Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began his first overseas visits of 2025 with a January 5-11 trip to Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Chad and Nigeria. This marks the 35th consecutive year that the Chinese foreign minister visits Africa on the first overseas tour at the start of the year, something that has become an important tradition and bedrock of Chinese diplomacy.
He said that, despite the geographical distance, the bond between China and Africa has remained strong. The China-Africa relationship has withstood the test of changing global circumstances and is showing new promising prospects, he added, stressing that China remains a trustworthy partner for Africa, consistently prioritizing the continent in its overall diplomatic strategy.
For 35 years, Chinese foreign ministers have made Africa the destination of their first overseas visit of each year, a tradition that reflects China’s unwavering commitment, Wang said, adding that this tradition will continue because strengthening China-Africa cooperation is more crucial than ever for the world, and their joint development symbolises the rise of the Global South and the growing influence of justice.
At the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed 10 partnership action plans to jointly advance modernisation and announced that the overall characterisation of China-Africa relations was elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
Acknowledging Namibia’s unique resources and vast development potential, Wang said that the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) Party of Namibia has adopted a people-centred governance philosophy and guided the country along a development path suited to its national conditions. (The close relations between SWAPO and China date back to Namibia’s armed struggle for independence against the apartheid regime in South Africa. SWAPO adopted socialism with Namibian characteristics as its guiding ideology in 2018.)
President Mbumba said that despite differences in size, Namibia and China have always maintained a relationship of friendship, solidarity and cooperation, based on mutual respect and support.
Namibia firmly adheres to the one-China principle, supports China’s efforts to safeguard its territorial integrity, including Taiwan, and admires the development achievements under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the leadership of the Communist Party of China, he said, adding that Namibia looks forward to enhancing interparty exchanges with China and sharing governance experiences.
He said that the 35-year of tradition of Chinese Foreign Ministers travelling first to Africa each year stems from the deep and enduring friendship between China and Africa, noting that whether during their struggle for national independence and liberation or in the pursuit of common development through mutually beneficial cooperation, China and Africa have always understood, trusted, supported and helped each other. (Global Times reported this as “the glorious years of striving for national independence and liberation”, while the Namibian newspaper New Era reported it as “the extraordinary times of fighting for national independence and liberation.”)
One of the last high level diplomatic visitors to China in 2024 was Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, who held talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on December 28.
The timing of this important visit is surely not coincidental, coming at the end of a tumultuous year in the West Asia region, with the continuing genocide in Gaza, spreading conflict involving Lebanon, Yemen and other states, exchanges of missile fire between Iran and Israel and, earlier in December, the overthrow of the legitimate Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad by extremist terrorist forces massively backed by outside powers.
At their meeting, Wang said that China called on the international community to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East, respect the legitimate and reasonable concerns of those countries, respect the independent choices made by the people of the Middle East, and respect the historical and cultural traditions of countries in that region.
Noting that the Middle East belongs to the people of the Middle East, he added that it is not an arena for major-power rivalry, nor should it be the victim of geopolitical competition among countries outside the region.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Foreign Minister went on to say that the successful meeting between the two heads of state during the 16th BRICS Summit, held in Kazan, Russia, provided strategic guidance for deepening China-Iran relations.
Noting the time-honoured China-Iran relations and the traditional friendship between the two peoples, Wang said that enhanced coordination and cooperation between China and Iran will not only benefit the two peoples, but also contribute to regional and world peace, stability and development. The two sides should continue to support each other on issues concerning their core interests, steadily promote practical cooperation and enhance cooperation in multilateral fields.
He called for closer coordination and cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) framework and for the upgrading and strengthening of BRICS cooperation, to better safeguard the common interests of the Global South.
In the face of instability and uncertainty in today’s world, Wang emphasised that China and Iran must stay focused and strengthen solidarity and cooperation, jointly advocate and practice genuine multilateralism, and work for a more just and equitable global governance system.
Araghchi said that developing and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China is the priority of Iran’s foreign policy, and Iran attaches great importance to China’s important role in upholding justice in international affairs.
The Palestine Chronicle reported that the top diplomats from China and Iran called for the restoration of Palestinian rights and the termination of Israel’s occupation, emphasising the need for an immediate ceasefire, full troop withdrawal, and humanitarian aid.
In a joint statement, it quoted the Anadolu news agency as reporting, the foreign ministers of China and Iran stressed the urgent need to address the Palestinian issue through the restoration of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights and the end of Israel’s occupation,
The Palestine Chronicle report continued: “This visit marked Foreign Minister Araghchi’s first official trip to China since taking office. During the discussions, the two sides also addressed the situation in Lebanon, urging the effective implementation of the ceasefire agreements, and reiterating their commitment to respecting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
US president-elect Donald Trump has been touting tariffs as a means to reduce both income taxes and the national debt, which currently exceeds 120 percent of GDP. In the article below, Ben Norton describes these claims as “utterly false, and mathematically absurd”.
