Author: Friends of Socialist China

Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time

The analysis below by Lauri Myllyvirta, originally published on Carbon Brief, demonstrates that, “for the first time, the growth in China’s clean power generation has caused the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to fall despite rapid power demand growth”. This indicates that China has almost certainly achieved its target of peaking emissions before 2030.

The article reports that China’s emissions were down 1.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, and notes that the country’s decline in fossil fuel usage resulted not from a slowdown in the economy or reduced energy demand, but from a rapid increase in the share of clean energy – solar, wind, nuclear and hydroelectric – in the power mix. “If this pattern is sustained, then it would herald a peak and sustained decline in China’s power-sector emissions.”

While noting that the possibility of a rebound in emissions later in the coming years cannot be ruled out should the government’s energy strategy significantly shift, Myllyvirta writes: “All of this suggests that there is potential for China’s emissions to continue to fall and for the country to achieve substantial absolute emissions reductions over the next five years”.

This progress is world-historic, because China’s emissions are reducing in spite of the fact that its overall energy demand continues to rise, and it continues to be a major industrial power. Thus its emissions reduction is the result not of de-industrialisation but of systematic investment and innovation in renewable energy. As such it is a model of sustainable development with important implications for other developing countries.

Lauri Myllyvirta is lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and senior fellow at Asia Society Policy Institute.

For the first time, the growth in China’s clean power generation has caused the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to fall despite rapid power demand growth.

The new analysis for Carbon Brief shows that China’s emissions were down 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 and by 1% in the latest 12 months.

Electricity supply from new wind, solar and nuclear capacity was enough to cut coal-power output even as demand surged, whereas previous falls were due to weak growth.

The analysis, based on official figures and commercial data, shows that China’s CO2 emissions have now been stable, or falling, for more than a year.

However, they remain only 1% below the latest peak, implying that any short-term jump could cause China’s CO2 emissions to rise to a new record.

Other key findings include:

  • Growth in clean power generation has now overtaken the current and long-term average growth in electricity demand, pushing down fossil fuel use.
  • Power-sector emissions fell 2% year-on-year in the 12 months to March 2025.
  • If this pattern is sustained, then it would herald a peak and sustained decline in China’s power-sector emissions.
  • The trade “war” initiated by US president Donald Trump has prompted renewed efforts to shift China’s economy towards domestic consumption, rather than exports.
  • A new pricing policy for renewables has caused a rush to install before it takes effect.
  • There is a growing gap that would need to be bridged if China is to meet the 2030 emissions targets it pledged under the Paris Agreement.

If sustained, the drop in power-sector CO2 as a result of clean-energy growth could presage the sort of structural decline in emissions anticipated in previous analysis for Carbon Brief.

The trend of falling power-sector emissions is likely to continue in 2025.

Continue reading Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time

Lula: Latin America, the Caribbean and China show it is possible to fight climate change without sacrificing growth and justice

The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] Forum, which was held in Beijing on May 13, 2025, saw Chinese President Xi Jinping joined by  Colombian President and current CELAC president Gustavo Petro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and President of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in addressing the opening ceremony.

In his speech, President Lula da Silva said: “Over the past decade, ties between Latin America and the Caribbean and China have grown stronger. China is now CELAC’s second-largest trading partner and one of the region’s most important sources of foreign direct investment. Funds from Chinese financial institutions surpass the loans offered by the World Bank or the Inter-American Development Bank. Partnership with China has become a dynamic force in the regional economy.”

He added: “Chinese demand was one of the driving forces behind the growth we experienced at the beginning of the century. We made significant advances in reducing poverty and inequality. It was during this time that we finally looked around us and united to create UNASUR [Union of South American Nations] and CELAC.

 “During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese vaccines and medical supplies helped us protect our populations. Only through greater coordination among ourselves can we fully harness the potential of Sino–Latin American and Caribbean cooperation.

“This is especially evident in infrastructure. Chinese support is decisive for moving forward with highways, railways, ports, and transmission lines. But the economic viability of these projects depends on our ability to coordinate as a region and give these initiatives regional scale.”

He noted that, “For centuries, resources extracted from Latin America and the Caribbean enriched other parts of the world. We now have a chance to do things differently”, and particularly emphasised: “Latin America, the Caribbean, and China can show the world that it is possible to fight climate change without sacrificing economic growth and social justice. COP30, to be held in Belém, in the state of Pará, at the heart of the Amazon, aspires to be a turning point in the implementation of climate commitments and in building trust in collective solutions.”

In concluding, he said that he wanted to, “issue a call to all comrades of Latin America: There is no way out for any country on its own. We have 500 years of history that prove this. Either we unite among ourselves and seek partners willing to build a shared world with us, or Latin America will remain a region synonymous with poverty in today’s world.”

In his address, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for a rethinking of humanity’s path through a new international cooperation paradigm that transcends the nation-state model and embraces a “dialogue of civilisations” as a political, historical and anthropological foundation for the global future.

He noted that: “A dialogue among civilisations cannot be imposed. It is a guiding principle for the relationship between CELAC and China. It is a possibility that China wants, and we want as well.” Challenging the ‘Clash of Civilisations’ theory propounded by the late US political scientist Samuel Huntington, the Colombian president instead advocated for an integrative vision as promoted by China – one in which cultural differences are not sources of conflict, but of collective human development as a political subject.

“How could there be fruitful dialogue if we don’t talk about clean energy, for example? If we don’t talk about decarbonisation? If we don’t speak as equals about how to achieve, through support for decarbonisation in North America, the possibility of prosperity in the South, and therefore, the possibility of mutual cooperation?

Continue reading Lula: Latin America, the Caribbean and China show it is possible to fight climate change without sacrificing growth and justice

China and LAC countries bound by a shared commitment to justice and a common pursuit of modernisation

On May 13, 2025, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] Forum was held in Beijing, presided over by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and attended by foreign ministers and representatives of CELAC member states as well as heads of regional organisations.

President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote address.

In the subsequent ministerial meeting, Wang Yi said that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the official launch of the China-CELAC Forum. Ten years ago, President Xi Jinping and Leaders of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries jointly announced the establishment of the China-CELAC Forum and advocated for building a China-LAC community with a shared future. After a decade of dedicated efforts, the Forum has developed into a mature mechanism and an important platform for equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and LAC countries, adding new dimensions to the China-LAC comprehensive cooperative partnership and injecting fresh momentum into the building of a China-LAC community with a shared future.

He added that China and LAC countries are separated by a vast ocean. What binds the two sides together? Not a geopolitical chessboard, nor a game of big power rivalry, but a shared commitment to fairness and justice and a common pursuit of modernisation. China-LAC cooperation rejects bloc confrontation and advocates for openness and win-win results. It has set a new example for building a new type of international relations and injected new impetus into cooperation among the Global South. History and reality have shown that in the face of unilateralism and hegemony, compromise and appeasement offer no way out, and only by standing united can respect be earned. As developing countries and members of the Global South, China and LAC countries should work together to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

The meeting adopted the Beijing Declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum and the China-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2025-2027).

Just prior to the meeting, Wang Yi released an article, entitled ‘Planning Together for Development and Revitalisation, Building Together a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future’.

He wrote that in the 10 years since the forum was established, Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras established or resumed diplomatic relations with China. The one-China principle has increasingly become the consensus of regional countries. To date, China has established different types of partnerships with 16 countries in the region, including the China-Cuba community with a shared future and the China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

The Global Development Initiative has gained wide support of regional countries, and more than 20 countries have synergised development strategies with China under the Belt and Road cooperation framework. The trade volume between China and LAC countries doubled in the past decade, reaching a historic milestone of US$518.4 billion in 2024.

More than 200 infrastructure projects and multiple industrial capacity cooperation projects built by China have generated more than one million jobs for local people.

China has so far provided LAC countries with 17,000 government scholarships and around 13,000 training opportunities in China, signed 26 cooperation documents on education with 19 regional countries, and opened 68 Confucius Institutes or Classrooms in 26 regional countries.

China-LAC cooperation is a natural choice in line with the prevailing trend of the world. The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive hallmark of the great transformation in the world. China and LAC countries are important members of the Global South. Increased cooperation between the two sides sends a strong message of the Global South seeking strength through unity and aligns with the dominant trend toward a multipolar world. This not only injects new substance into China-LAC relations but also makes new contributions to a more fair and equitable international order.

