Friends of Socialist China, Author at Friends of Socialist China

Communist Party of Vietnam delegation pays working visit to China

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Nguyen Thanh Nghi, member of the Political Bureau, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and head of the committee’s Commission for Policy and Strategy, paid a working visit to China from November 1 to 5. The visit followed the fifth plenary session of the 20th central committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Nghi met with Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); held talks with He Lifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier, and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs; and had a working session with Lu Hao, member of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Development Research Centre of the State Council of China.

He congratulated China on its tremendous and comprehensive development achievements and the success of the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, held from October 26–29, describing it as an important theoretical preparation for the CPC’s 21st National Congress. He further expressed confidence that China would successfully implement the Resolution of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, successfully convene the 21st National Congress, and achieve its goal of building China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

Nghi also briefed the Chinese side on the implementation of the resolution of Vietnam’s 14th National Party Congress and the country’s socio-economic development, as well as several key policies and orientations adopted at the fourth plenum of the Party Central Committee.

Highlighting the long-standing friendship between Vietnam and China and Vietnam’s policy of giving top priority to developing ties with China, he affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State stand ready to work with their Chinese counterparts to further strengthen political trust, enhance strategic connectivity, elevate substantive cooperation and support each other in their respective development processes.

Appreciating the significance of the visit, which followed a series of exchanges and meetings between the two countries’ high-ranking leaders, the Chinese leaders affirmed that China always regards relations with Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy and supports Vietnam in playing a greater international role.

The two sides spoke highly of the positive and comprehensive progress in Vietnam-China relations and agreed to strengthen the leadership and guidance of the two Parties over ministries, sectors, agencies and localities in both countries.

China welcomed Vietnam’s participation in its ‘Big Market for All: Export to China’ initiative. It also expressed readiness to further increase imports of Vietnamese agricultural products and support capable Chinese enterprises in expanding investment in Vietnam.

Following the talks in Beijing the delegation visited Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province.

Oman Sultan, Iran and Saudi envoys visit China

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman paid a state visit to China from November 1 to 2. This was the first China visit by an Omani head of state since diplomatic ties were established 48 years ago in 1978.

Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told Global Times that with tensions mounting in the Strait of Hormuz, and Oman, which has been a long-standing active mediator in regional disputes, coming under pressure as well, the visit reflects the country’s efforts to strengthen strategic support and enhance diplomatic autonomy.

Oman is the only member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to consistently maintain positive relations with Iran, and it has played a pivotal role in regional diplomacy, including hosting rounds of talks between Iran and the United States. Its peaceful policy has earned at least one threat from US President Donald Trump to bomb the country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said on November 2. He said that China stands ready to work with Oman to steer their strategic partnership to a higher level, and to help restore peace and realise lasting stability in the Middle East at an early date. China and Oman, he added, should enhance political mutual trust and strengthen exchanges of experience in national governance, while expressing China’s support for Oman in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, security and stability, and in independently exploring a development path suited to its national conditions. And China, he said, is ready to deepen the synergy of development strategies with Oman and to be a stable and reliable partner in the energy sector, a partner with promising potential in investment, and a partner in fostering innovation in advanced technologies.

“China has been actively committed to ending hostilities and promoting peace, aiming to contribute its wisdom and solutions to resolving the regional security predicament,” Xi said, adding that China will continue to advocate resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means, and support regional countries in building a common home of good-neighbourliness, development, security and cooperation.

Stressing that China has been Oman’s largest trading partner for many years and Chinese enterprises’ investment in Oman has kept growing, Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik said his country is ready to synergise development strategies with China and strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, industry, infrastructure, AI, science and technology, and other fields. He said Oman highly appreciates China’s just position on the Middle East issue and stands ready to maintain close coordination with China to uphold international law, advocate for the peaceful resolution of disputes, and jointly promote security and stability in the region and beyond.

Later that day, Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Li said the talks between the two heads of state earlier that morning mapped out a new blueprint for further deepening the China-Oman strategic partnership. He expressed China’s willingness to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Oman, deepen cooperation across the entire oil and gas industry chain, and carry out more high-quality clean energy projects and called on both sides to expand cooperation in areas such as agriculture and fisheries, aerospace satellites, information and communication, and artificial intelligence, and promote the early conclusion of the free trade agreement negotiations between China and the GCC. He stressed that China and Oman, both Global South countries, should maintain close communication and coordination in multilateral affairs to jointly safeguard world peace and stability.

Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik said Oman deeply admires China’s development achievements, which have attracted attention worldwide. Oman looks forward to learning from China’s development experience and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Oman is willing to enhance communication and coordination with China in international and regional affairs and to contribute to resolving conflicts and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region.

In a potentially significant but under-reported related development, also on November 2, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met separately with the Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the National Security Advisor of Saudi Arabia.

Meeting with Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri Kani, Wang Yi stated that China-Iran relations have maintained steady development despite a volatile international landscape. This serves the fundamental interests of both peoples and reflects the aspirations of Global South countries for solidarity and cooperation. China supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty and security and is willing to work with Iran to further advance bilateral relations.

Ali Bagheri Kani briefed Wang Yi on Iran’s views concerning the regional situation, stating that Iran would firmly safeguard its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and resist power politics and threats. Iran is also willing to engage in talks and negotiations with all parties and work actively for regional peace and stability. The Iranian side appreciates the initiatives and proposals put forward by President Xi Jinping and China’s consistent commitment to multilateralism. Iran looks forward to China playing a greater role in international and regional peace. Iran stands ready to promote the steady development of bilateral ties and to strengthen cooperation with China in international and multilateral frameworks.

In his meeting with Wang Yi, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and National Security Advisor Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban handed over a letter from Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to President Xi Jinping regarding the development of China-Saudi bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern.

Wang Yi said that the current regional situation has once again reached a critical crossroads between war and peace. Although the road to peace is not smooth, it is necessary to keep moving forward. He hoped that all parties would resolve disputes and end the conflict through dialogue and negotiation, safeguarding regional energy and shipping security. China believes that countries in the region should enhance understanding, rebuild mutual trust, improve relations, and live harmoniously, promoting the construction of a new regional security framework that serves the long-term interests of their peoples through consultation.

Developing countries need to be at the heart of WTO revitalisation – Remarks delivered at the Xiong’an Forum

Our co-editor Keith Bennett attended at the invitation of CPIFA and spoke at a roundtable on “Revitalising the World Trade Organisation: Where is the path forward?”, which formed part of a parallel session on the overall theme of “Upholding equality and mutual benefit, and deepening reform of the economic and financial governance system”. The roundtable was organised and hosted by Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics (UIBE).

Interventions were also made by speakers from China, Singapore, Georgia, Germany and Brazil and a lively discussion followed.

CPC resolution on party self-governance: A major contribution to the theory and practice of Marxist party building with global significance

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its fifth plenary session in Beijing from October 26 to 29, 2026.

On October 29 the meeting adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Certain Major Issues concerning Persevering with Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance, which was published on November 1.

At just under 14,500 words, this is a highly important Marxist document of great and far-reaching significance and demanding serious study not only for the CPC but for communist parties and organisations worldwide. Embodying, summing up, applying and developing the experience and lessons drawn from the more than 100 years of struggle by the CPC and the international communist movement, and of building socialism in China and the world, it is fearless and ruthless in its exposure of shortcomings, mistakes and challenges, serious and meticulous in the steps and measures it outlines, and scientifically optimistic with regard to the future. It is a revolutinary programmatic document that breaks new ground and qualitatively advances the theory and practice of Marxist party building and governance and therefore of socialist construction.

