Friends of Socialist China, Author at Friends of Socialist China

Xi’s visit set to deepen China-DPRK ties

On June 5, the Xinhua News Agency and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) both announced that at the invitation of Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China, will pay a state visit to the DPRK on June 8 and 9.

In a feature article previewing the visit, Xinhua noted that, “Xi’s upcoming visit, his first to the neighbouring country in seven years, is expected to draw a new blueprint for the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, inject strong impetus into the joint cause of socialist construction, and make new contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity.”

It went on to note that in March 2018, the two leaders held their first meeting, during which they reached principled consensus on four aspects of developing China-DPRK relations in the new era. Xi and Kim met three times in less than 100 days that year, making history in high-level exchanges between China and the DPRK.

The two leaders also exchanged visits in the first half of 2019 and in September 2025, Kim made another visit to China. Since 2018, the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries have held six meetings and maintained close communication in various forms, leading the China-DPRK relations to forge ahead in the new era.

Xinhua added: “This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, making Xi’s upcoming visit to the DPRK even more important.”

The article noted that during his previous visit, Xi paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People’s Volunteers at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang. Xi wrote in the inscription book, “To remember the martyrs” and “The China-DPRK friendship lasts from generation to generation.”

The traditional friendship between China and the DPRK was forged by the elder generation of leaders of the two parties and two countries, cemented in the revolutionary struggle, and continuously deepened in the course of socialist construction, Xi said in his exchange of New Year greeting messages with Kim in 2024.

During Xi’s visit to the DPRK in 2019, hundreds of thousands of residents in Pyongyang lined the streets to welcome the Chinese president, leading Xi to recall the occasion during his talks with Kim in Beijing last year, saying he could feel the family-like friendship between the two peoples all along the way.

This, Xinhua noted, finds its expression in the fact that “from economic and trade exchanges to education and sports cooperation, China-DPRK exchanges and cooperation in various fields continued to deepen and has grown ever more solid, bringing benefits to the peoples of both countries.”

The article concludes: “China-DPRK relations are vividly described in a Chinese song: ‘We share a great friendship; we share common ideals; which have united us with incomparable strength.’”

Wang Yi interacts with counterparts at the UN in New York

During his recent visit to the United Nations in New York to attend the UN Security Council high-level meeting on ‘Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centred International System’, called by China during its rotating presidency, along with the meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held numerous bilateral meetings with his counterparts who had also made special trips to join the meetings.

The following are some of the highlights:

On May 26, Wang met with the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Panama, Indonesia, Argentina, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Thailand and Bahrain, as well as with the United Nations Secretary-General.

Meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Wang Yi said that no matter how the international situation changes, China’s determination to develop relations with and deepen cooperation with Azerbaijan will not waver. China stands ready to work with Azerbaijan, following the consensus reached by the two heads of state, to firmly support each other, jointly build the Belt and Road, share development opportunities, strengthen multilateral coordination and better support each other’s modernisation efforts. China will fully support Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Jeyhun Bayramov thanked China for sending high-level representatives to attend the World Urban Forum held in Baku and for supporting Azerbaijan in assuming the chairmanship of the CICA. Azerbaijan firmly supports China on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and always regards China as an important strategic cooperative partner.

Meeting with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, Wang Yi stated that China and Panama enjoy a long history of exchanges. In the 19th century, large numbers of Chinese labourers traveled to Panama to build railways and dig the Panama Canal, contributing to Panama’s economic and social development. Nearly nine years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama, bilateral relations have generally progressed smoothly, with trade volume doubling compared to the pre-establishment period, delivering tangible benefits to the Panamanian people. Facts fully prove that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Panama serves the long-term interests of both countries and represents the shared aspiration and irresistible trend of the times. Adherence to the one-China principle is the political foundation of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic ties. Chinese enterprises have operated in Panama for years, making important contributions to Panama’s economic growth and people’s well-being. It is hoped that Panama will earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. China has always maintained that bilateral relations do not target any third party nor should they be subject to third-party interference. China stands ready to work with Panama to uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic relations, deepen practical cooperation, fend off external disruptions, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.

Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez said that the Panamanian people remember the contributions made by the Chinese people to the construction of Panama’s railways and the Canal in early years. Panama stands ready to work with China to look to the future, resolve differences through constructive dialogue on the basis of mutual respect, build solid mutual trust, and turn a new page in Panama-China relations.

Relations between China and Panama have become strained recently as the government buckled in the face of threats by US President Donald Trump to annex the Panama Canal. As a result, Panama withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and arbitrarily cancelled operational contracts regarding the Panama Canal hitherto enjoyed by Hong Kong Chinese company CK Hutchison Holdings owned by Li Ka-shing.

Nissan, Chery and the case for cooperation with China

In early June 2026, the Financial Times reported that Nissan’s Sunderland plant – the UK’s largest car factory, employing 6,000 people – has secured its long-term future through a deal to manufacture vehicles for the Chinese carmaker Chery from 2027. In the following article, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez argues that the agreement offers a concrete glimpse of a different economic path for Britain.

With Nissan’s global restructuring threatening thousands of jobs, and the motor industry’s own trade body admitting that Britain’s 2035 production targets are unreachable without Chinese manufacturers, Chinese industry is offering British workers what no British government has for forty years: high-quality jobs in a globally competitive, future-facing sector.

The predictable cries of ‘national security’ and ‘Chinese influence’, Martinez writes, are merely a manifestation of empire nostalgia. The real choice facing Britain is between embracing the multipolar transition or managing further decline in the service of a declining United States.

China and Brazil hold Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira visited China, May 31-June 2, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

On June 1, they held the fifth China-Brazil Foreign Ministerial-Level Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue in Beijing.

Wang Yi stated that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, China-Brazil relations have achieved a milestone leap from a comprehensive strategic partnership to a China-Brazil community with a shared future. Practical cooperation across various fields has continuously improved and upgraded, bringing the peoples of the two countries closer than ever before. China and Brazil have maintained close coordination on the international stage, demonstrating a sense of responsibility and emerging as a vital force for maintaining stability and promoting development in today’s world. With changes unseen in a century accelerating and the international community increasingly longing for peace and stability, reform of the global governance system should be placed on the agenda as soon as possible. Both sides should fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue to deepen the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future, and jointly withstand external challenges. The two countries should build greater synergy in advancing their respective modernisation processes and strengthening solidarity and self-reliance among Global South countries, while providing greater certainty for a turbulent world.

Mauro Vieira stated that the Brazil-China relationship is a benchmark for developing countries in upholding independence, strengthening solidarity and enhancing coordination. The successful mutual visits between the two heads of state have elevated the bilateral relationship to a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet. This has provided crucial strategic guidance for both sides to deepen political mutual trust and strengthen bonds of cooperation, which holds even greater significance in the current international context.

Mauro Vieira also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on the same day.

Pointing out that practical cooperation between China and Brazil is highly complementary and enjoys a strong internal driving force, Han said both sides should give better play to the role of mechanisms such as the China-Brazil High-level Coordination and Cooperation Committee to work for greater science and technology cooperation, with higher added value and greater strategic significance.

Vieira said at present, multilateralism is suffering an unprecedented blow, and it is particularly important for Brazil and China to deepen the construction of the community of a shared future.

China and Cuba stand together at UN

During his recent stay in New York, where he attended the United Nations Security Council high-level meeting on ‘Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centred International System’, called by China during its rotating presidency, along with the meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held numerous bilateral meetings with his counterparts who had also made special trips to join the meetings.

On May 27, Wang met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

Having conveyed President Xi Jinping’s sincere greetings to Comrade Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Wang noted that the theme of the UN meeting has received wide response and support. To achieve its goal, it is essential to respect the sovereignty and independence of all countries and oppose all forms of power politics and bullying. The Cuban people, united as one, firmly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, demonstrating a strong will to oppose external blockade and interference, which has earned the respect of the international community. China will continue to stand up for justice for Cuba, support the just cause of the Cuban people, and assist Cuba in its economic and social development.

