Author: Friends of Socialist China

Storming the Heavens: Peasants and Revolution in China, 1925-1949 – viewed through a Marxist lens

We are pleased to announce the release of a new book by Jenny Clegg.

Storming the Heavens: Peasants and Revolution in China, 1925-1949 – viewed through a Marxist lens brings into focus the central role of peasant mass power in China’s revolutionary transformation. Engaging with debates in peasant studies, on China’s historical transformation, as well as within the Communist movement, it delves into both objective and subjective aspects of the peasant struggle.

In critiquing reformist-orientated perspectives of mainstream Western Sinology, the discussion draws on the neglected works of Chinese Marxists, Chen Hanseng and Chen Boda, to reveal how a system of monopoly rent exacerbated land hunger impacting both poor and middle peasants, making radical land reform the central issue for the revolution.  It goes on to explore how the Asiatic features of Chinese feudalism shaped landlord power to complicate peasant organisation at local levels. 

Going on to address questions of peasant agency and CPC leadership, traditional rebellion and modern proletarian revolution, the work considers case studies from the field of Chinese peasant studies together with Party documents. Following the zig-zag revolutionary process, it sees how Party and peasant were brought together in a dynamic relationship of mutual learning within a context of change. 

Mao’s methods of rural work, Party building and mass organisation are shown as meaningful in meeting the practical challenges of agrarian transformation. Applying a distinctive class analysis, the book shows how the CPC found ways to tackle the resilience of feudal power, handling the contradictions both among the peasants and between the agrarian and national movements to unite the revolutionary forces in reaching towards a socialist future.

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About the author

Jenny Clegg is a China specialist. She first visited China in 1971 and has followed its development and international role ever since. She was awarded a PhD by the University of Manchester for her thesis on peasants and revolution in China in 1989, and subsequently became a Senior Lecturer in Afro-Asian Studies and Asia Pacific Studies at universities in the North of England. She continues to research and write about China from a Marxist perspective. She is a member of the Friends of Socialist China advisory panel.

Endorsements

Storming the Heavens is a major accomplishment.  It combines detailed historical  analysis of China’s agrarian social relations, prior to 1949 and beyond, with a keen sense of theory, integrating Western and Chinese sources, Marxist and non-Marxist alike, into a vibrant picture of struggle and transformation.  The CPC’s programs and practices are given detailed, and often admiring, attention, while still being carefully dissected with an eye to errors, misjudgments and shortcomings.  The complexities of national vs. agrarian movements, relations between poor and middle peasants, navigation of stages in social and political development, differences in class structure between north and south, and much more — all of this unfolds in a story that is both remarkably specific and deeply universal in its implications.  All in all, a fine addition to our knowledge of modern China.

David Laibman, Professor Emeritus, Economics, City University of New York, Editor Emeritus, Science & Society

This monograph is a systematic study by a British Marxist economist of the situation in rural China during the Republican period. It presents an insightful analysis of the new democratic revolution in the countryside of China centred on the agrarian revolution led by Mao Zedong. This book is very important for any Chinese scholar who wishes to learn about the perspectives of research from experts outside China, and is extremely useful in all capitalist countries, especially those in the South, for understanding how to develop the countryside and truly safeguard the interests of the peasants through reforms, as well as for understanding the theories of Marxism-Leninism and its sinicization.

Cheng Enfu, Member of the the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, President of the World Association for Political Economy 

For those who wish to understand the origins of the Chinese revolution, this book is an essential guide to negotiating the complex terrain of the agrarian class structure in pre-revolutionary China; the Marxist and alternative analyses of this structure; and the debates which underlay the eventual formulation by the CPC of the strategy that led to victory over both the Japanese and the Kuomintang. As well as discussion of the theoretical contribution of Mao Zedong to Marxism, as this guided CPC strategy….the book covers a range of debates over an extensive area of discourse. 

Utsa Patnaik, Professor Emerita at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, in New Delhi, India.

Jenny Clegg’s Storming the Heavens offers a brilliantly enlightening Marxist understanding of socialist China.  Based on years of research it is focused on the dynamic and transforming relationship between the Communist Party of China and China’s diverse peasant communities.  Like the studies made by Lenin of Russia’s peasantry, or Connolly’s of Ireland’s, both very different, it enables us to understand the specifically national characteristics of the party’s Marxist practice.  It is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand China’s role in the world today.

John Foster, Emeritus Professor of Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland

Contents

Introduction

Part 1 Landlord monopoly and peasant land hunger – the distinct characteristics of China’s agrarian structure

  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1: Land Ownership, Rent and the Condition of the Peasantry
  • Chapter 2: Landlordism and Commerce
  • Chapter 3: Landlord, State and Village – the Articulation of Economic and Political Power in Chinese Feudalism
  • Chapter 4: The Impact of Imperialism

Part 2 From stagnation to crisis: economic and political dimensions of agrarian China’s decline

  • Introduction
  • Chapter 5: Market and Technological Constraints and the Problem of Monopoly Rent
  • Chapter 6: Huang and the Involuting Peasant Economy of North China – Between Lenin and Chayanov
  • Chapter 7: The Role of the State – for the Common Good or Legitimising Landlord Power?
  • Chapter 8: The Tenacity of Chinese Feudalism
  • Chapter 9: Peasant Rebellions and Why They Failed
  • Chapter 10: The Failure of Reforms
  • Chapter 11: The Convoluted Trajectory to Revolution

Part 3 China’s revolutionary experience from United Front to land revolution (1924-1937) and the evolution of Mao’s strategy

  • Introduction
  • Chapter 12: Peasants and Revolution – from Lenin to Mao
  • Chapter 13: China’s First Revolution and the CPC-KMT United Front (1924-1927)
  • Chapter 14: From the Towns to the Countryside – Rethinking Revolutionary Strategy
  • Chapter 15: The Land Revolution, Soviet Power and the Dynamics of Peasant Class Struggle
  • Chapter 16: Mao and the Sinification of Marxism – Class Analysis and the Mass Line
  • Chapter 17: From Agrarian to National Revolution

Part 4 China’s revolutionary experience from Second United Front to land revolution (1937-1949) and the implementation of Mao’s strategy

  • Introduction
  • Chapter 18: The Anti-Japanese War and the United Front (1937–1945) – the Challenges of Party Building
  • Chapter 19: Building the New Democratic State
  • Chapter 20: The Return to Land Revolution (1946-48) – from Moderate to Radical Land Policies
  • Chapter 21: The Return to Land Revolution (1946-48) – Mao’s methods refined

Part 5 Peasants, revolution and the CPC

  • Introduction
  • Chapter 22: From Traditional Rebellion to Modern Revolution
  • Chapter 23: Peasants as Free Trade Familialists – Thaxton’s Contribution
  • Chapter 24: What Difference did CPC Leadership Make?

Conclusion

European Communist leaders discuss prospects for socialism in Beijing 

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett recently joined a panel of leaders of European communist parties for a special one hour discussion programme moderated by Pan Deng for CGTN, China’s English language TV station.

Together with leaders from the Communist Party of Finland, German Communist Party, Communist Party (Denmark), Hungarian Workers’ Party and Communist Party of Italy, Keith discussed a wide range of issues, beginning and concluding with perspectives on the biggest challenges facing the world socialist movement today, and its future, while ranging over:

  • The relationship between discipline and democracy in party building; 
  • China’s whole process people’s democracy and the contrast with bourgeois democracy;
  • The recent 4th Plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and China’s upcoming 15th Five Year Plan, with their emphasis on putting people first;
  • The relationship between an efficient market and a well-functioning government;
  • Rising protectionism and unilateralism in the global economy on the one hand and China’s continued commitment to opening up on the other;
  • The development of new high quality productive forces and the upgrading of traditional industries;
  • How to understand and relate to AI and its impact on the working class;
  • Differences between Chinese and Western modernisation;
  • Prospects for cooperation between China and the Western countries to tackle the climate crisis;
  • The trend towards multipolarity and the rise of the Global South, particularly BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation;
  • The relationship between the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping and the Charter of the United Nations.

Also featured was a separately recorded contribution from the Communist Party (Switzerland).

The programme was recorded on November 2 and first broadcast on November 4. The participants were in Beijing to attend the 15th World Socialism Forum organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS).

The full programme is embedded below.

Germany is sabotaging its relations with China on behalf of Washington

In the following article, Sevim Dağdelen, German member of parliament from 2005-25 and foreign policy spokesperson of the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), contrasts two moments in German–Chinese relations, arguing that today’s German foreign policy is abandoning the mutual respect that characterised earlier diplomacy. She begins with the 1975 visit of West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to Beijing. Schmidt explicitly sought to break from European colonial attitudes, and called for the West to treat China as an equal partner.