China-LAC cooperation is a natural choice to pursue a shared future. China and LAC countries have supported each other in their respective struggles against imperialism and colonialism and in our fight for national liberation. They have also supported each other in exploring development paths befitting their respective national conditions. Deeper cooperation between them has created growth drivers for both sides. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China and LAC countries went all-out supporting each other. History and reality have consistently demonstrated that building a China-LAC community with a shared future is a common endeavour of the willing that is underpinned by concrete actions.

Continue reading China and LAC countries bound by a shared commitment to justice and a common pursuit of modernisation

China expresses deep condolences over former Uruguayan president Jose Mujica’s passing

China has expressed deep condolences on the death of former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica, who died on May 13, at the age of 89. He had earlier been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

Chinese President Xi Jinping personally extended his condolences to Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, noting that Mujica dedicated his entire life to the well-being of the Uruguayan people and was deeply loved by them. Xi wrote that the Chinese people have lost an old and good friend, observing that Mujica had long been committed to the development of China-Uruguay relations and made positive contributions to the cause of friendship between China and Uruguay.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described Mujica as a prominent leader of Uruguay, deeply respected and loved by the Uruguayan people, adding that he was also an old and good friend of the Chinese people.

President Yamandú Orsi, to whom Mujica was a political mentor, wrote on the social media platform X: “Thank you for everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people.”

In the 1960s, Mujica helped found the National Liberation Movement-Tupamaros (MLN-T), more commonly known simply as the Tupamaros, a Marxist-Leninist group which, influenced by the Cuban revolution, took the road of armed struggle.

During this period, Mujica was captured four times. On one such occasion, in 1970, he was shot six times and nearly died. He escaped from prison twice, on one occasion through a tunnel with 105 other Tupamaro prisoners.

During the more than 14 years he spent in prison during the 1970s and 1980s, he was tortured and spent most of that time in harsh conditions and solitary confinement, until he was freed in 1985 when the military dictatorship ended.

Along with other former Tupamaros he was instrumental in the 1989 founding of the Movement of Popular Participation (MPP), which became and remains the largest party in Uruguay’s Frente Amplio (Broad Front) left-wing coalition.

He was elected as a parliamentary deputy in 1994 and as a senator in 1999. He served as President of Uruguay, 2010-2015, during which time he pursued an anti-imperialist foreign policy, strengthened the trade unions, significantly increased workers’ wages, and  implemented many progressive social and economic reforms.

Following his presidency, he continued to serve as a senator, until retiring from public office in 2020.

Throughout, he was known for his extremely simple and humble lifestyle. In 2022, he told Al Jazeera: “I believe that politicians should live like the majority of their people, not like how the privileged minority lives.”

The following articles were originally published by Xinhua and Global Times.

Xi extends condolences over death of Uruguay’s former president

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday extended condolences to Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi over the death of former Uruguayan President Jose Mujica.

In his message, Xi expressed deep condolences on behalf of the Chinese government and people, and extended sincere sympathies to Mujica’s family and the people of Uruguay.

As a renowned leader of Uruguay, Mujica dedicated his entire life to the well-being of the Uruguayan people and was deeply loved by them, enjoying a high reputation in the international community, Xi said in the message.

Mujica had long been committed to the development of China-Uruguay relations and made positive contributions to the cause of friendship between China and Uruguay, Xi said, adding that the Chinese people have lost an old and good friend.

Xi said he attaches great significance to developing China-Uruguay relations and looks to work with President Orsi to continue promoting the China-Uruguay comprehensive strategic partnership.

China expresses deep condolences over former Uruguayan president Jose Mujica’s passing: FM

In response to a question from Spanish news agency Agencia EFE regarding the passing of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on Wednesday that Mujica was a prominent leader of Uruguay, deeply respected and loved by the Uruguayan people. He was also an old and good friend of the Chinese people and made positive contributions to the development of China-Uruguay relations and mutually beneficial cooperation. 

We express our deep condolences over his unfortunate passing and extend our sincere sympathies to his family and the people of Uruguay, said Lin.

Xi Jinping: Writing a new chapter in building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future

The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] Forum was held in Beijing on May 13, 2025.

Of the 33 member states of CELAC, 28 attended, along with six regional organisations. Besides the 26 countries in the region with diplomatic relations with China, two of those still maintaining so-called ‘diplomatic relations’ with the Taiwan authorities, namely Saint Lucia and Haiti, also attended.

Reporting on the message of greetings sent by President Xi Jinping to the ninth summit meeting of CELAC Heads of State and Government, held in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa on April 9, we drew attention to the significance of his clear statement that all member states would be welcome to attend the Beijing meeting.

Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing meeting and delivered a keynote address.

He noted that: “Although China and the LAC [Latin America and Caribbean] region are geographically distant, the bonds of our friendship stretch back through centuries… From the 1960s onward, as New China established diplomatic ties with some LAC countries, exchanges and cooperation between the two sides became closer and closer. Since the turn of the century and in particular in recent years, China and LAC countries have ushered in a historic era of building a shared future.”

He went on to say that: “We stand shoulder to shoulder and support each other… In the 1960s, mass rallies and demonstrations took place across China in support of the Panamanian people’s rightful claim to sovereignty over the Panama Canal. In the 1970s, during the Latin American campaign for 200-nautical-mile maritime rights, China voiced its resolute and unequivocal support for the legitimate demands of developing countries. For 32 consecutive times since 1992, China has consistently voted for the United Nations General Assembly resolutions calling for an end to the US embargo against Cuba.

“We unite in tough times to conquer challenges through mutual support. China and LAC countries have collaborated on disaster prevention, mitigation and relief and on joint response to hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Since 1993, China has dispatched 38 medical teams to the Caribbean. When the pandemic of the century struck, China was among the first to offer assistance to LAC countries, providing over 300 million doses of vaccines and nearly 40 million units of medical supplies and equipment, and sending multiple teams of medical experts. All this helped protect the lives of hundreds of millions across the region.

“We uphold solidarity and coordination and rise to global challenges with resolve. Together, China and LAC countries champion true multilateralism, uphold international fairness and justice, advance global governance reform, and promote multipolarisation of the world and greater democracy in international relations. We have worked together to address global challenges like climate change, and advance progress in global biodiversity governance. China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point common understanding on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which has been endorsed by more than 110 countries, contributing our wisdom and strength to resolving international hotspot issues.”

Regarding the current situation, Xi said: “The century-defining transformation is accelerating across the globe, with multiple risks compounding one another. Such developments make unity and cooperation among nations indispensable for safeguarding global peace and stability and for promoting global development and prosperity. There are no winners in tariff wars or trade wars. Bullying or hegemonism only leads to self-isolation. China and LAC countries are important members of the Global South. Independence and autonomy are our glorious tradition. Development and revitalisation are our inherent right. And fairness and justice are our common pursuit. In the face of seething undercurrents of geopolitical and bloc confrontation and the surging tide of unilateralism and protectionism, China stands ready to join hands with our LAC partners to launch five programs that advance our shared development and revitalisation and contribute to a China-LAC community with a shared future.”

Continue reading Xi Jinping: Writing a new chapter in building a China-LAC Community with a Shared Future

US war on China, a long time coming

The following article by W. T. Whitney Jr, originally published in People’s World, connects the Trump administration’s hostility towards China back to the US-led campaign of containment and encirclement starting in 1949 with the proclamation of the People’s Republic.

While the current state of relations between the two countries is often described as a New Cold War, Whitney points out that it has a significant military component, with 400 US bases surrounding China with ships, missiles and troops. Furthermore, “US allies in the Western Pacific—Japan and South Korea in the North, Australia and Indonesia in the South, and The Philippines and various islands in between—have long hosted U.S. military installations and/or troop deployments. Nuclear-capable planes and vessels are at the ready. US Navy and Air Force units regularly carry out joint training exercises with the militaries of other nations.”

Vast investment is being ploughed into weapons development in the US, and Trump-supporting producers of advanced modern weaponry (such as Peter Thiel) “exert sufficient influence over government decision-making to ensure happy times for the new breed of weapon producers”.