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla thanked China for inviting Cuba to the meeting, stating that the world today is facing turmoil and disorder. Only China is capable of convening such a meeting, building consensus among the international community, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South. Cuba is experiencing its most severe situation since the revolution, the root cause of which is the US blockade and sanctions against Cuba. Cuba appreciates China’s firm support for its sovereignty and security, as well as the assistance and vocal support provided during difficult times. This fully demonstrates the special friendship between Cuba and China.

The previous day, Minister Rodríguez had addressed the Security Council meeting.

In his remarks, he acknowledged China’s leadership in convening the debate and linked the defence of the international order to the need to address conflicts and threats affecting global stability.

The Foreign Minister denounced US policy toward Cuba, which he described as a violation of international law and a threat to regional peace. He rejected the indictment against Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, considering it a politically motivated decision, and warned of its possible use as a pretext to justify military aggression against the island. He also noted that the energy blockade and the tightening of the embargo have serious humanitarian consequences for the Cuban population.

He reiterated that Cuba does not pose a threat to the United States and reaffirmed the country’s willingness to engage in bilateral dialogue on issues of common interest, always based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference. Finally, he called on the international community, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Global South, the UN Security Council, and the UN General Assembly to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe or military aggression against Cuba.

China’s courts draw a line in the sand: AI cannot be an excuse to fire workers

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the world of work at breakneck speed, and almost everywhere the same question is being asked: who pays the price when a machine can do your job? Across much of the capitalist world the answer has been brutally simple – the worker does. In China, the courts are giving a very different answer.

In this detailed original analysis for Friends of Socialist China, İbrahim Can Eraslan examines a landmark ruling handed down by the Hangzhou Intermediate People’s Court on the eve of International Workers’ Day 2026, which found that a technology company had unlawfully dismissed an employee after replacing his role with AI. Far from being an isolated case, Eraslan shows how it builds on a consistent and growing body of jurisprudence in Beijing, Guangzhou and beyond, all resting on a single principle: that voluntary AI adoption is a business decision, and that companies which automate must therefore shoulder the corresponding social responsibilities rather than dumping the costs onto their workforce.

Crucially, Eraslan situates these rulings within China’s wider policy architecture – from the 15th Five-Year Plan’s commitment to assessing AI’s employment effects, to proposals for compulsory employment impact assessments before large-scale AI deployment – and contrasts this socialist, employment-first approach with the ‘employment at will’ doctrine of the United States and the patchwork protections of the European Union. The result, he argues, is one of the first coherent national legal frameworks anywhere in the world for managing AI-driven job displacement: not Luddism, but a principled insistence that the fruits of technological progress be shared and that its costs not be socialised onto working people.

He concludes:

China’s courts have drawn a line in the sand. AI is welcome. But AI cannot be an excuse to fire workers. The cost of progress must be shared, and the burden must not fall on those who can least afford to bear it. In a world where capital everywhere is racing to automate labor out of existence, China’s socialist legal system is saying: not so fast.

China and the Global Green Revolution – a webinar review

Friends of Socialist China’s US committee recently organised a hybrid event in Portland on the theme ‘China’s Global Green Revolution’, co-facilitated by Sara Flounders and Carlos Martinez, alongside seven contributors to the book China Changes Everything. The discussion explored how China’s lead in renewable energy, reforestation, ecological agriculture and green technology is reshaping the global response to the climate crisis – and why defending that contribution against the new cold war matters for the whole of humanity.

The following review, by Lyn Neeley, summarises the speakers’ contributions, from record-efficiency coal plants and the race for lunar helium-3 to glow-in-the-dark street plants and saltwater rice. A recording of the event is available via the International Action Center.

Wang Yi sets out China’s global vision at UN

China held the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council in May, 2026. In that capacity, it called a high-level meeting on May 26. The theme of this meeting was ‘Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centred International System’. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, travelled to New York to chair the meeting. He also attended the meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance at the UN headquarters in New York on May 28 and held a considerable number of bilateral meetings, particularly with his counterparts who had also travelled to New York to attend the meetings. Prior to returning home, Wang also visited Canada, May 28-30.

In his remarks to the high-level meeting held on May 26, Wang Yi said that the international situation is undergoing the most complex and profound changes since the end of World War II. The giant ship of human civilisation is sailing into dangerous waters, and world peace and development are at a crossroads. The challenges confronting us are testing the international community’s commitment to safeguarding peace, its resolve to stand up for justice, and its courage to make bold reforms. Members must stand united and act together to defend, revitalise and strengthen the UN.

He advanced a number of proposals in this regard:

Reinvigorating the UN Charter for stronger leadership. The root cause of the chaos in today’s world is not that the Charter’s spirit is outdated, but that the international order and the basic norms governing international relations, both set out in the Charter, are not being effectively upheld and observed. Members must uphold sovereign equality, oppose interference in internal affairs; uphold the peaceful settlement of disputes, oppose the use of force; uphold the victorious outcomes of World War II, oppose glorifying the history of aggression. Major countries, in particular, have the responsibility to lead by example in following the rule of law and the right path, and should not practice double standards, exceptionalism or selective application.
Reinvigorating the authority of the Security Council for greater ability to act. What comes with Security Council membership is not privileges, but responsibilities. Members should rise above the narrow national interests and use international public goods responsibly. Any unilateral military action that circumvents the Council’s mandate is unacceptable, and any unilateral sanction that exceeds the Council’s resolutions lacks legitimacy.
Reinvigorating global development cooperation for stronger mobilisation. As the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is woefully behind schedule, the UN needs to vigorously coordinate global actions and fully mobilise global resources. It is important to solidify the pillar of development, strengthen the development system, provide countries of the Global South with more funding, technological and intellectual support in key areas such as poverty reduction, and urge developed countries to deliver on their development financing pledges. It is imperative to earnestly increase the representation and say of developing countries at the IMF and the World Bank. China supports the UN in strengthening dialogue with BRICS countries, the G20, the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, for a universally beneficial and balanced global economic and financial governance system.
Reinvigorating the global governance platform for stronger execution capacity. Faced with emerging threats and challenges, no country can stay unaffected. A united response is the only way forward. Members should strengthen the sense of a community with a shared future for humanity, replace coercion with consultation, zero-sum with win-win, and small circles with greater unity.
Reinvigorating the effectiveness of the UN system for stronger vitality. Member states should fulfill their financial obligations with real actions, support the UN in performing its mandate, and steadily contribute to the cause of the UN, rather than willfully withdraw from treaties and organisations, still less establish alternatives.

Wang Yi stressed that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the UN. For 55 years, as a permanent member of the Security Council, China has taken an active part in the UN cause. From this historic point onward, China will continue to uphold principles and follow the path of justice. Together with all countries, China will pursue greater unity under the banner of multilateralism, promote a more just and equitable global governance system, and move toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Following the meeting Wang Yi briefed the press.

He explained that the meeting was proposed by China in its capacity as the rotating President of the Security Council. He pointed out that in recent times, the purposes of the UN Charter have been disregarded, the basic norms governing international relations have been undermined, and world peace and security are in jeopardy. At this critical juncture, the Security Council must step forward and shoulder its responsibilities.

It was widely agreed that the UN Charter has not become outdated and remains the cornerstone of the international order. The centrality of the UN must be strengthened, not weakened. As none of us wants to see international relations slide back to the law of the jungle, we need to uphold the same system, the U.N.-centered international system, and observe the same set of rules – the basic norms governing international relations based on the Charter.

It was also widely agreed that the trend toward a multipolar world is unstoppable, and that the domination of international affairs by one or a few countries no longer corresponds to the trend of the times. We should firmly follow the path of multilateralism, do our utmost to safeguard unity, oppose division, seek cooperation, reject confrontation, and jointly inject much-needed stability and certainty into the world.

The view that current global governance has visibly fallen behind and needs to be reformed and improved in keeping with the times was also widely shared. Global governance should reflect the aspirations of all countries in a more balanced way and ensure equal participation and shared benefits for all. In particular, it is important to increase the representation and voice of the Global South and jointly build a more just and equitable global governance system.