Fifty years later, Dağdelen argues, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul represents the opposite approach. She describes Wadephul as adhering to Washington’s geopolitical dictates rather than pursuing an independent German foreign policy. His planned visit to China was cancelled at the last minute, following a trip to Asia in which he issued assorted slanders against Beijing. “His appearance gives the impression that he wants to continue the anti-Chinese turn in German foreign policy from 1937, and again pursue an alliance with Japan against China and Russia.”

Dağdelen writes that “neither German nor European foreign policy seems prepared to apply the principle of reciprocity in international relations.”

Wadephul appears in Asia only as the squire of knight Trump, who attempts to fight the Chinese wind-mills. Concretely, one laments China’s restrictions on the export of rare earths for Western arms companies without recognising that the export bans to China came from the USA. One laments Chinese tariffs on US products without mentioning that the first shot in the trade war with Beijing was clearly fired by the USA. One allows via the Netherlands a Chinese chip-manufacturer to be placed under Western control and then complains that China no longer delivers chips to Europe and Volkswagen’s production lines stand still. And one wants to teach Beijing morals on human rights, yet supports – as the German government does – Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, with arms and trade privileges.

Such behaviour is reprehensible; moreover, it will not succeed, as “China is a country that is ready to accept a challenge”.

The article concludes that Germany, by aligning with Washington’s confrontational stance, risks destroying 50 years of productive relations with China, undermining its own economic interests, and isolating itself from an emerging multipolar world order. Such a trajectory must be firmly resisted.

China is a centre of the multipolar world order. This insight is urgently needed. A German foreign policy that acts in the interest of the desperate maintenance of the USA’s doomed unipolar world order is destined to fail. In the interest of the German population however lies being in good relations with this centre.

This article first appeared in German in the Berliner Zeitung, and was published in English in Geopolitical Economy Report.

The visit of German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to Beijing 50 years ago was a visit that lifted German-Chinese relations to a completely new level. On 31 October 1975, Schmidt met the Chinese head of state Mao Zedong. In preparation he had read Mao’s poems. It was the first visit of a German chancellor to China.

Schmidt remained someone who, throughout his life, wanted to break with the colonial past of the West in China, and advocated relations on equal footing and with mutual respect. For example, in his discussion of the book The Governance of China by Chinese President Xi Jinping, he called on the West to replace arrogance with fair competition in its relationship with China. Good relations with China were among the priorities of German foreign policy.

Continue reading Germany is sabotaging its relations with China on behalf of Washington

Is China’s foreign policy ‘good enough’?

The following article is a chapter by Friends of Socialist China co-founder Danny Haiphong from the forthcoming compilation China Changes Everything, put together by the FoSC US Committee and featuring chapters by Ken Hammond, Gerald Horne, Paweł Wargan, Kyle Ferrana, Jacquie Luqman, KJ Noh, Margaret Kimberley, Radhika Desai, Dee Knight, Keith Bennett, Carlos Martinez and others.

Danny argues that widespread Western claims about China’s foreign policy – from “debt trap diplomacy” to imperial ambitions – are unfounded and rooted in projection.

The article debunks the “debt trap” narrative, using research by scholars such as Deborah Brautigam showing that most Global South debt is owed to Western lenders, the IMF, and the World Bank rather than China. Cases often cited as examples of Chinese asset seizures, such as Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port or Uganda’s airport, are shown to be fabrications. Meanwhile, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) focuses on infrastructure development and mutual benefit – building railways, ports, metros, energy systems, communications pathways, schools and hospitals in countries long exploited by colonial powers. These projects create jobs, raise living standards, promote development, and expand global connectivity.

Taking up the complex issue of whether China is “doing enough” in relation to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Danny rejects the accusation that China is passive. He cites China’s resolute stand at the UN demanding comprehensive ceasefire and withdrawal, its mediation efforts among Palestinian factions, and its support for the principal regional backers of Palestinian self-determination, most notably Iran. Demands that China “do more,” he says, misplace responsibility: the genocide is enabled by US military, financial, and diplomatic support. The real task for people in the West is not to pressure China, but to confront their own governments and the US-led imperial system that causes these crises.

There isn’t a single statement from the Palestinian resistance organizations or from the entire Axis of Resistance demanding that China do more. In fact, these forces are building closer ties to China with the aim of strengthening their stability and therefore their effectiveness in resisting imperialism and colonialism. China’s relations with Iran have grown tremendously, helping the biggest supporter of Palestine to survive and to even make military and industrial advances despite U.S. and EU sanctions.

Furthermore, Danny notes that China is operating under significant constraints while working systematically to oppose imperialism and enable a multipolar world order. He concludes:

It is clear that China is operating within the contradictions of a decaying US-led unipolar order, and by doing so can offer many tangible benefits to humanity. The real question we in the West should be asking is, how can we collectively strengthen our movements to put real pressure on the root cause of the genocide in Gaza: the U.S. empire. Once we do, new and ample opportunities will emerge, to end not only the horrors in Gaza, but also the entire system of empire from which they sprang.

The question in the title may seem hyperbolic, but it is one that comes up in one form or another across the U.S. political spectrum.

U.S. elites slam China’s foreign policy as riddled with “debt traps” for poorer countries in the Global South. The Western corporate media asserts that China is pursuing its own kind of empire and has a target on its own province of Taiwan as well as its neighbors in the South China Sea.

For the US ruling circle and its European vassals, China is an imperial competitor seeking to destroy the West’s “rules-based” international order (actually a euphemism for U.S. imperialism).

There are also plenty on the political “left”, even some communists, who view China in the exact same light. They consider China to be “state-capitalist” and therefore pursuing profits at the expense of humanity. And then there are those who, even if they rebuke this criticism and uphold China’s socialist foundation, are profoundly disappointed in China’s foreign policy. To these critics, China falls short of the global solidarity required in this historical moment and is not aggressive enough in the pursuit of justice.

Continue reading Is China’s foreign policy ‘good enough’?

Xi Jinping: Hegemonism causes only war and disaster; fairness and justice ensure global peace and development

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Republic of Korea (ROK) from October 30-November 1 to attend the 32nd APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders’ Meeting and to then pay a state visit to the ROK.

On October 31, he delivered a written address to the APEC CEO Summit, entitled, ‘Putting the Asia Pacific at the Forefront of the Joint Endeavor for World Development and Prosperity.’

Xi Jinping noted that: “The world has come to a new crossroads – solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit or return of hegemonism and the law of the jungle; multilateralism, openness and inclusiveness or unilateralism and protectionism. What we choose will profoundly affect the future of the world. We must have vision, step up to our responsibility, and choose what meets the expectation of the people in the Asia Pacific and stands the test of history.

“As the saying goes, ‘He who knows the past understands the present.’ Since the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War 80 years ago, the international system with the United Nations at its core has been put in place gradually, and multilateral systems in economic, trade, financial and other areas have been established. A new chapter was opened for humanity’s pursuit of peace and development.

“History attests that humanity shares a common destiny. While hegemonism causes only war and disaster, fairness and justice ensure global peace and development. While confrontation and antagonism breed only estrangement and turbulence, win-win cooperation proves to be the right way forward. While unilateralism precipitates division and regression, multilateralism is the viable option for tackling global challenges.”

In the current situation he noted: “We embrace peaceful development and reject the assertion that a strong country will inevitably seek hegemony. We champion win-win cooperation and denounce winner-takes-all practices. We advocate mutual learning among civilisations, and do not believe in clash of civilisations. We promote fairness and justice and oppose power politics. China has successively put forward the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilisation Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. They are China’s solutions to the salient issues across the world, based on Chinese wisdom. We look forward to working with all parties to promote common prosperity and a win-win future for all and building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

He then advanced four proposals as follows:

  • We should take the lead in safeguarding peace and stability. We must always ensure the equal right of all countries to participate in international affairs regardless of their size, strength, or wealth.
  • We should take the lead in enhancing openness and connectivity. We should firmly safeguard the WTO-centred, rules-based multilateral trading system, strengthen solidarity and collaboration, oppose protectionism, reject unilateralism and bullying, and prevent the world from reverting to the law of the jungle. We must have the courage to remove barriers, keep global industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded, advance regional economic integration, push forward the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific, and play the Asia Pacific part in global economic growth.
  • We should take the lead in promoting win-win cooperation. We should stay true to the vision of harmony without uniformity, fully leverage the diversity of Asia Pacific economies, draw on each other’s strengths, and jointly make the pie of Asia Pacific cooperation bigger.
  • We should take the lead in pursuing benefits for all and inclusiveness. We should put the people first and fully implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We should create greater synergy between our development strategies and step up support for developing economies. We should bridge development gaps, increase people’s well-being, and deliver prosperity to all the people in the Asia Pacific.