The article concludes with a call for the anti-war movement in the West to step up in its opposition to war on China, and its efforts to build stronger people-to-people links between the West and China:

Will resistance to war against China end up stronger and more effective than earlier anti-war mobilizations in the post-Vietnam War era?  A first step toward resisting would be to build awareness of the reality that war with China may come soon. General knowledge of relevant history should be broadened, with emphasis on how U.S. imperialism works and on its capitalist origins. Anyone standing up for peace and no war ought to be reaching out in solidarity with socialist China.

Despite all the hype about a possible “breakthrough” in the U.S.’ trade war with China due to Trump’s tariff retreats, the reality is that the movement toward an actual war with China accelerates.

The public, focused on troubles currently upending U.S. politics, does not pay much attention to a war that has actually been on the way for decades.

The watershed moment of course came all the way back in 1949 with the victory of China’s socialist revolution. Amid resurgent anti-communism in the United States, accusations flourished of “who ‘lost’ China.”

Loss in U.S. eyes happened in China with the dawning of national independence and promise of social change. In 1946, a year after the Japanese war ended, U.S. Marines, allied with Chinese Nationalist forces, the Kuomintang, were fighting the People’s Liberation Army in Northeast China.

The U.S. government that year was delaying the return home of troops who fought against Japan. Soldier Erwin Marquit, participant in “mutinies” opposing the delay, explained that the U.S. wanted to “keep open the option of intervention by U.S. troops … [to support] the determination of imperialist powers to hold on to their colonies and neocolonies,” China being one of these.

Continue reading US war on China, a long time coming

Keith Bennett: WW2 victory is inseparable from the heroic struggle of the Soviet and Chinese peoples

The Workers Party of Britain (WPB) packed London’s Bolivar Hall, the cultural premises of the Venezuelan Embassy, on Saturday May 10 for its celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism in the European theatre of World War II.

The meeting was attended by Dzmitry Kozlovsky, Chargé d’ Affaires, and Andrei Miskevich , Counsellor, of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus; Alexander Gusarov, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, and Timofey Kunitskiy, First Secretary, of the Embassy of the Russian Federation; Minister Zhao Fei and Zhen Sitong from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China; and Wilfredo Hernández Maya, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. 

The meeting heard a message of greetings from Workers Party leader George Galloway, filmed in Moscow’s Red Square, where he was attending the celebrations.

Chaired and introduced by WPB General Secretary Paul Cannon, the meeting was addressed by the diplomatic representatives of Belarus, Russia and Venezuela; Mick Stott from the WPB’s Veterans Group and the No 2 NATO Campaign; Louise Scrivens from the No Conscription League; Jesse Williams from the British Preparatory Committee for the World Festival of Youth; Shanaz Saddique, WPB National Organiser; and Keith Bennett of Friends of Socialist China, who spoke on the war in Asia.

Keith began by congratulating the WPB on organising the meeting and thanking them for the invitation. Extending our greetings to the diplomats present, Keith recalled that FOSC had held its own celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in this same hall in September last year. Expressing his thanks once again, he noted that both events showed how the comrades of the revolutionary government of Venezuela, despite the outrageous pressures, aggression, sanctions and threats to which their country has been and is still subjected, can always be relied on for their support, collaboration and friendship in the best traditions of internationalism.

The following is the text of the main body of Keith’s speech.

Today’s meeting is a timely initiative – 80 years on, the struggle against fascism, against imperialist war and genocide, for the rights of nations, and for a people’s peace and a better life for working people have lost none of their poignancy or urgency.

It is right that we remember this anniversary. And that we remember it from the standpoint of the working class rather than just that of the ruling circles. The war touched the lives of every family in this country just as it did those of every family in all the countries that were swept into its maelstrom. And the victory was the result of the broadest possible unity of democratic forces worldwide.

But whilst the people of every country, including the progressive and democratic forces in the axis powers themselves, played their part, above all, this victory was inseparable from the heroic exploits, struggle and sacrifice of the great Soviet people of all nationalities and the great Chinese people.

Today, we celebrate the victorious end of the war in Europe, but the war in East Asia and the Pacific still had more than three months to run and whilst it was clear that Japanese militarism would be defeated, nobody could be sure how long that would take and how many lives it would still claim. That was the sobering reality to which people awoke after the greatly deserved revelry of the first VE Day.

So, in being asked to speak about the war in the east on this occasion, I’ll try to draw out the essential relationship between what were the two key fronts of a single united struggle. Fronts that were mutually reinforcing and inseparable. And at the heart of this single struggle was the combat alliance, the friendship forged in blood, between the peoples of China, Russia and the other constituent republics of the USSR.

The anti-fascist war in China started earliest and lasted the longest. Japanese imperialism, which had first embarked on the road of aggression against China in the nineteenth century, occupied China’s three northeastern provinces in 1931, creating the puppet state of Manchukuo. In 1937, Japan began an all-out war of aggression against China. In the course of 14 years, China suffered over 35 million casualties.  As Xi Jinping put it in his speech marking the 70th anniversary of victory:

“The victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is the first complete victory won by China in its resistance against foreign aggression in modern times. This great triumph crushed the plot of the Japanese militarists to colonise and enslave China and put an end to China’s national humiliation of suffering successive defeats at the hands of foreign aggressors in modern times.”

He added: “During the war, with huge national sacrifice, the Chinese people held their ground in the main theatre in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War, thus making a major contribution to its victory.”

And as then Chinese leader Hu Jintao put it 10 years previously:

“The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression constitutes a glorious page in the history of the World Anti-Fascist War, for it broke out much earlier and lasted the longest. For a long time, we Chinese contained and pinned down the main forces of Japanese militarism in the China theatre and annihilated more than 1.5 million Japanese troops. This played a decisive role in the total defeat of the Japanese aggressors. The war of resistance lent a strategic support to battles of China’s allies, assisted the strategic operations in the Europe and Pacific theatres, and restrained and disrupted the attempt of Japanese, German and Italian fascists to coordinate their strategic operations… The victory of the war in China sets a shining example of the weak vanquishing the strong for the people all over the world and boosted the confidence and morale of the oppressed and victimised nations to carry on their liberation wars.”

In a word, by their heroic struggle the Chinese people not only rose up to save their nation and civilisation. By pinning down huge numbers of aggressor troops, they prevented Japan from attacking the Soviet Union, thereby ensuring that the Red Army never had to fight on two fronts simultaneously, something that was absolutely crucial to expediting both a victorious conclusion to the war in Europe but also to an overall and decisive victory over the axis powers as a whole.

In 1931, Soviet leader JV Stalin uttered these prophetic words: ““We are 50-100 years behind the advanced countries. We have to close that gap in 10 years. Either we do it or we will be wiped out.”

In putting matters in this way, Stalin was mindful of threats to both the USSR’s East and West.

Since the emergence of Japan as a capitalist nation after the bourgeois revolution of the late 1860s known as the Meiji Restoration, the ruling class of Japan, a country lacking in most raw materials, had cast covetous eyes at the Far East of Russia and at Siberia, with its vast area, small population, but almost limitless mineral and natural wealth.

In 1904, Japan launched a war against Russia, winning a stunning victory the next year. This served notice to the whole world of the emergence of Japan as a major imperialist power, whilst the shock of Russia’s defeat was a major contributory factor to the Russian Revolution of 1905.

Following the October Revolution, Japan joined all the imperialist powers in the war of intervention against the infant Soviet state. In 1918, Japan occupied Russia’s far eastern provinces, including the port of Vladivostok, and parts of Siberia. The Red Army forced their withdrawal in 1922.

Continue reading Keith Bennett: WW2 victory is inseparable from the heroic struggle of the Soviet and Chinese peoples

There is growing need in the West to learn from successes of China’s Five-Year Plans

This article by Keith Lamb, originally published in Global Times, explains the role of Five-Year Plans in China’s economic development. These plans “function as comprehensive blueprints for national social and economic development. They outline goals, strategies, and priorities to address evolving historical challenges. In doing so, they align society toward the common good, chart a course for a better future and function as instruments for strengthening China’s democracy.”

Westerners are primed to think of socialist planning as being a highly bureaucratic and top-down affair. In reality, however, “Chinese citizens are invited to share their suggestions, concerns, and aspirations”, and “experts from a wide range of fields are consulted to ensure the plan’s feasibility”.