Wang also pointed out that to reinvigorate the UN, the Security Council must first be reinvigorated. To achieve this goal, he stressed the following:

All Security Council members must regard the maintenance of peace as their shared responsibility, observe the Charter, uphold justice, refrain from pursuing narrow self-interest, and avoid bloc confrontation.
The representation and voice of developing countries and small and medium-sized states should be increased through reform, in particular by addressing the historical injustice faced by Africa.
The objectivity, fairness, and inclusiveness of Security Council proposals should be enhanced, and the five permanent members, in particular, should play an exemplary role in this regard.
The international community should jointly oppose all unilateral acts that bypass the Security Council, so that unilateral bullying finds no support and no legitimacy.

In his keynote speech to the May 28 meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance, Wang Yi said that the current international situation is marked by intertwined changes and turbulence. Countries are calling for fairness and justice, longing for solidarity and cooperation, and aspiring to peace and stability. Against this backdrop, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Governance Initiative last September, emphasising five core concepts: sovereign equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, people-centred approach, and real actions. In less than a year, the initiative has received support and response from nearly 160 countries and international organisations. The Group of Friends of Global Governance has been successively established in New York, Geneva and Vienna, with membership reaching over 60 countries. Guided by the spirit of equality and mutual respect, members have held extensive discussions and reached consensus on five key points including advancing greater democracy in international relations, upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguarding the central role of the United Nations, narrowing the North-South divide, and addressing the most pressing challenges.

He stressed that reforming and improving global governance is a historic mission for this generation and said that China proposes the following nine reform directions:

Promoting UN reform for greater efficiency. The purpose of reform is to enhance the United Nations, not weaken it. UN reform should be led by member states and carried out in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner. Member states should be urged to fulfill their financial obligations, and budget management and fiscal accountability should be strengthened.
Enhancing the authority and capacity of the Security Council. The voice of developing countries and the vast number of small and medium-sized countries should be strengthened, and the historical injustice faced by Africa should be addressed as a priority. Unilateral actions and sanctions that bypass the Security Council should be opposed.
Adapting peacekeeping operations to the demands of the times. The three principles of peacekeeping should be upheld and improved, and peacekeeping operations should be better mandated and empowered. The United Nations should be supported in strengthening coordination with regional organisations such as the African Union and the League of Arab States, so as to build a combined force for mediation on regional hotspot issues.
Building international consensus on accelerating development. Development should be pushed back to the centre of the UN agenda, and the post-2030 development agenda should be planned ahead. Developed countries should fulfill their commitments on development financing. The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities should be upheld, and a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system should be built.
Steering global human rights governance in the right direction. The one-sided approach of placing human rights above sovereignty should be abandoned, and it should be made clear that it is the people of each country who judge and improve their own human rights.
Deepening reform of the economic and financial system. The shareholding review of the World Bank should be accelerated, and a meaningful adjustment of IMF quota shares should be achieved as soon as possible. The dispute settlement mechanism should be restored to normal operation, and World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules should be updated to keep pace with the times.
Establishing rules for artificial intelligence (AI) governance. A people-centred and AI-for-good approach should be upheld, and the United Nations should be supported in playing its role as the main channel. The digital divide should be prevented from widening, and guardrails should be set for military applications and governance of AI.
Strengthening governance in emerging domains such as cyberspace and outer space. The four principles of respecting cyber sovereignty, maintaining peace and security, promoting open cooperation and building good order should be upheld, and the United Nations should be supported in advancing global cyberspace and digital governance. Outer space should be used for peaceful purposes.
Promoting exchanges among civilisations and achieving inclusive mutual learning.

The meeting reached consensus on five key points:

All members support the democratisation of international relations. All countries, regardless of size, strength or wealth, have the right to choose their own social systems and development paths, and to participate, decide and benefit equally in global governance.
All members call for upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, ensuring the equal application of international law and international rules, and opposing double standards and coercion.
All members support safeguarding the central role of the United Nations, practicing multilateralism, strengthening multilateral mechanisms, and opposing unilateralism and power politics.
All members support reforming and improving global governance and narrowing the North-South divide to ensure that all countries share the benefits of development and that no country is left behind.
All members call for addressing the most pressing challenges facing the international community through concrete actions and practical results to ensure global governance meets the needs of the times and the people.

Jostein Hauge: This is why I’m Chinamaxxing

The following article by Jostein Hauge, political economist and an Associate Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, makes a clear and refreshing case for taking China’s achievements seriously. Hauge sets out the facts plainly – China’s unprecedented reduction of poverty, its leadership in clean energy, the scale and quality of its infrastructure, and its emergence as a counterweight to US hegemony – and insists that these gains are worth celebrating rather than treating, as so much Western commentary does, as a threat to be managed.

These are precisely the themes we explored in our recent webinar, Socialist Chinamaxxing: How China’s achievements are a product of its socialist system, which brought together speakers including George Galloway, Li Jingjing, Ben Norton, Danny Haiphong, Tings Chak, Chen Weihua, Ileana Chan, Keith Bennett and Qiao Collective to argue that China’s progress flows directly from its socialist system, and would not have been possible within a framework of capitalist rule.

We would, however, raise one friendly disagreement. Hauge writes that “China does not hold competitive national elections and practises considerable censorship”, and concludes that “China’s authoritarianism deserves real scrutiny”. In our view this concedes too much to the very liberal framework that the rest of his article so effectively challenges: the assumption that genuine democracy is defined by the Westminster parliamentary system, and that its absence amounts to “authoritarianism”.

This framing does not engage seriously with China’s socialist democracy. As we have argued, liberal democracy presents democracy as a purely procedural matter – periodic elections between rival capitalist parties – while obscuring the more fundamental question of which social class actually holds power. Meaningful democracy is not defined by what happens at the ballot box once every few years; it is about the ongoing participation of ordinary people in the running of society, and the degree to which the state is genuinely responsive to the needs of the majority. Measured this way – through its system of People’s Congresses combined with extensive structures of consultative democracy, and its consistent record of delivering for ordinary people – China’s socialist democracy can be considered to be more substantive than its Western counterparts, not less.

Xi Jinping has put the point sharply: a system in which “the people are awakened only at voting time and dormant afterward” is not true democracy.

Socialist and anti-colonial movements laid groundwork for multipolarity

The following article, by Gregory E. Williams, argues that we can’t understand multipolarity through an international relations or geopolitics lens alone; it is primarily a class question.

The post-1991 “unipolar moment” wasn’t simply the absence of a rival superpower. It was a counter-revolutionary opening for the global capitalist class – Wall Street ascendant, the IMF and World Bank disciplining the Global South, Reagan and Thatcher austerity at home, an unbroken line of attack on the working class running from there down to Musk’s DOGE cuts.

And the multipolar trajectory we witness today has its origins in the revolutions of the twentieth century: the Bolshevik Revolution, the Chinese Revolution, the wave of national liberation movements from Algeria to Vietnam, Bandung 1955, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the long resistance in Palestine, Lebanon and Yemen. China’s industrial power today is the inheritance of 1949. Iran’s defiance is the inheritance of 1979.

The class character of the two camps isn’t symmetrical. The forces driving towards the defeat of US-led imperialism represent the working class and the oppressed peoples of the Global South.

Brazil’s Lula hails China-developed surgical robot as ‘incredible’

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently performed a simulated surgery from 1,400 kilometres away, using a Chinese-built Toumai MT-1000 surgical robot – the world’s only commercial remote surgery system supporting all major specialties. He remarked: “It is incredible to see up close how innovation can expand access, save lives, and further strengthen Brazil’s Unified Health System.”

Brazil’s Unified Health System is one of the largest free, universal public health systems on the planet. Chinese surgical-robotics technology, developed by Shanghai MicroPort MedBot, is being integrated in the service of a public, free-at-the-point-of-use system. At the cancer hospital Lula visited, annual patient throughput has already risen from around 400 to 680 since the Toumai was installed.

China is now Brazil’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade of around $188 billion in 2024. As Lula has put it, China is Brazil’s “best partner.” This cooperation goes well beyond soybeans and other primary commodities; it includes assisting Brazil’s industrial strategy and working closely on cutting-edge medical technology.