Ben notes that, during Trump’s first term, significant tax cuts were enacted, primarily benefiting the wealthiest Americans. These cuts resulted in the richest billionaire families paying a lower effective tax rate than the bottom half of US households. Consequently, federal deficits increased from 3.4 percent of GDP in 2017 to 4.6 percent in 2019, prior to the pandemic-induced surge to 14.7 percent in 2020.
The article observes that “every advanced economy got its start through protectionism”, but that the US from the 1940s has been preaching (and sometimes violently imposing) free trade as a means of opening up markets for its exports. “However, something happened in the 21st century that changed everything: the People’s Republic of China carried out the most remarkable campaign of economic development in history.”
China’s extraordinary rise has taken place in parallel with a sharp decline in US manufacturing and an increasing financialisation of the US economy. “The US capitalist class decided it would much rather be the banker of the world rather than the factory of the world, because creating parasitic financial and tech oligopolies that use monopolistic market control and intellectual property to extract rents is much more profitable than actually making things.”
Trump’s proposed tariffs will not help the US to re-industrialise – such a project would require massive long-term investment in infrastructure, education, and research and development. In reality, tariffs will be used “to justify cutting taxes even further on the rich” and, further, “to escalate the new cold war on China, which is a bipartisan gift to the Military-Industrial Complex that will only distract from the domestic problems caused by the US ruling class and externalise the blame”.
Donald Trump cited billionaire egghead venture capitalist Marc Andreessen to advocate for high tariffs. Trump argued that tariffs will magically replace the income tax and pay off US public debt (which is more than 120% of GDP). This is utterly false, and mathematically absurd.
For Trump, tariffs are just another convenient excuse to cut taxes on the rich — which will in fact increase the US deficit, and therefore public debt.
Thanks to Trump’s tax cuts during his first term, the richest billionaire families in the US paid a lower effective tax rate than the bottom half of households in the country. Meanwhile, US federal deficits increased from 3.4% of GDP in 2017 to 4.6% of GDP in 2019 (before the deficit blew out to 14.7% of GDP in 2020, due to the necessary stimulus measures during the pandemic).
As Trump continues to reduce taxes on fellow oligarchs, tariffs will decidedly not make up for the lost revenue. A study by the Wharton School, the elite business school of the University of Pennsylvania, estimated that Trump’s economic policies will increase the US deficit by $5.8 trillion over the next decade.
Nevertheless, the sudden interest in tariffs shown by US billionaires is about much more than just taxes; what it is really about is industrial hegemony and economic dominance.
Here is the actual history, which oligarchs like Trump and Andreessen don’t know:
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States used tariffs as a form of infant industry protection, to build up its domestic manufacturing capabilities, following the dirigiste ideas of Alexander Hamilton.
Every advanced economy got its start through protectionism (including Great Britain, France, Japan, South Korea, etc.). The state needed to protect infant industries during the initial industrial “catch-up” period, because it is very difficult for a developing economy to compete with a dominant economic power that already has an established industrial base that benefits from economies of scale.
By the 1940s, the US became the dominant industrial power on Earth, especially after World War Two destroyed its competitors in Europe. In 1946, US net exports were 3.2% of GDP; then, in 1947, they were 4.3% of GDP. This was a peak the US would never see again. (US net exports have been negative without exception since 1976, as the US has run the largest consistent current account deficits ever seen in history, which have only been possible to balance due to the fact that the US prints the global reserve currency, and can thus sell more and more Treasury securities and other financial assets to foreign holders of dollars.)
In the 1940s, US industry no longer had significant competition, so Washington lifted tariffs and began to preach “free trade”. This benefited the US, because at that time it had a large surplus, and insufficient domestic demand, so by imposing “free trade” (often forcibly), it could open new markets for its exports.
The US wasn’t concerned about losing local market share to a foreign manufacturer, because there weren’t any left at the top of the value chain. So US companies could dominate both foreign and domestic markets.
What the United States did was not unique; the British empire did the exact same thing in the mid 19th century. After the UK established industrial dominance, it repealed the Corn Laws in 1846, moved away from strict protectionism, and began to impose “free trade” on its colonies. (This history was detailed by economist Ha-Joon Chang in his groundbreaking book Kicking Away the Ladder.)
However, something happened in the 21st century that changed everything: the People’s Republic of China carried out the most remarkable campaign of economic development in history.
By 2016, China overtook the United States as the largest economy on Earth (when GDP is measured at purchasing power parity, according to IMF data).
Meanwhile, the US lost its industrial hegemony, due to the deindustrialization and financialization of its economy in the neoliberal era. The US capitalist class decided it would much rather be the banker of the world rather than the factory of the world, because creating parasitic financial and tech oligopolies that use monopolistic market control and intellectual property to extract rents is much more profitable than actually making things.