Keith explains how, for large-scale and long-term projects, directed toward meeting the needs of the population, state-led planning works far better than laissez-faire neoliberal economics. “Recognising China’s long-term planning as a key instrument in building a democratic reality and a sustainable future, it comes as no surprise that China now leads the world in green technology, electric vehicles, high-speed rail, and desert reclamation. Such achievements would not have been possible if capital, driven by short-term profit cycles, dominated the state at the cost of democracy and environmental well-being.”

The article notes that the current (14th) Five-Year Plan, which draws to a close this year, “has propelled China to the forefront of numerous technologies, particularly in green innovation. Consumer choice has expanded dramatically, and the countryside now boasts modern infrastructure, a thriving tourism sector, and advanced agricultural practices.”

As more Westerners begin to see beyond the corporate media narratives that demonize China, there is a growing need to learn from its successes – or risk continued decline. By prioritizing the common good, China’s Five-Year Plans are democratic, delivering material, social, and increasingly cultural improvements for the majority, not just a select elite.

As China’s 14th Five-Year Plan nears completion, the country is already setting its sights on the next plan, which Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated “must focus on the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization, with a view to building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation” at a Wednesday symposium on China’s economic and social development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

China’s Five-Year Plans function as comprehensive blueprints for national social and economic development. They outline goals, strategies, and priorities to address evolving historical challenges. In doing so, they align society toward the common good, chart a course for a better future and function as instruments for strengthening China’s democracy.

Continue reading There is growing need in the West to learn from successes of China’s Five-Year Plans

Xi Jinping meets with leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Slovakia, Serbia, Myanmar and Vietnam in Moscow

On May 9, during his state visit to Russia and participation in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings with a number of his counterparts.

Meeting with President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Xi Jinping pointed out that in recent years, he has held multiple meetings with Comrade President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and jointly led China-Cuba relations into a new stage featuring deeper political mutual trust, closer strategic coordination and stronger public support. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cuba. China is ready to work with Cuba to further strengthen their ironclad friendship, build a closer China-Cuba community with a shared future, and set an example of solidarity and cooperation between socialist countries and sincere interaction between developing countries. China firmly supports Cuba in upholding its national sovereignty, opposing external interference and blockade, and advancing its economic and social development. As important members of the Global South, the two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation within such frameworks as BRICS and the China-CELAC [Community of Caribbean and Latin American States] Forum, jointly oppose power politics, unilateralism and bullying, and uphold international fairness and justice.

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said that Cuba and China are close friends and brothers. Cuba appreciates China’s long-standing and strong support for Cuba’s economic and social development. Cuba firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China, enhance people-to-people friendly exchanges, strengthen coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, and advance the building of a community with a shared future, so as to promote greater development of bilateral relations.

Meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros, Xi Jinping said, China and Venezuela are good partners of mutual trust and common development. The two sides have forged an ironclad friendship amid the evolving international landscape. Since the two countries elevated bilateral relations to an all-weather strategic partnership in 2023, exchanges across various fields and at all levels have been vigorous, with continuous growth in bilateral trade and new progress in investment cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. The China-Venezuela friendship has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. China has always viewed and developed relations with Venezuela from a strategic and long-term perspective. It will, as always, firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding state sovereignty, national dignity and social stability. China is ready to work with Venezuela to enhance the exchange of governance experiences, continue to deepen practical cooperation in various areas and take bilateral relations to new heights, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.

Nicolás Maduro Moros said, China is a great friend of Venezuela, expressing his gratitude for China’s longstanding and selfless support in safeguarding Venezuela’s national sovereignty and advancing its economic and social development. Venezuela is looking forward to strengthening its all-weather strategic partnership with China and deepening cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, science and technology, education and other fields for more tangible results, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.

Meeting with Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, Xi Jinping noted that promoting the all-round, in-depth, and high-level development of China-Slovakia relations serves the fundamental interests of both peoples and accords with the historical trend of openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit. Xi Jinping said that the important common understandings they reached during Robert Fico’s visit to China last November are being actively implemented, and the China-Slovakia strategic partnership has moved into a “fast lane”. Both sides should continue to deepen traditional friendship, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields, pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and promote the steady and sustained development of China-Slovakia relations and China-Europe relations. China welcomes Slovakia’s participation as the guest of honor at the 4th China-CEEC [Central and East European Countries] Expo, which will help boost exports of high-quality Slovak products to China.

Robert Fico said that deepening the Slovakia-China strategic partnership is among the top priorities of Slovakia’s foreign policy. Noting that a sound and stable EU-China relationship serves the common interests of both sides, he added that Slovakia is committed to promoting the development of EU-China relations. Slovakia supports major initiatives proposed by China, such as building a community with a shared future for mankind and appreciates China’s positions on and constructive role in issues related to Ukraine and the Middle East. The Slovak side is willing to join hands with China to uphold multilateralism, safeguard free trade rules, and maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Xi Jinping pointed out that over the past year, the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era has got off to a good start with notable achievements. As profound changes unseen in a century unfold at an accelerated pace across the world amid multiple overlapping risks and challenges, China and Serbia should maintain strategic resolve, concentrate on managing their own affairs well, carry forward the ironclad friendship, deepen and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future with high quality.

Xi Jinping stressed that 80 years ago, the peoples of China and Serbia made important contributions to the victory on the Asian and European battlefields in the World Anti-Fascist War, respectively. China is ready to work with all countries in the world, including Serbia, to unite and cooperate to meet challenges, jointly safeguard world peace and international fairness and justice, safeguard the achievements of economic globalisation, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Continue reading Xi Jinping meets with leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Slovakia, Serbia, Myanmar and Vietnam in Moscow

Xi attends Russia’s Victory Day celebrations

Following an intensive program of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 8, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the grand parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany on May 9 in Red Square as the chief guest of honour.

Joining the Chinese and Russian presidents were the national leaders of 26 other countries, as follows:

  • Abkhazia
  • Armenia
  • Belarus
  • Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Burkina Faso
  • Republic of Congo
  • Cuba
  • Egypt
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Ethiopia
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Mongolia
  • Myanmar
  • Palestine
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • South Ossetia
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Zimbabwe

Additionally, high level representatives came from a number of other countries, including India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, and South Africa, as well as from international organisations.

The leader of Laos had to cancel his planned visit after succumbing to a serious COVID infection.

Military units from a number of countries also took part in the parade namely:

Members of the Commonwealth of Independent States who participated in the Great Patriotic War as constituent republics of the Soviet Union:

  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uzbekistan

Friendly Countries:

  • China
  • Vietnam
  • Laos
  • Mongolia
  • Myanmar
  • Egypt

The largest contingent of troops was sent by China.

Additionally, following the parade, Vladimir Putin met with a group of military officers from the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) who had taken part in the recent battles to liberate Kursk from Ukrainian aggression.

In his speech at the parade, President Putin said:

“Today, we are all united by the feelings of joy and grief, pride and gratitude, and admiration for the generation that crushed Nazism and won freedom and peace for all humanity at the cost of millions of lives.

“We remember the lessons of World War II and will never agree with the distortion of those events or attempts to justify the murderers and slander the true victors.

“Our duty is to defend the honour of the Red Army soldiers and commanders, and the heroism of fighters of different ethnic backgrounds who will forever remain Russian soldiers in world history.

Continue reading Xi attends Russia’s Victory Day celebrations

Putin: It is Russia’s strategic choice to unswervingly advance relations with China

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia from May 7-10 to pay a state visit as well as to attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

On arriving at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow on the evening of the 7th, Xi delivered a written statement in which he noted that China and Russia are good neighbours always being there for each other, true friends sharing weal and woe, and good partners helping each other succeed. The independent, mature and resilient China-Russia relationship not only brings great benefits to the people of the two countries but also makes important contributions to maintaining global strategic stability and promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. As major countries in the world and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and Russia will join hands to defend the outcomes of the victory of World War II, resolutely oppose hegemonism and power politics, practice true multilateralism, and work for a more just and equitable global governance system.

President Xi Jinping added that he looks forward to having in-depth communication with President Vladimir Putin on bilateral relations, practical cooperation and international and regional issues of common interest and concern, which will inject strong impetus into promoting the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era. He also looks forward to joining the leaders of many countries and the Russian people in cherishing the memory of those who dedicated their lives to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and jointly sending a strong message of safeguarding international fairness and justice.

On the morning of May 8, the two Presidents held talks in the Kremlin.

