March 2026 - Friends of Socialist China

How does whole process people’s democracy differ from western democracy?

In the following article, which was published by Global Times on March 11, three foreign observers, including Keith Bennett, present their views on the following questions in the context of China’s two annual sessions – of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC):

How are consensuses achieved swiftly and on a broad scale?
How do the down-to-earth style of CPPCC members and NPC deputies differ from Western lawmakers?
And how do weighty national issues debated each year genuinely resonate with the daily lives of ordinary people?

Keith notes that: “China’s whole-process people’s democracy represents and embodies the interests of the vast majority… The key reason is that the type of consensus, uniting state and society, that can be achieved in a socialist country like China, is actually impossible to attain in a capitalist society. At the end of the day, such societies are divided into classes with fundamentally irreconcilable and antagonistic interests.”

In the West, Keith observes, “We see an increasing trend to treat politics as just another profession, with Western legislators going rapidly from elite university to a political think tank or a job in parliament and then rapidly to a parliamentary seat. In this way, any lingering concept of serving the people is disappearing and the people are noticing. In this situation, Western legislators lead lives that are ever more divorced from the people and communities they are supposedly meant to serve.”

“In contrast, through whole-process people’s democracy, people in China have a real input into who will be elected and chosen to represent them. Mostly, they continue to live and work among the people they serve. They are well placed to articulate people’s concerns because in most instances they are their concerns, too.”

China’s two sessions offer a window into how the country aims to advance its high-quality development and sustain the momentum of its reform in an ever-changing global landscape. How are consensuses achieved swiftly and on a broad scale? How do the down-to-earth style of CPPCC members and NPC deputies differ from Western lawmakers? And how do weighty national issues debated each year genuinely resonate with the daily lives of ordinary people? The Global Times invites three foreign scholars to share their perspectives.

Reaching consensus

Denis Simon (Simon), a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute in Washington, DC: China’s two sessions sit at the apex of a governance system designed to convert broad political priorities into implementable programs with unusual speed and scale. What often appears to foreign observers as “instant consensus” is, in fact, the product of four interacting features: tightly organized agenda-setting, hierarchical responsibility and evaluation, policy experimentation, and extensive mobilization capacity across Party, state and quasi-state institutions.

Announcements at the two sessions function as authoritative signals that align state organs, markets, and society around a defined set of priorities – economic stabilization, industrial upgrading, employment, common prosperity, carbon peaking, artificial intelligence, or public health capacity.

Wang Yi continues China’s work for peace

China is continuing its active work for peace and for an end to the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

Between March 24-27, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held telephone discussions with five of his counterparts in this regard.

On March 24, he spoke again with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, following their call on March 2.

Araghchi briefed Wang on the latest developments in the regional situation. Thanking China for providing emergency humanitarian assistance, he said the Iranian people are more united in resisting foreign aggression and safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and independence.

Iran is committed to achieving a comprehensive end to the war, rather than merely a temporary ceasefire, Araghchi said. The Strait of Hormuz is open to all and ships can pass safely, but countries at war with Iran are not under consideration, he said.

He expressed the hope that measures taken by all parties would help de-escalate the situation rather than intensify the conflict, expecting China to continue playing a positive role in promoting peace and ending the war.

The following day, Wang spoke again with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty following their call on March 12.

Wang said that both China and Egypt are responsible countries. They both oppose military operations without authorizstion from the UN Security Council, oppose attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, and do not approve of affecting the Gulf countries.

The situation in the Middle East is changing rapidly, Wang said, citing that both the United States and Iran are signalling their readiness to negotiate. A glimmer of hope for peace has emerged, he added.

Stressing that as long as there is dialogue, there is hope for peace, Wang said that the actions of the Security Council should help ease the situation and promote dialogue and help prevent the expansion of the war instead of giving a pass to the use of force.

Noting that China supports Egypt in continuing to play a mediating role in promoting the resumption of peace talks and the cessation of the war, Wang said that China is also willing to continue to make constructive efforts for this purpose.

The same day, Wang also had a call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fida and said that China supports countries in the Middle East in maintaining calm and addressing disputes and differences through dialogue.

The right and wrong of the conflict in the Middle East are clear, and the international community should adopt an objective and impartial position. China supports countries in the region in remaining calm and responding rationally to the current situation from a long-term perspective based on fundamental interests. China also supports Türkiye in playing a constructive role in promoting the resumption of negotiations.

For his part, Fidan said that Türkiye and China are highly consistent in their positions regarding the current situation in the Middle East, and both countries oppose launching military attacks without authorisation from the UN Security Council and oppose further escalation of the conflict.

China has always been committed to maintaining regional and world peace, and it is believed that China will continue to play an important role, he added.

Xi Jinping exchanges messages with Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un was re-elected to the post of President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the First Session of the 15^th Supreme People’s Assembly on March 22.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to his DPRK counterpart on March 26, in which he wrote:

“The traditional China-DPRK friendship is a precious asset common to the two countries. It is the consistent and steadfast policy of the Chinese party and government to successfully defend, consolidate and develop the China-DPRK relations.”

In a reply message sent the following day, Kim Jong Un wrote that:

“I am pleased to note that the traditional DPRK-China relations are being put on a new high stage in keeping with the aspiration and desire of the two parties and the peoples of the two countries according to the important agreement reached at the meeting with you in September last year. Steadfast is the stand of our Party and government to continue to develop in depth the DPRK-China relations of friendship and cooperation with socialism as the core.”