The following are the key points and some significant highlights from the resolution:

I. Importance, Urgency, and Overall Requirements of Persevering with Full and Rigorous Self-Governance

The reason why the Party has achieved one victory after another is that it has cherished the high ideal of communism, dedicated itself to achieving lasting greatness for the Chinese nation, and remained committed to seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is also because during each historical period, the Party has attached great importance to its self-supervision and self-governance, had the courage to uphold truth and correct errors, and grown ever stronger by relying on its own efforts and the support of the people to resolve its own problems, thus becoming the strong leadership core in the cause of the Party and the people.
Following the Party’s 18th National Congress, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core demonstrated tremendous political courage and a strong sense of responsibility in confronting the grave situation marked by weak, hollow, and watered-down Party leadership, lax, superficial, and ineffective self-supervision and self-governance, as well as a number of egregious problems within the Party. Staying firmly committed to full and rigorous Party self-governance, the Central Committee introduced stringent measures and made continuous efforts to tackle these prominent issues. As a result, the problem of lax and weak self-supervision and self-governance has been addressed at its root, unhealthy tendencies that had long gone unchecked have been curbed, deep-seated problems that had plagued the Party for years have been remedied, and serious dangers hidden within the Party, the state, and the military have been removed. The Party has thus grown stronger through revolutionary tempering.
As the central Party leadership’s eight-point decision on improving work conduct began to show its teeth as ironclad discipline, we intensified efforts to rectify pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance (the four malpractices) while promoting sound practices.

Advancing full and rigorous self-governance as an unceasing endeavour

Breaking the cycle of rise and fall: Xi Jinping outlines resolution on party self-governance

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its fifth plenary session in Beijing from October 26 to 29, 2026.

On the final day it adopted a resolution on Certain Major Issues concerning Persevering with Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance, which was made public on November 1. On the same day, the text of the explanation of the draft resolution given by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to introduce the discussion was also published.

In his explanation, Xi Jinping states: “For our Party to maintain its long-term governance, it is imperative to find answers to the fundamental question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall. Comrade Mao Zedong offered the first answer to this question back in his years in the cave dwellings of Yan’an: the people’s oversight over government. Since the Party’s 18th National Congress, we have found the second answer in exercising full and rigorous self-governance: the Party’s self-reform.”

According to Xi, this “entails exercising full and rigorous self-governance with unflinching courage to ensure the Party maintains its advanced nature and integrity and can purify, improve, renew, and excel itself. For more than a century, our Party has led the people in working tirelessly for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. During the course, the Party has always attached great importance to its self-supervision and self-governance, had the courage to uphold truth and correct errors, and grown ever stronger by relying on its own efforts and the support of the people to resolve its own problems.”

“At the same time,” he continued, “we must be keenly aware that full and rigorous Party self-governance is a long-term strategic task. Over the years, our Party membership is undergoing structural changes, with a steady increase in the proportion of members and officials born after the launch of reform and opening up in 1978. This has raised new requirements for education and management. The vast majority of Party members are exemplary, yet there remain a number of problems and hidden dangers that threaten to undermine the Party’s advanced nature, weaken its integrity, and jeopardise its long-term governance… Facing these problems and challenges, we must persevere with full and rigorous Party self-governance to remove the viruses that would erode the Party’s health, ensuring that the Party will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character, and that the socialist cause can be advanced from generation to generation.”

Summing up the recent history of the party, he notes that: “Since the Party’s 18th National Congress, the Central Committee has confronted the grave situation marked by weak, hollow, and watered-down Party leadership, lax, superficial, and ineffective self-supervision and self-governance, as well as some egregious problems within the Party.”

As a result of the measures taken, “the problem of lax and weak self-supervision and self-governance has been addressed at its root, unhealthy tendencies that had long gone unchecked have been curbed, deep-seated problems that had plagued the Party for years have been remedied, and serious dangers hidden within the Party, the state, and the military have been removed. The Party has thus grown stronger through revolutionary tempering. Thanks to these efforts, we have significantly strengthened the Party’s overall leadership and the centralised, unified leadership of the Central Committee; achieved a new breakthrough in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times…. As such a sound political situation has not been easily won, the whole Party must cherish it and continue to consolidate and develop it. This requires us, building on our valuable experience gained in the new era, to adopt higher standards and more concrete measures in persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance and constantly strengthen the Party’s capacity for providing political leadership, giving theoretical guidance, organising the people, and inspiring society. By doing so, we will see that the Party always enjoys the wholehearted support of the people and remains the strong leadership core in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

“Building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernisation is a pioneering endeavour that no one has attempted before”, Xi notes, but alongside the positive domestic developments, “At the same time, however, with the world, the times, and the course of history changing in ways like never before, we will be confronted with multiple risks and challenges on our journey ahead. Internationally, momentous changes of a magnitude not seen in a century are unfolding across the world at a faster pace. Breakthroughs are accelerating in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, while a profound shift is taking place in the international balance of power. As the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation, uncertainties and unforeseeable factors are increasing in our country’s external environment…

“In the face of complicated international and domestic landscapes and the challenging tasks of advancing reform, promoting development, and ensuring stability, it is essential, in our efforts to ensure steady and sustained progress in Chinese modernisation, to carry forward the great founding spirit and fine qualities of the Party, and always bear in mind that all of us in the Party must never forget our original aspiration and founding mission, that we must always stay modest, prudent, and hard-working, and that we must have the courage and ability to carry on our fight.”

Xi’s explanation also details the drafting process for the resolution along with its general framework and main content.

China’s strategic approach to food security versus Britain’s ‘Dad’s Army’ embarrassment

The following article is the text of the Daily Briefing for October 23 published by Common Weal, which contrasts the British government’s Be Ready campaign to China’s approach to food security.

The article begins by noting: “There is a strong argument to be made that the call today for households to stockpile essentials in case of emergency represents the final failure of our society, of our economic model and of our place in the world. Government is calling for all citizens to take the task of national security into their own hands. Rather than seeing it as a purpose of government to ensure food security, it is to be left to us.”

It continues: “By comparison, while China keeps its strategic food reserves secretive, they are massive. We don’t know exactly how big they are, but we know that its rice reserves constitute more than half of the total global reserves. It has massive frozen pork reserves as well. China uses these reserves for three purposes; to ensure food security, to manage the food production economy and to manage prices… China has double food security because it has managed domestic production to ensure it can meet its own needs and it has reserves in case of interruption in supply.

“In Britain we’re being asked to clear out some space at the back of the cupboard to keep some tins of beans. The flaws in this plan are immense. For a start, many people do not have adequate storage space to make themselves food secure in the event of an emergency. And then of course a lot of people are struggling to feed themselves today never mind also store for the future… our economic model is now so broken and the theories of free market economics so destructive to us individually that there is a genuine risk that outcome of ‘never interfere in the market’ is widespread death.”