President Xi stressed that 80 years ago, the Chinese and Russian peoples made immense sacrifice and secured a great victory. Their pivotal contribution to world peace and human progress is a shining chapter in the annals of history. Today, in the face of unilateralist countercurrents, bullying and acts of power politics, China is working with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities of major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council with courage and conviction, uphold the correct historical perspective on WWII, safeguard the authority and standing of the UN, firmly defend the victorious outcome of WWII, resolutely defend the rights and interests of China, Russia and all other developing countries, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.

He added that China and Russia should keep to the overall direction of cooperation, steer clear of external interference, and provide a more solid foundation and more robust momentum for cooperation. The two sides should leverage their complementary resource endowments and industrial systems to expand high-quality, mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, agriculture, aviation and aerospace, and artificial intelligence. They should build a high-standard framework for connectivity by synergising Belt and Road cooperation and the Eurasian Economic Union. The potential of the China-Russia Years of Culture should be fully unleashed, with greater cooperation in education, film, tourism, sports, and subnational exchanges to foster closer people-to-people bonds. China and Russia should engage in closer coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and BRICS to maintain Global South solidarity, uphold true multilateralism, and spearhead global governance reforms in the right direction.

President Putin expressed a warm welcome to President Xi for his state visit to Russia and participation in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War. This visit is of great significance, as it will not only inject strong momentum into the development of Russia-China relations but also help safeguard the victorious outcome of WWII.

Putin went on to say that the Russia-China relationship is built on equality and mutual respect. It is neither directed against any third party nor swayed by any transient matters. It is Russia’s strategic choice to unswervingly advance relations and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

Continue reading Putin: It is Russia’s strategic choice to unswervingly advance relations with China

Trump’s tariffs and the New Cold War on China

The article below is based on a speech by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez to a webinar held by the Black Liberation Alliance on the subject of ‘Trump’s Tariff Wars on the Global South and the New Cold War’, held on 8 May 2025.

Carlos positions the tariff war within the broader US-led New Cold War on China. The tariffs are essentially “a continuation and a deepening of Obama’s so-called Pivot to Asia, designed by Hillary Clinton and first announced in 2011”.

The Trump administration’s justifications for its tariff war – that it will result in re-industrialisation of the US and increase in income – are patent nonsense. “In fact, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent stated openly last month that the objective for the tariffs is to persuade Japan, South Korea and India to participate in a ‘grand encirclement’ strategy to isolate and weaken China.”

Carlos writes that “the US is seeking to punish China for its success in building a modern economy, for developing its sovereignty, and for its refusal to bow down to US hegemony… China’s rise disrupts the whole imperialist system. It gets in the way of the relationship the US wants to have with the rest of the world, whereby it can design the global economic and financial system in its own interests.”

The article observes that the tariff war has no chance of being successful: “The US ruling class wants to isolate China, but actually it will end up isolating itself.” However, with the failure of the tariff war comes the possibility of further dangerous developments:

The obvious concern following on from that is that US imperialism’s next weapon against China may be not be a metaphorical one; that the New Cold War will turn hot. Anti-war movements in the West need to be highly vigilant on that score.

The other speakers on the panel were Radhika Desai (International Manifesto Group), Margaret Kimberley (Black Agenda Report) and Myriam Kane (Black Liberation Alliance).

The first thing to say about the Trump administration’s tariff war is that it is primarily designed to weaken, undermine and isolate the People’s Republic of China.

It’s part of a broader program of “decoupling” from China and a broader New Cold War on China – a system of hybrid warfare incorporating economic measures, diplomatic measures and propaganda measures, along with a significant military component: the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops to the Pacific region; the US military bases in the Philippines, Guam, Okinawa, Japan, South Korea, Australia; the deployment of sophisticated weapons systems to the region; and the various attempts to create some sort of Asian NATO.

Continue reading Trump’s tariffs and the New Cold War on China

An unexpected friendly encounter: Ambassador Wang Yajun pays tribute to veteran artists from the DPRK

The following article, which was originally published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), relates how Ambassador Wang Yajun and his staff members visited the fine arts exhibition in the capital Pyongyang held in honour of April 15’s 113th birth anniversary of the DPRK’s founding leader Kim Il Sung.

To his surprise, he met there with two old artists in their 90s from the Korean People’s Army. They fought side by side with the Chinese People’s Volunteers more than 70 years ago and have a special bond with the Chinese people.

92-year-old Korean People’s Artist Li Lushan said that he had participated in many major battles, such as blocking the US Army’s Incheon Landing. In 1951, he was seriously injured, and it was the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army that sent him to Changchun, Jilin for treatment. During that time, the Chinese people selflessly donated blood for him and took great care of him. It was China and the Chinese people who gave him a second life.

Cui Shigen, a 90-year-old painter from the Songhua Academy of Fine Arts in the DPRK, said that the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army soldiers had visited his home and encouraged him by patting his shoulders when they heard that he was going to join the army. Later, he fought with the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army on the Eastern Front and participated in post-war reconstruction. At a celebration party, he also created portraits of Chairman Kim Il Sung and Chairman Mao Zedong, which were highly praised by the army leaders and soldiers.

The article noted that the two artists are not only household names in the DPRK. Their work is also very popular in China.

Ambassador Wang paid tribute to the two veteran artists for their contributions to national independence, development and China-DPRK friendship, wished them good health and longevity, and said that through their works, he felt the great love of the Korean people for their national leaders. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea. “I believe that under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea headed by General Secretary Kim Jong Un, the Korean people will surely achieve greater success in the journey of creating a new era of national comprehensive rejuvenation. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ participation in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. I believe that under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jog Un, the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, which was forged with blood, will surely be inherited and developed, and will continue to move to a higher level, benefiting the people of the two countries.”

The article was published in Chinese and has been machine translated.

In early spring of April, the “Exhibition of Fine Arts by Veteran Artists in Memory of the 113th Anniversary of the Birth of Chairman Kim Il Sung” was grandly held at the Pyongyang International Cultural Center. On the 20th, Ambassador Wang Yajun of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea and his delegation visited the exhibition.

In the exhibition hall, oil paintings such as “Mangyongdae Residence” and “Spring in Mt. Paektu” vividly show Chairman Kim Il Sung’s revolutionary career and glorious achievements in his dedication to the independence and prosperity of North Korea and the happiness of the people. Korean paintings such as “Golden Autumn” and “In a Greenhouse Benefiting the People’s Livelihood” reflect from multiple angles the fruitful results achieved by General Secretary Kim Jong Un in leading the North Korean people to create a new era of national comprehensive rejuvenation. In addition, there are many exquisite works that vividly present the unique and beautiful natural scenery of North Korea.

What Ambassador Wang and his delegation did not expect was that there were many famous old North Korean artists participating in the exhibition. Among them, two old painters in their 90s were from the People’s Army. They fought side by side with the Chinese People’s Volunteers more than 70 years ago and have a special bond with the Chinese people.

92-year-old Korean People’s Artist Li Lushan said that he had participated in many major battles, such as blocking the US Army’s Incheon Landing. In 1951, he was seriously injured and it was the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army that sent him to Changchun, Jilin for treatment. During that time, the Chinese people selflessly donated blood for him and took great care of him. It was China and the Chinese people who gave him a second life.

Cui Shigen, a 90-year-old painter from the Songhua Academy of Fine Arts in North Korea, said that the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army soldiers had visited his home and encouraged him by patting his shoulders when they heard that he was going to join the army. Later, he fought with the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army on the Eastern Front and participated in post-war reconstruction. At a celebration party, he also created portraits of Chairman Kim Il-sung and Chairman Mao Zedong, which were highly praised by the army leaders and soldiers. When he was moved, Cui Shigen sang the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army Song in Chinese with Ambassador Wang and his entourage. The sincere and friendly atmosphere deeply touched everyone at the scene.

Today, the two old artists are not only household names in North Korea, but their Korean paintings and oil paintings are also very popular in China.

Ambassador Wang paid tribute to the two veteran artists for their contributions to national independence, development and China-DPRK friendship, wished them good health and longevity, and said that through the affectionate works, he felt the great love of the Korean people for their national leaders. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea. I believe that under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea headed by General Secretary Kim Jong-un, the Korean people will surely achieve greater success in the journey of creating a new era of national comprehensive rejuvenation. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ participation in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. I believe that under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong-un, the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, which was forged with blood, will surely be inherited and developed, and will continue to move to a higher level, benefiting the people of the two countries and making greater contributions to maintaining regional peace.

