July 2023 - Friends of Socialist China

Wang Yi trip serves to strengthen bonds of Global South solidarity

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, visited South Africa in mid-July to attend the 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security, which was held in Johannesburg. This was one of the important political gatherings to be held in South Africa in the run up to the country hosting the main BRICS Summit later in August. It was also attended by representatives from a number of other countries seeking to adhere to the BRICS mechanism. Wang Yi also visited Kenya and Türkiye on the same trip.

First making a stopover in Ethiopia, Wang Yi held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen Hassen in Addis Ababa.

Wang Yi said that China and Ethiopia are good brothers sharing weal and woe, good friends supporting each other, and good partners pursuing common development. China has stood with the Ethiopian people at a critical time when Ethiopia safeguards national peace and stability and will continue to stand with the Ethiopian people as the country enters a new stage of restoration of peace and national reconstruction.

Demeke said Ethiopia-China relations enjoy a long history, and Ethiopia is firmly committed to strengthening cooperation with China at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. Ethiopia thanks China for providing assistance to the country’s efforts to safeguard national security and stability, expects China to support Ethiopia in consolidating peace, conducting reconstruction and revitalizing the economy, and supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China.

Wang Yi met with Kenyan President William Ruto on July 22 in Nairobi.

Noting that Kenya-China relations have been developing smoothly since the establishment of diplomatic ties 60 years ago, Ruto said strengthening friendly cooperation with China has become a consensus shared by all sectors in the country.

Ruto highly praised China’s efforts in growing relations with Kenya based on the principle of mutual respect. Kenya is firmly committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China, and is willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges, deepen cooperation in such fields as railway, highway, water conservancy, aviation, and renewable energy under the frameworks of Belt and Road cooperation and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, in order to promote connectivity and regional integration in Africa and achieve win-win results, Ruto said.

Wang Yi said that China approaches relations with Kenya from a strategic perspective, and is willing to work with Kenya to take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as a new starting point to align their strategies for revitalization with a focus on development and cooperation, and push their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level in the new era.

China and DPRK mark 70th anniversary of historic victory over US imperialism

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) organized a number of grand celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement, on July 27 1953, that ended just over three years of bitter fighting in the Korean War. Known as the Fatherland Liberation War in the DPRK and as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in China, July 27 is considered in both countries as a triumphant day when the two fledgling socialist states scored a historic victory over US imperialism and its satellite forces.

A high-level Chinese party and government delegation, led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), attended the celebrations at the invitation of the Korean side, between July 26-30.

The only other foreign delegation to participate was led by Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. The former Soviet Union provided crucial assistance to the Korean and Chinese peoples during the war, most notably through the deployment on active service in Korean skies of its air force fighter pilots.

These were the first foreign delegations to visit the DPRK since the country closed its borders as a preventive measure against the spread of the Covid-19 virus at the start of the pandemic.

Top leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un gave a reception for the Chinese delegation on July 28.

Repeatedly expressing gratitude to the respected Comrade Xi Jinping for having dispatched a party and government delegation to the significant celebrations of the victory common to the DPRK and China and sending his personal letter with best wishes, he extended heartfelt thanks to the Communist Party of China, the PRC government and all the Chinese people that helped the DPRK’s revolutionary war at the cost of their blood and have invariably supported the just cause of the WPK [Workers’ Party of Korea] and the people of the DPRK.

He said that the Korean people would always remember and praise the militant feats and historic contribution of the service personnel of the Chinese People’s Volunteers who provided the excellent tradition of winning victory in the staunch anti-imperialist revolutionary spirit and with the revolutionary unity while heroically fighting in the same trench with the Korean army in the most difficult period of the DPRK.

Being very rejoiced over the fact that the Chinese party and government have made world-startling achievements in the new course of comprehensively building a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics and the international position of the PRC is growing higher with each passing day, he expressed conviction that the fraternal Chinese party and people would surely realize the Chinese nation’s dream of great prosperity under the wise leadership of Xi Jinping.

Earlier, Comrade Kim Jong Un had met the Chinese delegation just prior to a concert held in the early hours of July 27.

There, Li Hongzhong handed Kim Jong Un the personal letter from Xi Jinping, in which the Chinese leader pointed out that 70 years ago, the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV), together with the people and army of the DPRK, achieved a great victory in resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, and forged a great friendship bound by blood. No matter how the international situation may change, it is always the unswerving policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to maintain, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations, Xi Jinping wrote.

Expressing his thanks, Kim Jong Un told Li Hongzhong that the significance of July 27, the war victory day common to the Korean and Chinese peoples, was further highlighted as they were present together to celebrate it. Noting that Xi Jinping dispatched a party and government delegation to the DPRK in the current crucial period, he said that it showed the general secretary’s will to attach great importance to the DPRK-China friendship.

Saying the Korean people will never forget the fact that the brave soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteers shed blood to bring about the war victory and their noble spirit and soul, though many years have passed and that generation has been replaced with a new one, he affirmed that the WPK and the DPRK government will as ever strive to further strengthen the friendship and solidarity with the fraternal Chinese people and always advance hand in hand with the Chinese people in the struggle for socialism.

Previously, on the day of their arrival, the Central Committee of the WPK and the government of the DPRK had invited the Chinese delegation to a welcome reception at which Kim Song Nam, head of the WPK’s international department, made a speech.

Referring to the fact that the CPV made a historic contribution to bringing about the war victory, an unprecedented event in history, through militant unity and comradely cooperation, he said that the Korean people would never forget the heroic feats and merits of the brave soldiers who recorded a brilliant page in the history of the great victory in the Fatherland Liberation War and the history of DPRK-China friendship.

The Korean people are rejoiced over the achievements made by the Chinese people in building a modern socialist state with Chinese characteristics in the new era, he said, expressing conviction that the Chinese nation’s dream of great prosperity will surely come true, thanks to the steadfast leadership of the Communist Party of China with General Secretary Xi Jinping as its core and the devoted efforts of the Chinese people rallied around the Party.

Replying, Li Hongzhong said that China is very rejoiced over the fact that the socialist cause of the DPRK has steadily gained momentum with each passing day through thorough implementation of the resolutions made at the 8th Congress of the WPK and the plenary meetings of the Party Central Committee. He hoped that the Korean people would continue to achieve fresh successes by promoting the cause of socialism under the leadership of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

During their stay, the Chinese delegation also attended the huge military parade held in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square, met with other senior leaders of the DPRK party and state, and visited the birthplace of the DPRK’s founding leader Kim Il Sung, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, the Martyrs Cemetery of the Chinese People’s Volunteers, which includes the grave of Comrade Mao Zedong’s son, Mao Anying, and the Friendship Tower, which honors the fallen Chinese internationalist fighters.

In the days leading up to the anniversary, Kim Jong Un also visited the Chinese People’s Volunteers cemetery. The DPRK leader said that the noble soul and spirit of sons and daughters of the Chinese people who supported the Korean people in the sacred anti-imperialist, anti-US struggle with their heroic sacrifice, and made an important contribution to the war victory, are obviously recorded in history as a foundation and model of the DPRK-China friendship to be immortal along with the socialist ideal.

Noting that the hard-fought Fatherland Liberation War was a war of justice to defend their dignity, honor and sovereignty as well as the world peace and security and an acute political and military confrontation with the imperialist dominationist forces which was staged on behalf of the peace-loving forces and progressive humanity, he stressed that the great victory won by the peoples of the DPRK and China at the cost of their blood is invariably displaying its great vitality still now, century after century.

Also, at the end of June a remodeling of the interior of the Friendship Tower was unveiled. Speaking at the ceremony, the DPRK’s Minister of Urban Management, Im Kyong Jae, said that the militant unity and comradely cooperation between the DPRK and Chinese peoples, displayed in the joint struggle against the US-led imperialist allied forces, set a living example of internationalism, and the historic contributions made by the officers and men of the Chinese People’s Volunteers, who rendered assistance to the just cause of the Korean people at the cost of their lives will always remain in the hearts of the peoples of the two countries. He noted that Kim Jong Un personally initiated the work for remodeling the interior of the Friendship Tower on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the war victory and gave detailed instructions on its layout, new art pieces and exhibits and guided the work for successfully completing the project.

Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun expressed sincere thanks on behalf of the Chinese party and government to the Korean party and government and people over the fact that the interior of the Friendship Tower was excellently remodeled under the personal attention and guidance of General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

The Chinese party and government will remain unchanged in their firm stand to successfully defend, consolidate and develop the China-DPRK relations no matter how the international and regional situations may change, the ambassador said, adding that the Chinese side is willing to thoroughly adhere to the common understanding reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries and thus provide the peoples of China and the DPRK with better happiness and make new and bigger contributions to the regional and global peace, stability and prosperity, together with the DPRK side.

In an article carried on China Daily, Liu Qiang, a prominent Chinese academic, wrote that fighting aggression and assisting the DPRK had been the right decision. He noted:”Some people have questioned China’s decision to aid the DPRK and resist US aggression, and have questioned whether the cost in lives was worth it. It is not difficult to answer these questions if we consider the situation at that time.

“Although it was at the request of the DPRK that China’s leadership decided to send the Chinese People’s Volunteers force to the peninsula, China also had to safeguard its own national security… As the US bombed border cities and towns on the border between China and the DPRK, it posed a threat to China’s national security, with some in the US calling for the war to be extended into China.

“Since the expansion of the war into China would have had severe consequences for the newly founded People’s Republic, Chairman Mao Zedong announced that China needed to restore peace on the Korean peninsula.”

He added: “Some people think the hostilities ended in a stalemate because after the signing of an armistice, the two sides returned to their respective pre-war positions separated by the 38th Parallel. But the fact that the ill-equipped Chinese People’s Volunteers force, who made huge sacrifice during the war, did not retreat in face of the US-led forces, which had the most advanced weapons and equipment, shows that the Chinese side was the victor in the war.”

Pointing out that, by fighting the war, China minimized the risk of a direct military attack on China at the height of the Cold War, Liu Qiang concluded:

“Some countries led by the US are hyping up the ‘China threat’ theory nowadays as part of their strategy to contain China. China is not a threat to any country, it pursues a defensive defense policy. However, should its sovereignty, national security and development interests be threatened, the spirit of the Chinese People’s Volunteers force will inspire the people to firmly defend the motherland.”

A similar tone was struck in an editorial carried by the Chinese newspaper Global Times, which noted that, prior to the 70th anniversary, “a US nuclear ballistic missile submarine visited Busan, South Korea, the first visit by a US submarine since 1981. Some US congressmen have openly claimed that this move is not only a warning to North Korea but also a deterrent against China.”

The paper observed that: “The Korean War is one of the most profound regional conflicts following World War II, and it is regarded as the ‘biggest defeat in the history of the US Army.'”

However, “some American political elites have drawn completely wrong lessons from the Korean War, using them to misguide the US’ foreign policy today, leading the country to proactively incite and provoke crises, and even wars.”

In this regard, the paper critiqued an article entitled ‘Why America forgets – and China remembers – the Korean War’, written by Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the recently established neo-McCarthyite “House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party”, and carried in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, the house journal of the US foreign policy establishment.

Global Times writes: “His arrogance and madness are comparable to that of Douglas MacArthur.” (MacArthur was the US commander in Korea, who even the US administration felt constrained to dismiss following his advocacy of the mass use of nuclear weapons not only in Korea, but also against the major cities of both China and the Soviet Union.)

Global Times issued a serious warning to the United States, writing:

“The US should never underestimate China’s determination and ability to defend its homeland. Disregarding these… lessons happens to be the prominent characteristic of current American hegemonism. The Korean War inflicted a painful price on the US, but if the US fails to learn from it, it will make even greater mistakes in the future.”

Before China decided to resist the US aggression and aid North Korea during the Korean War, it had repeatedly sent stern warnings that if US forces crossed the 38th parallel China would not sit idle. However, the US did not take it seriously, thinking that China was only making empty threats and would not take action. As a result, they were caught off guard when they encountered the Chinese People’s Volunteers Army on the battlefield. Today, a similar major misjudgment toward China is occurring in Washington. The biggest difference between now and the Korean War era is that China’s strength has greatly increased. The consequences of infringing upon China’s security interests and national sovereignty will undoubtedly be much more severe… it must be clear that if there is another strategic misjudgment this time, the price it will pay will surely be much higher than 70 years ago.”

The following articles were originally carried on the websites of the Xinhua News Agency, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), China Daily and Global Times.

Book review: IF Stone – The Hidden History of the Korean War

Written to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, this book review by Carlos Martinez of IF Stone’s recently re-issued The Hidden History of the Korean War seeks to identify the lessons to be learnt from the so-called “forgotten war”, and to draw out parallels between the original Cold War in the Pacific and the New Cold War in the Pacific.

A shorter version of this review was published in the Morning Star.

The 27th of July 2023 marks 70 years since the signing of the armistice agreement at Panmunjom, finally bringing about a cessation of hostilities in a war that was extraordinarily destructive but which has been largely ignored.

As Bruce Cumings writes in his preface to I.F. Stone’s classic The Hidden History of the Korean War – first published in 1952 and recently reissued by Monthly Review Press – the Korean War is a forgotten war, “remembered mainly as an odd conflict sandwiched between the good war (World War 2) and the bad war (Vietnam).”

For those seeking to build a peaceful and prosperous future for humanity, the lessons of the Korean War must not be forgotten. Indeed re-reading The Hidden History it becomes clear that there are several crucial parallels with today’s world.

Stone’s meticulous investigation provides abundant proof that most of the key players in the US government and military actively wanted the Korean War; that it was the right war, in the right place and the right time in terms of US imperialist interests.

Top US generals have since admitted that their “police action” in Korea gave them just the excuse they needed to construct the military infrastructure of Cold War in the Pacific: a vast network of overseas bases; large-scale, long-term deployments of US troops in Korea and Japan; and the permanent stationing of nuclear warheads in the region.

The Korean War set the whole military-industrial complex in motion. It created the national security state. It was the first major test case for the Truman Doctrine of “support for democracies against authoritarian threats” and helped establish the US in its self-assumed role of global policeman. By forcing through a United Nations endorsement of its invasion, the US was able to establish its dominance of the UN-based international system.

Reading Izzy Stone’s reporting today, it’s striking the extent to which these mechanisms of Cold War still exist and are being used to wage a New Cold War. The military bases, the troop deployments, the nuclear threats that aimed to contain socialism and prevent the emergence of a multipolar world in the 1950s continue to serve the same purposes in 2023.

Stone’s book emphasises that peace was very much an option in 1950.

The Soviet Union of course wanted peace; having lost 27 million lives and sustained incredible damage to its infrastructure in the course of saving the world from Nazism, the Soviets needed space to rebuild. The People’s Republic of China also wanted peace; having only been founded in October 1949 after long years of civil war and struggle against Japanese occupation, the last thing the new state needed was to become embroiled in another war. (In the event, nearly 400,000 Chinese volunteers gave their lives fighting in Korea).

Arming Taiwan is an insane provocation

In this incisive article written for AntiWar.com, John V Walsh exposes the utter recklessness of the US’s policy of increasing arms supplies to Taiwan.

Walsh describes the US’s longstanding First Island Chain strategy – a collection of military bases, weapons and troops deployed specifically in order to project US power and to contain and encircle the People’s Republic of China – and notes that Taiwan is at the center of this strategy. Indeed Taiwan is considered by Washington’s hawks as “America’s unsinkable aircraft carrier”.

Walsh observes that while the US officially adheres to the One China Policy, which recognizes that Taiwan is part of China, it has been arming Taiwan for decades and is increasingly flagrant in its encouragement of secessionist forces. For obvious reasons, this is a red line for Beijing. “A secessionist Taiwan, as an armed ally of the US, represents to China a return to the Century of Humiliation at the hands of the colonial West.”

The US should adhere to international law and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs. “Taiwan and Beijing can settle their disagreements by themselves. Frankly put, disagreements between the two are none of America’s business.” Furthermore, the US should put an end to provocations and militarism in the region, and take China up on its oft-repeated offer of mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two economies.

Those in the West who are concerned with building a lasting peace should pressure their governments to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and to stop arming Taiwan.