The day following his re-election, Kim Jong Un delivered an important speech in which he began by: “Expressing my thanks to the Supreme People’s Assembly for entrusting me again with the sacred mission of representing the DPRK and guiding the overall work of the country, I solemnly pledge to make all sincere efforts to firmly defend the Constitution of our Republic and promote the prosperity and development of the State and the well-being of the people, bearing deep in mind the trust and expectations of all of you.”

In the course of a comprehensive and wide-ranging presentation the DPRK leader made some significant observations bearing on the present international situation, including the following:

“The past decade clearly showed that no objective conditions and circumstances can ever check the advance of a state and people that have turned out in the struggle to shape their future, rallied as one with a firm faith, and that the most correct road to prosperity is to achieve self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

“The hostile forces wanted us to make a different choice, preaching a payment for our giving up of nuclear weapons, but the present situation clearly proves how just the strategic option and decision of our State were in rejecting the enemy’s cajolery and perpetuating our nuclear possession so that it is irreversible…

“Thus, our State has ushered in a new era of achieving security and safeguarding peace with strength, not by any declaration or through any appeal.

China’s new high quality growth benefits humanity as a whole

The video embedded below is the full recording of an interview and discussion conducted by Jingjing Yang of China Media Group (CMG) with our co-editor Keith Bennett on March 5 regarding issues raised by China’s then ongoing two annual parliamentary sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Reviewing the achievements of Chinese-style modernisation over the last year, Keith notes that we are living through a dramatic period of history, one in which events move very fast and we are experiencing, as Xi Jinping puts it, changes unseen in a century.

China’s growth is now expressed above all in qualitative terms, with advances in AI, robotics and other fields all contributing to what many people in the world, young people in particular, are describing as “a very Chinese moment” in their lives.

The really important figures in China’s development in the present period are those such as in the growth of renewable energy or in the reduction and elimination of extreme poverty. And China’s work to prevent climate catastrophe benefits people throughout the world. The main themes of the incoming 15^th Five Year Plan provide further evidence that what is good for China is also good for humanity as a whole. The emphasis placed on new high quality productive forces, on robotics, EVs and AI, provide new opportunities particularly for those other developing countries that wish to learn from the Chinese example.

However, all this is unfolding against a capricious and dangerous international environment, as shown not only by the egregious use of tariffs as a weapon of economic warfare but even in the kidnapping and murder of leaders of sovereign states. China’s policies are a factor for stability in this situation but, contrary to what some people seem to imagine, China does not possess a magic wand capable of miraculously solving all problems on the global stage. China’s Global Security Initiative has been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of countries in the world as it is based on shared interests and common benefit. The countries standing against it are few in number, but unfortunately they remain powerful.

Extracts from the interview were shown on CCTV coverage during the Two Sessions.

Chinese representative voices support for the just cause of the Palestinian people at UN Human Rights Council

China has taken the opportunity of the ongoing 61^st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland to affirm that it will continue to firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people and work tirelessly for the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Speaking in the general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories, on March 24, Ambassador Jia Guide, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organisations in Switzerland, said:

“The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deteriorated to an unprecedented level, and their [the Palestinian people’s] human rights have been grossly violated. Israel has put forward a plan to annex 82 percent of the West Bank, continued to expand settlements, connived at settler violence, and launched attacks against Lebanon and Syria, all of which constitute serious violations of international law and relevant Human Rights Council resolutions.”

The following article was originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organisations in Switzerland.

On 24 March 2026, the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held the general debate on the human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. Ambassador Jia Guide, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland, attended the meeting and elaborated on China’s position.

Ambassador Jia Guide pointed out that the situation in the Middle East remains turbulent and the suffering of the Palestinian people is alarming. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deteriorated to an unprecedented level, and their human rights have been grossly violated. Israel has put forward a plan to annex 82 percent of the West Bank, continued to expand settlements, connived at settler violence, and launched attacks against Lebanon and Syria, all of which constitute serious violations of international law and relevant Human Rights Council resolutions.

Ambassador Jia stressed that humanitarian access must be restored, a durable ceasefire in Gaza must be achieved, settlement activities must be curbed, and the two-state solution must be implemented. Israel should immediately withdraw from Lebanese and Syrian territories. China will continue to firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people and work tirelessly for the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Xi Jinping greets Lao President on re-election

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, sent a message of greetings on March 23 to Thongloun Sisoulith on his re-election as president of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

In his message, Xi noted that China and Laos are friendly socialist neighbours with a shared future. The two sides have always supported each other with sincerity and mutual assistance and firmly backed each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, reflecting their profound friendship of “comrades plus brothers”.

The Chinese leader added that he attaches great importance to the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, and is ready to work with Thongloun, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, to draw a new blueprint for comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries and advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future to a higher level, so as to better benefit the two peoples and further contribute to regional peace and development.

On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Sonexay Siphandone on his re-election as prime minister of Laos.

The KPL Lao News Agency reported that Thongloun Sisoulith was re-elected President of the Lao PDR during the inaugural session of the 10th legislature of the National Assembly held in the capital Vientiane in the morning of March 23. It also reported that Sonexay Siphandone was re-elected Prime Minister of the Lao PDR during the same session.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency. Xi’s message was also reported by KPL.

BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, extended on Monday congratulations to Thongloun Sisoulith on his re-election as president of Laos.