Just 10% of US GDP consists of manufacturing. More than double, 21%, is made up by the FIRE sector: finance, insurance, and real estate.
Today, US companies can no longer compete with Chinese firms. So what is the response of the US government, which is the representative of US monopoly capital? It has abandoned the “free trade” ideology it had spent decades imposing on the world, and has instead returned to its old strident protectionism.
During his first administration, Trump launched a trade war on China. But this is totally bipartisan (as is the case with almost all US wars). Joe Biden has continued Trump’s trade and tech war on China, imposing even more tariffs.
Demagogues such as Trump like to scapegoat China for the problems that were caused by US oligarchs like him and Andreessen, who got much, much, much richer thanks to the deindustrialization and correspondent financialization of the US economy.
Now they think tariffs are the panacea that will fix everything. But they won’t, because the US industrial base has seriously eroded, and that can’t be rebuilt quickly; it takes many years.
Even more importantly, billionaire oligarchs on Wall Street — who are close friends and allies of Trump, Andreessen, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Elon Musk — will fight tooth and nail against a significant devaluation of the dollar, which would be needed to re-industrialize, reduce production costs, and disincentive imports. Financial speculators want a strong dollar, to keep inflating the biggest bubble in the history of US capital markets.
So the logical result of this is that Trump will use tariffs not truly to re-industrialize, but rather for two main reasons: one, to justify cutting taxes even further on the rich (thereby increasing US public debt, which will be pointed to to demand neoliberal austerity and slashes to social spending); and two, to escalate the new cold war on China, which is a bipartisan gift to the Military-Industrial Complex that will only distract from the domestic problems caused by the US ruling class and externalize the blame.
The following article by Yang Ran, first published in China Daily, provides a useful overview of the unprecedented climate challenges faced by the world in 2024: “This year has seen a series of devastating extreme weather events, including wildfires in Canada and the Amazon, heat waves in France, Mali, and Mexico, fatal floods in Spain, Nepal, and Sudan, and destructive cyclones in the United States and Southeast Africa.” Of nearly 750 extreme weather events and trends recorded over the course of the year, three-quarters “were made more likely or severe due to climate change”.
The need for urgent global action and cooperation could hardly be clearer, and yet the developed countries are failing to take the necessary steps, and in many cases are moving backwards.
The recent COP29 conference in Azerbaijan reached a climate finance deal in which wealthy nations agreed to provide $300 billion annually by 2035 to help poorer countries with energy transition and climate change mitigation. However, this “falls far short of the $1.3 trillion that experts believe is needed”. Meanwhile, economic downturn is leading Western governments to deprioritise their climate goals, and the US and its allies are privileging anti-China measures (including tariffs and sanctions on electric vehicles and solar panels) over climate cooperation. Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement (again) complicates matters further.
The article quotes Teng Fei, deputy director of Tsinghua University’s Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy: “Trade wars and tariffs initiated by the EU (European Union) and the US actually hinder global efforts to reduce emissions — such approaches disrupt the global industrial chain and may even increase the global cost of renewable energy.”
China in recent years has invested heavily in renewable energy, electric vehicles and low-carbon industry, emerging as by far the global leader in these fields. China’s commitment has led to dramatic global price reductions in solar and wind energy. The world urgently needs the developed countries to follow China’s example.
The year 2024 was marked by unprecedented climate challenges, with record-breaking heat and increasingly severe weather events becoming the new norm. Climate change, a topic that has dominated global headlines for years, has become more of a reality, rather than an impending crisis.
In early December, the Copernicus Climate Change Service announced that 2024 was almost certain to be the hottest year on record, surpassing records dating back to 1940. Last year was also set to be the first one in which the global average temperature exceeded the 1.5 C limit above pre-industrial levels, a critical threshold established by the Paris Agreement.
The agreement aims for “keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius”.
Teng Fei, deputy director of Tsinghua University’s Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy, said that while this does not indicate a breach of the Paris Agreement — since the temperature target is based on a long-term average — it does highlight a worrying warming trend. “From now on, each year might be the hottest on record, but also the coolest we’ll see in the future,” Teng said.
This year has also seen a series of devastating extreme weather events, including wildfires in Canada and the Amazon, heat waves in France, Mali, and Mexico, fatal floods in Spain, Nepal, and Sudan, and destructive cyclones in the United States and Southeast Africa.
According to a study published in November by Carbon Brief, a United Kingdom-based climate website, 74 percent of nearly 750 extreme weather events and trends were made more likely or severe due to climate change. Some events were deemed virtually impossible without human influence on global temperatures.
Studies on attributing extreme weather events confirm that human-caused climate change significantly impacts the frequency, severity, and likelihood of these events.
“More than half the weather and climate disaster losses in China can be attributed to climate change,” Teng said.
“As temperatures rise, human-induced climate change will increasingly contribute to extreme weather. Both the frequency and intensity of these events will grow as climate change worsens.”