The Island of Taiwan has been turned into a “powder keg” by the infusion of U.S. weaponry, pushing the Taiwanese people into the “abyss of disaster.” These are the words of the Chinese Defense Ministry in reaction to the recent $440 million sale of U.S. arms to the island. And now the U.S. is also giving, not selling, arms to Taiwan, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.

The “First Island Chain” Strategy of the U.S.

Taiwan is but one in a series of islands along the Chinese coast, often called “The First Island Chain,” which now bristles with advanced U.S. weapons. These are accompanied by tens of thousands of supporting U.S. military personnel and combat troops. The “First Island Chain” extends from Japan in the north southward through Japan’s Ryukyu islands which include Okinawa, to Taiwan and on to the northern Philippines. (U.S. ally, South Korea, with a military of 500,000 active duty personnel and 3 million reserves is a powerful adjunct to this chain.) In U.S. military doctrine the First Island Chain is a base to “project power” and restrict sea access to China.

Taiwan is at the center this string of islands and is considered the focal point of The First Island Chain strategy. When the fiercely hawkish Cold Warrior, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, conceived the strategy in 1951, he dubbed Taiwan America’s “unsinkable aircraft carrier.”

Taiwan is now one source of contention between the U.S. and China. As is often said but rarely done, the pursuit of peace demands that we understand the point of view of those who are marked as our adversaries. And, in China’s eyes, Taiwan and the rest of these armed isles look like both chain and noose.

Online book launch: The East is Still Red – Chinese socialism in the 21st century

Date	Sunday 13 August
Time	4pm Britain / 11am US Eastern / 8am US Pacific / 11pm China

The new book by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez, The East is Still Red – Chinese socialism in the 21st century, has been published by Praxis Press. It is available to buy on the Praxis Press website in paperback and ePub forms.

The book provides a concise, deeply researched and well argued account that China’s remarkable rise can only be understood by acknowledging its socialist past, present and future. Read details and testimonials for the book.

On Sunday 13 August 2023 (11am US Eastern / 4pm Britain / 8am US Pacific / 11pm China), there will be an online book launch, jointly organized by Friends of Socialist China, International Manifesto Group, Critical Theory Workshop and Midwestern Marx.

Speakers

Carlos Martinez is an independent researcher and political activist from London, Britain. He is the author of The East is Still Red: Chinese Socialism in the 21st Century (2023), No Great Wall: On the Continuities of the Chinese Revolution (2022), and The End of the Beginning: Lessons of the Soviet Collapse (2019). He is a co-editor of Friends of Socialist China and has blogged for many years at Invent the Future.

Dan Kovalik graduated from Columbia Law School in 1993, and currently teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is the author of NICARAGUA: A History of US Intervention and Resistance (2023) and The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US Is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil (2019), which includes a Foreward by Oliver Stone. He served as in-house counsel for the United Steelworkers for 26 years. Kovalik has been traveling to Nicaragua since 1987 and has been a friend of Nicaragua and the Sandinista Revolution since that time. He has written extensively on the issue of international human rights and U.S. foreign policy for the Huffington Post, Counterpunch and RT News, and has lectured throughout the world on these subjects.

Sara Flounders is a longstanding political activist and author based in New York City. She is a Contributing Editor of Workers World Newspaper and a leader of the United National Antiwar Coalition, the International Action Center and the SanctionsKill Campaign. She is the co-author and editor of numerous books, including Capitalism on a Ventilator: The Impact of COVID-19 in China and the US (co-authored with Lee SiuHin) and recently released: SANCTIONS – A Wrecking Ball in a Global Economy.

Chen Weihua is the EU bureau chief of China Daily, having previously served as chief Washington correspondent and deputy editor of the US edition of China Daily.

Amanda Yee is the host of Radio Free Amanda, a podcast focused on politics and media criticism from an anti-imperialist perspective.

Ben Chacko is editor of the Morning Star, a post he has held since 2015. The Morning Star is the only English-language socialist daily newspaper in the world.

Qiao Collective is a Chinese diaspora media collective that aims to challenge rising U.S. aggression towards the People’s Republic of China and to equip the U.S. anti-war movement with the tools and analysis to better combat the stoking of a New Cold War conflict with China.

Moderator – Radhika Desai is Professor at the Department of Political Studies. She is the Director, Geopolitical Economy Research Group at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. She is the convenor of the International Manifesto Group. Her books include Capitalism, Coronavirus and War: A Geopolitical Economy (2023), Geopolitical Economy: After US Hegemony, Globalization and Empire (2013), Slouching Towards Ayodhya: From Congress to Hindutva in Indian Politics (2nd rev ed, 2004) and Intellectuals and Socialism: ‘Social Democrats’ and the Labour Party (1994), a New Statesman and Society Book of the Month.

How to understand Kissinger and China’s high-level diplomacy

In this article, which was originally published on CGTN, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Danny Haiphong explains the significance of the recent visit to China by veteran US statesman Dr. Henry Kissinger and assesses some reactions to it.

Kissinger, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, and who has visited China more than 100 times, pioneered the establishment of ties between the People’s Republic of China and the USA, together with President Richard Nixon, Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai.

Danny points out that Kissinger’s latest visit comes at a watershed moment in the two countries’ relationship. And, whilst US officialdom sought to belittle the visit, at least publicly, sourly observing that someone who is now a private citizen enjoys better access to Chinese leaders than their US counterparts, whilst some others on the left imagine that Chinese leaders are unaware of Kissinger’s historical role regarding Vietnam, Laos, Chile and other countries, both of them fail to take account of the overriding importance of China/US relations, not only for the people of the two countries, but for all humanity.

Kissinger’s warm reception, Danny notes, sent a strong message that China is ready to engage in dialogue with the US so as to get relations back on the right track. Kissinger has recently warned of the dangers of US relations with both China and Russia degenerating into open conflict. Against this background, Danny notes: “The era of hegemony for any country is… coming to an end. Kissinger’s visit placed a spotlight on the choices in front of the US elite.”

At the age of 100, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger traveled to Beijing and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials on July 20, 2023, amid a watershed moment in China-U.S. relations.

The visit caused a great level of confusion among the Western media and members of the U.S. political class. Some outright dismissed the significance of the visit. Others expressed a “sour grapes” mentality. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby demonstrated this reaction best in his claim that it was “unfortunate that a private citizen can meet with the defense minister and have a communication and the United States can’t.”

Outside of the political class, social media users in the U.S. have gone so far as to claim that China misunderstands Kissinger’s true role in the world. Critics remarked that while Kissinger played a major role in normalizing ties between China and the U.S., his tenure within the foreign policy establishment has also been characterized by aggressive U.S. interventions in Vietnam, Laos, Chile, and several other countries. Thus, few on the U.S. side have attempted to truly understand China’s side.

Kissinger’s visit marked an important opportunity not only for China but also humanity as a whole. China-U.S. relations are not simply bilateral in nature. The relationship between these massively influential countries makes an impact on everyone, and everything, living on this planet.

Mia Mottley: China and Barbados share a commitment to putting people first

In this recent episode of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, Zou Yun interviews Mia Mottley, the first woman Prime Minister of Barbados, during her official visit to China in June.

Comparing what she has seen in China this time to her previous visits in 2004 and 2007, Prime Minister Mottley refers to the palpable changes in terms of China’s growth. This growth has continued to fuel the global economy despite recent challenges. She cites climate change as one of the challenges that “unite us in common purpose”. Small island developing states, the Barbadian PM notes, are on the frontline in the fight against climate change. They are the “canaries in the mine” and the world might have seen quicker action had people listened to their concerns.

Zou Yun notes that Mottley has a special bond with China in that she shares an October 1st birthday with the People’s Republic of China. Barbados, the Prime Minister notes, established diplomatic relations with China 46 years ago as an act of courage and on the premise that China and the Chinese culture and civilization are worthy of respect. Noting that a commitment to putting people first is a foundation of the two countries’ relationship, she praises China for its adherence to the principle of equality between big and small nations. An example was the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many countries had refused to provide vaccines to countries like Barbados on the grounds that their market share was too small, but China had provided her country with 30,000 doses of vaccine. She had personally gone to the airport to receive the first batch.