In his message, Xi noted that China and Laos are friendly socialist neighbors with a shared future. The two sides have always supported each other with sincerity and mutual assistance, and firmly backed each other on issues involving their respective core interests and major concerns, reflecting their profound friendship of “comrades plus brothers,” he said.

The year 2026 marks the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations as well as the Year of China-Laos Friendship, Xi said, adding that the two sides will hold a series of events of celebration to inject impetus into deepening the friendship between the two peoples.

Noting that this year marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Laos’ 10th five-year socio-economic development plan, Xi said both countries are at a critical stage of development and revitalization, and their mutually beneficial cooperation is expected to usher in broader prospects.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, and is ready to work with Thongloun, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, to draw a new blueprint for comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries and advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future to a higher level, so as to better benefit the two peoples and further contribute to regional peace and development.

Also on Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Sonexay Siphandone on his re-election as prime minister of Laos.

Li said he is ready to work with Sonexay in jointly promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two sides’ departments and localities, and advancing the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future for greater achievements.

Communist Party of Swaziland rejects Taiwan visit

The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) has issued a strong condemnation of the planned visit by the separatist leader of Taiwan to the celebration of King Mswati III’s 40 years of absolute rule this coming April.

A statement issued by party General Secretary Thokozane Kunene on behalf of the Central Committee notes that: “This visit is not an innocent diplomatic engagement, but a calculated political act designed to reinforce imperialist influence, legitimise dictatorship, and deepen the exploitation of the Swazi people.”

It adds: “The CPS reaffirms its principled position that there is only one China. Taiwan is not an independent country, but a province of China that became separated following the victory of the Chinese Revolution in 1949, which decisively defeated the reactionary regime of Chiang Kai-shek.”

The statement notes: “In Swaziland, the role of Taiwanese separatist forces has been deeply harmful and reactionary. Their presence has not contributed to genuine development or the upliftment of the people. Instead, it has entrenched systems of economic domination. Through financial arrangements and so-called ‘aid’, they have subjected the Swazi people to unsustainable debt burdens while facilitating land dispossession and evictions that strip communities of their livelihoods and dignity.”

The CPS further condemns the role of Taiwanese-linked capital in the textile sector, where Swazi workers — particularly women — are subjected to ruthless exploitation. Workers endure poverty wages that cannot sustain a decent standard of living while facing degrading and abusive working conditions. Reports of sexual harassment and gender-based violence expose the brutal reality of capitalist exploitation under foreign ownership.

“The CPS calls upon workers, youth, women, and all oppressed people of Swaziland to reject this visit in the strongest possible terms.”

Swaziland (or Eswatini as it was officially renamed in 2018) is Africa’s only absolute monarchy and also the only African state to still reject diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in favour of maintaining official ties with the authorities on Taiwan in violation of the one China principle. The CPS was founded in 2011 and works under repressive conditions of illegality.

The following article was originally published on the party’s website.

The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) unequivocally rejects the planned visit of Taiwanese separatist leader Lai Ching-te to Swaziland during the celebration of Mswati III’s 40 years of absolute rule this coming April. This visit is not an innocent diplomatic engagement, but a calculated political act designed to reinforce imperialist influence, legitimize dictatorship, and deepen the exploitation of the Swazi people.

Webinar: Socialist Chinamaxxing – How China’s achievements are a product of its socialist system (12 April)

📆 Sunday 12 April 2026, 3pm Britain, 10am US Eastern, 10pm China

In spite of several years of intense propaganda and misinformation about China in the media, large numbers of young people in the West are going through “a very Chinese time in their lives”, not least because they are seeing China’s extraordinary achievements in poverty reduction, technological innovation, ecological protection, infrastructure development and more.

This webinar, organised by Friends of Socialist China and supported by the International Manifesto Group, will explore how these achievements are a product of China’s social, political and economic system: socialism. The speakers will argue that China’s progress would simply not have been possible within a framework of capitalist rule, and that the country’s experience provides a powerful example of the superiority of socialism in terms of delivering for the people and for the planet.

Confirmed speakers

George Galloway (Former MP, leader of Workers Party of Britain)
Li Jingjing (Journalist and political commentator, CGTN)
Chen Weihua (Former China Daily EU bureau chief)
Ben Norton (Editor, Geopolitical Economy Report)
Danny Haiphong (Geopolitical analyst and journalist)
Tings Chak (Asia co-coordinator, Tricontinental Institute)
Qiao Collective (Diaspora Chinese media collective)
Chair: Ileana Chan (Host of the Global Majority for Peace podcast)

Narratives seeking to smear China by exploiting the US-Israel-Iran conflict should stop

As the criminal US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week, a new front has opened in the information space. Alongside the bombs and missiles, a set of coordinated Western narratives has emerged targeting China: claiming that Beijing has suffered a strategic failure, that it bears some responsibility for the conflict, or that it hopes to benefit in some way from the carnage. The following editorial from Global Times systematically dismantles all three claims.

The reality is straightforward. China is not a party to this conflict. It did not authorise it, did not seek it, and has nothing to gain from it. What China has done is speak up clearly for international law, denounce illegal aggression, dispatch its special envoy to the region, call for respect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the civilian victims of the war – including the 175 killed in the US bombing of a girls’ school in Minab. As the editorial puts it with blunt precision: “Aside from the Western military-industrial complex profiting from arms sales, there are no winners in this war.”