Despite the growing evidence of climate change’s impact, global efforts to combat it remain insufficient. Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said despite a controlled growth rate, global emissions are still rising.
Foreign Minister of Serbia Marko Djurić visited China in late December 2024 and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Tianjin on December 20.
Wang Yi said that 2024 is a great year for China-Serbia relations. During President Xi Jinping’s successful state visit to Serbia in May, the two heads of state decided to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. The traditional friendship between China and Serbia was established in their joint opposition to power politics and bullying, forged in the struggle to defend independence and sovereignty, and nurtured through mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. Having withstood the test of the changing international landscape, bilateral friendship will only grow stronger over time, and as a result, the two countries have become true ironclad friends.
Serbia is welcome to board the express train of China’s development and join hands with China to realise their respective modernisation. China will continue to firmly support Serbia in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and will continue to support Serbia’s development and growth.
Marko Djurić said that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has completed poverty alleviation and made admirable great achievements in development. President Xi Jinping is a dearly beloved friend of the Serbian people, and his historic visit to Serbia has elevated bilateral relations to a new height. The relationship with China is a cornerstone of Serbia’s diplomacy, and deepening cooperation with China has become a cross-party and social consensus in Serbia.
The following article was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
On December 20, 2024, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić in Tianjin.
Wang Yi asked Marko Djurić to convey President Xi Jinping’s sincere greetings to President Aleksandar Vučić. Wang Yi said that this year is a great year for China-Serbia relations. During President Xi Jinping’s successful state visit to Serbia in May this year, the two heads of state decided to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. The traditional friendship between China and Serbia was established in their joint opposition to power politics and bullying, forged in the struggle to defend independence and sovereignty, and nurtured through mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. Having withstood the test of the changing international landscape, bilateral friendship will only grow stronger over time, and as a result, the two countries have become true ironclad friends. China-Serbia relations stay at the forefront of the times and follow the right direction of history. China is ready to work with Serbia to continuously create new prospects for bilateral relations.
Wang Yi said that China’s economy maintains high-quality growth, remaining at the forefront among major economies. China is constantly improving its high-standard opening-up system, which will not only provide impetus for China’s development, but also will provide new cooperation opportunities for Serbia and other countries in the world. Serbia is welcome to board the express train of China’s development and join hands with China to realize their respective modernization. China will continue to firmly support Serbia in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and will continue to support Serbia’s development and growth. China appreciates Serbia’s positive response to and participation in the three global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, and their joint efforts to uphold international fairness and justice.
Marko Djurić conveyed President Aleksandar Vučić’s sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping and extended congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Marko Djurić said that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has completed poverty alleviation and made admirable great achievements in development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was successfully convened, with over 300 reform measures formulated to lay a solid foundation for future development. President Xi Jinping is a dearly beloved friend of the Serbian people, and his historic visit to Serbia has elevated bilateral relations to a new height. The relationship with China is a cornerstone of Serbia’s diplomacy, and deepening cooperation with China has become a cross-party and social consensus in Serbia. Serbia will continue to steadfastly pursue the one-China policy and firmly support China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Serbia looks forward to working with China to follow through on the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state, maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen economic cooperation, enhance connectivity, and promote greater development in bilateral relations. China plays a balancing and constructive role in international affairs. Serbia supports all the major initiatives put forward by China and backs the advancement of China’s cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries. Serbia looks forward to close communication and coordination with China to jointly tackle global challenges.
The two sides had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East.
The following article, which we reprint from the Xinhua News Agency, reports on a commemorative event held in Shijiazhuang, the capital of China’s Hebei Province, on December 21, 2024, to honour the memory of Canadian internationalist surgeon and member of the Communist Party of Canada, Norman Bethune.
November 12, 2024, was the 85th anniversary of Bethune’s death at the age of 49 from blood poisoning, while assisting the Chinese people in their war of resistance against Japanese aggression. Earlier he had served in the International Brigades supporting the Spanish Republic in the fight against fascism.
December 21, 2024, marked the 85th anniversary of the publication of Mao Zedong’s article, ‘In Memory of Norman Bethune’, one of the most famous writings of the late Chinese leader.
The Xinhua article highlighted the participation in the commemoration of Michael Crook. The son of internationalist communist fighters David and Isabel Crook, Michael is the Chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (known as ‘Gung Ho’) and a member of the Friends of Socialist China advisory group.
“My father met Norman Bethune in Spain during his recovery from battle injuries. Influenced by him, my father aspired to come to China, where he met my mother and later had me,” the article quotes Michael as saying.