Second International Anti-Fascist Forum in Moscow

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) held the second International Anti-Fascist Forum in Moscow, from April 22–24 as the Russian capital prepared for a massive international celebration on May 9 of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Hitler fascism.

The conference was attended by 164 delegations from 91 countries, representing communist and left-wing parties and progressive mass organisations.

Addressing the opening session on behalf of the Communist Party of China, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War. The Chinese and Russian peoples, unafraid of threats and violence, fought in bloody battles, made enormous national sacrifices to contain the onslaught and destroy the aggressors, protect the state sovereignty and dignity of the country, and thus made an important historical contribution to the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

He stressed that China and the Communist Party of China are willing to work with all progressive forces, including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, to uphold the post-war world order, take the 80th anniversary of the UN as an opportunity to implement genuine multilateralism, firmly safeguard the authority and role of the UN, ensure real implementation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world, as well as an accessible and inclusive economic globalisation, effectively promote the democratisation of international relations, and promote the formation of a more just and reasonable new model of global governance.

The following article was originally published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Moscow. It was published in Russian and has been machine translated.

Further information and commentary on the forum were published by People’s Democracy, People’s World, the New Worker and Peoples Dispatch.

On April 23, Ambassador Zhang Hanhui took part in the International Anti-Fascist Conference organized by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The meeting was chaired by the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society I.I. Melnikov. The Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation G.A. Zyuganov delivered a keynote speech at the conference. More than 400 representatives of communist parties, workers and left-wing forces from 91 countries took part in the event.

In his speech, Ambassador Zhang Hanhui noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War. The Chinese and Russian peoples, unafraid of threats and violence, fought in bloody battles, made enormous national sacrifices to contain the onslaught and destroy the aggressors, protect the state sovereignty and dignity of the country, and thus made an important historical contribution to the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

Zhang Hanhui stressed that China and the Communist Party of China are willing to work with all progressive forces, including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, to uphold the post-war world order, take the 80th anniversary of the UN as an opportunity to implement genuine multilateralism, firmly safeguard the authority and role of the UN, ensure real implementation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world, as well as an accessible and inclusive economic globalization, effectively promote the democratization of international relations, and promote the formation of a more just and reasonable new model of global governance.

The forum participants called on all progressive forces to unite in a joint fight against any manifestations of colonialism and Nazism, to defend the results of victory in World War II, as well as the principles of international justice and impartiality.

After the forum, Ambassador Zhang Hanhui held a warm and friendly meeting with the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation G.A. Zyuganov, during which issues of developing relations between the parties of the two countries were discussed.

China says Gaza humanitarian crisis ‘unprecedented’, urges ICJ to uphold law

China has told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory has reached “unprecedented” levels and called on the court to uphold international law and international justice.

Addressing week-long public hearings recently held by the court to assess Israel’s legal obligations for the provision of humanitarian aid and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, Chinese representative Ma Xinmin said:

“The situation grows more desperate. In Gaza and throughout the occupied territories, we are witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis threatening to overwhelm an already suffering people.”

He stressed that Israel has a clear legal obligation to accept humanitarian assistance from third parties when the population is inadequately supplied: “This is not a discretionary choice. Refusing such assistance could constitute a denial of humane treatment of civilians or a form of collective punishment, both prohibited under international law.”

Despite the advisory opinion issued by the court last year, he emphasised: “Occupation continues and starvation persists.

“The desperate eyes of Gaza children pierce our conscience with two burning questions: Will international law surrender to brute force? Will the pillars of civilisation yield before the law of the jungle?”

The following article was originally published by Palestine Chronicle.

China told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory has reached “unprecedented” levels, and called on the court to uphold international law and international justice, the Anadolu news agency reported.

“The situation grows more desperate. In Gaza and throughout the occupied territories, we are witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis threatening to overwhelm an already suffering people,” said Ma Xinmin, representing China.

He stressed that Israel has a clear legal obligation to accept humanitarian assistance from third parties when the population is inadequately supplied.

“This is not a discretionary choice. Refusing such assistance could constitute a denial of humane treatment of civilians or a form of collective punishment, both prohibited under international law,” he said.

The week-long public hearings began on Monday to assess Israel’s legal obligations for the provision of humanitarian aid and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, following a request from the UN General Assembly.

Aid Workers

Beijing also expressed deep concern over casualties among humanitarian workers in the occupied Palestinian territory, stressing that Israel must ensure the privileges and immunities of UN agencies and bodies.

China reaffirms, the representative said, that the UN should play a “central and unique role” in leading and coordinating humanitarian assistance and called on all states to cooperate to provide relief to the Palestinian people. He reiterated that the fundamental solution lies in implementing a two-state solution.

Despite the advisory opinion of the court last year, he emphasized, “Occupation continues and starvation persists.”

“The desperate eyes of Gaza children pierce our conscience with two burning questions: Will international law surrender to brute force? Will the pillars of civilization yield before the law of the jungle?” he asked.

China also urged the court to issue an advisory opinion that would uphold the integrity of international law and “stir the conscience of the international community” to safeguard fairness, justice, and the rule of law.

Blockade ‘Unacceptable’ – UK

On Thursday, the United Kingdom told the ICJ that Israel must lift its restrictions on humanitarian assistance to Gaza, ensure civilian protection, and fully comply with international humanitarian law, Anadolu reported.

“It is unacceptable that Israel has blocked humanitarian support from entering Gaza for nearly two months, meaning that Palestinian civilians, including one million children, are facing starvation, disease, and death,” said UK representative Sally Langrish, recalling the UK Foreign Office Minister David Lammy’s recent statement to the UN Security Council in which he urged a return to the ceasefire “to end the relentless death and destruction that Palestinians face daily.”

Langrish emphasized the UK’s consistent call on Israel to allow humanitarian access and noted the UK’s suspension of certain arms export licenses to Israel in September 2024, citing “the clear risk that certain military exports to Israel might be used in violation of international humanitarian law.”

UNRWA an ‘Impartial’ Body

Michael Wood, also speaking for the UK, underlined Israel’s obligations under the UN Charter, the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN, and international humanitarian law. He said Israel must respect the legal capacities, privileges, and immunities of the UN and its agencies, including UNRWA.

Langrish explained that under Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel must agree to and facilitate relief efforts when the population is undersupplied. Refusing would be a violation of international law, she said.

She affirmed that the UK regards UNRWA as an “impartial humanitarian organization” and supports its mandate, while stressing the need for the agency to uphold strict neutrality and investigate any allegations of misconduct, noting that such investigations are already underway.

US Defends Israel

The US has stood nearly alone in defending Israel’s restrictions on UNRWA at the hearings.

Josh Simmons, of the US State Department legal team, argued that Israel “has ample grounds  to question UNRWA’s impartiality.”

He cited Israel’s allegations that Hamas “has used UNRWA facilities and that UNRWA staff participated in the 7 October terrorist attack against Israel.”

“In sum, there is no legal requirement that an occupying power permit a specific third state or international organization to conduct activities in occupied territory that would compromise its security interests,” he stated.

Simmons said the US supports the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, “with the safeguards to ensure it is not looted or misused by terrorist groups.”

Rising Death Toll

Representatives from 40 countries and four international organizations are presenting oral submissions during the proceedings, including Türkiye, Malaysia, South Africa, China, Russia, Spain, Ireland, Brazil, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Key organizations, including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Arab League, will also contribute.

Israel, which is among the countries that submitted written statements, will not make an oral submission during the hearings.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the ICJ for its war on the Gaza Strip, which, since October 2023, has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

May Day in Cuba – a reaffirmation of the Revolution

The following article by Bernard Regan, originally published in Labour Outlook, outlines the significance of the May Day celebrations in Cuba, in which “over one million Cubans demonstrate in Havana in the Plaza de la Revolución, led by the trade union movement”.

Bernard discusses the cruel economic blockade imposed on Cuba by the US, now being doubled down on by the Trump administration. Biden, a few days before leaving office, removed Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, only for the designation to be restored by Trump within 24 hours of entering the White House. Cuba’s ridiculous designation as a state sponsor of terrorism “is designed to cut Cuba off from any access to international banking agencies making it extremely difficult, if not impossible to trade, to obtain vital medicines, foodstuffs, materials and equipment critical to the functioning of the island’s economy from other countries worldwide”.