China and DPRK reject Quad moves to stoke tension in the Asia-Pacific

The foreign ministers of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) met in the Indian capital New Delhi on May 26. This US-led body which also comprises Japan, Australia and India plays a provocative role in US imperialism’s attempts to encircle and contain China as well as other socialist countries and anti-imperialist forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

On May 27, the Xinhua News Agency released a commentary stressing the need to guard against what it called the Quad’s “bloc politics”, noting that its members had “again hyped maritime issues related to the East and South China Seas.”

It added: “In recent years, nearly every joint statement issued after Quad foreign ministers’ meetings has reiterated these themes. Yet such patronising rhetoric about safeguarding so-called ‘freedom of navigation’ cannot obscure the reality that the bloc itself has become a source of turbulence, fueling tensions and deepening confrontation in the region.

“At a time when most Asia-Pacific countries are focused on economic recovery and regional integration, the Quad appears to be moving in the opposite direction by unveiling a raft of new measures — a move widely seen as driven by a Cold War mentality aimed at containing China’s development.”

According to Xinhua: “While the Quad foreign ministers voiced concern over regional peace and stability, few will overlook the irony that the war against Iran launched by Washington is itself undermining supply-chain resilience across the Asia-Pacific.

“Regional economies such as India — also a Quad member — are already bearing the brunt of the resulting turmoil in global energy markets. In the meantime, the still-undecided date for the Quad leaders’ summit offers a glimpse into the grouping’s growing disarray.”

However, it warned that “the world should still stay vigilant against countries like Japan [attempting] to use this bloc as a cover to hype up groundless security concerns in the region for its own militarist agenda… What the region needs is cooperative frameworks that prioritise development, mutual trust and shared prosperity over ideological alignment and geopolitical calculation. The Quad should recognise that Asia’s future lies in cooperation, not confrontation.”

The following day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the answers given by a spokesperson for the foreign ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) regarding the meeting.

The spokesperson noted that the joint statement issued by the meeting “not only seriously distorted the immediate and urgent challenges and threats faced by the countries in the Asia-Pacific region but also clearly exposed the hostile intention against specific countries.

“Quad talked about the strengthening of cooperation while expressing ‘concern’ over the situation in the South Sea and East Sea of China. It is aimed at justifying Japan’s moves for rearmament and Australia’s possession of a nuclear submarine, which are arousing concern of the international community.”

They continued: “In particular, the US-led Quad members took issue with the DPRK’s legitimate exercise of sovereign rights, calling for ‘denuclearisation’. This goes to prove that Quad is nothing but a political and diplomatic tool serving the US strategy for unipolar domination… The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK resolutely denounces and rejects the US-led Quad’s hostile stand against the DPRK and other regional countries and strongly demands that it drop its attempt to escalate inter-camp confrontation destroying regional peace and stability.”

New phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor aims to bring new opportunities to local communities and every family

As part of the Beijing activities marking the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, the China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum and the Meeting of the CPEC [China Pakistan Economic Corridor] Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), was held on May 24 under the theme “Jointly Building a China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era: Political Parties in Action”.

IDCPC Minister Liu Haixing and Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, delivered keynote speeches. The event was attended by about 140 participants, including leaders of 12 major Pakistani political parties, along with representatives from Pakistani think tanks, media and social organisations, and representatives from Chinese ministries, commissions, enterprises, media and academic circles.

The CPC stands ready to work with all major Pakistani political parties to build political consensus, make full use of platforms such as the China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum, and conduct regular consultations on major issues in bilateral relations to continuously consolidate the political foundation for bilateral strategic cooperation. It is necessary to build development consensus, leverage the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism to advance high-quality practical cooperation and ensure cooperation outcomes benefit all Pakistani people.

Pakistan Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, who is also secretary-general of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) said that CPEC, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has helped reshape Pakistan’s economic landscape over the past decade and is now moving into a more demanding phase. Its focus is shifting beyond infrastructure-led growth and toward industrialisation, innovation, sustainability, agricultural modernisation, and people-centred development — areas that require stronger planning, policy continuity, and institutional coordination. China’s development offers useful references for that transition.

Syed Hussain Tariq, a senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said CPEC 2.0 will require more than project-level cooperation, calling on Pakistani political parties to help build the policy understanding, social support, and political momentum needed for the corridor’s future development. He said that the delegation’s visit to Beijing has offered a closer look at China’s push to develop new quality productive forces and its emphasis on making artificial intelligence serve ordinary people, including farmers. Such exchanges, he said, have offered inspiration for Pakistan as it seeks to turn CPEC into broader gains for society.

Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail said Pakistan-China cooperation should be measured not only by the projects completed, but also by whether ordinary people can see real changes in their daily lives. Stronger public trust depends on tangible benefits, especially for young people, he said, citing scholarships, support for public universities, and cooperation in digital connectivity, artificial intelligence, and green technology as ways to bring new opportunities to local communities.

Amir Chishti, a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) (MQM-P), said CPEC’s future development should place greater emphasis on local empowerment and youth employment. Industrial projects and job creation, he said, can improve living standards, strengthen people’s sense of ownership, and make the corridor more socially sustainable. The second phase of CPEC is therefore not only an economic necessity, but also a social and strategic one, as its success will depend on whether local communities can share in the prosperity it brings.

The question of whether development can reach ordinary families also shaped Malik Ahmad Khan’s view of China’s poverty reduction record. The speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab said China’s success in lifting nearly 800 million people out of poverty is one of the greatest achievements in human history. For Pakistan, cooperation with China should not only be about learning how to build, but also about ensuring that every family truly benefits from development.

On the same day, the Pakistan delegation also met with IDCPC vice-minister Sun Haiyan.

The Pakistan side spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes achieved over the 75 years since the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations, noting that developing friendly relations with China has long been the cross-party consensus in Pakistan. In recent years, the development of CPEC has given a strong boost to Pakistan’s economic and social development, including the development of Balochistan Province. All political parties in Pakistan hope to continue strengthening inter-party exchanges with the CPC and contribute the strength of political parties to the development of bilateral relations.

Sun also met with the delegation of the Punjab Provincial Assembly of Pakistan led by its speaker Malik Ahmad Khan.

Malik said, China is Pakistan’s most reliable all-weather strategic partner, and friendship with China is a cross-party consensus in Pakistan. CPEC has transformed the lives of the Pakistani people. Punjab hopes to take the opportunity of the Upgraded Version 2.0 of CPEC to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in agriculture, artificial intelligence, youth and other fields, and ensure the enduring friendship between the two countries from generation to generation.

The following articles were originally published on the website of the IDCPC and by China Daily.

China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum and Meeting of CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism Held

Beijing, May 24th (IDCPC) — China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum and Meeting of CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, hosted by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), was held here today under the theme “Jointly Building a China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era: Political Parties in Action”. Liu Haixing, Minister of the IDCPC, and Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, attended and delivered keynote speeches. The event was attended by about 140 participants, including Ahsan Iqbal, Secretary-General of the PML-N and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, leaders of 12 major Pakistani political parties, as well as representatives from Pakistani think tanks, media and social organizations, and representatives from Chinese ministries, commissions, enterprises, media and academic circles.

Liu noted, over the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Pakistan have always stood side by side through thick and thin, setting an example of political mutual trust, mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, friendship between the two peoples and multilateral coordination between countries with different ideologies and systems. Since the beginning of the new era, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and Pakistani leaders, the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has been continuously deepened, advancing steadily toward the goal of building a China-Pakistan community with a shared future. Both countries are currently at a crucial stage of development and rejuvenation. The two sides should implement the latest important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, seize the opportunities of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, promote the upgrading of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), maintain close communication and coordination on major international and regional hotspot issues, and jointly build a China-Pakistan community with a shared future featuring stronger political mutual trust, closer economic ties, deeper security cooperation and a firmer public opinion foundation, contributing more to safeguarding world peace and stability.