These narratives targeting China are designed to shift blame, suppress calls for peace, and provide cover for aggression.

The military conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has entered its third week, with the situation remaining complex and tense. Without authorization from the UN Security Council, the US and Israel launched attacks and killed Iran’s supreme leader, deliberately provoking a war against Iran. China is not a party to this conflict. However, some Western narratives have seized the opportunity to fabricate claims aimed at discrediting China. These narratives broadly fall into three categories: the so-called “China failure” narrative, the “China responsibility” narrative, and the “China winner” narrative. Such absurd claims are driven by ulterior motives and thinly veiled political self-interest.

The so-called “China failure” narrative hypes that China’s strategy of turning Iran into a key regional pillar is on the verge of collapse. The facts are clear: China has never been involved in this conflict, nor has it bet on any side. The conflict is the result of unilateral military actions by the US and Israel and has nothing to do with China’s diplomatic or economic strategies. China has actively expanded exchanges and cooperation with various countries including the Middle Eastern states based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. It does not engage in military alliances, bloc confrontation, or proxy wars. Its influence in the Middle East is built on deep and extensive cooperation, which gives it resilience even amid conflict. Where, then, is the so-called “strategic failure”?

Such claims merely reflect a power-politics mind-set obsessed with staking out spheres of influence, one that fails to understand the values of peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit in China’s foreign policy.

South African Communist Party visits China

A delegation of the South African Communist Party (SACP) led by Solly Afrika Mapaila, the general secretary of the party, recently visited China.

On March 18, the delegation met with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC).

Liu said, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa, China-South Africa relations have maintained a high level of operation and continuously gained new connotations. The CPC and the SACP are the pioneering forces of the respective countries and important representatives of the world’s progressive forces. The CPC is willing to work with the SACP to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen strategic communication, deepen exchanges and mutual learning on party governance and state administration, promote cooperation in various fields and multilateral coordination through inter-party channels, drive greater development of China-South Africa and China-Africa relations, and work constantly to turn the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity into reality.

Mapaila said, the SACP highly appreciates the tremendous achievements of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC and is willing to learn from China’s experience in strengthening Party building, combating corruption, consolidating popular support, and leading economic and social development. South Africa firmly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China’s reunification cause.

The following article was originally published on the IDCPC website.

Beijing, March 18th—Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation led by Solly Afrika Mapaila, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP).

China’s role in supporting Iran

The following comment on the various ways in which China has been supporting Iran in defending its sovereignty has been collectively drafted by the members of the Friends of Socialist China US committee.

Increasingly countries are able to resist U.S. imperialism’s most violent, unpredictable attacks and overwhelming firepower by sharing simple technology, resisting U.S. sanctions and increasing trade with each other.

Iran has made stunning progress in self-defense capability by developing many thousands of relatively low tech, far less expensive drones. The Pentagon and the Zionist military is forced to burn through precious supplies of fabulously expensive and complex interceptor missiles in an effort to block barrages of Iranian drones that are very effective.

Until recently the U.S. had a chokehold on many forms of technology. Those days are past.

Iran has acquired significant and strategic technological, military, and surveillance capability from China, strengthening its defense capabilities and internal security infrastructure. Key areas include missile components, air defense systems, drone technology, AI-enabled surveillance, and satellite navigation via the Beidou system to track U.S. forces. This boosts Iran’s operational capabilities.

Although satellites are now precise enough to read the license on a car from space, all of the maps available commercially are clouded over on U.S. bases and important industrial and military sites. Only the Pentagon had full access or the ability to read in real time tens of thousands of complex images.

Real-Time Intelligence Sharing:

But once technology exists it is impossible to keep it in a box.

China has utilized its fleet of 500+ satellites to provide the world with constant SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) and terrain mapping. This support helps Iran track US naval movements in the Persian Gulf in real-time.

Chinese commercial satellite firms, notably MizarVision, have publicly released high-resolution, AI-annotated, satellite images of U.S. military bases and assets throughout West Asia.

The company specialises in generating geospatial intelligence. The images appear in near-real time. So U.S. aircraft, naval vessels, and air defense systems (such as Patriot and THAAD systems) are visible in locations including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain.

Conventional armed forces are now vulnerable to observation from hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit. A number of the facilities and assets posted by MizarVision were subsequently targeted by Iran in missile and drone strikes, which were launched after the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on 28 February.

The deluge of material shows how difficult it has become to hide military assets..

MizarVision’s account on X media site made its first post on 24 February, four days before the U.S. launched their sneak attack.

This now publicly accessible imagery can be downloaded almost immediately, offering a cheap source of real-time intelligence. The images of U.S. bases, naval groups and air defence systems, are all labelled and geolocated using artificial intelligence.

Chinese Embassy in London hosts briefing and discussion on Two Sessions

The Chinese Embassy in London hosted a symposium on March 19 for Ambassador Zheng Zeguang to brief on the recently concluded annual ‘Two Sessions’ – of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – held in Beijing, which he had attended as a CPPCC member, and to exchange views in this regard with British friends from various walks of life.

He began, however, with remarks concerning current events in West Asia, which he correctly noted is an issue with which everyone is concerned. The US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran is, he noted, a war that should never happened and Iran had been attacked while negotiations were ongoing; it is a war that does no good to anyone, that had no authorisation from the UN, and that violates international law.