When some countries had criticized Barbados’ strong relationship with China, she had retorted that since independence, her country had resolved, under successive governments, formed by different political parties, to be, “friends of all, satellites of none.” This had dictated Barbados’ recognition of China in 1977 and also its friendship with Cuba and Venezuela.

In 2021, Barbados had become the world’s newest republic, removing the late Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Mia Mottley describes this as being about finishing the journey of independence – which started with the emancipation from slavery in 1838, continued with women gaining the vote in 1944, independence in 1966, and removing the UK’s Privy Council as the final court of appeal in 2005. A non-Barbadian head of state, she explained, was no longer acceptable to our people. This was about “the business of nation building” and overcoming the legacy of racism that was intrinsic to British colonialism.

Moving to the conclusion of the interview, Prime Minister Mottley described her mission as being to improve people’s lives and to fight injustice. It cannot just be that the market determines that the victors should live well. The levelling hand of the state is also needed to bring as many people as possible to development.

The full interview with the Barbados Prime Minister is embedded below.

China is the leading force for world peace

The Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, themed Equality, Cooperation and Development: The 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and Global Human Rights Governance, was held in Beijing in mid-June 2023.

Jointly hosted by the Information Office of China’s State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the forum attracted over 300 participants from nearly 100 countries and international organizations, including United Nations (UN) agencies.

In a congratulatory letter to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping “stressed the need to respect all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, jointly follow the path of peaceful development, act on the Global Security Initiative, and create a secure and peaceful environment for realizing human rights.”

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez attended the forum remotely, addressing a panel about the Global Security Initiative and human rights protection. We publish his remarks below.

A version of Carlos’s presentation has been published in Beijing Review.

A few weeks ago, US president Joe Biden called upon his fellow G7 leaders to stand against China’s “aggression”. A few days ago, Mike Turner, the chair of the US’s House Intelligence Committee, referenced “unbelievable aggression by China.”

Indeed, it is entirely normal in Western politics and media to hear China referred to as “aggressive”, “belligerent” and “expansionist”; as a country which is trying to impose its will on the world by means of force, by means of bullying.

Such an accusation, coming from the major imperialist powers, is nothing if not ironic.

After all, it’s well known that the US has been at war for 228 out of its 247 years of existence.

At this moment, there are nearly a thousand US troops in Syria, in violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty. This very year, the US has carried out several air strikes against Syrian government targets.

The US continues to be involved in the disastrous war in Yemen, which has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

In recent memory, the US has waged brutal wars on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Yugoslavia.

It has active duty military troops stationed in nearly 150 countries, and it maintains 800 overseas military bases.

Its military expenditure is approaching a trillion dollars a year – meaning that a country with 4 percent of the global population accounts for 39 percent of the world’s military spending.

In relation to the crisis in Ukraine, the US’s policy from the start – indeed, before the start – has been to pour fuel onto the fire and to provoke conflict.

Sixteen months into Russia’s special military operation, it’s patently obvious that the only path to peace in the region lies through dialogue, not through escalation. And yet the US continues to provide more and more sophisticated weaponry to Ukraine, whilst doing everything it can to sabotage substantive peace talks.

Besides military aggression, the US is also the pre-eminent world power in terms of economic coercion and unilateral sanctions. It currently imposes unilateral sanctions on China, the DPRK, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, and several other countries. Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs describes the US as “by far the world’s biggest deployer of unilateral coercive measures.”

Let’s compare all this with China’s record.

Since its founding in 1949, China has maintained an extraordinarily peaceful record.

Between 1950 and 1953, over a million Chinese volunteers fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. And between 1965 and 1969, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops contributed to the defence of Vietnam.

Besides these wars, plus brief border disputes with India and Vietnam, China has been at peace.

Video: Are China and the US heading for war?

Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China Danny Haiphong joined Andy Boreham of Reports on China to discuss the likelihood of war between China and the US following remarks by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban referencing the dangers of such an outcome.

PFLP leader: we highly appreciate China’s constant support for the just cause of the Palestinian people

The fourth China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue was jointly organised by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) together with the Central Party School and the party committee of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on July 13 in Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia Hui. It was attended by the leaders of 67 political parties and organisations from 19 Arab countries.

Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the Fatah party and President of Palestine, sent a written speech to the gathering, in which he said that the Palestinian side thanked the Chinese side for its long-term commitment to resolving the Palestinian issue in a peaceful and just manner, and highly appreciated President Xi Jinping’s three proposals for this purpose. The Palestinian side firmly supports the one-China principle, resolutely opposes external forces’ interference in China’s internal affairs, and opposes the politicization of human rights issues. Fatah, he said, is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CPC so as to strengthen communication and cooperation, and to promote the further development of Palestine-China relations as well as Arab States-China relations.

A significant intervention was made in the dialogue by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). In his speech, its Deputy Secretary-General, Jamil Mazhar affirmed the Popular Front’s support for China and its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including with regard to Taiwan, and called for the adoption of joint policies and decisions that would limit the US domination of oil prices, and open huge projects in the fields of energy, as well as the establishment of a global cooperation network for dialogue between Arab and Chinese civilizations.

Mazhar called for China to strengthen its role in pressing for the implementation of resolutions to establish fair international legitimacy for the Palestinian people, in addition to presenting proposals to strengthen the special relationship between the Popular Front and the Communist Party of China.

He conveyed greetings to the CPC from the Palestinian people and from the leadership of the PFLP, in particular from its Secretary-General Ahmed Sa’adat. Comrade Sa’adat has spent much of his life in prison and is presently serving a 30-year sentence handed down by an Israeli military court in 2008. He was placed in solitary confinement in 2010, which was only lifted when he and other PFLP prisoners ended a 21-day hunger strike on 17 October 2011.

Comrade Mazhar further stressed that China is a springboard for important global transformations that put an end to US imperialist hegemony and its savage policies in the world, expressing the Front’s pride in the historical China-Palestine relations, which reflect the depth and strength of relations that unite the two peoples, and which have witnessed a great acceleration in recent years in all fields, highly appreciating China’s constant support for the just causes of the Palestinian people in their struggle to restore their legitimate national rights.

He expressed great confidence that China and its leadership will continue to support the struggle of the Palestinian people for statehood, stressing the Front’s keenness to develop relations with the CPC in all fields.

The previous month, on June 7, the China Daily carried an article by another Palestinian resistance leader. Ahmad Majdalani, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front and Executive Committee member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), wrote that, “Palestinians have a strategic interest in the growing role and power of China as a friendly state,” adding:

“We Palestinians welcome the Global Civilization Initiative, as it is based on mutual respect, mutual benefit, equality and development of all countries. Fair and just resolution of global and regional issues has been hindered under the United States-led world order. The Global Civilization Initiative, on the other hand, is a visionary initiative that aligns with Palestinian aspirations and could help the Palestinian president to convene an international peace conference.

“The initiative creates an ideal opportunity in the year that marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Palestine and China to work toward achieving tangible results, in order to realize better benefits for the peoples of both countries and expand cooperation in various fields. Sino-Palestinian constructive cooperation has been progressing well, giving us enough reasons to be optimistic about the possibility of further deepening pragmatic cooperation.”

The leader of the Popular Struggle Front added:

“We expect China to continue supporting the just Palestinian cause, and hope that China will spare no efforts in helping seek serious negotiations in an attempt to resolve the Palestinian issue. And as Palestinians, we must seize this historic moment to strengthen relations with China as a strategic partner and true friend. Palestine also needs to increase practical engagement in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative while playing an important role in shaping humanity’s shared destiny.

“China has begun its journey to build a modern socialist country, which would achieve the goals of developing Arab-Chinese projects and launching strategic partnerships between China and Arab countries, representing a successful model of solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit.”

The following articles originally appeared on the websites of the IDCPC, the PFLP and China Daily. The article from the PFLP was machine translated from Arabic and lightly edited by us.