Next year, he added, China will host APEC for the third time. “This demonstrates our full commitment to Asia Pacific cooperation and our willingness to fulfill our responsibilities.”

Introducing China’s current domestic situation, he explained:

“China has been a major engine of world economic growth for many years. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan period ends this year. In the past five years, despite increasing external shocks, the Chinese economy has registered an annual growth rate of around 5.5 percent on average, contributing around 30 percent of global growth. A few days ago, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan at its fourth plenary session.”

In this regard:

  • China can provide more growth opportunities for the global business community. It is now the world’s second largest market of consumption and import, and the only developing country that hosts a national-level international import expo and continually opens its market to the world. The China market is huge and promising.
  • China can provide a good business environment for the global business community. China is universally recognised as one of the safest countries in the world and grants either unilateral visa exemption or full mutual visa-free entry to 76 countries.
  • China can provide enabling conditions of green growth for the global business community. China is making coordinated advances in decarbonising, mitigating pollution, expanding green transition and promoting growth. It has the largest renewable energy system and the biggest, most complete new energy industrial chain in the world. The increased area of afforestation in China accounts for a quarter of the world total. We are committed to meeting our carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets. We are actively advancing cooperation in launching green energy projects. We support the free flow of quality green technologies and products and do our best to provide assistance to developing countries.

In his address to the second session of the leaders’ meeting on November 1, President Xi said that:

“At present, the new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is deepening. In particular, the rapid advance of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence is opening new horizons for humanity. On the other hand, the world faces lackluster economic growth and a widening gap in global development. Challenges such as climate change, food security and energy security are intensifying. Asia Pacific economies must enhance mutually beneficial cooperation, make good use of new opportunities, stand up to new challenges, and forge a sustainable and brighter future together.”

In this regard, he advanced three proposals:

  • We should further unleash the potential of digital and smart development to give the Asia Pacific region a fresh edge in innovation-driven development. We should fully harness new technologies to empower and propel us forward, seize the opportunities of digital, smart and green development, and move faster to nurture and promote new quality productive forces. AI is very important for shaping the future and should contribute to the well-being of people of all countries and regions. We should bear in mind the well-being of the entire humanity and promote the sound and orderly development of AI while ensuring that it is beneficial, safe and fair.
  • We should stay committed to green and low-carbon development to build a new paradigm for sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. Clear waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver. We should keep in mind our responsibility to our future generations, enhance synergy between green development strategies of all economies, promote free flows of quality green technologies and products, accelerate the green and low-carbon transition, and vigorously tackle climate change. We should ensure the true fulfillment of common but differentiated responsibilities, and urge developed economies to continuously provide necessary support for developing economies in financing, technology, capacity building and other areas.
  • We should build an inclusive and universally beneficial future to foster a new dynamism in the inclusive growth of the Asia Pacific. We should always put the people first, and strengthen policy communication, experience sharing and results-oriented cooperation to fully implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, eliminate poverty together, and promote shared prosperity for all the people in the Asia Pacific.

Also, on the morning of November 1, President Xi attended the handover ceremony of the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and announced that China would host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: Hegemonism causes only war and disaster; fairness and justice ensure global peace and development

Trump makes fools of Britain’s China hawks

In this witty and perceptive article, originally published on his Substack, ‘The Rest is Bullshit’, Steve Howell excoriates Britain’s right wing anti-China hawks in politics and the media, arguing that Donald Trump’s positive meeting with President Xi Jinping in the Republic of Korea has exposed their foolishness.

Having noted that, “The US and China surprised almost everyone last week by calling off their trade war – for now at least. The summit between presidents Xi and Trump ended with both parties dropping plans for tougher trade restrictions and tariffs,” Howell adds:

“This was awkward for the British media. For weeks, they had been pumping out headlines on what they called the China spy scandal – the collapse of the prosecution [of] two men accused of passing information to China. There were virtually no dissenters to the view that the charges being dropped was bad news. The only issue for the media was who to blame for the failure to convict the two defendants, as if the small matter of their actual guilt was not in doubt.”

Giving the recent historical background, he writes that:

“In the build up to the US elections of 2016, both Bernie Sanders and Trump – from very different perspectives – made cheap imports from China an issue and blamed them for the de-industrialisation of the Midwest ‘rust belt’ states. On being elected, Trump introduced the first wave of tariffs on China, marking the start of a new Washington consensus that President Biden not only continued but escalated. True to form, Britain fell into line.”

However: “Amid the furore over the China ‘spy’ case, our commentariat appears not to have noticed the emerging change of policy in Washington.

“The Telegraph’s Sherelle Jacobs was certainly caught out badly, having written shortly before the summit that the government’s ‘refusal to break with China has explosive geopolitical implications.’ She thought that Britain’s ‘inaction over China’ could send Trump ‘over the edge’ and claimed that ‘if anything ends up destroying the Special Relationship it will be our gutless cosying up to Beijing.’ She must have been mortified when Trump described his meeting with Xi as ‘the G2 summit’, relegating the G7 – of which Britain is a member.”

He adds: “It remains to be seen what Trump’s China game plan is. The trade agreement arising from his summit with Xi has yet to be finalised. There is talk of Xi visiting Washington. Whatever happens, a couple of things are clear. Firstly, Britain’s long-standing policy – whoever occupies Downing Street – of hanging on to America’s coattails is a recipe for being badly bruised when there is a sudden change of direction. Secondly, if the US has had to treat China with respect, it is absurd for Britain to act as if it is ready to send gunboats up the Yangtze again.”

Steve Howell served as the Labour Party’s deputy director of strategy and communication in 2017, during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. He is the author of ‘Game Changer: Eight Weeks That Transformed British Politics’, about Britain’s 2017 general election; ‘Collateral Damage’, a political and international relations thriller; and ‘Cold War Puerto Rico: Anti-Communism in Washington’s Caribbean Colony (Culture and Politics in the Cold War and Beyond)’ (forthcoming).

The US and China surprised almost everyone last week by calling off their trade war – for now at least. The summit between presidents Xi and Trump ended with both parties dropping plans for tougher trade restrictions and tariffs. Asked to evaluate it on a scale of one to ten, Trump said that he thought “it was a 12.”

This was awkward for the British media. For weeks, they had been pumping out headlines on what they called the China spy scandal – the collapse of the prosecution two men accused of passing information to China. There were virtually no dissenters to the view that the charges being dropped was bad news. The only issue for the media was who to blame for the failure to convict the two defendants, as if the small matter of their actual guilt was not in doubt.

Continue reading Trump makes fools of Britain’s China hawks

War of position vs. war of manoeuvre: China’s Gramscian trade strategy

The article below, written by CJ Atkins for People’s World, analyses the recent Trump–Xi summit in Busan, South Korea, noting that while both leaders announced modest compromises – with the US easing tariffs and approving limited chip exports, and China resuming agricultural purchases and delaying rare earth export regulations – the meeting “represents a truce, not a treaty”.

The ambitions of the U.S. corporate oligarchy to derail China’s growth and hobble their competition have not been set aside. Nor have China’s desires to continue developing its economy and raising living standards for its 1.4 billion people… There is still a contest underway between the world’s biggest capitalist power and the world’s biggest socialist country, and the leaders of the two nations are following very different strategies as they seek to bring the rest of the globe onside.

To interpret this ongoing struggle, the article draws on Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci’s distinction between a “war of manoeuvre” and a “war of position.” A war of manoeuvre is a rapid, frontal assault to disrupt the status quo; a war of position is slower, focused on building long-term consensus and influence within institutions and public opinion. “Neither strategy was inherently right or wrong, Gramsci said; it was a matter of surveying the battlefield, so to speak, and determining which was appropriate given the political situation at the time.”

Trump’s trade war embodies the war of manoeuvre: abrupt tariffs, bans on technology exports, and pressure on allies to cut trade with China. His aim is to force quick concessions and signal dominance to domestic political supporters and corporate interests.

China by contrast is engaged in a war of position. The Chinese leadership emphasises cooperation, multilateralism, and shared prosperity. Rather than retaliating aggressively against the US’s unilateral measures, China strengthens regional institutions and trade networks – upgrading the China–ASEAN free-trade agreement, deepening APEC cooperation and upgrading trade partnerships. As a result, China is seen as a predictable and responsible global partner.