Common Weal describes itself as a people-powered ‘think and do’ tank in Scotland. “We seek to promote thinking, practice and campaigning on a wide range of social, economic and cultural areas. Some of our biggest issues are social and economic equality, participative democracy, environmental sustainability, wellbeing, quality of life, peace, justice and cooperation. We are not affiliated to any political party but work in partnership with a wide range of organisations.”

“In China, I saw the future”

In the following article, Zhou Lin reports on the Mingde Strategic Dialogue (2026), held at Beijing’s Renmin University on October 11, themed “Resilience and Vitality: New Opportunities China’s Development Brings to the World”. This capped a visit by a delegation of more than 20 former political leaders and renowned scholars from 10 countries – Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Britain, Canada, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia and the United States – to Shanghai, Xinyu in Jiangxi province, and Wenzhou in Zhejiang province. They held in-depth discussions on such topics as China’s high-quality development and global economic growth, improving global economic governance, safeguarding the stability of industrial and supply chains, and AI-enabled industrial innovation, and arrived at conclusions that stand in sharp contrast to the “Peak China” narrative.

George Galloway, former British MP and leader of the Workers Party of Britain, said that he was deeply impressed by the high-end “hand-tearable steel” produced by Xinyu Iron & Steel, just 0.08 millimetres thick. “The steel they make there is so thin that a person can tear it apart by hand,” he said. “China is in a leading position in many industrial fields, a lead that is arguably almost unsurpassable.” In his view, while many European countries are experiencing social disorder or changes of government, China is one of the few places in the world today enjoying stability and prosperity. The West’s labelling of Chinese exports as “overcapacity,” together with its tariff barriers, is protectionism in substance – a departure from the principles of free trade.

Jennifer Shipley, former prime minister of New Zealand, attributed the resilience of the Chinese economy to long-term planning and strategic resolve. China’s economic resilience and vitality, she said, stem from its commitment to long-term planning, sustained infrastructure development, continuous scientific and technological innovation, and constant strategic adjustment in response to changing circumstances.

Mulatu Teshome, former president of Ethiopia, argued that China’s innovation in green technology, advanced manufacturing, and the digital economy has not only driven its own transformation and upgrading, but also injected new momentum into the world economy. This has created favourable conditions for Africa and other developing regions to expand trade channels and promote industrial development.

Glenn Diesen, a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway, said that as hegemony declines, the once US-centred international economic system is rapidly being replaced by one of neo-mercantilism, in which technology blockades, financial sanctions, and the control of key corridors have been weaponised. Rebuilding trust in supply chains and financial architecture, he argued, must rely on multipolarity and multilateralism – and mechanisms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are becoming key forces for pluralistic balance and multilateral cooperation worldwide.

The article concludes: “For the members of the foreign delegation, the visit’s deepest impression is perhaps best summed up in Galloway’s words: ‘In China, I saw the future.’”

Icelandic Foreign Minister visits China in face of US pressure

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir visited China from October 26 to 31.

Meeting his Icelandic counterpart in Beijing on October 29, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iceland. Iceland has always been a pioneer in developing relations with China. At the early stage of the establishment of diplomatic ties, Iceland explicitly supported the restoration of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations and was the first European country to sign a bilateral free trade agreement and a bilateral currency swap agreement with China. He added that the successful experience of developing China-Iceland relations is adhering to the equality of all countries, large and small, respecting each other’s independently chosen development paths, and achieving win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual trust. The two sides should continue to consolidate friendship and mutual trust and support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests. China is ready to share development opportunities with Iceland, tap cooperation potential, strengthen cooperation in economy and trade, geothermal energy, green transition, oceans, the Arctic and other fields, enhance exchanges in tourism, joint scientific research, talent training and other aspects, and vigorously promote people-to-people connectivity between the two countries. In the face of the current turbulent international situation, the two sides should strengthen coordination, jointly uphold multilateralism, international rule of law and the central role of the United Nations in international affairs, promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, and make new contributions to safeguarding world peace and stability.

Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir congratulated the Communist Party of China on convening the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee, saying that China’s success is also of great significance to the world. Iceland has always harboured friendly feelings toward China. The ideas in President Xi Jinping’s works on governance are deeply inspiring, especially the people-centred governance philosophy. Iceland admires China’s tremendous development achievements, attaches great importance to Iceland-China relations, understands and respects China’s position of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will continue to abide by the one-China policy. She thanked China for its valuable support for Iceland in safeguarding its core interests such as fisheries. Iceland is ready to work with China to actively promote the upgrading of the free trade agreement and continuously deepen and expand cooperation in fields such as economy and trade, fisheries, geothermal energy, green energy, and Arctic affairs. Currently, international law and multilateralism are facing challenges, and free trade is facing headwinds. Iceland is ready to strengthen coordination with China, uphold international rule of law, free trade and multilateral mechanisms, and jointly respond to global challenges.

Previewing the visit, the Global Times newspaper spoke with Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Cui said that Iceland’s abundant geothermal resources have long provided a foundation for cooperation, with the two countries having established projects in geothermal exploration, development and utilisation. In 2025, when Icelandic President Halla Tómasdóttir was in China for the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, the two sides reached important common understandings on deepening cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, geothermal energy, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. And Air China has now launched a regular Beijing-Reykjavik service for the first time.

The Icelandic Foreign Minister’s visit to China also comes as geopolitical competition intensifies, particularly in the Arctic, with the US showing growing interest in the region, as it apparently seeks to expand influence in Iceland and other Arctic countries, particularly amid tensions over Greenland, Cui noted. The Associated Press reported that Iceland has been uneasy about the US’ intentions toward it after the US president posted a map showing the colours of the US flag sprawling across all of North America and extending to Iceland and Greenland. Against this backdrop, “Iceland’s efforts to strengthen ties with China reflect a broader desire to maintain a balance in its relations with major powers, a challenge that has become increasingly important for Reykjavik.”

Irish and Chinese delegations meet in Dublin

We are pleased to publish the below report by Gearóid Ó Machail, a leading member of the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) and a member of the Friends of Socialist China advisory group.

A delegation from the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) met with a seven-member delegation from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS) in Dublin in late October. The meeting provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange of views on Sino-Irish relations, cooperation between communist and socialist organisations, and the political challenges facing the communist movement in Ireland and Europe.

The meeting was hosted by the Communist Party of Ireland and representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Ireland also attended.

The CASS/UCASS delegation was visiting Ireland as part of a programme of academic engagement, having met academics and senior university representatives at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin earlier in the day.

Representing the Communist Party of Ireland were the Assistant General Secretary, National Chairperson, a member of the International Department and a representative of the Dublin Branch.

The discussion opened with introductory remarks from Professor Zhao Rui, Vice President of CASS and President of the World Association for China Studies (WACS). Professor Feng Shizheng and Professor Zhao Jianglin subsequently raised questions concerning the CPI’s activities and its international engagement, with particular interest in the party’s relations with China and the prospects for developing closer links between Irish and Chinese communists.

The Chinese delegation also sought the CPI’s assessment of the future of relations between Ireland and China and explored how both sides could contribute to strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation. More broadly, the discussion addressed the challenges confronting communist parties in Europe, including the tendency of some parties to move towards social democracy and abandon Marxism-Leninism.