We also reproduce – from the Marxist Internet Archive – Chairman Mao’s article, in which he writes:
“What kind of spirit is this that makes a foreigner selflessly adopt the cause of the Chinese people’s liberation as his own? It is the spirit of internationalism, the spirit of communism, from which every Chinese Communist must learn. Leninism teaches that the world revolution can only succeed if the proletariat of the capitalist countries supports the struggle for liberation of the colonial and semi-colonial peoples and if the proletariat of the colonies and semi-colonies supports that of the proletariat of the capitalist countries. Comrade Bethune put this Leninist line into practice. We Chinese Communists must also follow this line in our practice. We must unite with the proletariat of all the capitalist countries, with the proletariat of Japan, Britain, the United States, Germany, Italy and all other capitalist countries, for this is the only way to overthrow imperialism, to liberate our nation and people and to liberate the other nations and peoples of the world… Comrade Bethune’s spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his great sense of responsibility in his work and his great warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people.”
Death anniversary of Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune commemorated in China
A commemoration event was held in north China’s Hebei Province on Saturday to honor Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune for his selflessness and spirit of internationalism.
Titled “Memories Through Time and Space,” the event was hosted by the North China Military Martyrs Cemetery in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang.
Around 100 people, including soldiers, students and individuals from various walks of life, attended the event.
This year marks the 85th death anniversary of Bethune, who died of blood poisoning at the age of 49 on Nov. 12, 1939 in China while aiding the Chinese people in their fight against Japanese aggression. His remains were relocated to the cemetery in 1953.
The commemoration began at 10 a.m., with participants bowing before the surgeon’s tomb and presenting flower baskets.
“My father met Norman Bethune in Spain during his recovery from battle injuries. Influenced by him, my father aspired to come to China, where he met my mother and later had me,” said Michael Crook, chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives.
His parents, David and Isabel Crook, played an important role in training a large number of foreign-language professionals for China.
“The spirit of Bethune has not faded with time; instead, it has been widely inherited and carried forward in both China and Canada,” said Hu Jinqiang, director of the North China Military Martyrs Cemetery.
Hu noted that today Bethune is not just a name but a symbol of internationalism, humanism and selfless dedication. “We commemorate him to inspire more people to remember history and carry forward his spirit.”
In memory of Norman Bethune
Comrade Norman Bethune,[1] a member of the Communist Party of Canada, was around fifty when he was sent by the Communist Parties of Canada and the United States to China; he made light of travelling thousands of miles to help us in our War of Resistance Against Japan. He arrived in Yenan in the spring of last year, went to work in the Wutai Mountains, and to our great sorrow died a martyr at his post. What kind of spirit is this that makes a foreigner selflessly adopt the cause of the Chinese people’s liberation as his own? It is the spirit of internationalism, the spirit of communism, from which every Chinese Communist must learn. Leninism teaches that the world revolution can only succeed if the proletariat of the capitalist countries supports the struggle for liberation of the colonial and semi-colonial peoples and if the proletariat of the colonies and semi-colonies supports that of the proletariat of the capitalist countries.[2] Comrade Bethune put this Leninist line into practice. We Chinese Communists must also follow this line in our practice. We must unite with the proletariat of all the capitalist countries, with the proletariat of Japan, Britain, the United States, Germany, Italy and all other capitalist countries, for this is the only way to overthrow imperialism, to liberate our nation and people and to liberate the other nations and peoples of the world. This is our internationalism, the internationalism with which we oppose both narrow nationalism and narrow patriotism.
Comrade Bethune’s spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his great sense of responsibility in his work and his great warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people. Every Communist must learn from him. There are not a few people who are irresponsible in their work, preferring the light and shirking the heavy, passing the burdensome tasks on to others and choosing the easy ones for themselves. At every turn they think of themselves before others. When they make some small contribution, they swell with pride and brag about it for fear that others will not know. They feel no warmth towards comrades and the people but are cold, indifferent and apathetic. In truth such people are not Communists, or at least cannot be counted as devoted Communists. No one who returned from the front failed to express admiration for Bethune whenever his name was mentioned, and none remained unmoved by his spirit. In the Shansi-Chahar-Hopei border area, no soldier or civilian was unmoved who had been treated by Dr. Bethune or had seen how he worked. Every Communist must learn this true communist spirit from Comrade Bethune.
Comrade Bethune was a doctor, the art of healing was his profession and he was constantly perfecting his skill, which stood very high in the Eighth Route Army’s medical service. His example is an excellent lesson for those people who wish to change their work the moment they see something different and for those who despise technical work as of no consequence or as promising no future.
Comrade Bethune and I met only once. Afterwards he wrote me many letters. But I was busy, and I wrote him only one letter and do not even know if he ever received it. I am deeply grieved over his death. Now we are all commemorating him, which shows how profoundly his spirit inspires everyone. We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit everyone can be very useful to the people. A man’s ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people.