Liu said, political parties should play an active role in providing ideological guidance and building consensus for the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future. The CPC stands ready to work with all major Pakistani political parties to build political consensus, make full use of platforms such as the China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum, and conduct regular consultations on major issues in bilateral relations to continuously consolidate the political foundation for bilateral strategic cooperation. We need to build development consensus, leverage the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism to advance high-quality practical cooperation and ensure cooperation outcomes benefit all Pakistani people. We need to foster security consensus to support deeper cooperation in counter-terrorism, security and defense, and build social consensus to tell stories of China-Pakistan friendship well, expand exchanges on areas such as think tanks, youth, women, and culture, and launch “small and beautiful” livelihood projects to consolidate public support for China-Pakistan friendship.

Dar noted, Pakistan and China share a close, brotherly relationship. Inter-party exchanges are an important part of bilateral relations. Over the past 75 years since diplomatic ties were established, exchanges and cooperation between political parties of both countries have never been interrupted despite changes in the international landscape. Maintaining and developing the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership is a cross-party consensus in Pakistan. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and China-Pakistan solidarity and cooperation serve as an important stabilizing force in the region. The two countries maintain high-level communication and coordination on international and regional issues. Pakistan highly appreciates the major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, which reflect his far-sighted vision. Pakistan will firmly support and actively participate in these initiatives. Pakistan stands ready to further consolidate strategic and political mutual trust with China, deepen practical cooperation across all fields, jointly build an upgraded version of the CPEC, promote exchanges at all levels including political parties, legislatures, media and youth, implement the action plan for building a China-Pakistan community with a shared future, and inject more stability and positive energy into the region and the world.

Foreign guests attending the meeting noted, the Pakistan-China friendship has stood the test of international changes and remains unbreakable. A firm policy of developing friendly relationship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign and development strategies. The China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum provides an important platform for both countries to implement the important consensus of the two countries’ leaders, enhance mutual trust and build consensus. The CPEC has provided significant support for improving Pakistan’s economic and social landscape and is a jewel in the Belt and Road Initiative. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan is highly aligned with URAAN Pakistan Program. Pakistan stands ready to strengthen inter-party exchanges and cooperation, promote the alignment of national development strategies through the political party channel, provide political support for the upgraded version of the CPEC, and strive for more outcomes in the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to better benefit the two peoples.

Participants also exchanged views on topics including consolidating high-level political mutual trust, deepening high-level cooperation, and promoting high-level people-to-people exchanges.

Sun Haiyan, Vice Minister of the IDCPC, chaired the meeting.

The meeting adopted the Joint Initiative of Chinese and Pakistani Political Parties to Join Hands to Build a China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era.

Party exchanges spur evolution of China-Pakistan cooperation

May 25 (China Daily) – Pakistani political leaders said party-to-party exchanges with China are gaining greater significance as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties and seek to advance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into a new phase focused on industry, technology, agriculture, and people’s livelihoods.

Speaking at the China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum and Meeting of CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, they said cooperation with China now goes beyond infrastructure and trade to include lessons from China’s long-term planning, policy continuity, poverty reduction, and people-centered development.

The event, hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, was attended by about 140 people from China and Pakistan. Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said the two countries’ political parties should deepen exchanges, strengthen strategic coordination, and build a consensus on development.

China would work with Pakistan to upgrade CPEC with high standards and bring more tangible benefits to the Pakistani people through practical cooperation, he said.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said party-to-party exchanges have been a key pillar of bilateral cooperation over the past 75 years, helping the relationship withstand changes in the international environment and domestic political cycles.

The all-weather strategic cooperative partnership enjoys cross-party support in Pakistan, he said, adding that both countries attach importance to the people, social development, and economic growth. China’s achievements, Dar said, have been underpinned by policy consistency, the hard work of its people, and zero tolerance for corruption.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said CPEC, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has helped reshape Pakistan’s economic landscape over the past decade and is now moving into a more demanding phase.

Its focus, he said, is shifting beyond infrastructure-led growth and toward industrialization, innovation, sustainability, agricultural modernization, and people-centered development — areas that require stronger planning, policy continuity, and institutional coordination.

China’s development offers useful references for that transition, Iqbal said, adding that Pakistani political parties, provincial governments, and public institutions can deepen exchanges with their Chinese counterparts under the CPEC framework on poverty alleviation, digital governance, urban planning, public services, and local development.

Syed Hussain Tariq, a senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, said CPEC 2.0 will require more than project-level cooperation, calling on Pakistani political parties to help build the policy understanding, social support, and political momentum needed for the corridor’s future development.

Tariq said that the delegation’s visits to Beijing have offered a closer look at China’s push to develop new quality productive forces and its emphasis on making artificial intelligence serve ordinary people, including farmers. Such exchanges, he said, have offered inspiration for Pakistan as it seeks to turn CPEC into broader gains for society.

Stronger public trust depends on tangible benefits, especially for young people, he said, citing scholarships, support for public universities, and cooperation in digital connectivity, artificial intelligence, and green technology as ways to bring new opportunities to local communities.

Amir Chishti, a senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, said CPEC’s future development should place greater emphasis on local empowerment and youth employment. Industrial projects and job creation, he said, can improve living standards, strengthen people’s sense of ownership, and make the corridor more socially sustainable.

The second phase of CPEC is therefore not only an economic necessity, but also a social and strategic one, he said, as its success will depend on whether local communities can share in the prosperity it brings.

The question of whether development can reach ordinary families also shaped Malik Ahmad Khan’s view of China’s poverty reduction record. The speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab said China’s success in lifting nearly 800 million people out of poverty is one of the greatest achievements in human history, achieved not through slogans, but through generations of persistent and practical effort.

Malik said his visit to Beigou village showed how a once underdeveloped community had achieved prosperity within a single generation. For Pakistan, cooperation with China should not only be about learning how to build, but also about ensuring that every family truly benefits from development, he said.

Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary, a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said his first visit to China replaced a childhood image shaped by films with the reality of a country that had eliminated extreme poverty.

That achievement was not a cold statistic, but “a living testimony of a civilization”, he said, adding that China’s development showed what people can achieve when they work together toward a shared goal.

Sun Haiyan Meets with a Delegation of Political Parties of Pakistan

Beijing, May 24th (IDCPC) — Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today on the morning with a delegation of political parties of Pakistan.

Sun said, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan 75 years ago, the two countries have withstood numerous trials in history and forged an ironclad friendship. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and Pakistani leaders, the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has advanced steadily. China stands ready to take the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to work with all political parties in Pakistan to deliver on the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, enhance exchanges and interactions, enable China-Pakistan cooperation to benefit more people, and promote the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

The Pakistani side spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes achieved over the 75 years since the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations, noting that developing friendly relations with China has long been the cross-party consensus in Pakistan. In recent years, the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has given a strong boost to Pakistan’s economic and social development, including the development of Balochistan Province. It is expected that the two countries will seize the opportunity of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations to further deepen exchanges and cooperation in infrastructure, new energy, digital economy, agriculture and fisheries, as well as education and youth affairs. All political parties in Pakistan hope to continue strengthening inter-party exchanges with the CPC and contribute the strength of political parties to the development of bilateral relations.

Sun Haiyan Meets with a Delegation of the Punjab Provincial Assembly of Pakistan

Beijing, May 24th (IDCPC) — Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with a delegation of the Punjab Provincial Assembly of Pakistan led by Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Speaker of the Punjab Provincial Assembly.

Sun noted, over the 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, bilateral relations have maintained high-level development under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ leaders. The CPC stands ready to take the 75th anniversary of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations as an opportunity to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and promote exchanges and cooperation between relevant Chinese provinces and Punjab in agriculture, artificial intelligence, youth and other fields. She also emphasized the CPC’s readiness to maintain close contacts with political parties in Pakistan including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, deepen mutual learning, and contribute to building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Malik said, China is Pakistan’s most reliable all-weather strategic partner, and friendship with China is a cross-party consensus in Pakistan. Under the wise leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has maintained long-term political stability and lifted nearly 100 million rural people out of absolute poverty, creating a remarkable “China model”. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has transformed the lives of the Pakistani people. Punjab hopes to take the opportunity of the Upgraded Version 2.0 of the CPEC to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in agriculture, artificial intelligence, youth and other fields, and ensure the enduring friendship between the two countries from generation to generation.

China and Serbia to jointly promote the four global initiatives

China and Serbia agreed two important joint statements and concluded a raft of cooperation agreements during President Aleksandar Vučić’s May 24-28 state visit.