The CPI delegation outlined its work across a range of areas of Irish political and social life, including the trade union movement, academia, education and community engagement. The Irish representatives also discussed the political and ideological obstacles confronting the party, drawing attention to the Irish government’s official approach, media bias, and the persistence of anti-communist and anti-Chinese sentiment.

These exchanges provided an opportunity to discuss the conditions under which communist politics develops in Ireland, as well as the importance of maintaining international links and building solidarity in the face of prevailing political and media narratives.

In his concluding remarks, Professor Zhao Rui reaffirmed the commitment of CASS and UCASS, alongside the Communist Party of China (CPC), to developing cooperation with Irish comrades. He commended the efforts of the CPI and invited the Irish delegation to attend the World Socialist Forum in November.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts, reflecting the spirit of friendship and mutual respect in which the discussions had taken place.

The visit represented a further opportunity to strengthen dialogue between Irish and Chinese representatives and to explore the possibilities for closer academic, political and party-to-party exchanges.

From Yan’an to the Fifth Plenum: the CPC’s commitment to self-reform

In the following article, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez examines the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which adopted a resolution on persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance.

Starting from Mao Zedong’s 1945 conversation with Huang Yanpei on how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall, Carlos traces the problem of bureaucratism and privilege in socialist states from Lenin’s warnings to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and shows how the CPC’s commitment to self-reform – together with the people’s oversight of government and the mass line – has become a permanent feature of its governance and a profound contribution to the theory and practice of Marxist party building.

This is an expanded version of an article written for CGTN, which appeared on 31 October.

In July 1945, the educator Huang Yanpei visited Yan’an and put a question to Mao Zedong. Throughout Chinese history, he observed, dynasties had emerged only to decay over time – their rulers growing complacent, their bureaucracies bloated, their people alienated. Could the Communists escape this historical cycle? Mao replied that they had found a new path: that of people’s democracy, supervision and accountability. “Only when the people are allowed to supervise the government will the government not slacken”.

Eighty-one years later, the same question was the central theme of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which closed in Beijing on 29 October. The plenum adopted a resolution on persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance, its communiqué stating that the Party “has found two answers to the question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall”: “the people’s oversight over government and the Party’s self-reform”.

A longstanding challenge

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels famously wrote in the Communist Manifesto that communists “have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole”. Maintaining that unity of interests in practice, over the course of more than a century of socialist governance, has thrown up numerous challenges. How can a ruling communist party prevent the emergence of bureaucratism, corruption and privilege; how can it stay in touch with the masses? It is noteworthy that the plenum communiqué consciously echoes the founders of scientific socialism: “The Party tolerates no corruption, as it has no special interests of its own besides the interests of the working class and the greatest possible majority of the people.”

As early as 1919, just two years after the October Revolution, Lenin was already warning that the new Soviet state faced a serious danger: that reactionary elements were “assuming the colouring of communists and, to succeed better in their careers, procuring membership cards of the Russian Communist Party”. Such people quite clearly had interests separate and apart from those of the working people, namely, increasing their personal wealth and advancing their careers. Lenin’s writings in the final years of his life return again and again to the problem of bureaucracy and to the gap opening up between the party and the masses. In a speech on 30 December 1920 – somewhat ironically, a sharp rebuttal of ideas advanced by Trotsky and Bukharin – he famously said that “ours is a workers’ state with a bureaucratic twist to it”, sometimes translated as “a workers’ state with bureaucratic deformations”.

And indeed, in the last decades of the Soviet Union’s existence, a privileged layer of officials did emerge; there was a certain fusion of wealth and power; and the masses did become alienated. Things reached a point, as Xi Jinping has observed, where the Communist Party’s 19 million members did little to resist the dissolution of their party and state in 1991.

Self-reform in theory and practice

Since the start of the new era in 2012, the CPC has placed the notion of self-reform (a more literal translation is “self-revolution”) at the centre of its work. It holds that a ruling party must subject itself to continuous scrutiny, rectification and renewal, because no external force can do the job for it.

Xiong’an Forum takes forward the Global Governance Initiative

The 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong’an), the first gathering of its kind, was held in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei province from October 23-25. Hosted by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), it was themed “Rebuilding Confidence and Cooperation: Reforming and Improving Global Governance in a Transforming World”. Nearly 400 representatives from political, strategic, academic, business, media, and youth sectors from more than 90 countries and international and regional organisations, including the United Nations, attended the opening ceremony. They included former Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari, former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Djoomart Otorbaev, former Prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dăncilă, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to the forum, which was read to the opening ceremony by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Xi noted that the world is undergoing accelerated transformation unseen in a century, and the deficits in peace, development, security and governance are growing rather than diminishing. He has put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) to promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system and a better world. He called for efforts to promote the implementation of the GGI to inject more certainty and positive energy into a world of turbulence and transformation and jointly move toward a community with a shared future for humanity.

In his keynote address, Wang Yi stated that at a crucial moment a year ago, when the postwar international order faced serious challenges and global governance risked falling behind, President Xi launched the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) – a much-needed initiative that offers solutions to bridge the governance deficit and build a better future. The past year has underscored the great contemporary value of the GGI, recorded China’s growing contribution to global governance, and seen rising international expectations for China to play a bigger role.

He went on to say that the past year has underscored the great contemporary value of the GGI. It has been endorsed by more than 160 countries and international organisations. Over 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of Global Governance. Its core elements have been incorporated into the documents of multilateral fora such as the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and BRICS. Inspired by the GGI, more than 100 countries sent their representatives to the UN Security Council high-level meeting on global governance, and agreed to revitalise, reactivate and strengthen the United Nations.

Wang said: “Momentous transformations not seen in a century are unfolding before our eyes at a faster pace. While unilateralism and bullying resurge and the governance deficit widens, our world is decidedly moving toward multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations. This is the trend of our times and the trajectory of history, overwhelming and unstoppable. Humanity is woven together by intertwined interests and a shared future. We should unite as one, rise to the challenges, and take proactive, strong and persistent steps to make the GGI a full reality… Eighty-one years ago, the UN Charter officially came into force… The more turbulent our world becomes, the more important it is to recommit to the founding mission of the UN Charter, hold high the torch of multilateralism, and defend the authority of the UN. We should rally under the UN flag to build greater global consensus, better mobilise global resources, and coordinate global actions more actively.”

Every country, regardless of its size or strength, has the right to independently choose a social system and development path that suits its national conditions and meets the needs of its people – they also have the right to participate as equals, make decisions as equals, and benefit as equals in the process of global governance. All countries should stand for fairness and justice, and major countries must set an example in upholding equality, credibility, moral principles and cooperation.

Wang Yi went on to say that: “Together, we should bolster the strength of the Global South for better global governance. The rise of the Global South is the most momentous shift the world has seen since WWII; it reinforces and expands the force for good on the international stage. In keeping with this shift, the Global South must enjoy greater representation and say in international affairs. This will not only correct a historical injustice but also provide a wealth of ideas for improving global governance. The reform of the international financial system should not remain stagnant; the democracy deficit in global financial governance must be narrowed in line with the agreed time frame and road map. The reform of the UN Security Council should move in the right direction, namely increasing the representation of developing countries, making it a priority to meet Africa’s aspiration through special arrangements, and involving more small and medium-sized countries in global decision-making. The role of Global South cooperation mechanisms, such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, should be harnessed to inject more dynamism into the process of global governance reform… In today’s world, countries have been integrated into a community of intertwined interests. The imbalances brought by economic globalisation can only be resolved through development; protectionism will only make matters worse, while openness and cooperation lead to a better future… Global governance must keep pace with the rapid evolution of human society. The new frontiers – such as the deep sea, polar regions, and outer space – are the common heritage of humanity and represent the forefront of future development, yet there is a lack of governance and rules that must be addressed. We should embrace the principle of peace, sovereignty, inclusiveness and joint governance, and transform the new frontiers from arenas of zero-sum competition into areas of international cooperation. AI is advancing by leaps and bounds. We should take a people-centred approach and develop AI for the good of humanity, and evolve a governance structure based on general consensus soon, so as to make sure this frontier technology is kept under human control and benefits humanity.”