NOTES
1. The distinguished surgeon Norman Bethune was a member of the Canadian Communist Party. In 1936 when the German and Italian fascist bandits invaded Spain, he went to the front and worked for the anti-fascist Spanish people. In order to help the Chinese people in their War of Resistance Against Japan, he came to China at the head of a medical team and arrived in Yenan in the spring of 1938. Soon after he went to the Shansi-Chahar-Hopei border area. Imbued with ardent internationalism and the great communist spirit, he served the army and the people of the Liberated Areas for nearly two years. He contracted blood poisoning while operating on wounded soldiers and died in Tanghsien, Hopei, on November 12, 1939
2. See J. V. Stalin, “The Foundations of Leninism”, Problems of Leninism, Eng. ed., FLPH, Moscow, 1954, pp. 70-79.
Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), met with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Senior Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) on 9 December 2024.
Liu said that the CPC is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges and political dialogue with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), deepen experience exchanges and mutual learning of party management and governance, and enhance cooperation between the two parties and the two countries.
Shrestha said, China has all along respected Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, supported Nepal’s economic and social development, and lent a helping hand to Nepal in difficult times. China is a good friend of Nepal who has shared weal and woe. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) supports the two countries in signing a framework agreement on cooperation in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels with the CPC, promote exchanges and cooperation in party school, think tank, local government and other fields, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, and promote the development of the socialist cause.
Earlier, on 20 November 2024, Liu had met with General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist).
The following article was originally published on the IDCPC website.
Beijing, December 9th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Senior Vice Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center).
Liu said, not long ago, President Xi Jinping met with Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Beijing, charting the course for the future development of bilateral relations. China has always pursued a friendly policy towards Nepal and is willing to work with Nepal to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, firmly safeguard each other’s core interests, and promote cooperation such as the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The CPC is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges and political dialogue with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), deepen experience exchanges and mutual learning of party management and governance, and enhance cooperation between the two Parties and the two countries. It is hoped that major political parties of Nepal, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), will continue to contribute to China-Nepal friendship.
Shrestha said, China has all along respected Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, supported Nepal’s economic and social development, and lent a helping hand to Nepal in difficult times. China is a good friend of Nepal who has shared weal and woe. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) supports the two countries in signing a framework agreement on cooperation in the joint construction of the BRI, and is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels with the CPC, promote exchanges and cooperation in party school, think tank, local government and other fields, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, and promote the development of the socialist cause.
Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present.
In the following commentary, which was originally published by Global Times, the Canadian writer and anti-imperialist activist Arnold August addresses the Canadian government’s slanderous attacks on China’s human rights record, especially in Xinjiang and Xizang (Tibet), and contrasts this to Canada’s own lamentable record.
Arnold notes that: “As part of this disinformation campaign, Canadian authorities, Western ‘Tibetan’ advocacy groups and corporate press refer to the ‘suppression of Tibetans’. They point to boarding schools or ‘camps’ in Xizang and neighbouring Qinghai Province, where approximately one-fifth of the population is Tibetan. In a baseless charge made on December 10, Ottawa claimed that Tibetans held in ‘camps’ faced ‘psychological, physical, or sexual violence’ and lacked ‘freedom of religion and expression.’”
He continues: “The following is a testimony of a youth in a boarding school, also known as a residential school: The authorities constantly berated him, beat him, barred him from speaking his language and practicing his culture, and sexually assaulted him. Did this incident occur in China? No, it happened in Canada. Moreover, multiply this by hundreds of thousands.
“It has been revealed that in Canada, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools and an estimated 6,000 children died in these institutions. However, experts suggest the number based on unmarked graves could be higher.”
He also draws attention to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, commissioned by the [outgoing] Trudeau government itself, which issued its report in 2019. “It concluded that violence experienced by thousands of Indigenous women and girls is part of a ‘genocide.’ The Canadian government formally received it but did not act on it.”
This, Arnold notes, prompted a Member of Parliament from the New Democratic Party (NDP – Canada’s main social democratic party) to table a bill to end ‘residential school denialism’ by making it a criminal offence. “Yet, this was also ignored.”
Further noting the contamination by mercury of the water used by the people of the Asubpeeschoseewagong (also known as Grassy Narrows) First Nation, in Northern Ontario, which is still leading to fatalities after three generations, Albert contrasts it to the cafeteria in a boarding school he visited in a Tibetan minority area of Qinghai Province, adding that, “the quality and variety of the food and beverages available… would be the envy of many Canadian students from working-class families.”
Canada, he concludes, should focus on the well-being of its own people, who would benefit from further development of economic ties with China.
China has decided to impose countermeasures against two Canadian organizations as well as 20 personnel from these organizations in accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. The decision took effect on December 21, 2024.
China’s measures responded to the Canadian government’s Human Rights Day announcement on December 10. On a day devoted to honoring human rights, rather than examining Canada’s human rights records, the Justin Trudeau government imposed sanctions on Chinese officials for the so-called violation of human rights in Xinjiang and Xizang. The slanders against China regarding Xinjiang and the Uygurs have been widely debunked, including by countless visitors there.
