute of Social-Economic Growth 3 Chinese.” Chinese universities and colleges have relied Education Science. solely on this annual examination when otal GDP in 2014 for China was 63.65 trillion There are surely lessons here for the Chinese considering applicants to their school. The The proposed changes “are likely to have a big Tyuan. For the first time, China has exceeded church if it is to succeed in its world mission system has been widely criticised for training impact on both individual Chinese students US$10 trillion to have the second largest GDP in mandate, its back to Jerusalem calling. It needs students to focus solely on test scores and to and on the country’s education system,” the world. However, last year’s growth of 7.4% to return to the Bible, and not just to copy memorize endless lists of textbook answers according to education experts at the China was slightly below the 7.5% targeted growth, western missionary methods, good though many instead of developing a sense of independent Policy Institute of the University of Nottingham. making her GDP growth lowest in the past 24 of them have been. and innovative thinking. “In order to secure a good grade in the gaokao, years. Twenty seven provinces did not meet their 4 | China Prayer Update China Prayer Update | 5 expected GDP growth. However, trend of migrating to the The new campaign to combat corruption in On the other hand, there seems to be an provinces like Shanghai, Beijing, cities remains on the rise. China under the leadership of the 18th Central alternative view at the grassroots level. For Canton, Tianjin, Shenzhen and Committee of the Communist Party of China example, it is still commonly agreed that using Suzhou have GDP exceeding Basic monthly salary for has cracked down on illegal activities involving back doors, bribery, giving gifts etc are acceptable 1 trillion yuan. state and party leaders has both the “tigers” and the “flies”. This has won ways of doing business in China. There is also been adjusted upwards the hearts of the Chinese populace. Corrupt talk that these anti-corruption moves may cause There are eight provinces where from 7,020 yuan (US$112) officials above the rank of Deputy Provincial China’s economy to suffer and deteriorate. Such per capita income exceeds to 11,385 yuan (US$1,820), level from many states have been caught and strange talk is circulating among the common US$10,000. These include a startling increase of 62%. punished. These include Jilin, Zhejiang, Fujian, people in China. Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, The lowest administration Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Tibet and Beijing. Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Inner staff basic salary has already Of these states, Shanxi and Sichuan saw the May the Holy Spirit continue to burn brightly Mongolia, Guangzhou and been raised from 630 to highest number of high officials being exposed in China to make her a holy nation set apart for Fujian. This year, Shanghai has 1320 yuan (US$101 to and punished, with 7 high officials from Shanxi God. May the government practise justice and dismissed her GDP growth target. It is predicted US$211), an even greater increase of 110%. The province being removed from office. This is the mercy to build a clean government with integrity. that China’s fixed assets investment will reach increment this round has jumped 60% and the province most seriously affected by the anti- Day 59.4 trillion yuan in 2015.