The Ambassador further outlined the ongoing diplomatic efforts to restore peace being undertaken by Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as by Zhai Jun, special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue, who was still in the region at time of speaking.

Ambassador Zheng noted that the Two Sessions reviewed and adopted the Government Work Report and the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, setting key priorities for China’s economic and social development in 2026, and providing top-level design for development over the next five years.

They are, he explained, a vivid example of whole-process people’s democracy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. During the Two Sessions, deputies to the National People’s Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference gather in Beijing to deliberate on state affairs. Both the Government Work Report and the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan were formulated after extensive consultation with all sectors of society, bringing together the broadest possible wisdom and consensus, and reflecting the shared will of the Chinese people.

Ambassador Zheng identified the scientific formulation and implementation of Five-Year Plans as an important governance experience of the Party and a distinctive political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Through successive Five-Year Plans, China has worked with perseverance to translate its blueprint into reality, creating the twin miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. By implementing the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will continue to write new chapters in these two miracles and provide stability and positive energy to the world.

He also pointed out that the world is undergoing growing transformation and volatility. Unilateralism and acts of bullying are on the rise, regional conflicts persist, and the international order is facing serious challenges. The more turbulent the world becomes, the greater the need to promote dialogue and cooperation. China always stands on the side of international fairness and justice and on the right side of history. China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with all countries in implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilisation Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, with a view to a community with a shared future for humanity.

Chinese and Vietnamese Defence Ministers commemorate Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea

Following the First Ministerial Meeting of the China-Vietnam “3+3” Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy, Defence and Public Security held in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on March 16, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun led a programme of joint military-related activities with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang.

The 10th Vietnam – China Border Defence Friendship Exchange got underway on March 18, launching a two-day programme aimed at strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. Events were held in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province on the first day and in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region the following day.

In Quang Ninh, activities began with a welcome ceremony for the Chinese defence minister at the Mong Cai International Border Gate. The two ministers then took part in a range of joint engagements, including a friendship tree-planting ceremony at the border gate, the start of work on a medical station in Hai Son commune, and visits to the Tran Phu High School and Tra Co Border Guard Station.

In China, the main activities included a welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation at the Dongxing International Border Gate; a visit by the two defence ministers to a border guard company, where they also planted friendship trees; and the launch of a joint patrol and training exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The two sides also visited an exhibition wall highlighting the starting point of the Ho Chi Minh Sea Trail, as well as local enterprises. In addition, they laid wreaths at a monument to fallen soldiers of the Vietnam – China people’s revolutionary forces, before a farewell ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation at the Dongxing International Border Gate.

Another highlight of this year’s exchange was the joint patrol and training exercise in the Gulf of Tonkin involving the two countries’ navies.

The two defence ministers held talks on March 18.

Reviewing a decade of the exchange since its launch in 2014, the Vietnamese minister described the mechanism as a bright spot in bilateral defence relations, evolving steadily in both scope and substance. Initially focused on military-to-military activities, the programme has expanded to include local authorities and mass organisations, with regular initiatives such as free medical services for border residents and cultural exchanges among communities and students on both sides. Notably, this year’s edition marks the first time the two navies have conducted joint training activities.

For his part, Dong expressed thanks to the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence for its thorough preparations and warm reception. He noted that both ministers had recently participated in the first “3+3” strategic dialogue, where defence cooperation was a key topic of discussion. Affirming that relations between the two countries and their militaries have continued to grow stronger, Dong emphasised the need to expand exchanges to contribute to regional and global stability. Since its inception in 2014, the border defence friendship exchange has fostered goodwill and driven forward bilateral ties, while playing an important role in maintaining border security, he emphasised.

China and Vietnam initiate strategic dialogue as “an indispensable and pivotal move towards rejuvenating the global socialist cause”

In a highly significant move to strengthen the unity and solidarity between the socialist countries on both a strategic and tactical level in the face of the present capricious international situation, as well as with a view to advancing the global socialist cause, China and Vietnam held the First Ministerial Meeting of the China-Vietnam “3+3” Strategic Dialogue on Diplomacy, Defence and Public Security in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on March 16.

The meeting was jointly chaired by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, and Minister of National Defence Dong Jun, together with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, Defence Minister Phan Van Giang and Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang. Centred on the theme “Coordinating Development and Security, Advancing on the Socialist Road with Unwavering Commitment, and Forging United Fronts to Confront Shared Challenges,” the two sides engaged in an in-depth exchange of views regarding the dynamic shifts in the global landscape, the maintenance of political security, and the advancement of defence and law enforcement cooperation.

Wang Yi remarked that last year, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam, where he forged pivotal consensus with Vietnamese leaders on convening the ministerial meeting of the China-Vietnam “3+3” strategic dialogue. This mechanism stands as a groundbreaking and vital strategic communication platform, jointly pioneered by both nations in the global arena. It is a major measure with strategic significance, designed to safeguard the security of political systems and deepen strategic collaboration. It stands not merely as an intrinsic facet in propelling the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, but also as an indispensable and pivotal move towards rejuvenating the global socialist cause.

Wang Yi stated that the contemporary global landscape is beset by intertwined turmoil and chaos, with the international architecture undergoing accelerated realignment, while unilateral bullying gets more rampant. Conversely, the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics is advancing with strides, witnessing the smooth commencement of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Simultaneously, Vietnam has ushered in a new epoch of national development, accelerating the implementation of the resolutions of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The stability and development of both China and Vietnam will manifest to the world the distinct superiority of the socialist system, the robust vitality of the socialist cause, and the bright prospects for human development and progress.