The article argues that Trump’s aggressive tactics have largely failed: US tariffs raised domestic inflation, damaged the agricultural sector, and highlighted China’s success over the course of recent years diversifying suppliers and trade partners. “By trying to enforce subservience to his demands, Trump’s strategy has actually generated further legitimacy for China’s model of multilateral cooperation in the eyes of much of the world.” CJ concludes:

Trump’s war of manoeuvre has depended on flashy claims and regular assurances of victories that are yet to materialise. But as China is showing in practice, and as Gramsci concluded in his Prison Notebooks, “In politics, the ‘war of position,’ once won, is decisive definitively.”

Fresh off his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump hailed the summit as “amazing,” a “12” on a scale of 1 to 10. Xi’s assessment was also positive but more measured in tone. “In the face of winds, waves, and challenges,” he said, “we should stay the right course, navigate through the complex landscape, and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations.”

Headlines in the media, meanwhile, rattled off details of the agreements reached in Busan: A delay of Chinese rare earth export controls, the lowering of the U.S.’ supposedly fentanyl-linked tariff rates, the resumption of Chinese purchases of American soybeans, U.S. approval for the sale of some advanced microchips to Chinese firms, the mutual lowering of port fees, further talks about the future of TikTok, and more.

Continue reading War of position vs. war of manoeuvre: China’s Gramscian trade strategy

Li Qiang advances proposals for East Asian cooperation at regional meetings

From October 25-26, Chinese Premier Li Qiang paid an official visit to Singapore at the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Then, from October 27-28, at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, the current rotating chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), he attended the 28th China-ASEAN Summit, the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, the 20th East Asia Summit and the fifth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Leaders’ Meeting in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Prior to the China-ASEAN Summit, Li and Anwar witnessed the signing of the CAFTA [China ASEAN Free Trade Agreement] 3.0 Upgrade Protocol.

Beyond tariff cuts and smoother trade, the upgraded document expands cooperation into nine areas, namely digital economy, green economy, supply chain connectivity, standards and technical regulations with conformity assessment procedures, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, customs procedures and trade facilitation, competition and consumer protection, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and economic and technical cooperation.

Following the signing of the protocol, both sides will carry out their respective domestic ratification procedures to facilitate the protocol’s early entry into force and implementation.

The original agreement, signed in 2002, was fully implemented in 2010, and upgraded to CAFTA 2.0 in 2015. The newly upgraded CAFTA 3.0 shows China’s and ASEAN’s solemn commitment to multilateralism and free trade, as well as their firm resolve to jointly build an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional integrated market and a resilient regional industrial and supply chain system that delivers mutual benefits, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.

The upgrade also gives SMEs wider and smoother access to the grand Chinese and ASEAN markets. “Local SMEs can now connect directly with regional markets through digital platforms – true ‘local creation, regional expansion,'” said Tan Kar Hing, deputy chairman of Malaysia’s Centre of Regional Strategic Studies.

Industries such as food, agricultural products, tourism, logistics, and digital e-commerce will be among the first to benefit from the upgrade, said Suwat Techawatanawana, executive vice president of the leading Thai bank Kasikornbank.

Speaking at the 20th East Asia Summit, Premier Li said: “Twenty years ago, the EAS was inaugurated in Kuala Lumpur. Upon reading the declaration of the first summit, we can easily discern the EAS purpose: strengthening cooperation in the spirit of equality and partnership, observing the UN Charter and other norms of international law, ensuring the effective functioning of multilateral systems, and improving people’s well-being. The constructive role of the EAS on the whole in promoting the steady and rapid development of our region over the past two decades is mainly attributable to the implementation of this founding mission.”

He added: “We should continuously build extensive consensus. Absent common understanding on some very basics, countries would hardly make good progress in their communication, consultations or business exchanges. History tells us that some common values that humanity has fostered over millennia, such as mutual respect, equality, fairness and justice, underpin both people-to-people and state-to-state interactions. To address the global transformation unseen in a century, we need to have a clearheaded and sensible judgment about the trajectory of the future. Among many others, the trend toward economic globalisation and multipolarity is irreversible, and the world must not slip back to the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak. Only when we embrace these basic understandings that are consistent with the common values of humanity and the trend of history, can we make the right decision at this critical juncture and move ahead in the right direction.

“Our region is home to a large number of developing countries. Growing the economy and improving people’s lives is a priority for us, and overcoming the impact of protectionism and strengthening internal growth momentum is a pressing issue we face… The more volatile the world becomes, the more imperative it is for us to uphold the authority of international law. We should all observe rules. In particular, we should jointly safeguard the UN-centred international system, support ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture, and promote cooperation in our region. At the same time, we should also actively promote reform and build a more just and equitable global governance system so as to better safeguard the interests of all.

“As a saying goes, when you are clear about the direction to go, you can surely reach your destination, no matter how far away it is. China is ready to work in concert and pursue practical cooperation with all parties to promote peace, development and prosperity both in our region and across the world.”

Speaking at the 28th ASEAN Plus Three [China, Republic of Korea {ROK} and Japan] Summit, Li said:

“I want to thank Prime Minister Anwar and our host Malaysia for the thoughtful arrangements made for this Summit. I also congratulate Timor-Leste for officially joining the ASEAN family.

Continue reading Li Qiang advances proposals for East Asian cooperation at regional meetings

Interview: Is China capitalist, socialist or communist?

On 16 October 2025, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez joined Shanghai-based journalist Andy Boreham for a wide-ranging discussion on the topics of anti-China propaganda, China’s record under Mao Zedong, China’s political and economic system since 1978, whether China is socialist, the differences between socialism and communism, and much more.

The video of the conversation is embedded below, and can also be found on the Reports on China YouTube channel.

Xi Jinping holds positive meeting with Donald Trump in Republic of Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Donald J. Trump in Busan, Republic of Korea, on October 30. It was the first meeting between the two leaders since President Trump returned to office.

Following the meeting, a read out was issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It said that President Xi had noted that China and the United States should be partners and friends.

“This is what history has taught us and what reality needs. Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then… I am ready to continue working with you to build a solid foundation for China-US relations and create a sound atmosphere for the development of both countries.”

President Xi emphasised that there is a good momentum in China’s economic development. In the first three quarters of this year, China’s economy increased by 5.2 percent, and import and export trade in goods with the rest of the world expanded by 4 percent. This is not an easy accomplishment given the domestic and external difficulties. The Chinese economy is like a vast ocean, big, resilient and promising. We have the confidence and capability to navigate all kinds of risks and challenges.

At its fourth plenary session, the 20th CPC Central Committee deliberated over and adopted the recommendations for the economic and social development plan over the next five years. “Over the past seven decades and more, we have been working from generation to generation on the same blueprint to make it a reality. We have no intention to challenge or supplant anyone. Our focus has always been on managing China’s own affairs well, improving ourselves, and sharing development opportunities with all countries across the world. And that is an important secret to our success.”

President Xi noted that the two teams had an in-depth exchange of views on important economic and trade issues and reached consensus on solving various issues. They should work out and finalise the follow-up steps as soon as possible and ensure that the common understandings are effectively upheld and implemented, to inject confidence into the two countries as well as the global economy through solid deliverables.

President Trump said that it is a great honour to meet President Xi. China is a great country. President Xi is a well-respected great leader and has been my good friend for many years. 

Continue reading Xi Jinping holds positive meeting with Donald Trump in Republic of Korea

Key party meeting sets stage for China’s next five-year plan

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its fourth plenary session in Beijing from October 20 to 23, 2025, with its main business being to work on developing the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which will be formally adopted at next year’s annual parliamentary session of the National People’s Congress (NPC).

The communique released following the conclusion of the plenum noted that, “China is now on the verge of accomplishing the major objectives and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan. It was also noted that we had recently commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. This occasion has greatly lifted the national spirit, inspired a strong sense of patriotism among our people, and further pooled strength for our country’s collective endeavours.”

It added that: “In the face of a complicated international landscape and the challenging domestic tasks of advancing reform, promoting development, and ensuring stability, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united the entire Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them in meeting difficulties head-on and forging ahead with determination. This has allowed us to withstand the severe shocks from a once-in-a-century Covid-19 pandemic, respond effectively to many major risks and challenges, and secure significant new achievements in the cause of the Party and the country.”