Fourth China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue Held

On July 13th, the fourth China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue, which was co-organized by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), the CPC Committee of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was held in Yinchuan. The dialogue was themed on “China-Arab States civilization exchanges: from the ancient Silk Road to the community with a shared destiny in the new era”. Liu Jianchao, Minister of the IDCPC, Xie Chuntao, Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) responsible for routine work, and Liang Yanshun, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region were present. Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of Fatah and President of Palestine sent a written speech to the dialogue. The event’s attendees included political leaders of 67 political parties and organizations from 19 Arab countries and leaders, such as Fatima Habib, leader of the Equity Party and Vice President of the National Assembly of Mauritania, Hassan Benomar, Member of the Political Bureau of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco, Saleban Daher Bile, National Secretary of the People’s Rally for Progress(RPP), Secretary-General of the National Assembly of Djibouti, and representatives of think tanks and media.

What we defend, what Wall Street wants to destroy

The following article by Sara Flounders unpicks US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent demands that China “shift to a market-oriented system”, drop its putative “coercive actions against American firms”, and participate in the US’s unilateral and unenforceable sanctions against Russia.

Sara points out that the US is in no position to complain about China’s subsidies to state-owned enterprises, given that “every capitalist economy, including that of the US, subsidizes key industries”; some of those who suffered ruinous poverty as a result of the 2008 financial crisis may remember the trillions of dollars of subsidies that bailed out the banks rather than the poor. Meanwhile calls for China to end “barriers to market access for foreign firms” ring decidedly hollow in the light of hundreds of US trade barriers and sanctions on China.

China’s use of “non-market policies” is not in itself the source of the US’s escalating hostility. “Most frustrating to the imperialists is that the socialist development of the economy is guided by the 90-million member, popularly supported Communist Party of China. There is a party cell in every workplace, school and neighborhood. This is what US politicians and corporate investors consider a ‘dictatorship,’ restricting their freedom. On the other hand, unelected billionaires making all decisions are proof of ‘democracy.'”

Sara observes that China’s socialist strategy has brought about “the largest and most rapid improvement in material conditions in modern history”. Furthermore, via its Belt and Road Initiative and other programs, China is enabling the emergence of a truly multipolar order – a serious threat to the US-led imperialist system. The article concludes that Chinese socialism is creating important gains for the global working class, and should be defended and supported. “It is in the interests of workers here to defend China and condemn the onerous demands of US imperialism.”

The article was first carried in Workers World.

What is the material basis of the growing hostility on every level of the U.S. ruling class toward China?

No great struggle is based on the personalities or aspirations of individuals. At the root is a very concrete, material basis that drives the conflict. Otherwise, meetings, discussions and diplomacy would succeed. These techniques can paper over differences – but not fundamentally resolve them.

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen’s talk on June 7 to a group of U.S. businesspeople at the American Chamber of Commerce in China exposed how well these U.S. corporate heads understand the basic, irreconcilable difference. They are deeply frustrated about their inability to maintain their dominant global position, as well as by China’s non-compliance with their self-proclaimed “rules-based order.” (tinyurl.com/2s45jh53)

Yellen is a top capitalist economist. She is a former Chair of the Federal Reserve and headed the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Yellen has taught economics at Harvard, Yale and the London School of Economics. Her words carry weight and reflect the thinking of imperialist think tanks, strategists, politicians and businesspeople.

Yellen’s talk in China was similar to a longer presentation she gave at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies on April 20, published in preparation for her announced trip to China. It sharply defined the Biden administration’s demands on China.

Solomon Islands PM: establishing relations with China one of the best decisions in our history

In this episode of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, Zou Yun interviews the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare at the start of his second official visit to China in July. Sogavare came to China nearly four years after his previous visit, which marked the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This time, he officially opened his country’s embassy in Beijing and the two countries formally established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Mutual Respect and Common Development in the New Era. When asked how he felt to be visiting China again, he simply says: “It’s good to be back home.”

Solomon Islands finally won independence from British colonial rule in 1978, but Sogavare repeatedly describes the decades between the proclamation of independence and the establishment of diplomatic relations with China as ones of “wandering in the wilderness”. This strikingly biblical phrase doubtlessly reflects his own Seventh Day Adventist faith, as well as the deep religious sentiments of the Solomon Islands people as a whole, and therefore, in turn, his deep attachment to the China relationship, which, despite being just under four years old, has been on the fast track to become a model of solidarity, cooperation and joint development between large and small countries and between developing countries. For Sogavare, the establishment of diplomatic relations was one of the best decisions made in his country’s history and he praises the attitude he ascribes to President Xi Jinping that, “no country is too small; no one comes too late.”

In the very short history of diplomatic relations between his country and China, Sogavare asserts that the achievements have been huge, not least China’s provision of the national stadium, where Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Games this year. He expresses himself vehemently with regard to those countries who have criticised his relations with China, saying that, “we are a sovereign state and who we have diplomatic relations with and who we develop cooperation with is no one’s business.” He dismisses the theory of a ‘Chinese debt trap’ as “nonsense”, saying that some countries are afraid that they are losing their grip over the small island states.

Establishing relations with China was the best decision because his country is struggling for development. Decades after independence, Solomon Islands is still aid dependent and the country is still poor, despite its immense resources and potential, including in forestry, marine resources, minerals and tourist attractions. Unless his country realigned itself to open up to the opportunities provided by China, he feared it would remain poor forever. Asked about his impressions of President Xi Jinping, he singles out his leadership in lifting the Chinese people out of poverty. This does not simply happen by chance and is something that other countries should emulate.

As the leader of a Pacific Island country, and home to some of the world’s greatest diversity of corals and coral reef species, Sogavare expressed serious and grave concern with regard to both the Japanese plan to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear reactor into the ocean and the AUKUS agreement between Australia, the UK and the US that will see the introduction of nuclear powered submarines into the South Pacific. The South Pacific countries had jointly sent the Prime Minister of Cook Islands to Japan to convey their concern.

Regarding the AUKUS agreement, he explained that the first he had heard of this was on the media – the countries concerned had not even had the courtesy to inform Solomon Islands. This is despite the fact that both Australia and Solomon Islands are signatories to the 1986 South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Rarotonga. The South Pacific, he says, is very clear on its nuclear free policy, citing the impact of the nuclear tests on Moruroa (a part of Polynesia still under French colonial rule) and the continued suffering of the people there.

Finally, Prime Minister Sogavare speaks of his personal admiration for the Chinese martial arts icon Bruce Lee. Himself a Second Dan (black belt) in the Japanese Shotokan school of karate, it was Bruce Lee who inspired him to take up the martial arts seriously and the Prime Minister recalls how meaningful it was for him to visit Lee’s Hong Kong home in 1997.

The full interview with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is embedded below.

The East is Still Red: a valuable defense of socialism in China

We’re pleased to reproduce below J Sykes’ review of The East is Still Red, originally published in FightBack News. Sykes considers the book to be “a valuable and important defense of socialism in the People’s Republic of China”, addressing an urgent need for people to better understand contemporary China, particularly in the light of an escalating US-led hybrid war against it.

Sykes has also recently published a useful book, The Revolutionary Science of Marxism-Leninism, about which you can find more information here.

The East is Still Red can be purchased in paperback and digital formats from Praxis Press.

The new book, The East is Still Red: Chinese Socialism in the 21st Century, by Carlos Martinez and published by Praxis Press, is a valuable and important defense of socialism in the People’s Republic of China today. As the U.S. ramps up propaganda and aggression against China, this book addresses an important need, for everyone who wants a better world, to understand and defend China.

The book begins by acknowledging that there is a great deal of ignorance and confusion, especially in the imperialist countries, about China. Martinez writes, “Even among socialists and communists, there are misconceptions and important gaps in understanding.” He addresses these issues head on.

The first chapter focuses on the continuities of the revolution in China, from the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1921 until today. Martinez gives an overview of the history of the Chinese revolution and defends that legacy of Mao Zedong, while giving a balanced account of Mao’s more controversial initiatives, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

For example, while acknowledging that the turmoil and disruption of the Cultural Revolution significantly impeded China’s development, he also points out that it “had a more directly useful outcome” in terms of preventing the “ideological decay that was taking place in the Soviet Union.” According to Martinez it “set the parameters of how far Reform and Opening Up could go” and “laid the groundwork for Deng Xiaoping’s Four Cardinal Principles, which the CPC continues to observe today: 1) We must keep to the socialist road; 2) We must uphold the people’s democratic dictatorship; 3) We must uphold the leadership of the Communist Party; 4) We must uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

Furthermore, he explains that the movement to send young intellectuals down to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution “was a crucial factor in the development of a new generation of young intellectuals with a close understanding of the needs of the peasantry and the situation in the countryside.” It is noteworthy that Chinese President Xi Jinping was himself sent to the countryside as part of this movement.

