Chinese Water Fears

Beijing Air Pollution
Beijing After Rain Beijing on a Normal Sunny Day

There was a news story out of the Wall Street Journal reporting that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that China will again run a very large trade surplus (IMF Sees China’s Trade Surplus Ballooning). And this is the situation that most countries wish to emulate.

However, there are many underlying problems in China with pollution (as shown in one of the photos above) being one of the more obvious ones.

Chemical fears trigger run on bottled water in northeast China

2010-07-29

HARBIN, July 29 (Xinhua) — Residents in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province are rushing to buy bottled water after thousands of barrels of chemicals were swept into the upper reaches of the Songhuajiang River in Jilin Province…

People were gathering in grocery stores and supermarkets to buy bottled water although the governments of Harbin and Jiamusi cities along the Songhuajiang River said domestic water supplies no longer came from the river. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-07/29/c_13421446.htm

The reality is that while China does have a lot going for it (large inexpensive labor force, foreign currency reserves, drive, technology), it has issues with pollution, corruption, discrimination, and poverty.

And while many, including certain Chinese leaders, believe that the 21st century will belong to China, the Living Church of God has a different view.

After visiting China, LCG’s Dr. Meredith wrote the following a few years ago:

Many publications have suggested that the 21st century will be “China’s century.” Even though the Chinese are fiercely moving forward, and their progress in developing their industries is obvious, these publications are dead wrong for two reasons. First, the inspired word of God describes specifically how a coming European Union will be the dominant force in this world—obviously within the next several years. Therefore, brethren, I would like to focus your mind on this matter so you can more intelligently “watch” world events along this line as they unfold before your very eyes. In the coming years, you will perhaps even see a revolt of the peasants in the outlying Chinese cities, who have lagged far behind the standard of living afforded those who have moved to Beijing and Shanghai. Plus, the tremendous pollution of the water, air and foodstuffs may bring about massive disease epidemics and other problems for the Chinese.

In addition, distracting wars and other events may— as God chooses to guide it—greatly undermine the material progress now being made by the Chinese…

So the 21st century will not be the “Chinese century!” (Meredith R.C. An Inspiring and Successful Trip. Living Church News. May-June 2007, p. 21).

China’s pollution, potential for significant social unrest, and how it is discussed in biblical prophecy demonstrate that the 21st century will not belong to China. But China will be a major player in a variety of events. Even after the Great Tribulation starts, it is prophesied to play a role against the coming European Beast power. But China will experience a variety of internal problems between now and then.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Is it a “King of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Gerat Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?