According to some of the most salient points in the communique:

  • It was pointed out that socialist modernisation can only be realised through a historical process of gradual and ongoing development. It requires the unremitting hard work of one generation after another. The period covered by the 15th Five-Year Plan will be critical in this process as we work to reinforce the foundations and push ahead on all fronts toward basically achieving socialist modernisation by 2035. It will thus serve as a key link between the past and the future. In this period, China’s development environment will face profound and intricate changes.
  • At present, China remains in a phase of development where strategic opportunities exist alongside risks and challenges, while uncertainties and unforeseen factors are rising. Our economy is on solid foundations, demonstrating advantages in many areas, strong resilience, and great potential. The conditions and underlying trends supporting long-term growth remain unchanged. More and more, we are seeing the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China’s enormous market, its complete industrial system, and its abundant human resources all coming to the fore.
  • We must maintain strategic resolve and enhance our confidence of success. We must proactively identify, respond to, and steer changes, demonstrate the courage and competence to carry forward our struggle, and dare to brave high winds, choppy waters, and even dangerous storms. We must seize the historical initiative to overcome difficulties, combat risks, and confront challenges, focus on managing our own affairs, and write yet another chapter on the miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability, opening up new horizons for Chinese modernisation.
  • We must continue to pursue economic development as our central task, with high-quality development as our main focus, reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, meeting the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life as our fundamental goal, and full and rigorous Party self-governance as the fundamental underpinning for all our efforts. We must promote higher-quality economic growth while achieving an appropriate increase in economic output and make solid headway in promoting well-rounded personal development and common prosperity for all. All of this will allow us to secure decisive progress toward basically achieving socialist modernisation.
  • The Central Committee also set the following major objectives for the 15th Five-Year Plan period: significant achievements in high-quality development; substantial improvements in scientific and technological self-reliance and strength; fresh breakthroughs in further deepening reform comprehensively; notable cultural and ethical progress across society; further improvements in quality of life; major new strides in advancing the Beautiful China Initiative; and further advances in strengthening the national security shield. Building on this, we will work hard for a further five years to see that by the year 2035 China’s economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, national defence capabilities, composite national strength, and international influence will all be markedly stronger, that its per capita GDP will be on a par with that of a mid-level developed country, that its people will live better and happier lives, and that socialist modernisation will be basically realised.
  • We should keep our focus on the real economy, continue to pursue smart, green, and integrated development, and work faster to boost China’s strength in manufacturing, product quality, aerospace, transportation, and cyberspace. The share of manufacturing in the national economy should be kept at an appropriate level, and a modernised industrial system should be developed with advanced manufacturing as the backbone.
  • We should achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology and steer the development of new quality productive forces. We must seize the historic opportunity presented by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation to boost China’s strength in education, science and technology, and human resources in a well-coordinated manner. We should enhance the overall performance of China’s innovation system, raise our innovation capacity across the board, strive to take a leading position in scientific and technological development, and keep fostering new quality productive forces. We should promote advances in original innovation and breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, facilitate full integration between technological and industrial innovation, pursue integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, and advance the Digital China Initiative.
  • Guided by the strategy of expanding domestic demand, we should work toward improving living standards while increasing consumer spending and coordinate investments in physical assets and human capital. We should see that new demand drives new supply, that new supply helps create fresh demand, and that positive interactions are fostered between consumption and investment and between supply and demand.
  • We should accelerate agricultural and rural modernisation and take solid steps to advance all-around rural revitalisation. We must continue to place issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents at the top of our Party’s work agenda. We need to promote integrated urban-rural development, continue to consolidate and expand our achievements in poverty alleviation, basically ensure modern living conditions in rural areas, and secure faster progress in building up China’s strength in agriculture.
  • We should inspire the cultural creativity of our entire nation and foster a thriving socialist culture. We must uphold the guiding role of Marxism in the ideological domain, remain firmly rooted in the broad and rich Chinese culture, and follow the trends of information technology. On this basis, we should develop a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the new era that has the power to guide, unite, and inspire our people and enjoys strong international influence.
  • We should work harder to ensure and improve public wellbeing and promote common prosperity for all. In line with the principle of doing everything within our means, we must ensure that public services are inclusive, meet essential needs, and provide a cushion for those most in need, while working to resolve the pressing difficulties and problems that concern the people most… We should promote high-quality and full employment, refine the income distribution system, develop education that meets the people’s expectations, improve the social security system, and facilitate high-quality development of the real estate sector.
  • We should accelerate the green transition in all areas of economic and social development in an effort to build a Beautiful China. We must unwaveringly uphold the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and put it into concrete action. Guided by our goals of achieving peak carbon and carbon neutrality, we should make concerted efforts to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development, and boost economic growth… We should press ahead with the critical battle against pollution and the drive to upgrade ecosystems, move faster to develop a new energy system, work actively and prudently toward peak carbon emissions, and accelerate the shift to eco-friendly production practices and lifestyles.
  • We should work for long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, promote the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait and advance the cause of national reunification, and secure further progress in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
  • It was stressed that to run the country well, we must first run the Party well; only a Party that is thriving can make our country strong. The more effective our Party is in supervising and governing itself, the better it will be able to provide guarantees for our economic and social development. We must have the resolve and tenacity to persist in the always ongoing endeavour of Party self-governance. In exercising full and rigorous self-governance, we must firmly act on the Party’s requirements for self-reform, devote sustained and consistent efforts to improving conduct, and combat corruption resolutely, thereby providing a strong guarantee for fulfilling the major objectives for economic and social development in the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
  • We should ramp up efforts to address wage arrears, improve basic public services, and work harder to resolve the pressing difficulties and problems that concern the people most. We must do a good job in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Appropriate arrangements should be made for disaster victims to ensure that their basic living needs are met and that they have warm shelter for the winter.
  • We must ensure workplace safety and safeguard stability. We must make sure that all responsibilities concerning workplace safety are fulfilled and that oversight systems are rigorously implemented, and we must work with firm resolve to prevent and mitigate major and serious accidents. We should strengthen whole-of-chain supervision and administration of food and drug safety.

The meeting adopted the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development.

Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important explanatory speech.

He noted that: “Formulating medium- and long-term plans to guide economic and social development is an important means by which our Party governs the country… Throughout the drafting process, the Central Committee followed a democratic approach and drew on a vast pool of wisdom, conducting in-depth surveys and studies and seeking opinions from all quarters. On January 22, the Central Committee issued the Notice on Soliciting Opinions on Recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan to Be Studied at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, in order to gather opinions from certain Party members and non-Party figures. In late February, the Central Committee organised six teams to conduct research projects in 12 provincial-level regions. Meanwhile, it requested certain central Party and state departments to conduct research on 35 key topics. On April 30, I presided over a symposium in Shanghai on economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period for certain provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. Thereafter, I entrusted Comrade Li Qiang with presiding over three separate symposiums for the economic community, the scientific and technological community, and representatives from the primary level. We also solicited opinions online, receiving more than three million comments, which were then sorted through and condensed into over 1,500 suggestions.”

He added that: “The general conclusion is that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will face both strategic opportunities and risks and challenges in development, as well as increasing uncertainties and unforeseen factors. Nevertheless, the conditions for and underlying trends of long-term economic and social growth will remain unchanged.”

Further explaining the drafting process for the document, he continued: “On August 4, a draft document was issued to certain Party members, including some retired senior Party officials, for consultation. Opinions were also sought from the central committees of other political parties, leaders of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and prominent figures without party affiliation… Those consulted submitted many constructive opinions and suggestions on the draft. The drafting group worked through these one by one and incorporated as many of them as possible into the text. In total, we made 218 additions, revisions, and simplifications to the document based on 452 opinions and suggestions…  It is fair to say that the drafting work for this document is yet another vivid example of intra-Party democracy and whole-process people’s democracy in action.”

Speaking on several of the key issues related to the next Five-Year Plan, Xi said: “Socialist modernisation can only be realised through a historical process of gradual and ongoing development. It requires the unremitting hard work of one generation after another. The draft document points out that the 15th Five-Year Plan period will serve as a critical stage in building on past successes to break new ground for basically achieving socialist modernisation… It is important that we seize this window of opportunity to consolidate and build on our strengths, remove development bottlenecks, shore up areas of weakness, seize the strategic initiative amid intense international competition, and secure major breakthroughs in strategic tasks of overall importance to Chinese modernisation. All of this will allow us to secure decisive progress toward basically achieving socialist modernisation… An important benchmark for basically achieving socialist modernisation by 2035 is that China’s per capita GDP will be on a par with that of a mid-level developed country by that time. This dictates that we must maintain an appropriate rate of economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. On the basis of thorough research and scientific analysis, the draft document puts forward a range of important objectives, such as ensuring the economy keeps growing within an appropriate range, realising steady gains in total factor productivity, fully unleashing the potential for growth, ensuring personal incomes increase in step with economic growth and remuneration rises in tandem with labour productivity increases, and continuing to expand the middle-income group.”