The Joint Statement by the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia on Continuing to Advance the Building of a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era said that the two heads of state had agreed that building a community with a shared future for the new era is a strategic choice made by both sides based on each other’s development paths and the will of the people. Although China and Serbia differ in history, culture, and national conditions, they have always firmly defended national sovereignty and territorial integrity, always upheld fairness and justice, always stood on the right side of history, always upheld the spirit of openness and cooperation, are committed to people’s happiness and national prosperity, are committed to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and to achieving the noble cause of peace and development for humanity and building a community with a shared future for humankind.

China highly appreciates Serbia’s achievements in economic and social development and improving people’s livelihoods, supports Serbia’s efforts to maintain national stability and social harmony, and is pleased to see Serbia smoothly advance the “Serbia 2030” development strategy, achieve its established goals on schedule, and promote Serbia’s development and people’s well-being.

China also welcomes Belgrade’s hosting of the 2027 World Expo and is willing to actively participate, contributing to the successful hosting of this important event and strengthening cooperation with Serbia in areas of mutual concern such as culture and economy.

Serbia, for its part, wishes the Chinese people the full success of building a modern socialist country under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the smooth achievement of the second centenary goal. It supports China in comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong nation and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernisation.

Among the other key points agreed are:

Both sides reaffirm their firm support for each other’s safeguarding of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity, emphasise respect for the rights of their peoples to independently choose their own development paths and social systems, support each other on issues involving each other’s core interests and major concerns, and oppose external forces interfering in other countries’ internal affairs under any pretext.

Serbia reiterated that developing friendly relations with the People’s Republic of China is one of the main pillars of the country’s foreign policy and underlined its firm support for China on all its core issues of major concern.

China reiterated its opposition to imposing any proposals on the status of Kosovo and Metohija. Relevant parties should, within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, reach mutually acceptable solutions through dialogue and consultation. In this process, Serbia’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity must be fully respected. China supports the Republic of Serbia’s efforts to seek a peaceful compromise through dialogue with representatives of the Pristina Temporary Institution, calling for the implementation of the agreements reached in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to effectively safeguard the religious and cultural heritage security of Serbia’s southern provinces of Kosovo and Metohija.

China understands Serbia’s efforts to become a member of the European Union and welcomes Serbia’s policy of developing friendly relations with regional countries and promoting regional peace and cooperation.

Serbia supports China’s efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and agrees that, in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, the direct parties should peacefully resolve territorial disputes and maritime rights disputes through friendly consultation and negotiation.

Both sides agreed to deepen exchanges and cooperation in counterterrorism, prevention of “colour revolutions,” security for Belt and Road projects, and security for large-scale events, jointly combat various transnational crimes, continue joint police patrols and SWAT (tactical strength and endurance) joint exercises and training, and jointly improve law enforcement and security operation capabilities

They both highly appreciate the positive role of the Belt and Road Initiative in promoting the economic and social development of Serbia and China and are willing to continue deepening and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, transportation, energy, information, technology, and humanities within the framework of the initiative.

They also fully affirmed the importance of the China-Europe Railway Express between China and Serbia in promoting economic and trade cooperation between them and are willing to jointly take pragmatic measures to promote infrastructure connectivity, ensure the safety of China-Europe Railway Express transport corridors, and improve transportation quality and efficiency.

Both sides highly praised the achievements of their cooperation in technological innovation and will further strengthen pragmatic cooperation in space technology, artificial intelligence, embodied intelligence, digital economy, and new energy, jointly cultivating new quality productive forces.

Serbia places great importance on its membership in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a bank initiated by China that enables access to concessional loans and the implementation of priority projects.

Both sides are willing to continue deepening cooperation in exchanges among young scientists, joint research, and technology transfer, support research institutions and enterprises in jointly building joint laboratories, science parks, and incubators, promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and strengthen the integration of innovation ecosystems.

Both sides are willing to strengthen technological exchanges in the aerospace field, explore cooperation projects, promote practical cooperation, encourage close exchanges between enterprises and research institutions from both sides, achieve complementary advantages and mutual benefit, and advance space technology to serve economic and social development.

Both sides are willing to strengthen financial cooperation, re-sign bilateral local currency swap agreements, encourage financial institutions of both countries to use RMB swap funds to support trade and investment activities between enterprises from both countries, promote the further expansion of bilateral local currency settlement by Serbia’s RMB clearing bank, and facilitate trade and investment between the two countries.

Both sides attach great importance to cooperation in the field of e-commerce, continuously advancing the implementation of the “China-Serbia E-commerce Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding” signed in 2024, and are willing to study and promote compatibility of e-commerce rules and standards, expanding cooperation in online and offline national pavilions. China welcomes Serbia to participate in the “Silk Road E-commerce Benefits the World” series of events.

Both sides highly praised China-Serbia achievements in education, sports, healthcare, tourism, and local exchanges, and expressed willingness to further deepen vocational education cooperation and strengthen digital education and AI-empowered educational cooperation; Strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the health sector on bilateral and multilateral platforms, and promote the building of a community of human health and wellness; Deepen tourism cooperation and continuously improve the convenience of personnel exchanges; Encourage more provinces and cities of both countries to engage in friendly exchanges and promote positive results in sister city relations between China and Serbia.

A separate Joint Statement by the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia on Jointly Promoting the Implementation of Four Major Global Initiatives emphasises the contemporary value and global significance of promoting the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilisation Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative.

Serbian President warmly received on first state visit to China

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić paid a state visit to China from May 24-28.

On the afternoon of May 25, President Xi Jinping held talks with his Serbian counterpart at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

President Xi noted that during his state visit to Serbia in 2024, the two sides jointly opened a new chapter of building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. Over the past two years, efforts to build this community have produced positive outcomes, which have not only brought benefits to the two peoples, but also set a fine example for state-to-state relations. The Chinese and Serbian nations have both experienced sufferings and glories and forged a persevering and tenacious character. Both nations are dedicated to pursuing independence and defending national dignity and understand the importance of promoting peaceful development and upholding fairness and justice. The two sides need to strengthen exchanges, consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation and extend mutual support, and work together to embark on a bright path toward a shared prosperous future, and bring China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.

President Xi emphasised that the China-Serbia ironclad friendship is unique and underpinned by deep historical logic and a strong practical foundation. The two sides should continue giving each other firm support. China supports Serbia in following a development path that fits its national conditions and stands ready to strengthen experience sharing on governance with Serbia. The two sides need to strengthen the connection between their development strategies, work for the sound implementation of the mid-term action plan for Belt and Road cooperation, and further advance cooperation in areas such as transport and energy infrastructure. Facing a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, the two sides need to expand cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, green energy and advanced manufacturing, and identify new areas of growth.

In a changing and turbulent world, China and Serbia need to continue stepping up coordination and collaboration in international affairs, practice true multilateralism, and make unremitting efforts to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

President Vučić extended congratulations on China’s success in formulating and launching its 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development and expressed his confidence that under the leadership of President Xi, China will make greater achievements in its development. Since Serbia and China established a comprehensive strategic partnership, relations between the two countries have made remarkable progress, and cooperation has deepened across the board. The Serbian and Chinese peoples enjoy an ironclad friendship. The Serbian people will never forget China’s support for Serbia in safeguarding its independence and sovereignty and in pursuing its own path of development.

Serbia looks forward to working with China to deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance major projects, intensify people-to-people exchanges, and achieve more tangible results in Serbia-China relations. China, as a major country, has always treated smaller countries with equality and respect, and abided by international law, setting a good example for the world. Serbia supports the major global initiatives put forward by President Xi and stands ready to continue strengthening multilateral coordination with China to safeguard international peace, fairness and justice.

After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of more than 20 cooperation documents in the areas of political relations, economy and trade, science and technology, education, legal affairs and culture.

The two sides issued a joint statement on continuously building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era and a joint statement on advancing the implementation of the four global initiatives. We will report on these in a subsequent post.

In the evening of May 25, President Xi held a presentation ceremony to award the Friendship Medal to President Vučić at the Great Hall of the People.

