Mission Network News

Elsewhere, China has begun the new year by pursuing relations with African countries. Beijing reportedly has begun a flurry of diplomatic activity in Africa this month. The Chinese reportedly are looking to build better relations with developing countries, including African nations. Grace Ministries' Sam Vinton believes this is because: "The Africans are sensing more and more that the Western world, the United States and Europe, have sort of abandoned them to their fighting. We are not really doing much of anything...whereas, we look at some of those other places where we intervened-the Chinese, right now, are being looked upon as a government that's willing to help them when we are not." Vinton says although the new ties have not immediately made evangelistic outreach more difficult: "I think eventually, if these countries owe China, then of course, China has ways of determining policy. Whether or not that will effect the Gospel is unclear to me. Although, with long-range implications, there possibly could be a change of direction for some of these governments."