Wang Yi emphasised that as friendly socialist neighbours, China and Vietnam must not only focus on the fundamental well-being of their peoples, effectively coordinate the dual imperatives of development and security, and steadfastly pursue their respective development paths, but also keep foremost in mind the shared interests of all humanity, steer the correct direction of historical progress, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world, and an economic globalisation that is inclusive and beneficial to all through the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future carrying strategic significance.

Wang Xiaohong stated that the public security departments of the two nations must focus on the overarching goal of “six mores,” prioritising political security and enhance efforts to prevent and resist “colour revolutions.” Strategic planning should be placed at the forefront, serving as a catalyst to galvanise a formidable and united front. Moreover, we should anchor efforts in the people’s interests, pursuing more tangible and substantive cooperation outcomes to effectively bolster the respective socialist endeavours of the two countries and the construction of a strategically significant China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Dong Jun stated that, confronted with unprecedented external security risks and challenges, the armed forces of China and Vietnam, steadfastly under the absolute leadership of their respective Communist Parties, shoulder a profound and sacred duty in fortifying the Party’s enduring governance and safeguarding the socialist red regime. Under the guidance of the supreme leaders of both parties, they must unite to forge a strong defence and security shield. China stands ready to collaborate closely with Vietnam, continuously deepening mutual trust in military security, further expand cooperation areas, improve the quality and effectiveness of cooperation, jointly safeguard maritime security and stability through positive interaction, and push bilateral defence exchanges and cooperation to a new level, setting an example of unity and self-reliance for the armed forces of socialist countries.

Stop the War Coalition reaffirms campaigning priorities and highlights heightened danger of war in the Pacific

Several hundred people packed central London’s Hamilton House on Saturday March 14 for the annual conference of Britain’s Stop the War Coalition (StW).

Amidst the most dangerous international situation in the lifetime of most if not all of the delegates, the day’s proceedings represented a powerful, united and militant expression of determination to do everything possible both to end the brutal imperialist wars currently being waged against Iran, Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere and to prevent the outbreak of a third world war that would threaten the very existence of humanity.

Stop the War’s website reports that during the opening session, Mustafa Barghouti, the renowned Palestinian figure, thanked StW for its solidarity with the Palestinian and Iranian people and drew attention to the devastating attacks Israel is currently conducting against Lebanon.

Jeremy Corbyn MP spoke of StW as a voice for peace, and of UK complicity in the destruction of Gaza, noting how the UK continues to send weapons to Israel.

Maryam Eslamdoust, railworkers’ union TSSA general secretary, who has family in Iran, reminded conference of the human tragedy of war. Maryam said Trump’s attacks were designed to strike fear and terror into civilians to achieve an uprising, fast victory and regime change. However, she believed Iran would not crumble as the imperialists hoped, and that the US would face a Vietnam-style defeat.

A motion on opposition to British foreign policy, moved by Stop the War deputy president and founding chair Andrew Murray, in an exceptionally fiery and impassioned speech, notes that:

The Trump administration has embarked on a rampage of aggression that is imperilling the entire world.

It has launched a barbaric and illegal attack with Israel on Iran (including murdering its leader) and Lebanon, kidnapped the President of Venezuela, bombed Yemen and Nigeria and is trying to bring down the government in Cuba. It has also threatened Panama, Colombia and Greenland. It has embarked on an intensification of the nuclear arms race.

All this is aimed at reversing the relative decline of US imperialism, particularly in the face of China’s growing strength, and securing a new redivision of power and profit in the world to its advantage. It threatens a third world war.

Keir Starmer has committed the British government to support for this reckless and bloody policy. All his professed support for international law disappears in the face of Washington’s illegalities. He is craven in his appeasement of Trump when he is not actually joining in with his wars.

Instead of aligning with most of the world in condemning this war drive, Britain backs the aggressors. This policy also threatens to beggar the British people with entirely unsustainable and unnecessary increases in military spending, on a scale which will make urgent social improvements all-but impossible.

The government also works to prolong the dangerous conflict in Ukraine and to engage in military provocations directed towards China in the Far East.

This is all accompanied by a war psychosis designed to condition the population to the inevitability of an impending great power war.

Conference resolved:

Interview: Understanding China’s foreign policy

In the video embedded below, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez joins Roger McKenzie for a detailed exploration of China’s foreign policy, its domestic progress, and the geopolitical strategies shaping the 21st century. The two discuss the importance of understanding China’s rise, the global shift towards multipolarity, and the need for solidarity against imperialist pressures.

Some of the key ideas put forward include:

• China’s foreign policy rests on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, first formulated by Zhou Enlai in 1954 and adopted at the Bandung Conference the following year. These principles – mutual respect for sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence – elevate what Lenin conceived as a tactical necessity into a principled theoretical framework. The core insight is that countries with fundamentally different social systems can and must coexist, and that all non-imperialist countries share a common interest in opposing domination and pursuing their own development paths. Today these principles find expression in China’s vision of a community with a shared future for humanity, underpinned by the Belt and Road Initiative, BRICS (which now surpasses the G7 in GDP, population and landmass), the SCO, and the G77. Multipolarity – a negotiated international order in which no single power can impose its will – is not only urgently needed to address existential challenges like climate change and nuclear war, but is, as Samir Amin argued, the necessary framework for the possible overcoming of capitalism itself.