China, he went on to say, “asks all countries to work together and make relentless efforts to build a more just and equitable global governance system. In support of this goal, I wish to announce the following practical actions to be taken by China”:

China will deliver a successful APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November. We will push for more outcomes around the three priorities of openness, innovation and cooperation, and work with other APEC economies toward building an Asia Pacific community and the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific.
China will remain deeply engaged in advancing UN reform. We support efforts of the UN to streamline itself, improve efficiency and deliver more results.
China will encourage the Group of Friends of Global Governance to play a bigger role. We will organise more activities focusing on the nine priorities of global governance reform. We welcome more like-minded countries to join the Group and participate in its activities.
China will work for the full and effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement. As one of the first States Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, China fully supports Xiamen’s bid to host the BBNJ Secretariat, which speaks to our desire to make new and important contributions to the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and the advancement of global maritime governance.
China will promote the recalibration of global human rights governance. The goal is to place the right to development high on the multilateral human rights agenda.
China will issue a Position Paper on Strengthening Outer Space Governance. We would like to see the rules of outer space governance keep pace with exploration, reflect broad participation, and benefit all countries.
China will issue a Progress Report on the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All. We will systematically review the cooperation outcomes, practical experience and specific cases since the Action Plan was launched two years ago, and push for deeper and more substantive international cooperation on AI.
China will establish a Global Governance Research Centre. With a focus on the major theoretical and practical issues in global governance, it will become a platform for high-quality research, release the Global Governance Index, and compile annual reports, so as to provide academic insights and intellectual support for the reform and improvement of global governance.

Wang Yi also held a bilateral meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih on the sidelines of the forum’s opening. He said that China believes that peace is of primary importance for ending the refugee crisis. China does its utmost to advance the settlement of global hotspot issues and takes an active part in UN peacekeeping operations. China holds that development is the foundation for improving the conditions of refugees. China has provided a large amount of humanitarian assistance and support to developing countries, especially the least developed countries, creating conditions for addressing the refugee issue at its root.

Barham Salih thanked China for its long-term and firm support for the cause of the United Nations and the work of the UNHCR. He stated that China is a great country that commands considerable respect on the international stage and has long played an important role in peacekeeping, international mediation and promoting development. With the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide reaching a record high and conflicts and violence presenting a worrying picture, closer cooperation with China is vital for UNHCR to address these challenges. The UNHCR looks forward to building a close partnership with China, pursuing people-centred cooperation, and jointly addressing the refugee challenge under the framework of the GGI.

In an October 23 commentary article, the Xinhua News Agency wrote that: “The Global South should not remain a passive recipient of rules shaped by others. It must have a greater say in setting the global agenda and shaping international rules. Improving the representation of developing countries in global governance institutions is not a concession by the West, but a necessary adjustment to make the system more inclusive, representative and effective…

“Fairer representation, however, is only part of the answer. Global governance must also be judged by whether it improves people’s wellbeing and delivers tangible results. International cooperation should serve ordinary people, and commitments made at the global level must translate into practical progress on the ground.

“These principles are central to the GGI, which sets out five core concepts: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by the international rule of law, practising multilateralism, advocating a people-centred approach, and focusing on taking real actions.”

It concluded: “By giving all countries a greater voice, putting people at the centre and turning commitments into concrete results, the global community can build a system tailored to better meet challenges of our time.”

As part of institutionalising the Xiong’an Forum and carrying forward its work, CPIFA has established an international expert advisory committee. Our co-editor Keith Bennett, who attended the forum, is one of the eight people invited to join this committee and who participated in its initial discussion.

Liverpool meeting on Chinese seafarers’ long fight for justice – Saturday November 14

The North West Trade Union International Committee is organising an important public meeting in Liverpool on Saturday November 14 on the theme: ‘The Liverpool Chinese Seafarers – over 80 years of fighting for Justice’.

The publicity for the meeting states that the 20,000+ strong Chinese merchant seamen’s pool in Liverpool during WW2 served an invaluable role during the entire Battle of the Atlantic at great risk to life. Once the war ended, many were secretly deported, and their families left behind in Liverpool have long campaigned for the release of details on what happened to their fathers and to demand an apology from the government.

The repatriation episode after the war cannot be detached from the seamen’s unequal treatment throughout the war. To organise against the discrimination in pay and conditions, sometime around October 1941 a branch of the Chinese Seamen’s Union was organised in the city, and from February to April the following year there were a series of strikes with some violent confrontations with police which saw Chinese sailors jailed. The seafarers eventually won an equal war risk bonus but not equal pay.

This event marks the donation of papers about the Liverpool Chinese Seamen’s Union collected at the time by Arthur Clegg, who was the national organiser of the China Campaign Committee, to the Maritime Museum Archives in Liverpool, by his daughter, the author and activist, Dr Jenny Clegg.

These documents, including information about the union, its constitution and elected committee, as well as correspondence and details pertaining to the seamen’s claims, are of considerable significance. In the first place they show that the Chinese did not take discrimination lying down but stood up for their equal rights against colonial-style practices; they also show there were people in Britain who supported them – through the China Campaign Committee, which had been set up in 1937 in solidarity with China’s resistance against Japanese aggression, they also received assistance from the then National Union of Seamen and the National Council of Civil Liberties.

Speakers at the event will include:

Dr Jenny Clegg – China author and campaigner
Eddie Dempsey – RMT (The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) General Secretary
Kim Johnson – Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside
Judy Kinnin – Long term family campaigner for justice

The meeting will be held 2–4.30pm at The Casa Bar, 29 Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BQ, a popular venue for progressive activities in the city, founded by former Liverpool dockworkers.

You can register to attend the event here. And for further background, see here.

Ben Chacko: Green transition and red tradition in China’s ecological civilisation

In the following two articles, Morning Star editor Ben Chacko reports from a multinational delegation to China – made up of participants from 10 countries on five continents – that visited a range of sites and attended a symposium on the global green transition at Nanjing University, as part of a programme to learn about China’s drive to build an ecological civilisation.

In the first article, Ben explains that ecological civilisation involves far more than a shift to renewables – encompassing urban-rural integration, climate resilience, river and wetland restoration and the use of AI to save energy – but that in renewables, China leads the world, accounting for half of global installed wind and solar capacity and having driven down the cost of solar energy by 90 percent. He highlights the restoration of the Yangtze, and reports the calls of Global South participants for Chinese investment to be tied to local manufacturing and technology transfer, rejecting the “gunboat diplomacy” of Western-imposed globalisation in favour of “red boat diplomacy”.

The second article traces the roots of ecological civilisation to Xi Jinping’s time as Party secretary in Zhejiang in the early 2000s, when he coined the phrase “clear waters and lush mountains are worth mountains of gold and silver” during a visit to Yucun village. Ben shows how the green transition is intimately linked to the revival of mass mobilisation politics, people-centred development and the revolutionary traditions symbolised by Jiaxing’s “Red Boat”, and describes how rural cooperatives are drawing young people back to the countryside to modernise agriculture and narrow the urban-rural gap. As the delegation’s leader, Dr Joseph Peter Ochogwu, put it: “The difference with the Chinese is that they don’t just announce plans – they follow through.”

China’s role in saving the world

The following article is the text of a talk given by Paul Atkin – convenor of the National Education Union’s Climate Change Network and editor of the Greener Jobs Alliance newsletter – at the Socialist China Conference on October 3.

Paul argues that climate breakdown should be the framework into which everything else is put, and that the struggle for socialism in the 21st century is best understood as the attempt to salvage human society from the “death wish, wars and ecological self-destruction” on display in the imperialist countries.

Outlining the scale of the crisis, he notes that the dominant fraction of the US ruling class has responded with denial, or by attempting to impoverish the Global South so as to carry on as before – and that the pursuit of US global energy dominance, from Venezuela to Iran, is suicidal.

China, by contrast, has seen its emissions peak; solar power now generates more of its electricity than coal; and Chinese investment has made renewables the cheapest option for new power generation in the vast majority of cases globally. Paul highlights the climate targets running through the 15th Five-Year Plan – targets which, he notes, tend to be exceeded well ahead of schedule – and concludes that states attempting to construct socialism, China above all, are crucial in the struggle to save the world.

China: Comrade Raul Castro is a venerated Cuban revolutionary leader held in high international esteem

On October 21, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told the ministry’s regular press conference that China urges the United States to immediately stop its blockade and any other form of coercion and pressure against Cuba and stop infringing on Cuban people’s right to survive and thrive.

Her comment came two days after the US state of Florida’s Attorney General staged a grotesque and ugly political farce of issuing an arrest warrant for Cuban revolutionary leader Raul Castro. Mao responded by noting that Comrade Raul Castro is a venerated Cuban revolutionary leader held in high international esteem.

On October 29, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China again urges the United States to heed the just call of the international community and immediately end its blockade and sanctions against Cuba. Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing after the UN General Assembly once again adopted by a large majority a resolution condemning the decades-old US embargo on the socialist island the previous day.

China again urges the US to heed the just call of the international community, immediately end the blockade and sanctions against Cuba, and cease coercing and pressuring Cuba through any means, including the use of force, he added.

CPC Central Committee sums up experience, sets new tasks and prepares for the 21st Congress

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its fifth plenary session in Beijing from October 26 to 29, 2026.

A detailed communique setting out the work conducted by the plenum was released on its conclusion. Among its key points are:

The Central Committee heard and discussed a report on the work of the Political Bureau, presented by Xi Jinping on behalf of the Political Bureau. They also deliberated and adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Certain Major Issues concerning Persevering with Full and Rigorous Party Self-Governance. Xi Jinping delivered explanatory remarks on the draft Resolution.
Looking back on the Party’s journey since its founding, the Central Committee pointed out at the session that the key to the success of the Communist Party of China in winning one victory after another lies in its pursuit of the high ideal of communism, its dedication to achieving lasting greatness for the Chinese nation, and its commitment to seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. During each historical period, the Party has attached great importance to its self-governance, had the courage to uphold truth and correct errors, and grown ever stronger by relying on its own efforts and the support of the people to resolve its own problems, ultimately emerging as the strong leadership core in the cause of the Party and the people… During this course, the Party has found two answers to the question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall: the people’s oversight over government and the Party’s self-reform. These are the unique discoveries of the Communist Party of China and will forever stand out in the history of Marxist parties.
Participants at the session gave a highly positive assessment of the great achievements our Party has made in exercising full and rigorous self-governance in the new era. It was unanimously agreed that the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core demonstrated tremendous political courage and a strong sense of responsibility in confronting the grave situation marked by weak, hollow, and watered-down Party leadership, lax, superficial, and ineffective self-supervision and self-governance, as well as some startling problems within the Party. Staying firmly committed to full and rigorous Party self-governance, the Central Committee introduced the most stringent measures and dedicated continuous efforts to tackle all these prominent issues. As a result, the problem of lax and weak self-supervision and self-governance has been addressed at the root, unhealthy tendencies that had long gone unchecked have been curbed, deep-seated problems that had plagued the Party for years have been remedied, and serious dangers hidden within the Party, the state, and the military have been removed. The Party has thus grown stronger through revolutionary tempering. The endeavors to advance full and rigorous governance over the Party in the new era have broken new ground in the self-reform of our century-old Party and brought about historic achievements and transformations in the cause of the Party and the country. The Party and the people have thus seized the historic initiative in building a great party and a great country.
It was pointed out that as the Party endeavours to supervise, govern, develop, and strengthen itself in the new era, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies in response to the major questions of our times — what kind of long-term governing Marxist party we should build and how we should build it, thereby giving birth to Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building. This thought has enriched and developed Marxist theory on party building, and it represents a major achievement in advancing the Party’s theoretical innovation through the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and its fine traditional culture. It stands as a crystallisation of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people.
It was stressed that many favourable conditions are now in place for advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance, while we are also facing many new circumstances and new issues in this endeavour. Profound changes in global, national, and Party conditions have made the Party’s tasks of uniting and leading the people in safeguarding China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests, of uniting and leading the people in promoting reform and development and maintaining social harmony and stability, and of maintaining its advanced nature and integrity even more arduous. All this poses formidable challenges to the Party’s governance and leadership capacity, the quality of its membership, and its resistance against corruption and moral decline under the new circumstances.
It was stated that in persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance, we must uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and thoroughly study and apply Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building… [We must] maintain the Party’s vanguard nature and uphold the overall leadership of the Party and the centralised, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. We must focus on enhancing the Party’s capacity for long-term governance, preserving its advanced nature and integrity, and maintaining its close bond with the people.
In doing so, we will see that the Party always remains a vibrant Marxist governing party that stays at the forefront of the times, enjoys the wholehearted support of the people, and is able to withstand all tests, and that it always remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
We must, therefore, encourage all Party members and officials to uphold the Party’s nature and purpose, raise Party consciousness, have a better understanding of their identity as Party members and the Party’s vanguard nature, and maintain a lifelong commitment to cultivating stronger Party spirit. We must also encourage them to devote efforts to strengthening ideals and convictions, forging strong loyalty to the Party, fostering deep affection for the people, always seeking truth from facts, building moral character, and preserving honesty and integrity. These efforts will help them to be loyal, upright, and responsible and always preserve the true political character of Communists.
It was noted that democratic centralism is the Party’s fundamental organisational principle and leadership system, and its implementation is therefore an inherent requirement for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance. We must improve and implement the institutions of democratic centralism, giving full play to intraparty democracy while effectively practising correct centralism.
It was noted that taking integrated steps to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to commit corruption is both an important strategy for full and rigorous Party self-governance and a fundamental guideline for our fight against corruption. The Party tolerates no corruption, as it has no special interests of its own besides the interests of the working class and the greatest possible majority of the people.
In an effort to ensure security while pursuing development, we will press ahead with initiatives to see that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs, and provide a cushion for the people most in need, and deliver better results in our work related to workplace safety, disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, food and drug safety, as well as social stability.
The Central Committee decided at the session that the Party will convene its 21st National Congress in Beijing in the second half of 2027 and stated that this congress, which is to be held at a critical stage for basically realising socialist modernisation and on the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal, will be a highly important meeting and an event of great political significance for both the Party and the country.