Continue reading Key party meeting sets stage for China’s next five-year plan

Kim Jong Un pays tribute to Chinese People’s Volunteers on 75th anniversary

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held solemn commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of the entry of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) into the war known in China as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and in the DPRK as the Fatherland Liberation War.

On October 24, 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, visited the Cemetery of the Fallen Soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province and paid a high tribute to them.

Following the main ceremony, Kim Jong Un visited the grave of Mao Anying, the son of Comrade Mao Zedong, where he placed a flower and paid homage.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) commented: “The faces of the CPV fallen soldiers, who assisted the revolutionary war of our people at the cost of their blood with the spirit of internationalism and the feeling of fraternal friendship, remain deep in the hearts of the peoples of the two countries as a symbol of valuable DPRK-China friendship.

“Our people will never forget the blood shed by the excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese people and their immortal feats even after a lapse of many years and the shift of generations.

“The DPRK-China friendship forged at the cost of blood would powerfully demonstrate its inexhaustible vitality in the sacred struggle to realise the cause of independence against imperialism, the socialist cause, in the future, too.”

Kim Jong Un’s visit was also reported by the Xinhua News Agency.

The following day a further ceremony was held at the Friendship Tower in downtown Pyongyang, which honours the CPV martyrs.

Earlier, on October 22, a ceremony for remodeling the cemetery of fallen fighters of the Chinese People’s Volunteers was held in Sinphyong County, North Hwanghae Province. Among those present were DPRK Vice-Minister of Urban Management Kang Chol Ho, joined by Wang Yajun, Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK, staff members of his embassy, the delegation of the veterans and families of martyrs of the CPV on a visit to the DPRK, Chinese guests staying in the DPRK, and Chinese students and residents in the DPRK.

A delegation of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army led by Xia Zhihe, Political Commissar of the National Defence University of the PLA also visited the DPRK from October 25 to October 28 to take part in commemorative functions. 

Functions were also held at the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang and the DPRK Embassy in Beijing on October 25.

At the reception hosted in Pyongyang by Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun, speakers referred to the historic significance of the CPV’s entry into the Korean front 75 years ago and the feats of the martyrs of the volunteers who devoted their precious lives to the revolutionary war of the Korean people.

They expressed the will to carry forward the glorious tradition and the great friendship under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and thus open up a more beautiful future of the socialist cause of the two countries and the DPRK-China relations.

At the DPRK embassy in Beijing, speakers paid high tribute to the martyrs and veterans of the Chinese People’s Volunteers who entered the Korean front and fought shoulder to shoulder with the Korean people. They said that looking back on the history of 75 years ago is of great significance in remembering the forerunners and inheriting their spirit.

They expressed the will to promote the traditional DPRK-China friendship on the road of accomplishing the socialist cause, opposing the imperialists’ aggression and hegemony and defending regional peace and security, international fairness and justice.

Korean diplomatic staff also paid tribute at the cemeteries of CPV martyrs in the cities of Shenyang and Dandong, in China’s Liaoning Province.

The following articles were originally published on the website of KCNA. China’s People’s Daily also reported the commemorations.

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Cemetery of CPV Fallen Soldiers on Occasion of 75th Anniversary of Entry of CPV into Korean Front

Pyongyang, October 25 (KCNA) — 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, visited the Cemetery of the Fallen Soldiers of the Chinese People’s Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province and paid a high tribute to them on Oct. 24 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the entry of the CPV into the Korean front.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was accompanied by Jo Yong Won, Pak Jong Chon and Kim Tok Hun, secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK, and Choe Son Hui, foreign minister of the DPRK.

The guard of honor of the Korean People’s Army lined up at the cemetery.

The national anthems of the People’s Republic of China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea were played.

A flower basket in the name of Kim Jong Un and the flower baskets in the names of the Central Committee of the WPK and the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK were laid before the cemetery.

Kim Jong Un paid a silent tribute in memory of the CPV fallen soldiers.

Then, he visited the grave of Mao Anying at the cemetery.

He placed a flower before the grave and paid homage.

The faces of the CPV fallen soldiers, who assisted the revolutionary war of our people at the cost of their blood with the spirit of internationalism and the feeling of fraternal friendship, remain deep in the hearts of the peoples of the two countries as a symbol of valuable DPRK-China friendship.

Our people will never forget the blood shed by the excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese people and their immortal feats even after a lapse of many years and the shift of generations.

The DPRK-China friendship forged at the cost of blood would powerfully demonstrate its inexhaustible vitality in the sacred struggle to realize the cause of independence against imperialism, the socialist cause, in the future, too.

Continue reading Kim Jong Un pays tribute to Chinese People’s Volunteers on 75th anniversary

When a death in Brixton united the Irish and Chinese revolutions

On Sunday 26 October, the Irish community in London, together with friends, gathered outside Brixton Prison for the annual Terence MacSwiney Commemoration. This year’s gathering marked 105 years since the death of the Lord Mayor of Cork, after 74 days on hunger-strike, and was once again organised by the Terence MacSwiney Committee [London].

Committee Chair Frank Glynn welcomed the approximately 60 people gathered outside the south London prison. The day’s keynote speaker was Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD (member of the Irish parliament) for Cork North-Central, who delivered a powerful address that appealed to the solidarity and internationalism of those living in London to support the campaign to build a new and united Ireland.

Drawing inspiration from the example of Terence MacSwiney, Gould extended solidarity to the suffering people of Palestine amidst the ongoing occupation of their land and Israel’s genocidal war. He appealed for class unity at this time, noting that the establishment and those in power are desperately seeking to turn poor people against one another. He equally paid tribute to those Irishmen and women who were forced to leave their country over the past decades, assuring them that their sacrifice is not forgotten back home.

The commemoration also heard from Pat Reynolds of the Irish in Britain Representation Group (IBRG); Pam Blakelock, who spoke about her husband’s descendance from Muriel MacSwiney (Terence MacSwiney’s widow); and the Palestinian activist, Samar Maquishi, who spoke about the unwavering support of the Irish people for the cause of Palestine. As Samar observed, “Even if the whole world was quiet, the Irish won’t be silenced!”

Longstanding London-based Irish republican Denis Grace read the Proclamation of Easter Week 1916 on behalf of the Commemoration Committee. Music was provided by the stalwart London-Irish balladeer Seán Brady and Achill Island’s own Tom Lynch on the Uilleann Pipes. Special mention was also made of the election of Catherine Connolly as the next President of Ireland. There was overwhelming support expressed for Ms Connolly, whose campaign was supported by a broad range of left-wing and progressive forces in Ireland, particularly as a candidate who placed voting rights for Irish citizens outside of the twenty-six-county state and the ongoing struggle for Irish reunification at the centre of her election platform.

(The above is an edited version of the press statement issued by the Terence MacSwiney Committee [London].)

McSwiney’s 1920 death on hunger strike, during the 1919-1921 Irish war of independence, had a profound international impact, including on such leaders of the Indian freedom movement as Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. A young Ho Chi Minh, who was working in London at the time, was profoundly moved, saying: “He died for his country. How courageous! How heroic ! A nation which has such citizens will never surrender.”

But whilst Ho Chi Minh could see for himself the very public outpouring of grief on the part of London’s Irish community, another young progressive, who was later to become an important Asian communist leader, was following the news from Japan, where he was studying at the time.

That student was Guo Moro, who was to become a senior leader of the People’s Republic of China and a close comrade of Mao Zedong. He served as Chairman of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles from their inception after liberation in 1949 to his death in 1978.

In a 2020 article written for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ, the Irish broadcasting service), Francis Kane, a lecturer at Ulster University, explains:

“In 1920, China was in chaos, a divided country dominated by foreigners and warlords, its ancient empire having finally collapsed in 1911. In his idealistic youth, the poet Guo Moruo cannot have known that one day he would become a man of enormous power and prestige… He died not long after his comrade and friend Chairman Mao, whom he praised relentlessly.”

Kane writes that Guo penned “an astonishing poem, an emotional ‘in real time’ commemoration of fellow writer MacSwiney in 1920, usually translated as ‘Victorious in Death’.”

Continue reading When a death in Brixton united the Irish and Chinese revolutions

Cuban culture celebrated in London

Friends of Socialist China co-editors Carlos Martinez and Keith Bennett were pleased to join a celebration of Cuban Culture Day on October 21. Held in a packed Bolivar Hall, the cultural premises of the Venezuelan Embassy in London, ‘Cuban Mosaic: A Night of Identity and Resilience’ brought together Cuban artists and friends of Cuba from cultural and artistic circles for a dazzling medley of music, dance and poetry that served to well illustrate the vibrancy and diversity of Cuban culture and the society it reflects.