As part of this disinformation campaign, Canadian authorities, Western “Tibetan” advocacy groups and corporate press refer to the “suppression of Tibetans.” They point to boarding schools or “camps” in Xizang and neighboring Qinghai Province, where approximately one-fifth of the population is Tibetan. In a baseless charge made on December 10, Ottawa claimed that Tibetans held in “camps” faced “psychological, physical, or sexual violence” and lacked “freedom of religion and expression.”
At the start of the new year, China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong has condemned Israel’s continuing war crimes in Gaza and especially the attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Speaking at a January 3 Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, called by Algeria, which this month holds the rotating presidency of the council, Fu Cong said:
“As the new year begins, people all expect everything to take on a fresh look. Yet in Gaza, death continues to cast its shadow, and the bombings and attacks by Israel do not cease even for a moment. For the people in Gaza, they were not counting down to the happy celebration of the new year, but the next bombing that could happen anytime.”
He added that, “Right before the new year, a heinous tragedy took place in northern Gaza.” Israel had attacked the Kamal Adwan Hospital, “the only remaining comprehensive medical service institution in northern Gaza, forcibly detaining medical and care personnel, forcibly transferring innocent patients, causing the deaths of a large number of people, and plunging the hospital into a sea of fire. This act seriously violates international law, in particular international humanitarian law. It is appalling and China strongly condemns this.”
Moreover: “It is not the first time that Kamal Adwan Hospital has been attacked, nor is it the only hospital in Gaza that has been attacked. According to the OHCHR [the Office of the [UN} High Commissioner for Human Rights] report, by June 2024, at least 27 hospitals and 12 medical institutions in Gaza have been subject to 136 attacks, which claimed the lives of over 500 medical personnel… There is also analysis indicating that the lethal attacks launched by Israel against the medical institutions in Gaza to bring the medical system in Gaza to the brink of collapse are part of the systematic strategy to make Gaza uninhabitable.”
He urged Israel to “stop turning hospitals into battlefields, stop launching attacks on medical facilities, ensure the safety of medical institutions and personnel, and release all medical personnel detained.”
We reprint below the full text of Ambassador Fu Cong’s remarks. They were originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
President.
At the outset, I wish to congratulate Algeria on assuming the Presidency of the Security Council for this month. I welcome Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia to officially take part in the Council’s work. China looks forward to working with all Council members for the Security Council to effectively fulfill its mandate under the UN Charter in 2025.
I thank Algeria for the initiative to hold today’s meeting. I thank High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Volker Türk, Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, and Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan for their briefings.
As the new year begins, people all expect everything to take on a fresh look. Yet in Gaza, death continues to cast its shadow, and the bombings and attacks by Israel do not cease even for a moment. For the people in Gaza, they were not counting down to the happy celebration of the new year, but the next bombing that could happen anytime.
Right before the new year, a heinous tragedy took place in northern Gaza. The Israeli force launched an attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital, the only remaining comprehensive medical service institution in northern Gaza, forcibly detaining medical and care personnel, forcibly transferring innocent patients, causing the deaths of a large number of people, and plunging the hospital into a sea of fire. This act seriously violates international law, in particular international humanitarian law. It is appalling, and China strongly condemns this.
We are pleased to republish below President Xi Jinping’s New Year message. The message outlines the current situation in China without seeking to obscure difficulties and challenges, whether domestic or global, objective or subjective, and it points the way forward, combining confidence with realism in an objective and scientific manner.
Xi points to the impressive advances that have been made over the course of the past year in the pursuit of high-quality development and the improvement of people’s living standards, as well as in advancing new productive forces and exploring new frontiers of science and technology.
For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year. Breakthroughs have been made in integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, quantum communications and many other fields. Also for the first time, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe collected samples from the far side of the moon. The Mengxiang drilling vessel explored the mystery of the deep ocean. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link now connects the two cities across the sea. The Antarctic Qinling Station is now in operation on the frozen continent.
Xi reiterates the CPC’s firm commitment to meeting the needs of the people:
Of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people. Every family hopes that their children can have a good education, their seniors can enjoy good elderly services, and their youngsters can have more and better opportunities. These simple wishes are our people’s aspirations for a better life. We should work together to steadily improve social undertakings and governance, build a harmonious and inclusive atmosphere, and settle real issues, big or small, for our people. We must bring more smiles to our people and greater warmth to their hearts.
Discussing China’s role in the world, in the context of a rising multipolarity, President Xi affirms China’s commitment to peace and cooperation:
As changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, it is important to rise above estrangement and conflict with a broad vision, and care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world.
The English translation of the speech was first published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett’s comment on the speech is included in a China Daily report, which we publish below the speech.
Greetings to everybody! Time flies fast, and the new year will be with us shortly. I extend my best wishes to you all from Beijing.