Li Qiang strengthens ties across Eurasia

On October 15, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that:

“At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Uzbekistan from October 17 to 18.

“At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Premier Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Tajikistan from October 18 to 20 and attend the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

“At the invitation of Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, Premier Li Qiang will travel to Russia from October 20 to 22 for the 31st regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government.”

Arriving in the Uzbek capital Tashkent to begin his visit, Premier Li noted that the traditional friendship between China and Uzbekistan has a long history and that the two countries are good friends, good partners and good brothers. Over the past 34 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, they have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, regardless of changes in the international landscape.

In recent years in particular, with the joint efforts of both sides, political mutual trust between China and Uzbekistan has become more solid, friendship has taken deep root in the hearts of the people, and practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results, delivering tangible benefits to the two peoples, Li said, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, not long ago and reached important consensus on further deepening bilateral relations.

Meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the day of his arrival, Li said that China stands ready to ensure the high-quality implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. In the face of a complex and turbulent international landscape, China and Uzbekistan should strengthen solidarity and cooperation and remain firmly committed to moving forward together. China is ready to strengthen coordination of positions with Uzbekistan on major issues, enhance collaboration within multilateral frameworks such as the China-Central Asia mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), safeguard the common interests of both countries, and contribute to peace and development at both the regional and global levels.

In his talks with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Li said that China stands ready to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Uzbekistan and deepen cooperation in energy and resources, artificial intelligence, modern agriculture and other areas. China stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Uzbekistan within multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the China-Central Asia mechanism and the United Nations, work with all parties to implement the four global initiatives [put forward by President Xi] and advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.

Aripov said that Uzbekistan is willing to work with China to fully promote the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and other projects of Belt and Road cooperation, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in economic and trade investment, agriculture, energy and mineral resources, customs, finance, digital technology, artificial intelligence, ecological protection and other fields, strengthen exchanges in tourism, education, locality and other fields, enhance multilateral coordination, and promote continuous development of the Uzbekistan-China all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era.

Following the talks, they witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents covering trade and economy, education, customs, health and poverty reduction, among other areas. And during the visit, the two sides also signed cooperation documents including those on e-commerce, climate and media.

A summary of the importance of the visit published by the Xinhua News Agency quoted Eldor Tulyakov, executive director of the Development Strategy Centre of Uzbekistan, as saying that bilateral engagement has entered a broader and deeper stage and cooperation with China has worked to advance the Central Asian country’s national development goals. “Political trust creates favourable conditions, and practical work gives it substance,” he said, highlighting tangible economic gains from electric vehicle manufacturing to green energy.

Kim Jong Un visits Chinese border city of Dandong to honour Chinese People’s Volunteers

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), paid a visit to Dandong, a border city in northeast China’s Liaoning Province facing the DPRK across the Yalu (Amnok) River, on October 24, the eve of the 76th anniversary of the entry of the Chinese People’s Volunteer (CPV) Army into the war known in the DPRK as the Fatherland Liberation War and in China as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

Kim and his party made the journey by crossing the new bridge connecting the two countries that opened on October 15.

Kim was greeted and accompanied throughout his day-long visit by Wang Huning, China’s top political adviser, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and who conveyed General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings and best wishes to the DPRK leader.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that Wang greeted Kim at the square of the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and accompanied him to present a flower basket to the memorial tower.

During their meeting, Wang said that on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the CPV’s entry into the DPRK to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, General Secretary Kim Jong Un’s special trip to Dandong fully demonstrates how much the party and government of the DPRK value the China-DPRK friendship forged with blood. He added that the visit is highly significant, as it not only carries forward the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK and consolidates the popular support for friendship, but also deepens political mutual trust and advances cooperation and development. China stands ready to work with the DPRK to unswervingly implement the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and take their common socialist cause as a bond to further develop China-DPRK relations.

Kim asked Wang to convey his cordial greetings and best wishes to General Secretary Xi Jinping and wished the upcoming fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC success. He said that he has come to Dandong on this special trip to pay tribute to the martyrs of the CPV, who sacrificed their lives to support the DPRK at a critical historical juncture, and to express the DPRK’s heartfelt gratitude and eternal respect for these heroes.

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s historic visit to the DPRK in June this year demonstrates the high importance attached to DPRK-China relations and marks a milestone in the development of bilateral ties, Kim added. Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the DPRK-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, he thanked China for its long-term support and assistance to the DPRK’s socialist cause and said the prospects for cooperation between the two sides are very broad. The DPRK admires the remarkable development achievements scored by the Chinese people and their rightful important international standing under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the DPRK stands ready to work with China to carry forward historical friendship, expand practical cooperation, and bring tangible benefits to the people of both countries.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) noted that the memorial hall visited by Kim is a “monument to great friendship that tells forever the sacred and excellent history and invincible unity of the DPRK-China friendship and always brings closer the peoples of the two countries, who forged their genuine comradely relations and militant friendship through the realisation of the common ideal for socialism and the bloody struggle against the imperialist aggression and have creditably carried forward and developed them century after century and generation after generation.”

It reported Kim Jong Un as saying that it is a natural duty and obligation to remember the great years and history in reverence at the place where the CPV martyrs were dispatched, adding that it was a moment to recollect the preciousness of the DPRK-China friendship forged at the cost of blood. We will always remember the history when the excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese people helped our revolution at the cost of their blood and steadily and firmly carry forward the history of the DPRK-China friendship, he noted. And he extended thanks to esteemed Comrade General Secretary Xi Jinping for paying special and meticulous attention to his visit, asked to convey his warm greetings and best wishes to Comrade Xi Jinping and expressed deep thanks for the warm hospitality accorded by Dandong City and Liaoning Province.

Kim Jong Un also visited the Dandong City Bus Factory and said farewell to his Chinese comrades on the new bridge linking the two socialist neighbours. Kim Jong Un sincerely hoped that the Chinese party and government would carry on the course of the rapid development of the PRC with better and plentiful successes under the experienced and seasoned leadership of Comrade Xi Jinping.

On the same day, China and the DPRK jointly held a completion ceremony for the renovation project for the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) martyrs’ cemeteries in Sinphyong County, North Hwanghae Province of the DPRK.

Qi Han, charge d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK, said that 76 years ago, the CPV fought shoulder to shoulder with the DPRK army and people, shared weal and woe, and the traditional China-DPRK friendship forged in blood will never fade. China stands ready to continue to work with the DPRK to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, do well in honouring and commemorating the CPV martyrs in the DPRK, consolidate traditional bonds, enhance strategic coordination, maintain regional peace, honour the martyrs who sacrificed their lives and benefit the two peoples through peace and development.