Organised by the Cuban Embassy in London, with support from the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC), the evening was presided over by Ambassador Ismara Mercedes Vargas Walter, who expressed her pride in the artistic quality and warmth of the gathering, which strengthened ties between Cuba and people in Britain. Friends of Cuba from all walks of life were present at the invitation-only gathering.

The following report was originally published on the website of the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

On 21 October, in London, the Cuban Embassy, with the support of the Campaign for Solidarity with Cuba (CSC), hosted an unforgettable gala in celebration of Cuban Culture Day. Entitled ‘Cuban Mosaic: A Night of Identity and Resilience,’ the event brought together Cuban artists and friends of the island in the United Kingdom to offer a broad and exciting sample of our music, dance and poetry. The result was a vibrant and emotional evening at the Bolívar Hall of the Venezuelan Embassy in the United Kingdom.

The programme combined virtuosity, tradition and contemporary creativity, with Cuban artists presenting a variety of performances and instruments, from classical pieces to modern compositions, allowing the audience to experience the cultural richness of Cuba and the celebrations that take place in our country during October.

At various points, classics from the Cuban tradition were revived alongside arrangements and performances that reflected the vitality and relevance of our culture. The evening was opened by pianist Eralys Fernández and clarinettist Lester Chío Alonso, who offered a highly lyrical start. Guitarist Nikos Baroutsakis captivated the audience with his repertoire, while Ramon Goose and John Woodham brought rhythm and flavour with guitar and congas. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Sergio Marciano shone with pieces that connected directly with the audience. Dance talent was represented by Damarys Farres & CSA Dance Company, who offered choreographic moments of great expressive power, and the London Lucumi Choir provided the voices needed to complete the evening’s sound palette.

The diverse and enthusiastic audience included British parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of cultural, business, consular and academic institutions, as well as the CSC. They all joined in the celebration, enjoyed the displays of Cuban culture up close and learned more about the significance of Cuban Culture Day, which commemorates the identity, resilience and creativity of our people.

Ambassador Ismara Mercedes Vargas Walter presided over the evening and expressed her pride in the artistic quality and warmth of the gathering, which strengthened ties between Cuba and the British public. The presence of diplomats, cultural representatives and friends of Cuba underscored the international and dialogue-oriented nature of the event.

Ma Hui meets friends from Guyana and Mexico

Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC) Ma Hui recently met with visitors from Guyana and Mexico.

On October 15, he met with Donald Ramotar, Member of the Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and former President of Guyana, along with Clement Rohee, former Foreign Minister of Guyana.

Ma said that the CPC is willing to strengthen experience exchange in state governance and administration with the PPP/C and jointly build a new type of inter-party relationship featuring seeking common ground while reserving differences, mutual respect and mutual learning.

Ramotar thanked China for its valuable support for Guyana’s economic and social development and highly praised Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era — the latest achievements of the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and its global significance.

The Guyanese friends were visiting at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).

Two days previously, Ma had met with Alberto Anaya, President of the Labour Party (PT) of Mexico.

Ma said, China and Mexico are both important countries in the Global South. The CPC attaches great importance to friendly relations with all Mexican political parties, including the Labour Party, and is willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges and cooperation to promote the healthy development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Mexico.

Anaya said, China’s development is rapid and its achievements are obvious to all. The rich experience of the CPC in party building and state governance is worth learning from. The Labour Party values its traditional friendship with the CPC and is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties to contribute to the development of Mexico-China relations and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

The PT is part of the progressive ruling coalition in Mexico. Anaya was in Beijing on his way home from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) where he had participated in the 80th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

The following articles were originally published on the website of the IDCPC.

Ma Hui Meets with Donald Ramotar, Member of the Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and Former President of Guyana

Beijing, October 15th (IDCPC) – Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today Donald Ramotar, Member of the Executive Committee of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C) and former President of Guyana, who was visiting China at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking highly of the PPP/C and Ramotar for their positive contributions to promoting China-Guyana relations and inter-party exchanges between the two countries, Ma said, China is willing to work with Guyana to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the continuous development of China-Guyana relations. The CPC is willing to strengthen experience exchange in state governance and administration with the PPP/C and jointly build a new type of inter-party relationship featuring seeking common ground while reserving differences, mutual respect and mutual learning.

Ramotar thanked China for its valuable support for Guyana’s economic and social development and highly praised Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era—the latest achievements of the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times, and its global significance. He said, the PPP/C is willing to strengthen exchanges of ideas and experience with the CPC and jointly promote the development of the global cause of justice.

Clement Rohee, former Foreign Minister of Guyana, was present.

Ma Hui Meets with Alberto Anaya, President of the Labor Party of Mexico

Beijing, October 13th (IDCPC) – Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Alberto Anaya, President of the Labor Party of Mexico.

Ma said, China and Mexico are both important countries in the Global South. Win-win cooperation is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples. The CPC attaches great importance to friendly relations with all Mexican political parties, including the Labor Party, and is willing to strengthen inter-party exchanges and cooperation to promote the healthy development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Mexico.

Anaya said, China’s development is rapid and its achievements are obvious to all. The rich experience of the CPC in party building and state governance is worth learning from. The Labor Party values its traditional friendship with the CPC and is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties to contribute to the development of Mexico-China relations and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

JVP delegation visits China

A delegation of senior cadres from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP – People’s Liberation Front of Sri Lanka) recently visited China. The JVP is Sri Lanka’s largest Marxist party and currently the core party in its governing coalition. The delegation was led by Bimal Rathnayake, Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP and Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan visitors met with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), on October 17.

Liu said, in January this year, President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and reached important consensus on building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future and deepening exchanges of governance experience between the two countries’ ruling parties, charting the course for the development of the relations between the two countries and the two Parties. The CPC is willing to continue to strengthen high-level exchanges with the JVP and assist practical cooperation between the two countries and promote people-to-people bonds through the inter-party channel.

Rathnayake said, the JVP values the friendly exchanges with the CPC and thanks China for its valuable support for Sri Lanka’s economic and social development. Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in economic development, anti-corruption and other areas. The successful practice of the CPC has convinced Sri Lanka that strong party leadership is the key to a country’s development and progress. The JVP is committed to maintaining close high-level exchanges with the CPC, learning from its experience and practices in strengthening party building and promoting national development, and conducting in-depth exchanges and cooperation in areas such as cadre training, smart city construction, poverty reduction, and promoting ethnic unity, in order to enhance the JVP’s own governance capacities and work hand in hand with China to advance the modernisation process of the two countries.

The following article was first published on the website of the IDCPC.

Beijing, October 17th (IDCPC) – Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of senior cadres of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from Sri Lanka led by Bimal Rathnayake, Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP and Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka.

Liu said, in January this year, President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and reached important consensus on building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future and deepening exchanges of governance experience between the two countries’ ruling parties, charting the course for the development of the relations between the two countries and the two Parties. The CPC is willing to continue to strengthen high-level exchanges with the JVP, and assist practical cooperation between the two countries and promote people-to-people bonds through the inter-party channel. Liu shared the great process and successful experience of the CPC in leading the advancement of Chinese modernization, and introduced the main agenda of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He said, formulating and implementing national development plans is an important piece of governance experience of the CPC. The political parties of China and Sri Lanka can have in-depth exchanges on formulating medium-and long-term development plans and promoting national modernization, so as to promote better alignment of the two countries’ strategies and plans. 

Rathnayake said, the JVP values the friendly exchanges with the CPC and thanks China for its valuable support for Sri Lanka’s economic and social development. Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in economic development, anti-corruption and other areas. The successful practice of the CPC has convinced Sri Lanka that strong party leadership is the key to a country’s development and progress. The JVP is committed to maintaining close high-level exchanges with the CPC, learning from its experience and practices in strengthening party building and promoting national development, and conducting in-depth exchanges and cooperation in areas such as cadre training, smart city construction, poverty reduction, and promoting ethnic unity, in order to enhance JVP’s own governance capacities and work hand in hand with China to advance the modernization process of the two countries. 

Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present. 

Indian communists visit China

Between September 23-30, a six-person delegation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), India’s biggest communist party, led by General Secretary MA Baby, visited China. Besides Beijing, the delegation visited the provinces of Hubei and Zhejiang.

Baby first visited China in 1985, but this was his first visit since he assumed the leadership of the party following the untimely death of Sitaram Yechury. He recounted the visit in two articles for People’s Democracy, the CPI(M)’s English language weekly. Indicating a key lesson that Indian communists have learned from their Chinese comrades, he writes:

“China lifted 800 million people above the poverty line as defined by the World Bank. Incidentally, it needs to be mentioned that taking inspiration from this example, and in an effort to address the material circumstances of the state, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala has taken up a progressive initiative to eradicate extreme poverty. By November, Kerala will become the first Indian state to do so.”