The article observes that China is working with Cuba to help reduce the island’s dependency on oil, with agreements in place to for Chinese companies to lead construction of around 100 photovoltaic farms. While China’s involvement in such projects is profit-generating, it “will not interfere in the internal politics of the countries it enters into trade agreements with” – in stark contrast to the US’s mode of doing business.

Indeed China is working with countries throughout Latin America on infrastructure projects that are helping them to break out of underdevelopment and enhance regional integration. Recognising the danger this poses to US hegemonic interests, the US is “now engaged in a war to exclude China from many markets” in the region.

The article concludes by calling on readers to raise their voices against the continued hostility towards Cuba and the relentless attacks on its sovereignty.

Bernard Regan is Secretary of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

May Day in Cuba is a national holiday marked by huge demonstrations across the country and this year will be no exception.  Over one million Cubans will demonstrate in Havana in the Plaza de la Revolucion led by the trade union movement.

The event will be a positive reaffirmation of the values of the revolution and an expression of Cuba’s determination to resist the pressures of the blockade imposed on the island by successive United States administrations and most recently of course by President Donald Trump.

The blockade is imposed on Cuba despite the United Nations General Assembly voting 32 times consecutively to call for its complete removal. From 1st March 2023 to February 2024 the blockade caused material damages estimated at $5,056,800,000. Just 15 minutes without the blockade would enable Cuba to provide hearing aids for all the children who needed them; 30 minutes blockadeless and all the electrical and conventional wheelchairs needed could be provided. The list goes on and on. It is a totally unjustifiable persecution of the Cuban people.

 In November 2024 the most recent vote recorded 187 countries against the blockade and only two (USA and Israel) voting for its continuance whilst one nation (Moldova) abstained.  Despite this overwhelming vote Trump continues these vindictive policies.  Far from having any negative impact on the world Cuba has displayed an exemplary record of sending medical support to countries across the globe in need of practical solidarity. 

Since 1960, over 600,000 medical professionals have gone to over 160 countries to provide their expertise.  In 2020 it was estimated that there were 30,000 Cuban doctors in 67 countries.  Britain’s population is over 6 times that of Cuba.  Just imagine if Britain had acted with such a selfless sense of solidarity for people across the globe, how many more millions of lives could have been saved and sick and injured treated.

Over the whole period of Cuba’s existence, it has not been possible to put a cigarette paper between the policies of Democrats or Republicans.   Occasionally there have been changes of tack – as when President Obama established diplomatic relations with Cuba but did not remove the most vicious of the legislation that was imposed on the island. 

Trump has never made a secret of his animosity towards Cuba or indeed for that matter towards any nation that asserts its sovereignty.  In 2018 speaking at the United Nations General Assembly he said, “It has been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe (1823) that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this (western) hemisphere and in our own affairs.” It was a clear declaration of intent that he wished to make the Latin American economies subservient to Wall Street’s interests.

On taking office on 20th January 2025 Trump placed Cuba on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) just 24 hours after his taking office.  President Biden had taken Cuba off the list – but only a week before he was to cease being President.  The appointment by Trump of Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State signalled the President’s clear intention to follow the vicious anti-Cuban policies of his co-Republican.

The SSOT status has been described by some as equivalent to an economic “death sentence”.  It is designed to cut Cuba off from any access to international banking agencies making it extremely difficult, if not impossible to trade, to obtain vital medicines, foodstuffs, materials and equipment critical to the functioning of the island’s economy from other countries worldwide.

Cuba is trying to deal with this for example by reducing its dependency on oil to generate electricity.  It has reached agreements with China, for example, to provide around 100 photovoltaic farms which are currently in the process of being installed.  Whilst some hope that the BRICS group of countries might provide an alternative international currency to rival the almighty dollar that seems unlikely in the short-term and may indeed not come to fruition given the tariff war that the White House is unleashing which may indeed create divisions between China and India for example.

The USA’s tariff wars will continue.  Trump is fearful of China’s influence in Latin America where some 20 countries have already joined the Belt and Road initiative, hence his obsession with the Panama Canal and the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. However, the opening of the Chancay mega-port in Peru and the much talked about potential alternative of a Nicaraguan “Panama Canal” threaten Washington’s aspitrations for the region. Whilst China will undoubtedly pursue its own economic interests in a pragmatic manner, unlike the USA, it is almost certain, given its track record, that it will not interfere in the internal politics of the countries it enters into trade agreements with.

The tariffs that Washington has imposed on China are a clear indication of the economic war for domination of the continent that is taking place. Like Monroe before him the USA is now engaged in a war to exclude China from many markets across the globe but Latin America is an immediate concern.  The continent holds invaluable resources of rare earth minerals as well as oil in abundance and Washington has already mobilised the Pentagon in this economic conflict.  The current head of the United States Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor General Laura Richardson, in identifying the economic resources that the continent holds as being of strategic interest to the USA. On 14th January – just a week before Trump was inaugurated – the columnist Bret Stephens wrote in the New York Times a column calling for a USA military intervention to overthrow President Maduro in Venezuela.            

The British government casts its vote against the inhuman blockade of Cuba but does nothing to challenge its punitive affects.  The solidarity campaign with Cuba is as vital as it has ever been. Trump wants to create a unipolar world with Washington and Wall Street at its centre.  Cuba demonstrates that another world is possible – one in which human life is valued and prioritised, in which people can live in dignity and at peace. It is those values which have led to Cuba standing alongside the people of Palestine against tyranny and oppression.  Cuba does not stand alone but we must continue to raise our voices and encourage others to do so to end the unjustifiable assault against its sovereignty which continues to be inflicted on it by successive Presidents of the United States of America.

Lula: China’s resolute and strong countermeasures against “reciprocal tariffs” are admirable

During his recent visit to Brazil to attend three important meetings of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held a series of bilateral meetings.

On April 30, 2025, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with Wang Yi in Brasilia.

Lula asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping, stating that Brazil and China have established solid mutual trust, with frequent exchanges at all levels and increasingly deepening cooperation in various fields, which fully proves that keeping friendly relations with China is the right choice and brings a demonstration effect to South-South cooperation. He looked forward to maintaining close high-level exchanges with China, further strengthening economic and trade ties, and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in finance, energy, and other areas. The Brazilian President further expressed his view that China’s resolute and strong countermeasures against “reciprocal tariffs” are admirable. China’s righteous actions have received widespread support, and the irresponsible unilateral acts of a certain country should be collectively resisted.

Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings to President Lula, stating that the two heads of state jointly announced the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, which has charted the course and drawn the blueprint for the development of China-Brazil relations. President Lula’s political decision to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Brazil demonstrates strategic foresight and fully aligns with the long-term and fundamental interests of the Brazilian people.

Wang Yi added that China’s resolute counteraction to unilateral bullying is not only to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests but also to protect the common interests of developing countries and to defend international fairness and justice. Standing at a critical juncture in history and facing impending storms, China will stay its course and strengthen its foundations, enhance cooperation with BRICS and Global South countries, uphold multilateralism, safeguard international rules, sow new hope for the world, and bring new opportunities for peace.

On April 28, Wang Yi met with the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Thailand and Ethiopia.

Meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Wang Yi said that there have been many new changes in the international situation recently. Change is the norm of this era, but what remains unchanged is the mutual trust and support between China and Russia. The strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin has always been the fundamental guarantee for maintaining high-level operation of China-Russia relations.

Wang Yi stated that the current rivalry between unilateralism and multilateralism is intensifying, and the contest between maintaining hegemony and opposing hegemony is unfolding around the world. The unity and cooperation of BRICS countries are demonstrating increasingly significant strategic value.

Sergei Lavrov said that in the face of a rapidly changing world, it is essential for Russia and China to maintain close interactions. Russia is willing to work with China to prepare for the next phase of important exchanges between the two heads of state, support each other in hosting commemorative events for the 80th anniversary of the victories of the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields. Both sides should jointly support Brazil in fulfilling its responsibilities as the chair of the BRICS mechanism and work for more positive outcomes in BRICS cooperation.

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Wang Yi: The BRICS family stands at the forefront of the Global South

Following his visit to Kazakhstan, where he attended the Foreign Ministers meeting of China and Central Asian countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled on to Brazil to attend meetings of the BRICS cooperation mechanism preparatory to its summit meeting later this year. Brazil is this year’s revolving Chair of BRICS.

On April 28, Wang Yi attended Session I of the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira chaired the event.

Wang Yi said that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The founding of the United Nations opened a brand-new chapter for all countries to jointly build peace and seek development and has promoted remarkable progress in human civilisation. Today, 80 years later, the international landscape has undergone profound changes, the world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation, and the cause of peace and development is facing new and severe challenges. The basic concepts of international cooperation have been eroded, the foundation for the development of international relations has been continuously challenged, and the international environment for peace and development is under assault. At a critical juncture in history, whether countries can make the right choices is crucial to the future of humanity. As positive constructive forces for good on the international stage, BRICS countries should take the lead in being the mainstay of the cause of peace and development.

To this end, Wang Yi made four calls:

  • To pursue universal security.
  • To actively promote peace talks.
  • To consolidate the foundation for development.
  • To strengthen practical cooperation.

All parties welcomed Indonesia’s first attendance as a full member at the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and stressed that efforts should be made to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of BRICS countries and the common interests of the Global South, to promote the establishment of a more just and equitable international order, and to facilitate open, inclusive and sustainable development.

On April 29, the session for Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations from BRICS members and partner countries was held in Rio de Janeiro. The session was chaired by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. Foreign ministers and senior representatives from 19 countries discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the Global South and uphold multilateralism.

Addressing the meeting, Wang Yi said that, today, the BRICS family, with a total population of over half of the world’s population and an economic output accounting for nearly 30 percent of the global total, stands at the forefront of the Global South.

He stressed that faced with hegemonism, BRICS countries must uphold principles and serve as the main force in defending fairness and justice. In the face of unilateralism, BRICS countries must stand at the forefront and be the backbone in promoting solidarity and cooperation.

He made three calls in this regard:

  • To defend the core position of the United Nations.
  • To promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.
  • To foster an open and cooperative international environment.

Wang Yi stated that BRICS members should keep their doors wide open and embrace partner countries to help them deeply integrate into BRICS and fully participate in cooperation, so as to ensure the vibrant development of the mechanism. Continuous efforts should be made to expand the “BRICS Plus” model and bring together more like-minded countries to pool forces for peace and development.

He added that the solution to the world’s problems lies in upholding and practicing multilateralism. The expanded Greater BRICS should continue to advocate for extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold the basic principles of international relations, defend the multilateral trading system, and build a more just and equitable global governance system.

Wang Yi said that in the face of the United States wielding the tariff stick globally, all countries must make the choices: Should the world return to the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak? Can the selfish interests of one country override the common interests of all nations? Should international rules be ignored or even abandoned? Do compromise and retreat ensure that one stays out of trouble? The ultimate question is whether to accept a unipolar hegemony dominated by one country or embrace an equal and orderly multipolar world.

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Xi Jinping: Learning from history to build together a brighter future

On May 7, Chinese President Xi Jinping began a state visit to Russia where he will also attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Ahead of his arrival, the Chinese leader published an article in the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian Gazette).

In his article President Xi recalled that: “Ten years ago around this time, I came to Russia to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory. During that visit, I made a special arrangement to meet with 18 representatives of Russian veterans who endured the blood and fire of battlefields during the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War and the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Their unyielding resolve and indomitable bearing left an indelible impression on me. In the past few years, General M. Gareyev, Major General T. Shchudlo and other veterans passed away. I pay my deepest tribute to them and to all veterans – from generals to the rank and file-for their extraordinary service and heroic feats in securing the victory over fascists around the world. We will never forget them.”

Xi noted that: “During the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese and Russian peoples fought shoulder to shoulder and supported each other. In the darkest hours of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Volunteer Group, which was part of the Soviet Air Force, came to Nanjing, Wuhan and Chongqing to fight alongside the Chinese people, bravely engaging Japanese invaders in aerial combat – many sacrificing their precious lives.”

He added that: “At the critical juncture of the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War, Yan Baohang, a legendary intelligence agent of the Communist Party of China (CPC) who was hailed as the ‘Richard Sorge of the East,’ provided the Soviet Union with primary-source intelligence.”

[Yan Baohang (1895-1968) was an intelligence agent of the CPC and the Communist International, entrusted by later Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Based behind enemy lines in Chongqing, in May 1941 the one-time student at Edinburgh University was able to discover the exact date – June 22 – of the planned German attack on the Soviet Union. He managed to get the information to the communist base area in Yan’an by June 6, where Mao Zedong ordered it to be conveyed to Moscow and where it reached Stalin, enabling important preparations to be made in time. On June 30, eight days after the German attack, Stalin telegraphed Yan’an, to thank Yan “for his accurate information that prompted us to prepare for what’s to come.”

[Richard Sorge (1895-1944) was one of the most brilliant intelligence officers of the Communist International and the Soviet Red Army’s Fourth Department, later known as the GRU or military intelligence. Known particularly for his work in Shanghai and then in Tokyo, he was eventually arrested by the Japanese authorities in October 1941 and hanged in Tokyo on November 7, 1944, the fascists having deliberately chosen to execute this outstanding and courageous internationalist fighter for communism on the anniversary of the October Socialist Revolution. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.]

Drawing attention to the contemporary significance of the 80th anniversary, Xi wrote: “Eighty years ago, the forces of justice around the world, including China and the Soviet Union, united in courageous battles against their common foes and defeated the overbearing fascist powers. Eighty years later today, however, unilateralism, hegemonism, bullying, and coercive practices are severely undermining our world. Again, humankind has come to a crossroads of unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win cooperation or zero-sum games… We must learn from history, especially the hard lessons of the Second World War. We must draw wisdom and strength from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics. We must work together to build a brighter future for humanity.”

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CPC representative: China and Sri Lanka have worked shoulder to shoulder, showing the world how our countries can thrive together

Tens of thousands of people gathered in the iconic Galle Face area of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo this May Day in a massive show of support for the new government of the National People’s Power (NPP) grouping, whose core is the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP – People’s Liberation Front), the country’s largest Marxist party.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other party leaders were joined by representatives of the Communist Party of China, the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Addressing the rally, Peng Xiubin, Bureau Director General of the Communist Party of China’s International Department (IDCPC) said: “Six decades ago, your hands built the JVP. Over the years, you have kept fighting, making the JVP stronger and stronger, forming the National People’s Power. Eventually, last September, you won the presidential election, a new milestone in the history of Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka is China’s good neighbour, trusted brother, reliable partner. For 68 years of our diplomatic ties, we have worked hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, showing the world how our countries can thrive together. Now, with the JVP leading Sri Lanka, new opportunities arise for China-Sri Lanka ties.”

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said he hoped cooperation with China would help address rural poverty. “China has done tremendous work in this area and we want to get their expertise.”

State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Binoy Viswam said that at last year’s May Day rally, Dissanayake predicted that “the next year when we celebrate the May Day, it will be a victorious May Day for the people and the workers of the Sri Lankan country. That day has come.”

AR Sindhu, Central Committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) said: “We proudly tell the people that, yes, Kerala [where the CPIM leads the state government] will follow the Sri Lankan way. Not only Kerala, the entire India will be following the Sri Lankan way.”

A short clip of the rally may be seen here.

Other political parties in Sri Lanka also held May Day rallies, including the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Communist Party of Sri Lanka and Frontline Socialist Party.

Following May Day, President Dissanayake paid a state visit to Vietnam, May 4-6.

The following articles were first published by the Press Trust of India (PTI) and Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia (CNA).

Communist parties of India, China represented at Lanka’s ruling dispensation’s May Day rally

The Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of China were both represented at the May Day rally held here by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s NPP on Thursday.

This is the first May Day celebration by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the mother party in the National People’s Power (NPP) broader front, after it came to power.

The party, founded in 1965, had led two rebellions to topple governments through armed revolution in the early 70s and late 80s.

Binoy Viswam of the Communist Party of India (CPI) pointed out how at last year’s May Day rally, Dissanayake predicted that “the next year when we celebrate the May Day, it will be a victorious May Day for the people and the workers of the Sri Lankan country. That day has come”.

Viswam said there were claims in the past that there is no alternative to capitalist system and that there is only one way, and that way is the way of the Americans, the way of the spoilers, the way of the capitalists.

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