Two railways, two systems: HS2 and the case for socialism

In the following article, originally published in the Morning Star, our co-editor Carlos Martinez uses the unfolding HS2 fiasco to illustrate the stark difference between the British and Chinese political economies, and to make the case for socialism.

On May 19, it was announced that Britain’s high-speed rail project will cost some £103 billion and will not carry passengers for at least another decade. Carlos sets these figures against China’s record: at roughly £736 million per mile, HS2 track is around 25 times more expensive than Chinese high-speed rail, and is being built at a fraction of the pace. China laid 31,000 miles of high-speed rail in 22 years; Britain may manage 140 miles in 19.

The explanation, Carlos argues, is not technical but political. Where China builds through vertically integrated state-owned enterprises under coordinated national planning, Britain’s project has been handed to a fragmented patchwork of private contractors, each adding its margin – the predictable result of four decades of privatisation and deindustrialisation.

The HS2 fiasco is not just a story about one botched railway project. It is a story, ultimately, about the fallacy of neoliberalism, about the consequences of four decades of deindustrialisation and privatisation, about the consequences of treating public infrastructure as an opportunity for private extraction rather than as a public good.

And it is a story about how, as Deng Xiaoping put it in 1984 (at the start of capitalism’s neoliberal era), “the superiority of the socialist system is demonstrated, in the final analysis, by faster and greater development of the productive forces than under the capitalist system.”

It was announced on May 19 that Britain’s ill-fated HS2 high-speed rail project is set to cost three times more than originally budgeted, and will not start running for at least another decade.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that, following a review of the project, the estimated final cost will be £103 billion. What’s more, this only covers the first phase, between Old Oak Common (in west London) and Birmingham Curzon Street — a distance of 140 miles.

To put the figures in perspective: £103bn divided by 140 miles works out at around £736 million per mile. By comparison, the average cost of a mile of high-speed rail in China is in the region of £30m. HS2 track is therefore around 25 times more expensive than Chinese HSR.

The contrast in pace is if anything even more striking. Construction on HS2 began in 2017. If we see a train running in 2036, the pace of construction will have been a smidgen north of seven miles per year.

The rise of China and the imminent US exit: What must the Arabs do?

In the following article for the Palestine Chronicle, veteran Palestinian-American journalist Ramzy Baroud reflects on the deeper significance of Donald Trump’s recent state visit to China, and on what the accelerating decline of US hegemony means for the Arab world.

Baroud argues that Trump’s visit will be remembered as the moment Washington tacitly acknowledged Beijing’s ascendancy as a global superpower. Approaching Xi Jinping “not from a position of absolute global dictation, but through a lens of defensive pragmatism”, the US appeared less as an undisputed hegemon than as “a major power among equals”. He draws an instructive contrast with Nixon’s 1972 visit: where China was then a relatively isolated, largely agrarian society, today it is the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity, a hub of global supply chains, and a leader in artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies.

Nowhere, Baroud writes, is American decline more visible than in the Middle East, where decades of disastrous military campaigns have eroded Washington’s credibility. He situates the US-Israeli war on Iran not as a return to regional dominance but as the “volatile spasms of a fading hegemony”, comparing it to the failed 1956 tripartite aggression against Egypt.

Meanwhile China, free of a colonial legacy and itself a survivor of Western imperialism, advances through economic integration and development
rather than military domination, and is fully committed to the principle of sovereign equality.

The challenge Baroud poses to the Arab world is one of political clarity, sovereignty and unity – and of action, above all, towards the freedom of Palestine.

US President Donald Trump’s state visit to China will go down in history as the day the United States finally acknowledged Beijing’s ascendancy as a global superpower. That acknowledgment does not need to be articulated in a formal statement; it can be clearly read in the subtext of diplomatic behavior, global perception, and shifting media coverage.

During the summit, Trump’s delegation—accompanied by prominent American corporate leaders—engaged with President Xi Jinping not from a position of absolute global dictation, but through a lens of defensive pragmatism. This transactional approach focused on securing bilateral trade commitments and preventing catastrophic economic friction.

The spectacle of the leader of the Western world navigating Beijing’s terms, while actively managing domestic economic anxieties, signals a profound shift. The traditional American posture of undisputed global hegemon has transformed into that of a major power among equals, seeking stable terms of co-existence with an unignorable rival.

The moment is comparable only to Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to Beijing, though the circumstances are entirely different. Back then, the US’s aim was to exploit the Sino-Soviet split and gain leverage over the Soviet Union in exchange for the normalization of diplomatic ties.

China and Pakistan reaffirm rock solid friendship and common striving for peace

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif paid an official visit to China, May 23-26, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang. The visit marked the 75^th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations. Pakistan was one of the first non-socialist countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China.

On the afternoon of May 25, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Sharif at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

President Xi noted that over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Pakistan have enjoyed mutual understanding, trust and support, and forged an unbreakable traditional friendship. Their strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation have strongly promoted the development of both nations. No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always place priority on the development of China-Pakistan relations in its diplomacy with neighbouring countries.

President Xi shared his pleasure in receiving a letter from Pakistani students studying at Tianjin University, in which they expressed their aspiration to become builders of cooperation, promoters of exchanges, and guardians of friendship between China and Pakistan. He said he was truly heartened to see that the cause of China-Pakistan friendship has dedicated young successors. The two sides should accelerate the development of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and deliver more outcomes from their all-weather cooperation to better benefit the two peoples, contribute to regional peace and stability, and set a fine example for building a community with a shared future with neighbouring countries.

The Chinese leader further stressed that China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The two sides should make solid progress in implementing the Action Plan to Foster an Even Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era, advance both major signature projects and “small and beautiful” livelihood programs, and deepen all-round cooperation in areas such as agriculture, industry, artificial intelligence, and talent cultivation. China appreciates Pakistan for demonstrating a proactive spirit and mediating for peace to return to the Middle East. The two sides should maintain close communication and coordination, jointly oppose unilateralism and the Cold War mentality, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and an economic globalisation that is universally beneficial and inclusive.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that President Xi is a great friend of the Pakistani people and also a great friend of all peace-loving humanity. Under President Xi’s strong leadership, China has achieved remarkable economic progress and provided strength for maintaining world peace and building a multipolar world. The ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China was forged personally by the elder generation of leaders. It is growing ever stronger and is next to none. Pakistan firmly upholds the one-China principle and stands resolutely with China on all issues concerning China’s core interests. Pakistan will always be China’s good friend and good partner.

He added that Pakistan appreciates China for supporting its mediation of the negotiations between the United States and Iran. The four propositions put forward by President Xi on the Middle East situation provide a guiding framework for peace in the region. Pakistan stands ready to coordinate closely with China to jointly contribute to world peace and stability.

Prime Minister Sharif also met with Premier Li Qiang on the same day.

Li said that China stands ready to further advance the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and push forward major connectivity projects between the two countries. China, he added, always prioritises relations and cooperation with Pakistan in its neighbourhood diplomacy, and is willing to stand in even closer solidarity with Pakistan to carry forward traditional friendship, strengthen mutual support, continuously expand practical cooperation, and see the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future yield more fruitful outcomes.

Senior Chinese leader visits Slovakia and Albania

Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, paid a visit to Slovakia from May 18-20.

During his visit, Li respectively met with President Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Robert Fico and National Council Speaker Richard Rasi. He also held talks with Deputy Speaker of the National Council Tibor Gaspar.

Li said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Slovak leaders, the development of the China-Slovakia strategic partnership has entered a new stage. Both sides should continue to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen traditional friendship, and firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns, building up the foundation of bilateral relations.

China is willing to strengthen strategic alignment with Slovakia, deepen and expand practical cooperation in trade and investment, new energy, digital economy and other fields, promote high-quality joint construction of Belt and Road projects and China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, bringing more benefits to both peoples.

The Slovak side welcomed more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Slovakia and said the government will strengthen exchanges between both legislative bodies and promote the Slovakia-China strategic partnership to be more dynamic.