DPRK Vice-Minister of Urban Management Kang Chol Ho said that the brilliant feats, noble soul and self-sacrificing spirit of the CPV who fought bravely against the common enemy under the uplifted banner of resisting America and aiding Korea, safeguarding the home and defending the motherland will be conveyed forever along with the DPRK-China friendship.

Hong Zongming, vice minister of China’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs, leading a delegation of his ministry, said the memorial facilities for the CPV martyrs in the DPRK are “an important platform” for carrying forward the spirit of the fallen heroes and the China-DPRK friendship.

The delegation of China’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs arrived in Pyongyang by train on October 22. It met with Kim Son Il, minister of Urban Management of the DPRK, on October 25 and on the same day participated in a wreath laying ceremony at central Pyongyang’s Friendship Tower, which honours the Chinese People’s Volunteers.

They were joined by Kim Hyong Sik, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK, Mun Song Hyok, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Myong Su, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, along with Qi Han, charge d’affaires ad interim, and other officials of the Chinese embassy and other Chinese guests and residents in the DPRK.

KCNA reported that “before looking round the tower, the participants paid a silent tribute to the memory of the fallen fighters of the Chinese People’s Volunteers who bravely fought, displaying a matchless self-sacrificing spirit, in the sacred war for repelling the imperialist armed invasion, out of their noble internationalist obligation”.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs delegation also visited Pyongyang’s Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, as well as the cemeteries of fallen soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteers in Pyongyang Municipality and South Phyongan Province, and left for home by air on October 26.

Joint commemorations were also held in Shenyang, the capital of China’s Liaoning province.

A commentary carried by KCNA lauded the contributions and heroic feats of the CPV. Setting the historical context, it wrote:

“Today marks the 76th anniversary of the entry of the Chinese People’s Volunteers into the Korean front.

“The DPRK-China friendship is an invincible one firmly united with comradely friendship and bloody ties in the struggle against foreign aggressors. In the days of the great anti-Japanese war, the revolutionaries and other peoples of Korea and China provided the precious cornerstone of friendship and excellent tradition while waging an armed struggle against the Japanese imperialists, the common enemy. The Korean communists rendered selfless assistance to China’s revolutionary civil war, thus making an active contribution to the birth of new China.

“The CPV’s entry into the Korean front was a clear demonstration of the revolutionary unity of the peoples of the two countries formed and deepened at the cost of blood in the anti-Japanese war and the struggle for nation building.”

Among various historical events it highlighted: “In October 1952 the US imperialists launched a desperate attack on Sanggam Pass by mobilising four divisions, over 100 planes, many artillery pieces and tanks, but the CPV soldiers fought bravely to the last. In this battle, Huang Jiguang, who had received severe injuries to his arms and a shoulder, blocked the enemy’s pillbox with his chest to open the way for the advance of the unit… The heroic feats performed by excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese people in the arduous war are recorded on the shores of Lake Jangjin and the Chongchon River and Height 391. In those days, a number of heroic soldiers including Mao Anying [son of Comrade Mao Zedong], Yang Liandi, Qiu Shaoyun and Sun Zhanyuan were produced.

“The CPV soldiers regarded the Korean people as their own parents and brothers in their native places and sacrificed their lives for them without hesitation. The self-sacrificing spirit displayed by Luo Shengjiao, martyr who saved a child at the cost of his life, and the heart-touching stories that a CPV army surgeon gave a transfusion of [his own] blood to a wounded scout of the People’s Army are still deeply engraved in the hearts of the Korean people.”

Earlier, on October 22, KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un had received a reply message from Xi Jinping on October 20, in response to the message sent by Kim greeting the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Xi Jinping wrote: “For 77 years since the founding of new China, the Chinese people worked two miracles – the rapid development of the economy and the long-term stability of society – through an uninterrupted effort in single-hearted unity under the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China. They have achieved the goal of building a comprehensively well-off society in an all-round way as scheduled and are making a dynamic advance towards the goal of comprehensively building a modern and powerful socialist country.

“The two countries, China and the DPRK, are linked by the same mountain and rivers. They are friendly generation after generation and [have been] defending and helping each other while sharing their destiny…

“We are pleased to see the DPRK opening up a new era of overall development of socialism. I believe that the socialist cause of the DPRK will surely and continuously open up a new phase under the firm leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea headed by you, Comrade General Secretary.”

Meanwhile, on October 28, Xinhua reported that China has confirmed the identities of eight more Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) martyrs who lost their lives during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The Ministry of Veterans Affairs noted that this marks further progress in efforts to identify the remains of CPV martyrs repatriated from the Republic of Korea (ROK).

According to an agreement between China and the ROK signed in late 2013, the two sides consult every year on the handover of remains of Chinese soldiers found in the ROK. And since 2014, China and the ROK have completed 13 consecutive handovers involving the remains of 1,023 CPV martyrs.

Xinhua added that in recent years China has intensified efforts to identify the remains of CPV martyrs, including the creation of a DNA database for martyrs and their relatives, offering solid technical and data support to help more families find their missing loved ones.

Oliver Vargas: The Long March – lessons in overcoming the impossible

In the following article, Bolivian journalist and CGTN commentator Oliver Vargas reflects on a recent journey following in the footsteps of the Red Army through Sichuan province, the scene of some of the most decisive and gruelling episodes of the Long March, which concluded 90 years ago this month.

Oliver describes how the Red Army won over the Yi people of Liangshan by respecting their culture and treating them as equals – an example, he suggests, of the kind of cooperation the world needs today as against the bullying of unipolar hegemony. He recounts the seizure of the Luding Bridge over the Dadu River, where the revolutionaries calmly analysed an apparently hopeless situation and found a way through; and the crossing of the snow-capped Jiajin Mountain and the swamplands of the high grasslands, where many lost their lives.

Writing from the perspective of a Latin American facing the “Donroe Doctrine”, Oliver concludes that the Long March offers a powerful lesson for the Global South: “When organised and united, the people can win against all the odds.”

See also Xi Jinping’s speech marking the anniversary and our co-editor Carlos Martinez’s article on the Long March at 90.

Xi Jinping congratulates Lula on election victory

Following Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s October 25 election victory, in which he overcame a far-right challenge and secured an unprecedented fourth term as Brazilian president, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent him a congratulatory message on October 27.

In particularly warm terms, Xi wrote that President Lula has made important contributions to advancing China-Brazil relations. He added that he and Lula have, in recent years, maintained close communication through various means and jointly guided the building of the China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet to new progress. The global, strategic and long-term significance of the bilateral relationship has become increasingly prominent, making it a model of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries.

Also, on the same day, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng sent a congratulatory message to Geraldo Alckmin on his re-election as Brazil’s vice president.

The following article was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday extended congratulations to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his re-election as president of Brazil.

In his congratulatory message, Xi said that President Lula has made important contributions to advancing China-Brazil relations.

Xi said he and Lula have, in recent years, maintained close communication through various means and jointly guided the building of the China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet to new progress.

The global, strategic and long-term significance of the bilateral relationship has become increasingly prominent, making it a model of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries, he said.

Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Brazil relations and stands ready to work with President Lula to guide the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future to new heights, open up broader prospects for all-round strategic coordination between the two countries, and continuously enhance the well-being of the two peoples.

Also on Tuesday, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng sent a congratulatory message to Geraldo Alckmin on his re-election as Brazil’s vice president.