Looking at the post-1978 Reform and Opening Up period initiated by Deng Xiaoping, Martinez recognizes that many see this period as “a turning point in the wrong direction.” Martinez argues against this view. Instead, Martinez notes, “Deng Xiaoping’s strong belief was that, unless the government delivered on a significant improvement in people’s standard of living, the entire socialist project would lose its legitimacy and therefore be in peril.”

President Tebboune: China is Algeria’s most important friend and partner

The President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, paid a state visit to China from July 17-21, 2023, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

This was Tebboune’s first visit to China since he assumed the Presidency in 2019. However, China’s contacts with the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) date back to the 1950s, when the Algerian people were engaged in a bitter war of national liberation against French colonialism. China was the first non-Arab country to recognise Algeria’s independence and to establish diplomatic relations with the fledgling Algerian republic. In 2014, Algeria became the first Arab country to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

Meeting his Algerian counterpart on July 18, Xi Jinping noted that this year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria. Xi said that, 65 years ago, China and Algeria were brought together by the common cause of opposing imperialism and colonialism and seeking national independence and liberation. Since then, the two countries have helped each other through thick and thin and rendered mutual understanding and support to one another. They have been true friends and natural partners in the pursuit of common development and national rejuvenation. He thanked Algeria for its unequivocal support for China’s just position on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and human rights, and reaffirmed that China firmly supports Algeria in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, supports Algeria in following a development path that fits its national reality, and opposes external interference in Algeria’s internal affairs.

Xi added that this year marks the 60th anniversary of China sending its first medical team to Algeria. (And China’s first medical team to any foreign country.) Over the last six decades, 3,522 Chinese medical workers have been sent to Algeria, treating over 27 million people and delivering over 2.07 million babies. “This is a monument to the China-Algeria friendship,” Xi said.

President Tebboune said that China is the most important friend and partner of Algeria. He thanked China for giving Algeria valuable support of various sorts over the years, saying Algeria firmly supports China’s position on issues concerning its core interests such as Taiwan and Xinjiang. He added that Algeria supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China. He expressed readiness for Algeria to take an active part in Belt and Road cooperation and to deepen the Algeria-China comprehensive strategic partnership, which will give a boost to economic and social development in Algeria.

Following their talks, the two heads of state issued a joint statement, in which they recalled the profound traditional friendly relations between the two countries and pointed out that this visit coincides with the 65th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations and is of great significance.

Having discussed the need to further enhance political and security cooperation and that in diversified economic fields, as well as in such areas as culture, sports, tourism and journalism, the two heads of state said they would like to take the celebration of the 60th anniversary of China’s dispatch of the first foreign medical team to Algeria as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in the field of health between the two countries.

With the summit of the BRICS grouping, presently comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, due to be held in South Africa in August, and with more than 40 countries having reportedly expressed an interest in joining, the Algerian side once again informed the Chinese side of the measures taken by them to apply for BRICS membership. China welcomes the positive willingness of Algeria to join the BRICS countries and supports its efforts to achieve this goal. The Algerian side appreciates China’s position and its expression of willingness to support Algeria at all stages of this process.

China, the statement said, supports Algeria in playing an important and constructive role in international and regional affairs, and appreciates the initiatives and ideas put forward by Algeria and its positive efforts to promote a just and lasting settlement of the Middle East issue. The two sides stressed that the question of Palestine should be resolved in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, ensuring the right of the Palestinian people to establish a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. China appreciates President Tebboune’s positive efforts to achieve Palestinian unity and intra-Palestinian reconciliation, as well as the Algiers Declaration issued in that regard. The Algerian side appreciates President Xi Jinping’s many initiatives on the settlement of the Palestinian issue, especially the recent three-point proposal; it appreciates China’s long-standing firm support for the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and supports all Palestinian factions in strengthening unity and achieving internal reconciliation through consultation and dialogue.

The two sides agreed that on the basis of respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of regional countries and through dialogue and consultation, they should promote the political and peaceful settlement of hotspot issues and other crises in the Arab region, such as in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Sudan, stressed their opposition to external interference, support for jointly cracking down on extremist terrorist organizations in their territories, supported the efforts of Lebanon, Somalia and Sudan to achieve security, stability, development and prosperity and counter-terrorism, and supported the efforts of the United Nations and the League of Arab States towards those ends. China stresses its support for Arab countries in resolving regional security issues through solidarity and cooperation. Algeria also expressed its appreciation for China’s efforts to achieve reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Algeria also appreciated China’s firm support for African countries in achieving national independence, following a development path suited to their own national conditions, and supporting Africa’s efforts in integration and joint self-improvement. It believes that China’s cooperation with Africa has always been at the forefront of international cooperation with the continent, and the results of China-Africa cooperation have improved the conditions for Africa’s economic and social development and brought tangible benefits to the people of both sides.

China appreciates the important role played by the Algerian side in supporting stability, development, security and peace in Africa, actively promoting the peaceful settlement of the crises in Libya, Mali, the Sahel and the Sahara region, and appreciates the fact that, as the coordinator of the African Union for preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremist activities, it has long been committed to combating this dangerous public enemy in Africa and has actively worked to share its successful experience in counter-terrorism.

The statement says that on the question of Western Sahara, the two sides stressed their support for efforts to reach a just and lasting solution within the framework of international law, in particular the relevant United Nations resolutions, so as to guarantee the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara under arrangements consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and for the efforts of the UN to that end. This constitutes a clear and significant statement of China’s support for the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the two sides called for resolving differences peacefully through dialogue and negotiation; called for abiding by universally recognised international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The security of one country should not be at the expense of the security of other countries, and the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be valued and properly addressed. They oppose coercive measures such as unilateral sanctions, violating international law and harming the livelihood of relevant countries. Possible humanitarian impacts should be mitigated and every effort should be made to avoid escalation and to achieve a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

President Tebboune invited President Xi Jinping to visit Algeria, for which Xi expressed his gratitude, and the date of the visit will be agreed by both sides.

The following day, President Tebboune held separate meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Zhao Leji.

Li Qiang said that China and Algeria should expand cooperation in emerging areas such as information technology, digital economy, new energy vehicles, and space satellites and set an example for high-tech cooperation among developing countries. China supports Algeria in playing a more significant role in international and regional affairs and stands ready to work with Algeria to practice genuine multilateralism and oppose unilateralism, hegemony, and bullying to safeguard the common interests of China, Algeria, and other developing countries.

Zhao Leji congratulated Algeria on its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2024-2025, and expressed a readiness to work with Algeria to build an open world economy and promote a more just and equitable global governance system.

Noting that Algeria and China have always firmly supported each other, Tebboune said that Algeria admires the great achievements made by the Chinese people through long-term hard work, and is willing to learn from China’s experience and deepen cooperation in various fields to bring better benefits to the two peoples.

In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, coinciding with the start of Tebboune’s visit, Smail Debeche, President of the Algeria-China Friendship Association, said the “historical and political ties between the two nations serve as a foundation for strategic convergence” and expressed the hope that their bilateral relations can be a model for Africa and the Arab world.

Debeche, who is also a professor of political sciences and international relations at the University of Algiers 3, a Central Committee member of the National Liberation Front (FLN), a leader of the Algerian Committee for Solidarity with the People of Western Sahara, and an Advisory Group member of Friends of Socialist China, added that over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Algeria have firmly supported each other on issues related to their core interests and major concerns. The two countries have maintained a consistent stance on international and regional hotspot issues and engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, becoming strategic partners that walk hand in hand. Referring to the 60th anniversary of China’s dispatch of medical teams to Algeria, he added:

“At that time, Algeria emerged from a brutal war and urgently needed medical assistance. The Chinese medical teams brought hope and timely assistance. Chinese doctors treated patients and trained local doctors. Medical cooperation between the two countries has become an example of China-Algeria cooperation.”

The following articles originally appeared on the websites of the Xinhua News Agency and the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Joint Statement was published by the Foreign Ministry in Chinese. It has been machine translated and edited by us for clarity and accuracy.

Xi holds talks with Algerian president

Xinhua, 18 July 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People.

Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria, Xi said 65 years ago, China and Algeria were brought together by the common cause of opposing imperialism and colonialism and seeking national independence and liberation.

Since then, the two countries have helped each other through thick and thin and rendered mutual understanding and support to each other, and the two countries have been true friends and natural partners in the pursuit of common development and national rejuvenation, Xi said.

Report back from a delegation to China

The following is a report by Carlos Martinez on a delegation to China, organised by the CPC’s International Department, that Friends of Socialist China was invited to join. Carlos’s report describes the intensive program of activities that the delegation participated in, as well as detailing some of the discussions and observations on China’s path to modernisation, common prosperity, whole process people’s democracy, rights of migrant workers, and the nature and trajectory of Chinese socialism.

The Third Communist Party Leaders Delegation of North American, Oceanian and Nordic Countries visited China from 24 June to 4 July, at the invitation of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC).

Friends of Socialist China were invited to join this delegation, along with the Communist Party of Australia, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Ireland, the Communist Party of Finland, the Communist Party (Sweden), the Communist Party of Norway, the Communist Party USA, the Communist Party of Canada (including Le Parti communiste du Québec), the Communist Party of Denmark, the New Communist Party of Britain, and the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist). We were represented by co-editors Keith Bennett and Carlos Martinez and advisory group member Francisco Domínguez.

The intensive and incredibly well-organised program included meetings with academics, ‘red tourism’, visits to communities and enterprises, cultural activities, and discussions with the IDCPC, the Communist Youth League of China, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

The first destination was Guangzhou (capital city of Guangdong Province in southern China), and the first activity was a presentation and Q&A session at the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, introduced by its President, Wang Tinghui, and led by Professor Deng Zhiping.

Deng Zhiping gave an overview of China’s approach to modernisation – characterised by common prosperity for all, harmony between humanity and nature, material and cultural-ethical advancement, and peaceful development – and described the leading role played by Guangdong in this process. Historically Guangdong has always been an area associated with trade; indeed it was the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, connecting China, South and Southeast Asia, Arabia, East Africa and Europe. In the recent era, Reform and opening up started with the establishment of four Special Economic Zones (SEZs), three of which were in Guangdong Province. Today Guangdong’s GDP ranks alongside Italy and Türkiye, and surpassed South Korea in 2021. Its per capita GDP now exceeds 15,000 USD, indicating that it has been able to jump out of the ‘middle-income trap’.

Guangdong’s average life expectancy is now 79.3, and all the province’s social and economic indicators are steadily improving. Enrolment rate in higher education is 58 percent, up from 28 percent in 2010. More than 158 million residents are covered by social security, and inequality is trending downwards. With the focus on rural regeneration, the urban-rural income ratio has narrowed from 2.7 a decade ago to 2.4 today.

Guangzhou has long been a trailblazer in green development, and in recent years there has been a strong emphasis on building a “green and beautiful Guangdong” – pursuing high-quality development which is green and open, based on innovation and sharing. Professor Deng emphasised that “the colour of our further modernisation is green”. Economic activity in the province is increasingly oriented towards renewable energy and electric vehicles, and major efforts are underway to improve public transport and protect biodiversity.

Nicaraguan presidential adviser visits Beijing, strengthening ties

The steadily strengthening ties between China and Nicaragua were highlighted by a further visit to Beijing by presidential adviser Laureano Ortega Murillo in July.

Ortega attended the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, which attracted senior representation from throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, including the Foreign Ministers of Burundi, Gabon, Uganda and Laos.

Meeting Ortega on July 11, China’s most senior foreign affairs official Wang Yi said that his country always views China-Nicaragua relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, regards Nicaragua as a trustworthy partner, will firmly support Nicaragua in defending its independence and national sanctity, and will firmly support Nicaragua in independently choosing a development path in line with its national conditions.

China, he added, is willing to upgrade the strategic level of bilateral relations with Nicaragua, promote the implementation of the free trade agreement, strengthen coordination in the multilateral field, and take a clear-cut stand against all hegemonism and power politics.

The following report on the meeting between Laureano Ortega and Wang Yi was originally carried by the Xinhua News Agency. We also reprint the full text of the statement for the First High-Level Conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development from the same source.

Senior Chinese diplomat meets with presidential adviser of Nicaragua

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Laureano Ortega Murillo, presidential adviser of Nicaragua, in Beijing on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, welcomed Laureano to China to attend the first high-level conference of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, saying that in the process of promoting the Global Development Initiative, China can become Nicaragua’s closest partner and play an important role in Nicaragua’s development and improvement of people’s livelihood.

Since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nicaragua, cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results. China always views China-Nicaragua relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, regards Nicaragua as a trustworthy partner, will firmly support Nicaragua in defending its independence and national sanctity, and firmly support Nicaragua in independently choosing a development path in line with its national conditions, Wang said.

China and Solomon Islands establish comprehensive strategic partnership

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare began a highly successful visit to China on July 9 2023. Meeting with President Xi Jinping the following day, the two sides jointly announced the official establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

President Xi noted that China and Solomon Islands are trustworthy friends and dependable partners to each other. He said that since the two countries established diplomatic relations, their friendly cooperation has become a pacesetter for the relations between China and other island countries in the Pacific in spite of a relatively late start. He said their cooperation is a paradigm of unity, cooperation and common development for countries of different sizes, and for developing countries. He further stressed that China greatly appreciates Solomon Islands’ firm adherence to the one-China principle, supports Solomon Islands in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and supports the development path that the country itself has chosen.

“China is supporting more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Solomon Islands, and will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to the country without any political strings attached,” Xi said, adding that China supports Solomon Islands in hosting the 17th Pacific Games.

China fully respects the cultural traditions of Pacific island countries, and adheres to harmony in diversity and shared beauty of diverse cultures and also understands that island countries in the Pacific face severe challenges caused by climate change, and stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with them in such areas as meteorological services, disaster prevention and mitigation, and clean energy to help them implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xi said.

Noting that the decision to establish diplomatic relations with China was a correct choice, Sogavare said fruitful outcomes have been achieved in bilateral ties and China has become Solomon Islands’ largest infrastructure partner and a reliable development partner.

After the meeting, the two sides released the Joint Statement on Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Featuring Mutual Respect and Common Development for a New Era Between the People’s Republic of China and Solomon Islands.

Meeting with his host, Premier Li Qiang on the same day, Sogavare said that Solomon Islands attaches great importance to relations with China, appreciates China’s active assistance for the economic and social development of Solomon Islands and other island countries in the Pacific, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China.

Li noted that China is willing to share development opportunities with Solomon Islands, synergize development strategies further, and expand cooperation on trade and investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture, tourism, forestry and fisheries, information and communication, and energy and mineral resources.

According to the Joint Statement, “The two sides agreed that since the establishment of diplomatic ties four years ago, China-Solomon Islands relations have developed rapidly and remained at the forefront of relations between China and Pacific Island countries, becoming an example of unity, cooperation, mutual support and mutual benefit between developing countries.”

They added that they “agreed that all countries, regardless of size, strength and wealth, are equals, and that their sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. The Chinese side reaffirmed its staunch support for Solomon Islands’ nation building process and to choose a development path suited to its national conditions and in upholding its sovereignty, security and development interests. The Solomon Islands side reaffirmed that it is resolutely committed to the one-China principle, that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”

In one of the most internationally noted aspects of China/Solomon Islands cooperation, the two countries agreed to enhance cooperation on law enforcement and security matters. “The Chinese side will continue to provide support and help to Solomon Islands as needed in strengthening Solomon Islands’ police law enforcement capacity. The two sides agreed to step up protection of the safety and lawful rights and interests of each other’s nationals and institutions in their countries.”