Li’s delegation then visited Albania from May 20-22 and met with Parliament Speaker Niko Peleshi and Deputy Prime Minister Albana Kociu, held talks with Deputy Parliament Speaker Klodiana Spahiu, and exchanged views with the Albanian-China Friendship Association.

Li said that China appreciates Albania’s important support for the restoration of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations and is willing to work with Albania to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, consolidate the foundation of political mutual trust, explore potential for practical cooperation, enhance the friendship between the two peoples, strengthen exchanges between the legislative bodies of both countries, and continuously inject new vitality into China-Albania relations. (On October 25, 1971, the then Socialist Albania led 17 UN members in proposing General Assembly Resolution 2758 which expelled the representatives of the authorities on Taiwan and restored China’s rightful place in the world body.)

The Albanian side said that it values the traditional good relations between the two countries, firmly supports the one-China principle, and is willing to share the opportunities of China’s development.

In the 1960s and 1970s, China sent more than 6,000 experts and assisted in more than 140 projects in Albania, providing outstanding support for the country’s economic and social development. Some of the projects are still in operation today.

China takes important step towards hukou reform

On Friday 22 May, China’s State Council announced a significant reform to the country’s social insurance system: migrant workers will now be able to enrol in social insurance in the cities where they work, regardless of where their household is officially registered. It is the latest step in the gradual reform of the hukou household registration system – and it extends coverage to hundreds of millions of internal migrants, including the growing ranks of gig-economy workers.

The hukou system is widely misunderstood in the West, where it is typically presented as a simple instrument of repression. In the following article, our co-editor Carlos Martinez explains what the hukou system is, traces the decade-long process of reform of which the latest announcement is part, and explains the system’s historical function: combined with collective land ownership, it allowed China to urbanise on a staggering scale, moving over 600 million people from countryside to city, without producing the vast slums that have ringed the hypercities of the capitalist Global South.

Carlos then sets out why reform has now become both possible and necessary, and draws a pointed contrast with the West, where the gig-economy giants are fighting to strip their workers of basic protections even as China moves to extend them. The dismantling of hukou barriers, he argues, ultimately reflects a system oriented towards human welfare rather than private profit.

On Friday 22 May, China’s State Council announced a significant reform to the country’s social insurance system: migrant workers will now be able to enrol in social insurance programs in the cities where they are employed, regardless of where their household is officially registered.

The new measures also commit the authorities to refining the mechanisms for transferring and continuing social insurance entitlements as workers move between regions – a long-standing headache for one of the most mobile workforces on earth. According to census data released the same day, China’s migrant population has now surpassed 357 million.

For decades, the household registration (hukou) system tied access to public services to a person’s place of registration, restricting the provision of healthcare, schooling and social insurance in the cities where migrant workers resided. The new policy severs that link for social insurance, extending coverage to the hundreds of millions of internal migrants – including the ranks of gig-economy workers: ride-hailing drivers, delivery couriers, and other platform-based workers.

Part of a longer process

This is not a sudden break but the latest step in a process of gradual reform of the hukou system stretching back more than a decade.

In 2014, the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform set a target of resettling 100 million rural migrants in urban areas by 2020. Since then, at least 18 provinces have relaxed their registration restrictions.

The National Development and Reform Commission has progressively removed hukou limits in cities with populations under three million, eased registration in cities of three to five million, and optimised the points-based systems that govern access in the megacities.

The current reform directly advances commitments made at the July 2024 third plenum of the 20th Central Committee, and a joint Party–State Council document last year explicitly called for the “full removal of hukou restrictions on participation in social insurance at the place of employment”. Friday’s announcement delivers on that promise.

What is the hukou system?

The household registration system in its modern form was introduced in 1958, albeit China has had some form of migration regulation in place for over two thousand years. Every citizen is assigned an urban or rural registration status, which historically determined their access to a bundle of social welfare provisions – subsidised housing, education, healthcare, pensions and unemployment insurance – in their place of registration.

Crucially, those entitlements did not travel with the worker. A rural-registered migrant working in Shanghai or Shenzhen could spend decades contributing to the urban economy while remaining formally entitled to services only in a home village hundreds of miles away.

How the hukou system prevented chaos and slums

It is impossible to understand the hukou system without understanding what it prevented. When Reform and Opening Up began in the late 1970s, 83 percent of China’s population lived in the countryside. Over the following four decades, more than 600 million people moved from rural areas to the cities, such that the urbanisation rate has now hit 68 percent.

In almost every other developing country, migration on this scale has produced vast slums: the hypercities of the Global South – Mumbai, Nairobi, Lagos, São Paulo, Dhaka, Cairo, Mexico City – are ringed by sprawling informal settlements, and across the Global South slum growth has consistently outpaced urbanisation since the 1970s.

China has managed to avoid this. Walk through Shanghai or Beijing – each with over 20 million inhabitants – and the pervasive slums and homelessness common to comparably-sized cities elsewhere are conspicuously absent. The hukou system was central to this achievement: by regulating the pace and direction of migration, it prevented a chaotic flood into a handful of megacities whose services and housing could not have coped.

Equally important was land reform. Because the socialist land system was never privatised – rural land remains collectively owned, with use rights allocated to households – rural migrants never lost their entitlement to land and housing in their home villages. This created an immensely important structural buffer. When the 2008 financial crisis cost some 30 million migrant workers their jobs practically overnight, they were not cast into urban destitution; they returned to their home villages where they had land and housing.

China today has a home-ownership rate exceeding 90 percent – a figure inconceivable in the slum-ringed cities of capitalist development.

Why reform is necessary

If the hukou system was well adapted to an era of scarcity and rapid industrialisation, the conditions that made it expedient are now changing, and a system that once aided China’s development risks becoming a brake on it.

First, there is the obvious question of equality and fairness. Nearly 70 percent of China’s population now lives in cities, but only some 45 percent hold urban hukou, representing a gap of over 100 million people. The system has reinforced a two-tier urban society and produced painful social costs, most visibly the millions of “left-behind children” raised by grandparents while their parents work in distant cities. For a socialist country committed to common prosperity, this has long been a contradiction that the government has been working to resolve.

Second, there is an important economic factor. Migrant workers denied access to urban services have held back on consumption, saving heavily against the risk of illness or unemployment. As China attempts to stimulate greater domestic consumption, freeing up that suppressed spending power is a strategic priority. Extending social insurance to where people actually work directly serves the goal of expanding the middle income group and boosting domestic demand.

Third, there are the demographic and developmental imperatives. China’s future depends on a highly educated workforce, which means universal access to quality schooling regardless of registration. And as the country confronts a falling birth rate, lifting the burdens of education and healthcare costs from young working families is one lever available to encourage them to have children.

Finally, the reform serves the construction of a unified national market – removing barriers to the free flow of labour and talent across the country.

The hukou system performed a real historical function: it allowed China to urbanise on an unprecedented scale without the slums, destitution and social breakdown that have accompanied capitalist development across the Global South. That it is now being progressively dismantled is not a repudiation of that achievement but a recognition that China has entered a new stage of development, one in which the equalisation of social provision, rather than the regulation of scarcity, is the order of the day.

Diverging paths

The contrast with the trajectory of the Western capitalism is stark. While China is moving to extend social insurance to – and improve pay and conditions for – its couriers, drivers and other platform workers, the dominant trend in the West runs in precisely the opposite direction.

In Britain and the US, the gig-economy giants have waged a sustained legal and political campaign to deny their workers the status of employees altogether – the better to avoid paying for sick leave, pensions, holiday pay or even the minimum wage.

Uber fought all the way to the UK Supreme Court in 2021 in an unsuccessful attempt to classify its drivers as self-employed; Deliveroo riders were denied collective bargaining rights by the same court in 2023; and in California, the gig companies spent over $200 million on a 2020 ballot measure, Proposition 22 – the most expensive in the state’s history – specifically to exempt themselves from treating their drivers as employees.

Where the logic of a socialist system, even amid the complexities of a vast developing economy, pushes over time towards the extension of social protection to all working people, the logic of capital pushes relentlessly in the other direction: towards the erosion of those protections in the name of profit.

The steady dismantling of hukou barriers is, in the final analysis, a reflection of a system oriented towards human welfare rather than private accumulation.