In 2024, we have together journeyed through the four seasons. Together, we have experienced winds and rains and seen rainbows. Those touching and unforgettable moments have been like still frames showing how extraordinary a year we have had.
We have proactively responded to the impacts of the changing environment at home and abroad. We have adopted a full range of policies to make solid gains in pursuing high-quality development. China’s economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with its GDP for the year expected to pass the 130 trillion yuan mark. Grain output has surpassed 700 million tons, and China’s bowls are now filled with more Chinese grain. Coordinated development across regions has gained stronger momentum, and mutually reinforcing advances have been made in both new urbanization and rural revitalization. Green and low-carbon development has been further enhanced. Indeed, a more beautiful China is unfolding before us.
We have fostered new quality productive forces in light of actual conditions. New business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year. Breakthroughs have been made in integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, quantum communications and many other fields. Also for the first time, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe collected samples from the far side of the moon. The Mengxiang drilling vessel explored the mystery of the deep ocean. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link now connects the two cities across the sea. The Antarctic Qinling Station is now in operation on the frozen continent. All this epitomizes the lofty spirit and dreams of the Chinese people to explore stars and oceans.
The following article from Brasil de Fato reports on China’s donation of almost 70 tons of power generator parts and accessories to Cuba. Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Déborah Rivas said that the donation “reflects the high sensitivity of the Chinese government authorities to Cuba’s needs, and their firm support for Cuba under all circumstances, joining, in a true expression of fraternity, the Cuban government’s efforts to achieve energy sustainability”.
Cuba faces a major energy crisis, largely as a result of the US’s cruel and illegal economic blockade. The article notes: “The import of fuel, like any other good, is hampered by the sanctions that Washington unilaterally imposes on countries that trade with Cuba because any ship that arrives at a Cuban port is sanctioned, which generates staggering prices the island has to pay to import the products it needs.”
China is cooperating with Cuba, under the framework of the Belt and Road Energy Partnership, to construct several new photovoltaic parts, which will allow the island to modernise its energy infrastructure and meet its goal of generating all its energy from renewable sources by 2050.
The People’s Republic of China has donated almost 70 tons of power generator parts and accessories to Cuba, aiming to contribute to the recovery of the Caribbean island’s electricity system.
The materials arrived in the country on Sunday (29) and were received by China’s ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin, and Cuba’s deputy ministers of Foreign Trade and Investment, Déborah Rivas, and Energy and Mining, Tatiana Amarán.
According to Ambassador Xin, the shipment is part of China’s second assistance package in 2024 to help restore Cuba’s electricity generation capacity to around 400 megawatts (MW). As part of an “emergency project list,” the donations were included to provide Cuba with effective and rapid aid according to what the Chinese government calls “convenience for the most urgent.”
“The next batches are expected to arrive soon by freight, commercial flights or container transportation,” he said.
During the brief ceremony to receive the donations, Deputy Minister Déborah Rivas said that it “reflects the high sensitivity of the Chinese government authorities [to Cuban’s needs] and their firm support for Cuba under all circumstances, joining, in a true expression of fraternity, the Cuban government’s efforts to achieve energy sustainability.”
The deputy minister also stated that the island government estimates that this donation will benefit about 53,200 homes in the country.
The donations come as the Caribbean country is facing a serious energy crisis that has worsened in recent months. This year, Cuba has suffered three total blackouts in the national electricity system, leaving the country completely in the dark. Currently, power cuts are becoming more and more constant, affecting over 40% of the population daily. The situation has seriously damaged economic activity and the population’s quality of life.
### Bloc and energy
The donations are part of agreements signed between Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, seeking to expand cooperation in strategic initiatives such as energy, transportation, food security and trade.
Cuba’s electricity generation comes from old thermoelectric plants – most of which are more than 30 years old – which require constant maintenance to operate. However, due to the US blockade on the country – considered illegal by most UN countries – Cuba has for decades faced serious financial difficulties in making the necessary investments and maintenance to keep its electricity system running.
The import of fuel, like any other good, is hampered by the sanctions that Washington unilaterally imposes on countries that trade with Cuba because any ship that arrives at a Cuban port is sanctioned, which generates staggering prices the island has to pay to import the products it needs.
In recent months, the Chinese government has donated various components for the installation of photovoltaic parks (renewable energies based on sunlight) on the Caribbean island. The region’s climatic conditions make sunlight the most favorable source of renewable energy for the country.
Currently, more than 95% of the country’s power generation comes from fossil fuels, while only 5% comes from renewable sources. Cuba aims to generate up to 25% of its electric energy from renewable sources over the next five years. By 2050, the aim is to cover the entire energy matrix with electricity generation based on renewable energy sources.
In mid-December, the Chinese government and Cuba officially announced the construction of several photovoltaic parks on the Caribbean island, with funds donated by the Asian country. It is estimated that these photovoltaic parks could save up to seven million US dollars.