China’s assistance to Solomon Islands in this regard has been a particular focus of imperialist ire, with allegations that it infringes on the island nation’s sovereignty and independence. In fact, what really concerns the imperialist and colonialist powers is how this cooperation with China is precisely what is enabling Solomon Islands to assert and enhance its independence. Australia, which sees itself as the United States’ “deputy sheriff” in the South Pacific, has hitherto asserted its right to intervene, in a ‘policing’ capacity under an unequal 2017 security treaty, which Prime Minister Sogavare, secure in his friendly relationship with China, called to be reviewed in June.

The joint statement further said that the two sides are “committed to working with all sides to promote peace, development and stability in the Pacific Islands region, and firmly uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as the cornerstone and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty.” In a clear rebuke to Japan and to the AUKUS military alliance of Australia, Britain and the United States, it added that they “urge relevant countries to fulfill their international obligations and prudently handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear contaminated water and cooperation on nuclear submarine.”

In conclusion, “Prime Minister Sogavare expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Chinese side for the generous hospitality accorded to him during his visit, and extended an invitation to the Chinese leaders to visit Solomon Islands at an early date.”

Sogavare was elected as Prime Minister of Solomon Islands for a fourth time in April 2019 and established diplomatic relations with China in September that year. Since then his government has been subjected to tremendous pressure, both overt and covert, from the United States, Australia and other imperialist powers, but far from retreating, he has actively consolidated and developed the friendly relationship with China, proving himself to be a leader of courage, principle and integrity. This is already providing tangible benefits to his country. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is building a cellular network whilst a Chinese state company is to redevelop the port in the capital Honiara.

Analyzing the visit, Niu Li, executive director of the Pacific Research Center at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Chinese newspaper Global Times that from establishing diplomatic ties with China in 2019 to signing the security pact in 2022, then to Sogavare’s current visit, “the Solomon Islands has shown its determination to defend its national sovereignty and is striving to get rid of being controlled regardless of the pressure from the US and its allies like Australia.”

The Chinese scholar added that the reaffirmation of strategic cooperation between China and Solomon Islands will encourage other Pacific Island countries to cooperate with China. “The China-Solomon Islands cooperation will serve as a model for other Pacific Island countries, which have come under long-standing bullying and control of the US-led Western powers, to defend their national sovereignty and autonomy.”

During his visit, Sogavare also officially opened the Solomon Islands embassy in Beijing, alongside China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

The following reports were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and Global Times.

Xi meets Sogavare, urging enhanced China-Solomon Islands cooperation

Xinhua, 11 July 2023

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing on Monday afternoon.

The two sides jointly announced the official establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

Biden keeps lying about the US “not trying to surround” China

In the following brief article, Caitlin Johnstone unpicks President Biden’s recent claim that the US’s military escalation in the Pacific is not about surrounding China but about “maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean and in the South China Sea.” Caitlin points out the obvious: that Biden is lying. The US’s 313 military bases in East Asia, its initiation of AUKUS, its transfer of nuclear-capable bombers to Indonesia, its provocations in Taiwan and more all form part of a broader project of encircling and containing China. Frankly, “only a drooling idiot would believe the world’s most powerful empire is militarily surrounding its top geopolitical rival as an act of defence.”

Caitlin observes that the Chinese leadership understands these dynamics very well and is under no illusions as to the US’s intentions. When Biden says that the US is not trying to contain China and that the US is engaged in acts of defence, the purpose is to dupe the public in the West and generate support for an incredibly reckless military strategy that offers nothing of value to ordinary people.

The author concludes by advising readers to ignore the words of US officials and instead focus on their actions. “Ignore what officials say about wanting peace and not trying to surround China and supporting the One China policy etc. Just watch all the US war machinery that’s being rapidly added to that region.”

President Biden had a recent interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria during which he defended his controversial decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine and suggested that the US can continually support Ukraine the way it supports Israel rather than adding it to the NATO alliance.

About halfway through the interview Biden said something about China that’s worth flagging, because the claim he makes is self-evidently false, and it’s not the first time he’s made it.

Describing the conversations he’s been having with China’s President Xi Jinping, Biden said the following:

“We’re going to put together the Quad which is India, Australia, the United States and Japan. I got a call from him [Xi] on that. He said why are you doing that. I said we’re not doing that to surround you, we’re doing that to maintain stability in the Indian Ocean and in the South China Sea. Because we believe the rules of the road about what constitutes international air space, international space and the water should be maintained.”

High-level delegation of Brazil’s Workers’ Party visits China

A high-level delegation of Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT), led by its General Secretary, Henrique Fontana, visited China in June.

Meeting the delegation on June 13, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee (IDCPC), noted that their visit followed that in April by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who, together with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, had jointly made plans for the development of China-Brazil relations in the new era. Liu said he hoped that both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen exchanges between the ruling parties, enhance political mutual trust, and exchange experience in state governance and administration.

Liu added that China’s efforts in promoting the process of the country’s modernization will not only help the Chinese people achieve common prosperity, but will also bring more development opportunities to countries around the world, including Brazil. The Chinese side supports the Brazilian side in playing a greater role on the international stage.

Fontana said that his visit, following that of President Lula, fully shows that the PT attaches high importance to developing relations with the CPC. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two Parties. The Brazilian side hopes to see inter-party exchanges play a greater role in deepening relations between the two countries and friendship between the two peoples. The PT admires the huge success of the CPC in promoting domestic development with a people-centered approach and responding to international challenges. His party believes that China’s successful development model provides important references for the vast number of developing countries. He further applauded the Chinese side’s important role in promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine issue, and said his party is willing to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side under the framework of the United Nations, the Group of 20, and the BRICS, oppose the new Cold War mentality, champion multilateralism, and together build a multipolar and prosperous world.

The following report was originally published on the IDCPC website.

Beijing, June 13th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of senior officials of the Workers’ Party of Brazil (PT) led by Henrique Fontana, General Secretary of PT.

Liu said, not long ago, President Xi Jinping and visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva jointly made plans for China-Brazil relations in the new era, charting the course for the development of bilateral relations. We welcome the visit of a high-level delegation of PT, and appreciate PT’s commitment to actively promoting cooperation between the two countries. We hope both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen exchanges between the ruling parties, and enhance political mutual trust and experience exchange in state governance and administration, and push cooperation between counterpart departments of the two Parties, think tanks and media. We firmly support each other’s core interests and support each other in choosing a development path that suits respective national conditions. We stand ready to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and continuously push China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership for new development.

How China became the world’s industrial superpower – and why the US is desperate to stop it

In this detailed and informative video explainer on Geopolitical Economy Report, Ben Norton discusses China’s extraordinary rise and the economic dynamics of the New Cold War.

Ben notes that in 1950, China represented just 5 percent of global GDP. In purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, it currently represents 19 percent of global GDP, compared to 15 percent for the US. No other country in history has undergone such a dramatic transformation in so short a period. Ben makes the critically important point that this progress is the result of socialist, not capitalist, economics. He notes that in China’s socialist market economy, the commanding heights, including finance, infrastructure, transport and energy, are run by the state, and that the state continues to guide the economy overall, via five-year plans and multiple other mechanisms. China’s strategy has succeeded in transforming an overwhelmingly agrarian country into a leading industrial power, thereby creating the resources needed to develop more advanced socialism.

China’s rapid industrialization has led to it becoming the world’s largest manufacturer, and a leading innovator in advanced industry. This has some important – and contradictory – consequences for the West. Firstly, the West – and particularly the US – has been deindustrializing while China has been industrializing, and it now finds itself in a position where it is unable to outcompete China in terms of industrial innovation. This leads the US towards notions of ‘decoupling’ and trying to engage in various forms of economic coercion to suppress China’s rise. Secondly, however, China has become the global manufacturing center, and its high levels of productivity and innovation make it integral to multiple crucial value chains. As such, Western companies tend to be unwilling to ‘decouple’ or divest from China.

These competing needs are fomenting divisions within the Western ruling classes and are leading to decidedly incoherent foreign policy in Washington, London and elsewhere. The US is intent on preventing China from continuing to develop and becoming the world’s foremost economy, and yet the US’s financialized capitalism lacks the means to compete with (or indeed decouple from) China.