He also marvelled at the Museum of the History of the Communist Party of China (CPC), opened in July 2021 to mark the party’s centenary:

“The museum is a prime example of how a nation’s and a party’s history can be presented using cutting-edge science and technology. In the museum, the story of the CPC’s century-long journey, from its formation to modern-day achievements, is presented with the help of digital and immersive tools.”

On the substantive business of the visit, Baby reports:

“Several bilateral discussions were held during the visit. The most prominent among them was the discussion with a delegation of the CPC leadership, led by their Polit Bureau member Li Shulei. That meeting reaffirmed the deep and long-standing ties between the CPC and the CPI(M). Both parties recognise that the US State, under President Donald Trump, is trying to impose a unipolar world under its dominance. ‘Countries of the South’ — developing nations — need to stand together to resist this. In this context, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) 2025 Summit in Tianjin was particularly taken note of.

“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and China. Beyond cooperation within the SCO, both countries are playing their roles within BRICS as well. In the coming years, India and China are both set to hold the BRICS chairmanship, taking turns. The discussions stressed that India and China must resolve the issues between them through dialogue. Improving India-China relations would not only benefit both countries but also contribute to global peace and progress. Therefore, both sides must make patient and focused efforts toward de-escalating tensions along the border. It is serendipitous that during our visit certain significant developments were taking place towards this, such as the resumption of direct flights between India and China.”

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Symposium held in London: New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World

On Friday 24 October 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the UK organised a symposium on the topic New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World. The symposium was focused on the complex and ever-changing international situation; the challenges facing the United Nations and multilateralism; and China’s recently-proposed Global Governance Initiative, which addresses itself to the critical issue of “how to build a global governance system and how to reform and improve global governance”.

The event introduced by Minister Zhao Fei, followed by a keynote speech by Ambassador Zheng Zeguang. Counsellor Mu Yongpeng provided an introduction to the Global Governance Initiative, and Counsellor Kong Xiangwen introduced China’s position on the questions of Taiwan and UN Resolution 2758.

British participants were then invited to contribute remarks:

  1. Robert Griffiths, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain
  2. Andy Brooks, General Secretary of the New Communist Party of Britain
  3. Stephen Perry, Honorary President of the 48 Group Club
  4. Martin Albrow, Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences
  5. Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College, London
  6. Ollie Shiell, CEO of UK National Committee on China
  7. Frances Wood, Sinologist
  8. Keith Bennett, Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China
  9. Hugh Goodacre, Managing Director of Xi Jinping Thought Study Group
  10. Max Browning, Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University
  11. Janet St John-Austen, Director of Xi Jinping Thought Study Group
  12. Carlos Martinez, Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China
  13. George Korkovelos, Central Committee Member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)

We reproduce below the Embassy’s report of the event, followed by the contributions by Keith Bennett and Carlos Martinez.

Ambassador Zheng Zeguang Briefs Representatives of Different Sectors in the UK on the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee

On 24 October 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the UK held a symposium on “New Development of China, New Opportunities for the World” to brief participants on the important decisions made by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang delivered a keynote speech at the symposium. Representatives of several UK political parties and those from different sectors attended the symposium and joined in the discussions.

In his speech, Ambassador Zheng noted that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee comes at a time when China is marching towards the second Centenary Goal and represents a call to action for the entire country to seize the momentum and advance Chinese modernisation.

With this meeting, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core sets to unite and lead the Chinese people to write yet another chapter on the miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability and to open up new horizons for Chinese modernisation.

Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the meeting has identified the critical role the next five years will play in China’s development. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has achieved pioneering progress, breakthrough transformation, and historic accomplishments in its economic and social development. Over these five years, China has reached new heights in terms of economic, scientific and technological capabilities, and composite national strength. China’s economy will grow by about 4 trillion pounds.

carlosmartinez

Free Mumia Campaign discusses China and the international anti-imperialist struggle

On Sunday October 19 the Free Mumia Abu Jamal Campaign UK organised a discussion meeting on the theme of China and the international anti-imperialist struggle at International House in Brixton, south London.

Chaired by Sarah Mudd and introduced by Wilf Dixon of the Free Mumia Campaign, the meeting heard three presentations expressing differing views within a common overall anti-imperialist perspective:

  • Our Co-editor Keith Bennett spoke on ‘China and the global struggle against imperialism today’;
  • Cecil Gutzmore, Chair of the Free Mumia Campaign and veteran revolutionary Pan-Africanist, spoke on ‘Judeo-Christendom’s racism and the global anti-China movement’; and
  • Andy Higginbottom, former Assistant Professor at Kingston University, London, and a long-standing anti-imperialist activist and Marxist scholar, spoke on ‘Neo-colonialism still matters – Militarisation and Imperial Grand Strategy (US v. China)’.

The presentations were followed by a lively discussion and informal networking. We embed below a video of the three speeches, followed by the text of Keith Bennett’s presentation.

I’d like to thank the Free Mumia Abu Jamal Campaign UK for their initiative in organising this discussion on China and the international anti-imperialist struggle and for inviting me to speak.

Some might ask why a campaign such as yours might wish to address such a topic. But such a view could be said to not fully take account of why you have – correctly in my view – placed such importance on Mumia’s case and on the necessity to win the freedom of this revolutionary fighter who has endured some 43 years of incarceration in the hell hole conditions of the US prison system without losing his revolutionary faith and will or his original aspiration.

Whether before or throughout his long imprisonment, Mumia’s writings have expressed unwavering solidarity with the struggles of peoples throughout the world against imperialism. In his early teens, he joined the Black Panther Party. Many things distinguished the Panthers, of course – from armed self-defence to free breakfast programs for children to clinics to treat sickle cell anaemia. But equally distinctive was the strong solidarity the party expressed, and the inspiration it drew from, the Asian socialist countries – from China, Vietnam and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). From their long-standing, protracted struggles against imperialism. And from their revolutionary standpoint and their creative application and development of Marxism-Leninism from the standpoint of the oppressed.

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Understanding the changes unseen in a century

The following text is based on a presentation given by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez at the Thinkers Forum, held at Fudan University, Shanghai, on 16 October 2025, which event brought together thinkers and scholars from around the world to discuss “Global Changes and the Reshaping of the World Order.”

Carlos explores the meaning of Xi Jinping’s observation that “the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century”, arguing that these changes reflect a historic shift from Western-led unipolar dominance toward a multipolar, post-imperialist global order. The article traces these changes back to the October Revolution of 1917, which opened a new era of socialist development and anti-colonial liberation.

After the setbacks of the 1980s and 1990s — including the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of neoliberal globalisation — Western commentators like Francis Fukuyama declared “the end of history”. Yet, as Deng Xiaoping noted, history advances through contradictions and reversals. The 2008 financial crisis, widening inequality and environmental collapse have since exposed the limits of neoliberal capitalism.

Meanwhile, a multipolar world is emerging. China stands at the centre of this process, advancing initiatives such as the Belt and Road, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative — all based on sovereignty, non-interference, and mutual benefit. Such efforts are helping countries of the Global South break from dependency and pursue sustainable, sovereign development.

The US and its allies, meanwhile, cling to hegemony through wars, sanctions, economic coercion and destabilisation. Humanity faces a stark choice: socialism or barbarism, cooperation or confrontation. Carlos concludes by calling for a global united front of socialist, anti-imperialist, and progressive forces to ensure that this century’s transformations lead to peace, justice, and sustainable development.

Carlos’s presentation was summarised in the popular Chinese news website Guancha.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has observed several times that “the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century”. What are these changes, and what are their implications for the current global situation?

Before addressing the changes the world is experiencing today, it is worthwhile reflecting on the major changes that occurred a century ago, since the dramatic shifts of that time laid the foundations for the transformations we are witnessing now.

The October Revolution of 1917 was a watershed moment marking the beginning of humanity’s transition from capitalism to socialism. The revolution in Russia led to the formation of the world’s first socialist state – the Soviet Union – which became a revolutionary base area for the working class and oppressed peoples of the world. The Soviet Union provided crucial support for the liberation of, and construction of socialism in, Eastern Europe, China, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere.

The Soviet Union and China played the decisive role in the defeat of fascism in World War II. This victory gave tremendous impetus to the anti-colonial movement and national liberation struggles around the world – in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The colonial system was no longer viable.

As such, the October Revolution constituted the first major breach in the imperialist world system, thereby marking the start of the current era of human development.

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