• The United States is not accepting this shift passively. Brzezinski identified the nightmare scenario decades ago: a grand coalition of China, Russia and Iran. US responses have included proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, military encirclement of China through AUKUS and Pacific buildups, unconditional support for Israel, tariff wars, semiconductor controls, the kidnapping of president Maduro, the suffocation of Cuba, the reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine, and now open war on Iran. The US is losing economic and technological primacy but retains overwhelming military power, and the danger is precisely that of a declining empire reaching for military solutions.

• The war on Iran must be understood in this context. It is not about nuclear weapons – nobody believes that. It is not about women’s rights – women’s rights are improving in Iran and deteriorating in the West. It is a criminal attack, carried out by presidential decree without reference to international law or domestic legal process, against a sovereign state that supports Palestinian resistance, maintains public ownership of its energy resources, and is a key node in the multipolar project – a crucial link in the Belt and Road, a member of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and an important energy partner for China. The attack is simultaneously an attempt to seize control of energy flows, to develop strategic chokepoints that could be used against China in a hot war, and to destroy the axis of resistance across West Asia. It is the empire striking back.

• China is supporting Iran to the best of its abilities – diplomatically, economically, and with military cooperation – but does not have the capacity to project military power into the region. Nonetheless, Iran is a fiercely independent country with formidable military capabilities. The US and Israel will not achieve their objectives: they will not install a puppet regime, will not destroy the Palestinian resistance, and will not seize Iran’s strategic position.

• The task for progressive forces in the West is to oppose the war on Iran, oppose the New Cold War on China and the propaganda war that sustains it, and build the broadest possible united front against imperialism, racism and neoliberalism. We are not the vanguard – that role belongs to the socialist countries and the peoples under direct attack. But everyone has a part to play, and we must do what we can to build solidarity and make war untenable for the imperialists.

China chokehold: Long-term goal of the US war on Iran

Why is the United States waging war on Iran? The official justifications shift by the day – nuclear weapons, Israeli security, bringing “democracy” – but CJ Atkins, writing in People’s World, cuts through the noise to identify a deeper strategic logic.

Ironically, it has fallen to the far-right, pro-Trump, Falun Gong-affiliated Epoch Times to spell it out most clearly. The war on Iran, like the January invasion of Venezuela, is to a considerable degree a move against China. Iran supplied 13.4 percent of China’s seaborne oil imports last year, Venezuela a further 4.5 percent. Combined with Russia, sanctioned suppliers accounted for a third of China’s entire crude import mix in 2024. Neutralising Iran – and with it, threatening Chinese access to the Strait of Hormuz, through which 37.7 percent of China’s crude oil flows – is a bid to put Beijing in an energy chokehold.

Atkins writes: “Iran sits alongside that chokepoint and, as recent days have made abundantly clear, is capable of threatening access to it. It is the one independent actor in the region that can seriously complicate shipping through the whole corridor. That’s a power the U.S. government would prefer to have in its own hands.”

As such, the criminal aggression against Iran and Venezuela forms part of the US-led long-term campaign of containment and encirclement of the People’s Republic of China.

This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the deeper architecture of US imperialism’s current offensive. It makes clear that the wars on Iran and Venezuela are not separate conflicts but coordinated moves in a single grand strategy: not only a war on Tehran or Caracas, but a war on the multipolar trajectory. Such a strategy must be resolutely opposed.

There’s an angle to the Iran War that the cable news anchors, retired generals-turned-commentators, and corporate-owned newspapers are barely talking about, if at all. They report on the shifting justifications proffered by Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, or Donald Trump, but few in the press are doing anything to illuminate the bigger picture.

The United States isn’t attacking Iran simply because of Tehran’s nuclear program, or out of concern for the welfare of the Iranian people, or even purely for Israel’s security. The Trump administration’s decision to launch its war was motivated by a goal that goes well beyond nuclear non-proliferation. Nor is the war a case of Tel Aviv telling Washington what to do, regardless of what some of Netanyahu’s most intense critics want to believe.

It has fallen to the far-right, anti-communist outlet The Epoch Times—the newspaper associated with the Falun Gong cult—to offer the truth about what the U.S. is up to. “A key strategic dimension of the Iran conflict,” wrote James Gorrie, a regular columnist for the pro-Trump paper in its March 13 issue, “involves Washington’s efforts to control and even restrict Iranian oil flows to China.”

Chinese-style modernisation is an inspiring vision for the world

As the US and Israel wage illegal war on Iran and Washington’s economic nationalism tears up the rules-based order it once championed, China is moving in a strikingly different direction. The 15th Five-Year Plan, unveiled in Beijing this March, sets out an ambitious roadmap for the next few years of Chinese-style modernisation: innovation-driven, people-centred, ecologically conscious, and oriented towards the long-term flourishing of China and the world.

In this article, originally published in Beijing Review, Carlos Martinez examines the key features of the plan and situates it within China’s broader development vision – from the 2035 socialist modernisation goal to the Second Centenary Goal of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2049. The article explores what makes Chinese-style modernisation so compelling as an alternative to the Western model: its commitment to state-led strategic planning, its rapid transformation from scientific backwardness to global innovation leadership, its green
development agenda, and above all its peaceful character – built entirely outside the framework of colonialism, imperialism and war.

At a moment when some Western powers are responding to decline with lawless militarism, China’s vision offers something the world urgently needs: a credible, inspiring path forward.

China and the West appear to be moving in opposite directions. While the West is grappling with economic stagnation and political dysfunction—and attempting to impose its hegemony through military adventurism and all sorts of unilateral coercive measures—China is forging ahead with an ambitious and inspiring vision of modernization.

The 15th Five-Year Plan

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), unveiled in Beijing this March, presents a comprehensive roadmap for achieving Chinese-style modernization, emphasizing innovation, sustainability, self-reliance and people-centered development.

China working to restore peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan

A considerable period of rising tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted into open and ongoing conflict on February 21. As a friendly neighbour to both countries China is actively working for the restoration of peace.

Accordingly, on March 10, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the latter’s request.

Given the overall situation, primary emphasis was given to the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, launched on February 28.

Wang Yi said that as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, China and Pakistan share a fine tradition of communication and coordination on major international and regional issues. Both countries have promptly expressed their firm stance on the situation in Iran, demonstrating a responsible attitude and commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The outbreak of this war lacks justification and legitimacy, and its continuation will only result in more unnecessary casualties. The key to preventing further escalation lies in the United States and Israel ceasing military operations.

The Chinese side appreciates Pakistan’s mediation efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and stands ready to maintain multilateral and bilateral coordination and cooperation with Pakistan, support Pakistan in continuing to play a constructive role, and jointly work toward the early restoration of peace and stability in the region.

Turning to the situation in Afghanistan, Wang Yi said that the special envoy on Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China is currently shuttling between Afghanistan and Pakistan to promote peace talks. The pressing priority is to prevent the escalation of the conflict and return to the negotiating table at an early date. The Chinese side firmly supports Pakistan in its counterterrorism efforts and hopes that Pakistan will continue to make the utmost efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.

This was followed by Wang Yi’s call with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on March 13, again at the latter’s request.

This conversation foregrounded the conflict between Kabul and Islamabad and Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi appreciated China’s active efforts to mediate in the border conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, stating that the Afghan people, having suffered greatly from war, cherish the opportunities for peace and development. Afghanistan aspires to be a source of regional peace rather than instability. The Afghan side reiterates that its territory will not be used to attack neighbouring countries, expresses no desire for military confrontation with other nations, and looks forward to mutual trust and friendly coexistence among neighbors. The Afghan side believes that dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve issues and expects China, as a major country and friendly neighbour, to play an even greater role.

Wang Yi stated that the more turbulent the external environment becomes, the more regional countries should strengthen unity and cooperation to overcome difficulties together, forging a path of cooperative and common security. Afghanistan and Pakistan are inseparable brothers and neighbours that cannot be moved away from each other. Any issues between the two countries can only be resolved through dialogue and consultation. The use of force will only complicate the situation, exacerbate contradictions, benefit neither side, and threaten regional peace and stability. China has always maintained an objective and fair stance on the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict, and the special envoy on Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China is currently shuttling between Afghanistan and Pakistan to mediate, urging both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint, engage in face-to-face exchanges as soon as possible, achieve a ceasefire at the earliest opportunity, and resolve contradictions and differences through dialogue.

China affirms Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and pledges humanitarian assistance

China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong made an important statement on his country’s position at a March 13 United Nations Security Council briefing on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Fu began by stating that: “China has just stated its position about the 1737 Committee and its opposition to this meeting and does not intend to comment on the work of the Committee itself. However, as a member of the Security Council, China wishes to emphasise the following points regarding the current situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue and the way forward.”

The 1737 Committee was established following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 on December 23, 2006, which imposed sanctions on Iran.

Having stated this principled opposition, Fu made four key points as follow:

The use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes. Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be respected. The United States and Israel should immediately stop their military operations, refrain from attacking Iranian nuclear facilities under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards, avoid further escalation, and prevent the conflict from spreading across the entire Middle East.

The Iranian nuclear issue should ultimately return to the track of a political and diplomatic solution. It was the United States unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) that triggered the Iranian nuclear crisis. The United States has also disregarded its own credibility and, together with Israel, twice resorted to the use of force against Iran during the negotiations, causing diplomatic efforts to collapse. Regarding the root cause of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the United States actions violate international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China strongly condemns this. Relevant European countries should stop fuelling tensions and instead play a constructive role in easing the situation.

Fairness and justice must be upheld, and Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as a State Party to the Treaty on the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), must be effectively protected. Iran has repeatedly reaffirmed that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons. Even after its nuclear facilities were attacked, Iran has continued cooperating with the IAEA and engaged in multiple rounds of professional and pragmatic talks with the United States in a constructive spirit. Iran’s sincerity should be taken seriously.

Any action by the Security Council should be aimed at easing tensions and preserving long-term peace and stability in the Middle East. It must be fair and impartial, and must not become a tool for sanctions, pressure, or the political agenda of any individual state. The Security Council should help build trust among parties, bridge differences, and create favourable conditions for the resumption of negotiations, ensuring that the dialogue process can proceed smoothly and effectively in an environment free from the threat of force. Relevant countries should stop engaging in political manipulation at the Security Council.

Meanwhile, on March 17, at a regular press conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China has decided to offer emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq in the hope of easing the humanitarian plight faced by local people.

CGTN, China’s foreign language television service, put the following question to Lin: