Pelosi’s one-night stand in Taipei accomplished her goals

In this short article, originally published on his Edu/Pol Newsletter, veteran US progressive activist Mike Klonsky draws a connection between Pelosi’s Taiwan visit and the shady dealings of her venture capitalist husband, currently under investigation for an insider trading scandal involving semiconductors made on the island.

If Nancy Pelosi’s aim was to destabilize the region and pull the rug out from under Biden’s upcoming meeting with Xi, her stopover in Taiwan was a resounding success. Her visit to Taiwan could also have a large impact on the semiconductor business, which has a heavy presence in China and Taiwan.

China now says it is canceling or suspending all dialogue with the U.S. on issues from climate change to military relations and anti-drug efforts in retaliation.

AP reports this morning

China is canceling all communication between its area commanders and defense department, along with talks on military maritime safety. Cooperation on returning illegal immigrants, criminal investigations, transnational crime, illegal drugs, and climate change will also be suspended.

China also announced unspecified sanctions on Pelosi and her venture-capitalist husband, Paul, who is currently under investigation for an insider-trading scandal involving semiconductors, made in Taiwan.

Can’t say they weren’t warned.

Early in July, it was disclosed that Paul Pelosi had exercised call options for as much as $5 million worth of Nvidia stock ahead of deliberations in Congress about a bill that would boost the U.S. semiconductor industry.

It wasn’t the first time Paul Pelosi had invested in a semiconductor company as momentum built behind congressional funding for the industry, which produces computer chips needed for a broad range of technology.

On her brief stopover in Taipei, Pelosi met with Mark Liu, Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor, a company with a market capitalization of more than $430 billion. The recently passed CHIPS Act provides funding to the semiconductor sector and encourages the building of foundries in the U.S., something that was likely discussed between Pelosi and Liu.

Pelosi, who has said the CHIPS Act could create an opportunity for U.S. cooperation with Taiwan, recently came under scrutiny for her husband exercising call options of NVIDIA Corp. The Pelosis eventually sold their shares in NVIDIA.

Taiwan Semiconductor is building a $12-billion plant in Arizona.

Get it?

In July, Pelosi claimed that her husband has “absolutely not” made any stock trades based on information from her.

Paul Pelosi was also busted recently for causing a crash while driving his Porsche while drunk.

Pelosi’s Taiwan visit places the US on the wrong side of history

Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China Danny Haiphong summarizes the reasons for Nancy Pelosi’s reckless trip to Taiwan and how this provocation toward China has placed the United States on the wrong side of history. Danny notes that Pelosi’s trip “did not occur in a political vacuum” and that the US has been “steadily eroding its commitment to the one-China principle in action while claiming to abide by it in word.” The US’s end-game is clear: “to encircle China, to provoke China, and to undermine China’s rise on the global stage.”

This article first appeared in CGTN.

On August 2, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi led a Congressional delegation to Taiwan despite numerous warnings from China’s Foreign Ministry and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to reconsider. Pelosi’s military aircraft snuck into Taiwan late in the evening.

The next day, the second-in-line to the U.S. president met with authorities in Taiwan. Pelosi’s actions represent a blatant violation of the one-China principle. They place United States firmly on the wrong side of history by further accelerating the deterioration of its relationship with China.

The one-China principle is the foundation of China-U.S. relations. In 1971, The United Nations recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as China’s rightful government under Resolution 2758. This came after more than 22 years of sanctions against China led by the U.S.

Continue reading Pelosi’s Taiwan visit places the US on the wrong side of history

The real agenda behind Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan

In this detailed discussion on BreakThrough News, Brian Becker and Ken Hammond discuss the historic significance of Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to China’s Taiwan. Dismissing the comments by President Biden and Antony Blinken that Pelosi was visiting in some sort of unofficial capacity, they point out that Pelosi herself described the visit as a “bipartisan Congressional delegation”. The trip simply could not have taken place without the tacit blessing of the ruling cirles in the US. As such it is clearly meant to send a message of support to separatist forces in Taiwan, to provoke a response from China, and to mark an escalation in the ongoing US-led hybrid warfare aimed at containing and encircling the People’s Republic of China and rolling back the Chinese Revolution.

Brian and Ken powerfully debunk the notion that the US interest in relation to Taiwan has anything to do with “protecting democracy”. After all, the US gave its enthusiastic military, economic and diplomatic support to the military dictatorship led by Chiang Kai-shek from 1949 onwards – including manipulating the UN such that China was represented on the Security Council and the General Assembly by the Taipei regime. Martial law in Taiwan was only lifted in 1987 – eight years after the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act by the Carter administration.

The discussants make another crucial point: China has not changed its position regarding Taiwan; there has been no increase in aggressive rhetoric or activity on the Chinese side. The Chinese position has been clear and consistent: the issue of reunification is an internal matter that will be settled by Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait; that reunification is necessary and inevitable; and that it should be achieved preferably via peaceful means. It is the US and its separatist proxies in Taipei that are engaged in bellicose rhetoric and behavior, that are trying to justify an expanding US military presence in the region in order to further the US’s long-term strategy of containing China and suppressing its rise.

Statement condemning Nancy Pelosi’s reckless visit to China’s Taiwan

Organizations wishing to add their signatures to this statement should contact us at info@socialistchina.org

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the provocative and war-mongering visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to China’s territory of Taiwan.

Pelosi is a reactionary, anti-working-class imperialist politician with a long record of inveterate hostility to Socialist China and the Chinese people. Her visit to Taiwan is a major political provocation that carries with it a grave danger of leading to regional and even world war. It is a gross violation of international law and, in particular, of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the clear provisions of the three joint communiques by China and the United States.

There is only one China in the world and its sole legal government is that of the People’s Republic of China. This is an absolute and immutable fact on which there is no room for compromise. This much is recognized by 180 countries around the world, including the US, as well as by the United Nations. When and how China completes its historic goal of complete national reunification is the internal affair of the Chinese people and the Chinese people alone. No outside interference of any kind is acceptable.

Pelosi’s visit once again makes clear to all humanity that the United States is the world’s number one rogue state. Its diatribes about a so-called ‘rules based international order’ are nothing but a fig leaf for its hegemonic behavior, its gangster-like bullying and its flagrant disregard for international law.

The idea that Pelosi’s visit is some kind of unilateral action, for which the US administration is somehow not responsible, is ridiculous. She is constitutionally the second in line of succession to the Presidency. As Pelosi’s military aircraft landed in Taipei, the US assembled a veritable armada in waters off Taiwan’s east coast, including an aircraft carrier strike group, a guided missile cruiser and a destroyer. As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden bears full responsibility for this.

Pelosi’s visit caps – and escalates – a series of moves by both the present US administration and its predecessor to encourage the separatist element in Taiwan, to undermine the One China principle, to escalate the militarization of the region, and to gravely threaten peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and indeed the world. This includes public remarks by Biden himself on several occasions. As President Xi Jinping solemnly pointed out to Biden in their recent telephone conversation, those who play with fire will end up getting burned. The United States bears full responsibility for its egregious actions and for all the consequences arising therefrom.

We stand by the Chinese people, government and military in their just response to this serious infringement of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We join with the brave people of Taipei who gathered outside Pelosi’s hotel, to demand, in words that echo and resonate from Cuba to Korea and from Venezuela to Iran: “Yankee, go home!”

Statement issued by Friends of Socialist China.

Organizational signatories

Report: CPC and World Marxist Political Parties Forum

On July 28, Friends of Socialist China Co-Editor Keith Bennett joined more than 300 delegates from more than 100 Marxist political parties and organisations from more than 70 countries at the CPC and World Marxist Political Parties Forum held online with the theme, Adapting Marxism to the National Conditions and the Times of the 21st Century, organised by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In the opening ceremony, delegates were informed that Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China, had attached importance to the event and his message of greetings to all participants was then read. This was followed by the messages of greetings from Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam; Miguel Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba; and Gennady Zyuganov, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Marxism is an open ended theory that never ceases to develop. And it can only thrive when adapted to national conditions. Socialism with Chinese characteristics had been created by integrating Marxism with China’s specific conditions and fine traditional culture. Faced with changes unseen in a century, Marxism lights up the way forward for humanity and the Communist Party of China wishes to exchange experiences with Marxist parties worldwide.

In the plenary session, a keynote speech was given by Liu Jianchao, Minister of the CPC International Department, who stressed that the ‘end of history’ will never happen and that the contradiction between socialism and capitalism on a world scale was tipping in favour of socialism.

He was followed by Comrade Pany Yathotou, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and Vice-President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; leading comrades from the Cuban and Vietnamese communist parties; Solly Mapaila, the newly-elected General Secretary of the South African Communist Party; Jeronimo de Sousa, General Secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party; and Rossana Cambron, Co-Leader of the Communist Party of the USA.

Following the plenary session, two parallel sessions were held, in which, besides representatives of the CPC, leaders of the following parties presented their contributions:

  • Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova
  • Communist Party of Argentina
  • Communist Party of Belarus
  • Communist Party of Brazil
  • Communist Party of Chile
  • Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
  • Communist Party of India (Marxist)
  • People’s Party of Kazakhstan
  • Communist Party of Kenya
  • Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan
  • Labor Party of Mexico (PT)
  • Communist Party of Uruguay
  • Communist Party of Australia
  • Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist)
  • Worker’s Party of Belgium
  • Socialist Party of Egypt
  • Iraqi Communist Party
  • Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center)
  • Palestinian People’s Party
  • And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism (Senegal)
  • Vatan (Patriotic) Party of Türkiye
  • Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist)

This was an extremely important and inspiring event – a potential landmark in strengthening the unity and cohesion of the international communist movement around the advanced experience of the socialist countries and their theoretical innovations. We are pleased to republish the following four reports. The first from the Xinhua News Agency reports on the message sent to the forum by Comrade Xi Jinping. This is followed by a report carried on the website of the CPC International Department and then reports from Nhan Dan, the main newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and from the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina, highlighting their countries’ contributions to the event.

Xi says Marxism shows new vitality in 21st century

First published in Xinhua.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that Marxism has been showing new vitality in the 21st century, calling on all Marxist political parties to make the theory more relevant to the national conditions and the times.

Continue reading Report: CPC and World Marxist Political Parties Forum

Statement by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan

The following statement was released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly after Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan. Pelosi’s visit is a gross violation of China’s sovereignty and the One China principle that the US has claimed to uphold since 1972. Furthermore it is an affront to the dignity of the Chinese people and a dangerous escalation in Washington’s New Cold War.

On 2 August, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States.

There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations — “The United States of America recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.” Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with China’s Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by U.S. congressional members, and the U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.

The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda. They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward “de-sinicization”, and promote “incremental independence”. The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.

The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. Speaker’s visit. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces.

China and the United States are two major countries. The right way for them to deal with each other lies only in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, no-confrontation and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question. China strongly urges the United States to stop playing the “Taiwan card” and using Taiwan to contain China. It should stop meddling on Taiwan and interfering in China’s internal affairs. It should stop supporting and conniving at “Taiwan independence” separatist forces in any form. It should stop its acts of saying one thing but doing the opposite on the Taiwan question. It should stop distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle. It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, deliver on the “five noes” commitment made by the U.S. leadership (i.e. not seek a “new Cold War”; not seek to change China’s system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support “Taiwan independence”; not look for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.

With RIMPAC, South Korea expands its military footprint

In this article, part of the Feminist Peace Initiative’s joint campaign with Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF) against the militarization of the Asia-Pacific region, coinciding with the annual US-led RIMPAC exercises and originally published by FPIF, leading South Korean peace activist Choi Sung-hee notes that after the US, South Korea is the second largest participant in this year’s war games.

She notes that: “When RIMPAC began, the NATO summit meeting also started in Madrid. It is the first time that a South Korean president joined the NATO summit meeting. Yoon Suk-yeol, elected as the new South Korean president on May 9, has talked dangerously about the possibility of a ROK-US-Japan military alliance, which even other conservative presidents had abstained from openly talking about because of the past imperial-colony relationship between Japan and Korea. Already a NATO partner country, South Korea will likely increase its involvement in the US-led domination game against ‘enemy forces.’ Under the previous president Moon Jae-in, South Korea became the first Asian country to join the NATO cyber defense group. South Korean participation in RIMPAC risks inflaming military tension against China in the Pacific.”

“The current South Korean government”, she notes, “is strengthening trilateral coordination with the United States and Japan to put pressure on North Korea and contain China. But it would be in Seoul’s interest to reduce tensions in the region, not exacerbate them. China is the number one trading partner of South Korea, so it makes no sense for Seoul to participate in the anti-China efforts of the United States. Improving relations with North Korea—for instance by formalizing the end of the Korean War with a peace treaty—would also help to remove one of the key drivers of conflict in the region.”

On June 22, 2022, 20 civic groups held a “No RIMPAC!” press conference in front of the Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong Village, Jeju Island, South Korea. Beginning with the words “Aloha ʻĀina,” the press conference expressed solidarity with the people and all living beings in and off Hawai’i and southern California. It also demanded “peace practice, not war drills” and closure of the Jeju Naval Base.

In Hawaiian, “Aloha ʻĀina” means love and care of the land and sea. Many friends from Hawai’i have visited Gangjeong in solidarity for peace during the last few years. One of them was Pua’ena, who urgently appealed to people in Jeju not to let the warships in Jeju head for Hawai’i during the current RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) exercises, the biggest U.S.-led multinational maritime war drill, which is held every two years.

Continue reading With RIMPAC, South Korea expands its military footprint

Time for pursuing common prosperity

The following article by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez, written for China Daily, outlines the progress made in China over the past decade, and describes the rising emphasis on common prosperity and sustainable development.

After eradicating absolute poverty at the end of 2020 following the most systematic and extensive poverty alleviation program in history, China achieved its goal of becoming a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This achievement is nothing short of extraordinary, and reflects the enormous commitment of the Chinese leadership, government and people to fundamental human rights.

What’s more, the goal of eliminating extreme poverty was fulfilled while the country was concurrently battling the COVID-19 pandemic which has driven millions into poverty around the world.

What does it mean for a Chinese person to have risen out of extreme poverty? It is more than simply surpassing the World Bank-defined income threshold of $1.90 per day. China’s definition also includes two assurances (for adequate food and clothing) and three guarantees (access to medical services, safe housing with drinking water and electricity, and at least nine years of free education).

Anyone who has visited rural areas elsewhere in the developing world-whether in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East or the Caribbean-will understand that for a huge country of 1.4 billion people to be able to meet the basic needs of every citizen is a historic accomplishment. Such an accomplishment is built on the firm foundations of the Chinese revolution, the strength and wisdom of the Communist Party of China, and the system of whole-process people’s democracy.

With the completion of the targeted poverty alleviation campaign and the accomplishment of the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, China has scored an important victory. Yet the war on poverty continues, with focus now shifting toward tackling relative poverty: improving per capita GDP, revitalizing rural areas, and reducing inequality between regions and groups. It is time for “making the cake bigger and better and sharing it fairly,” as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin put it recently.

Continue reading Time for pursuing common prosperity

Africa, China, and US imperialism

This important essay by US scholar Joel Wendland-Liu, originally published on the CPUSA website, provides a serious and detailed comparison of the US-Africa relationship and the China-Africa relationship. Referencing numerous recent studies indicating that Africans – and particularly younger Africans – have a more favorable opinion of China than of the US, the author contrasts the West’s record of military, economic and political coercion on the continent with China’s record of extensive, mutually-beneficial cooperation.

Wendland-Liu notes that China’s loans and investment terms are consistently more favorable than those of the US, and that China’s interest rates are lower and repayment terms more flexible. Most importantly, Chinese financing does not come with strings attached, and investment is not linked to an undermining of African sovereignty – as is the case with the Western financial institutions. Meanwhile, it is the US and its allies that are engaged in assorted and escalating military projects in Africa, in particular via AFRICOM.

The assorted (and unsubstantiated) claims about Chinese “debt traps” and imperialistic behavior in Africa, generated by the Western ruling class media but unfortunately parroted by sections of the left, serve to demonize China and to distract attention from the West’s very real ongoing imperialist objectives on the continent. As such, it is crucial that these myths be comprehensively exposed.

The U.S. government has become obsessed with Africa. Not with fostering its strength, independence, health, or economic development, mind you. Instead, it is worried about why Africans don’t like us much. Recent polling in 29 African countries shows that African youth hold more favorable opinions of China than of the U.S. More than eight in 10 respondents see China’s influence in their country as both more prominent than that of the U.S. and more positive. Upbeat views of China are nearly unanimous in Nigeria, Malawi, and Uganda.

Separate data reveals that since 2015 the number of African students from English-speaking countries who gained admission to Chinese universities surpassed that of those who attend universities in the U.K. and the U.S.

This data shows a considerable shift in African perceptions of China, to the detriment of the dominant neocolonial powers.

After four centuries of the European/American slave trade, colonialism, and neocolonialism, followed by decades of neglect, the U.S. government in 2021 called Africa “the southern flank” of NATO. Large chunks of the massive annual $800 billion military budget fund the complex of military installations, intelligence networks, and interventionist political projects called AFRICOM.

Continue reading Africa, China, and US imperialism

Petition: Tell Nancy Pelosi that visiting Taiwan isn’t worth risking WW3

We encourage our readers to sign this petition calling on Nancy Pelosi to cancel her planned trip to Taiwan. As Australian former Prime Minister Paul Keating has noted, such a trip “would be unprecedented – foolish, dangerous and unnecessary to any cause other than her own.”

Petition text

Representative Pelosi: Please reconsider your planned trip to Taiwan in August. This trip will have few potential benefits, while posing enormous risks. Chinese state media has said “Pelosi’s Taiwan visit is a blatant provocation which will surely be met with a forceful response from China, including unprecedented military pressure.” In The Atlantic, Michael Schuman states that this has the potential to be “a Cuban-missile-crisis moment, with the United States and China staring at a potential conflagration.”

With war hawks like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo and an increasing number of politicians all jumping onboard to make themselves look “tough”, the longer you wait before cancelling this trip, the worse the political pressure to go will get. And the longer the controversy over it goes on, the harder it will be for China to back down from a military response. In short, this trip risks a military confrontation of the worst possible kind–and for what benefit?

We urge you to be the adult in the room and cancel this trip! Thanks.

Open letter to UN High Commissioner for human rights

Friends of Socialist China is proud to be a signatory to this letter of nearly 1,000 Chinese and foreign NGOs to Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calling on her to reject the demands of various fanatically anti-China elements who want her to use her position to slander China’s human rights record.

The full list of signatories can be found on Xinhua.

Dear Madame High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet,

During your visit to China including Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in late May, you had extensive exchanges with representatives from different sectors. We believe that you saw with your own eyes that Xinjiang has enjoyed sustained economic development, social stability, improvement of people’s livelihood, cultural prosperity and religious harmony. You gained a good knowledge of the fact and truth that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang enjoy various forms of human rights in accordance with law. We expect that , you will draw a conclusion based on the facts, and present what you saw and heard in Xinjiang to the international community in an objective and fair manner.

We notice that for a period of time, certain anti-China forces, out of ulterior political motives, have publicly urged you to release the so-called assessment on Xinjiang, which is against the objective facts and confuses right and wrong. We express our serious concerns regarding this. It is reported that the assessment is entirely based on false accusations fabricated by anti-China forces and false testimony by overseas anti-China separatists, and echoes the biggest lies of the century that there are so-called genocide, crimes against humanity, forced labour, forced sterilization, religious repression in Xinjiang. Such an assessment is completely untrue. The assessment, once released, will be definitely used by certain countries as a political tool to interfere in China’s internal affairs and to contain China’s development under the pretext of human rights. It will badly damage the credibility of Madame High Commissioner yourself and the OHCHR, and seriously undermine the developing countries’ confidence in constructive cooperation with the OHCHR. It will deeply hurt the sentiments of all 1.4 billion Chinese people including the 25 million in Xinjiang and of all who support the development of Xinjiang. We are strongly opposed to the release of such an unreasonable, unauthorized, and untruthful assessment.

Facts should never be distorted. Truth should never be denied. We strongly call on you and the OHCHR to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, respect the authoritative information provided by member states, and respect the serious concerns raised by all Chinese people and all people championing justice around the world. We call on you and the OHCHR to stand on the right side of history, and not to release an assessment full of lies.

Canadian labour activists oppose AUKUS, a new NATO in the Pacific

We are pleased to republish this article by Ken Stone, a leading member of Canada’s Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War, explaining the geopolitics of the AUKUS pact and assessing the resistance to it in various parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Solomon Islands, and China. Ken explains that the crux of AUKUS is to allow Australia to take a more active and leading role in the US-led New Cold War, of which China is the principal target. To that end, the US and Britain have agreed to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines – a flagrant escalation against China and a clear violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The article calls on the peace movement worldwide to join hands in opposing AUKUS and rejecting Cold War.

This article was first published in the Canada Files.

The AUKUS military pact, among the USA, UK, and Australia, was announced to the world last year on September 15, 2021. It doesn’t mention China by name but Ben Wallace, UK Defence Secretary, described AUKUS as a response to China “embarking on one of the biggest military spends in history… growing its navy [and] air force at a huge rate.”

While Western political elites cheered vapidly for it, support for this deal has been non-existent at the grassroots level. In Australia, labour unions have lead the fightback against this deal, while the Green Party condemns the deal. In Canada, politicians in all parliamentary parties cheered on this deal, with the opposition to the deal is being led by Canadian labour activists. China has opposed the deal firmly, while New Zealand refused to join AUKUS. Japan is one of the only countries in the region which is considering joining the deal.

What is AUKUS?

The AUKUS military agreement represents the most serious escalation of military force against the People’s Republic of China by the “Anglosphere” since former US President Obama declared his “Pivot to Asia” in 2009. The “Pivot to Asia” was a de facto declaration of US intent to focus its military, political, economic, and other soft power resources to contain and weaken China, which it recognized as a rival and a threat to US world hegemony – even though China repeatedly denied seeing itself as a rival to the US and eschewed the role of world hegemon.

The main aspect of this pact was the sharing of Anglo-American nuclear technology with Australia, which purchased at least eight nuclear submarines from the USA at a cost of over $100 billion USD. However, the first of these submarines is not expected to be operational for more than a decade. None of these countries held a referendum of its citizens on forming this new alliance.

Continue reading Canadian labour activists oppose AUKUS, a new NATO in the Pacific

The feminist response to RIMPAC and the US war against China

The annual Rim of the Pacific, popularly known as RIMPAC, military exercise is this year being held from June 29-August 4. Led by the United States, this year’s is the largest ever, with a total of 26 nations and 25,000 military personnel taking part.

In this article, first published on Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF), Christine Ahn notes that this is “all for the purpose of containing China”, but adds that, “often overlooked are the very real consequences of increased militarization in the Asia-Pacific, especially for frontline communities and marine ecosystems.”

Regarding the supposed ‘China threat’, she notes that, “the real threat China poses is to the bottom line of US multinationals like the Carlyle Group”, and goes on to quote historian Laurence Shoup: “Financial capitalist corporations like Carlyle want to be able to buy and sell companies without restrictions and do what they want to profit from each company’s resources and workers,” but, “China does not allow such unrestricted access, putting up roadblocks to the unfettered capitalism favored by neoliberal thinkers.”

Christine introduces the Feminist Peace Initiative, that “seeks to transform US foreign policy away from a military-first approach towards one that prioritizes genuine human security. This requires democratizing the process of shaping foreign policy by centering the voices of those most impacted by US wars and militarism.”

“We are all casualties and accessories of empire, which is why we must link across oceans and national boundaries to end this rampant militarization. As the Biden administration pursues aggressive policies to confront China’s rise, it is ever more urgent to challenge outdated definitions of security that imperil our collective futures,” she concludes.

A renowned campaigner and scholar, Christine Ahn is the executive director of Women Cross DMZ and coordinator of the Korea Peace Now! campaign.

From June 29 to August 4, the United States will lead 26 nations in a massive, coordinated military exercise around Hawai’i and Southern California known as Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, it will involve approximately 25,000 military personnel, 38 warships, four submarines, and over 170 aircraft from countries including Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and the Philippines. This year’s RIMPAC—the largest ever—happens against a backdrop of a ballooning U.S. defense budget and calls for increased U.S. military presence in the “Indo-Pacific”—all for the purpose of containing China.

Yet often overlooked are the very real consequences of increased militarization in the Asia-Pacific, especially for frontline communities and marine ecosystems. During last year’s RIMPAC war games, for example, an Australian destroyer killed a mother fin whale and her calf in San Diego. “These military exercises can wreak havoc on whales, dolphins and other marine mammals through explosions, sonar, and ship strikes,” says Kristen Monsell of the Center Biological Diversity.

Continue reading The feminist response to RIMPAC and the US war against China

Xi Jinping sends message of condolence on the death of José Eduardo dos Santos

José Eduardo dos Santos, who served as President of Angola from 1979-2017, passed away on July 8. Born in 1942, he joined the MPLA liberation movement in his early years. Sent by the MPLA to study in the Soviet Union, he obtained degrees in petroleum engineering and radar communications from Baku’s Oil and Chemistry Institute in Soviet Azerbaijan. He subsequently participated in the armed struggle against Portuguese colonial rule for several years and also represented the MPLA in a number of countries, including China and Yugoslavia. 

China and Angola established formal diplomatic relations in 1983, during President dos Santos’s term of office, and he went on to develop close political and economic relations with Beijing, with, according to 2021 figures, Angola now established as China’s third-largest trading partner in Africa. 

The following report of President Xi Jinping’s message of condolence on the death of President dos Santos is translated from the Portuguese language service of China Radio International.

On July 12th, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Angolan President João Lourenço on the death of the former president of the African country, José Eduardo dos Santos.

Xi Jinping offered deep condolences on behalf of the Chinese government and people. He stated that José Eduardo dos Santos was an excellent leader of Angola and an old friend of China, as he made important contributions to the development of Sino-Angolan relations.

According to Xi Jinping, the Chinese side highly values ​​the traditional fraternal friendship with Angola and wants to work together with the Angolan side to expand and deepen friendly cooperation in all areas and generate more benefits for both peoples.

Paul Keating: A reckless and provocative visit by Pelosi to Taiwan

With US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reported plan to visit Taiwan in August rapidly spiraling into potentially the most serious crisis in China/US relations in decades, former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating has aptly commented: “It is hard to imagine a more reckless and provocative act.”

His short and succinct statement, which we reproduce below from the Australian website Pearls and Irritations, also notes that: “A visit by Pelosi would be unprecedented – foolish, dangerous and unnecessary to any cause other than her own.”

Paul Keating served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1991-96. Although not considered to be in any sense on the left of the Australian Labor Party (itself by all accounts a somewhat endangered species these days), as an Australian conscious of his Irish heritage, he was in favour of his country severing ties with the British monarchy and becoming a republic. He was equally conscious that Australia was part of the vast and dynamic Asia Pacific region, not an offshore island of Western Europe, and he strongly pushed for the development of relations with such regional powers as China and Indonesia. Certainly he puts the current Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to shame.

Keating has the admirable quality of not mincing his words. In January he described remarks by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, that China might engage in military aggression in the Pacific as, “nothing short of demented. Not simply irrational, demented.” He continued: “The reality is Britain does not add up to a row of beans when it comes to East Asia… Britain suffers delusions of grandeur and relevance deprivation… Truss would do us all a favour by hightailing it back to her collapsing, disreputable government, leaving Australia to find its own way in Asia.”

With, on present polling, Ms Truss likely to be installed as the next British Prime Minister before the end of summer, republication of Keating’s January 23 statement in Pearls and Irritations is timely.

When the United States has a divided foreign policy on an issue of such grave importance, the world begins a slide onto very thin ice.

US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi – the third-ranked figure in the American hierarchy – is reported to be planning a visit to Taiwan, despite the urging of Administration officials from her own party. It is hard to imagine a more reckless and provocative act.

Across the political spectrum, no observer of the cross-straits relationship between China and Taiwan doubts that such a visit by the Speaker of the American Congress may degenerate into military hostilities.

If the situation is misjudged or mishandled, the outcome for the security, prosperity and order of the region and the world (and above all for Taiwan) would be catastrophic.

A visit by Pelosi would be unprecedented – foolish, dangerous and unnecessary to any cause other than her own.

Over decades, countries like the United States and Australia have taken the only realistic option available on cross-straits relations. We encourage both sides to manage the situation in a way that ensures that the outcome for a peaceful resolution is always available.

But that requires a contribution from us – calm, clear and sensitive to the messages being sent. A visit by Pelosi would threaten to trash everything that has gone before.

When the United States has a divided foreign policy on an issue of such grave importance, the world begins a slide onto very thin ice.


Herald indulges UK Foreign Secretary’s demented remarks on China

Australia’s foreign and defence ministers are giving respectability to Britain’s lunge for old-time glory.

Remarks by the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss that China could engage in military aggression in the Pacific, encouraged by Russia’s contingent moves against Ukraine, are nothing short of demented.

Not simply irrational, demented.

And this piece of nonsense by Truss commanded the front pages of The Sydney Morning Herald in a piece written by the press gallery’s most  celebrated beat-up merchant, Peter Hartcher.

Truss said such a move by China  ‘could not be ruled out’.

And on those fleeting words, Hartcher pounced, carrying the notion to the readership of the Herald — and the Melbourne Age — that China and Russia are working in concert, justifying the headline, that ‘China could follow Russia into war’.

The irresponsibility of the story and Hartcher’s writing of it is breathtaking.

But it is a measure of how far the Herald has sunk in accommodating Hartcher’s extreme and unworldly positions — especially as they relate to China.

The underlying story is the government’s desperate promotion of Britain as a strategic partner of Australia in a policy of containment of China.

The reality is Britain does not add up to a row of beans when it comes to East Asia. Britain took its main battle fleet out of East Asia in 1904 and finally packed it in with its ‘East of Suez’ policy in the 1970s. And it has never been back.

Britain suffers delusions of grandeur and relevance deprivation. But there they were at Admiralty House kidding the rest of us that their ‘co-operation’ added up to some viable policy.

Australia’s great Foreign ‘non minister’, Marise Payne, supported by the increasingly strident Defence Minister Peter Dutton, standing beside the British Foreign Secretary looking wistfully for Britain’s lost worlds of the 19th and 20th centuries. Really.

Truss would do us all a favour by hightailing it back to her collapsing, disreputable government, leaving Australia to find its own way in Asia.

Xi Jinping told the audience at Davos this week that ‘major economies should see the world as one community’.

Hardly the sort of sentiment that sits contemporaneously with someone about to spring an aggressive military action. A point perhaps way too subtle for the Herald.

Dangerous Game: Pelosi provokes China over Taiwan

In this episode of The Socialist Program, presented on Breakthrough News, Brian Becker conducts a fascinating interview with Dr. Ken Hammond, Professor of East Asian and Global Studies at New Mexico State University and Friends of Socialist China Advisory Group member.

Taking the reported plan of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, constitutionally the third position after the President and Vice-President, to visit China’s island province of Taiwan next month as part of a regional tour, Ken and Brian discuss in detail how such a visit would represent a fundamental departure from the basic ‘guard rails’ of China-US relations, starting with the first Shanghai Communique, signed by the two countries during President Nixon’s ‘icebreaking’ visit in February 1972.

They situate this as part of a continuing, and intensifying, record of US provocations against China that Professor Hammond rightly describes as “reckless, irresponsible and very dangerous.”

Both interlocutors explain the centrality of reunification with Taiwan for not only the Chinese government, but also for the Chinese people as a whole, by reference to details of Taiwan’s history, as well as to the specific nature and context of the Chinese revolution – one to overcome the ‘century of humiliation’ and to, in Chairman Mao’s famous words, enable the Chinese people to “stand up.”

They also situate the present dangerous trajectory in Sino-American relations against the background of China’s rise. As Brian Becker points out, Chinese per capita income, although it has risen substantially, is still just 17.9% of the US. Yet China’s life expectancy has already surpassed that of the US. American working people therefore have something to learn from the Chinese example.

Regrettably, faced with the rise of China and the decline of the US, bipartisan American bourgeois policy is sliding towards war with barely a pretense of debate. The US elite, Ken Hammond explains, has not really come to terms with the reality of contemporary China and the fact that they simply cannot out-compete them. Brian and Ken conclude by stressing the importance of the fight for peace and for a progressive alternative for the United States and the American people.

It’s an illuminating discussion and we’re pleased to make it available here.

Chinese ‘imperialism’ in Hong Kong concerns US Media; Puerto Rican, Palestinian colonies, not so much

We’re pleased to republish this article from 2020 by Joshua Cho, originally published in FAIR, about the startling hypocrisy in the media coverage of Hong Kong, particularly when compared to the coverage of Puerto Rico and Palestine. There was a storm of articles about the national security law in Hong Kong, with numerous Western media outlets describing it as an example of “colonialism” – ignoring the rather important fact that Hong Kong is part of China. Meanwhile, these same media outlets participate in a conspiracy of silence around the very real colonialism of the US against the people of Puerto Rico and the Israeli state against the Palestinians.

The article has lost none of its relevance in the period since its original publication.

When China passed a national security law for Hong Kong on June 30, criminalizing terrorism, secession and subversion of the Chinese government, as well as collusion with foreign governments, massive condemnations resounded all over Western media.

Vox (5/21/20) described it as an “official death sentence” for the “one country, two systems” model of governance in Hong Kong. Business Insider’s headline (7/1/20) described China’s national security law as having “killed Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement in less than a year.” The Washington Post (7/3/20) ran an op-ed mocking China’s actions as “nothing less than imperialism with Chinese characteristics.” The Atlantic (7/1/20) described Hong Kong as a “colony once more,” equating the Chinese government with previous British and Japanese “overlords in a distant capital” making “decisions on Hong Kong’s behalf.”

Of course, while Western media describe the national security law as something China “imposed” on Hong Kong, these same outlets rarely if ever present the “one country, two systems” model of governance in Hong Kong as something that was imposed on China by British imperialism, when London refused to unconditionally return the former colony to China. Hong Kong was violently seized from China with the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, after the British waged a war to impose the opium trade on China, causing about 90 million Chinese people to develop an addiction by the end of the 19th century.

Continue reading Chinese ‘imperialism’ in Hong Kong concerns US Media; Puerto Rican, Palestinian colonies, not so much

Reports from Liu Jianchao’s visit to Nepal

Comrade Liu Jianchao, the newly-appointed Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, recently visited Nepal, his first overseas visit since assuming office. His visit followed closely on from a series of video meetings held with leading Nepalese politicians.

His first reported meetings on arrival in Kathmandu were with the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also President of the Nepali Congress Party, and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka, Leader of the Nepali Congress. (The Nepali Congress is a social democratic party with a broadly similar historical trajectory to that of the Indian National Congress.)

Deuba said that Nepal-China friendship has a long history, and the Nepali Congress Party and the Nepali government have always adhered to a friendly policy toward China. He thanked China for providing important assistance for Nepal in fighting the epidemic, developing economy and improving people’s livelihood, and looked forward to strengthening friendly cooperation with China in various fields and building the Belt and Road initiative together for mutual benefits and win-win results. Nepal sees China as a trustworthy friend and firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and will not allow any force to use its territory for anti-China activities. For his part, Liu said that China has always viewed and developed China-Nepal relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and has maintained a consistent policy of friendship toward Nepal, maintaining and developing friendly and cooperative relations with all political parties in Nepal. China believes that developing friendly relations with China is also the consensus of all political parties in Nepal and the aspiration of the Nepali people.

Later in the visit, Liu met with Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari. Prior to becoming head of state, Bhandari was a long-term militant and then central leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist). She is also the widow of Madan Bhandari, the General Secretary of the CPN(UML), who died in a suspicious car accident in 1993.

In their meeting, Bhandari said, Nepal and China are good friends and brothers. The most important experience of maintaining the healthy and stable development of Nepal-China relations is that both sides have always respected each other and safeguarded our common interests. The Chinese side has never interfered in the internal affairs of Nepal, and has always opposed the practice of the strong bullying the weak. The Nepali side trusts China completely. She continued, China is an important development partner of Nepal, and has played a significant role in boosting Nepal’s development. When Nepal was struck by a massive earthquake in 2015, the Chinese side immediately lent a helping hand to help Nepal with disaster relief and reconstruction. Now Nepal has survived the huge losses of the earthquake. China’s selfless help for Nepal at the critical moment played a vital role. When the COVID-19 broke out, China once again offered precious help to Nepal. The Nepali people are deeply moved. In his response, Liu said, please rest assured that whenever Nepal is in difficulty, your Chinese brother over the Himalayas is always there for you.

Meetings with the leaders of Nepal’s communist movement also formed an important part of Liu’s visit. They included with KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), Prachanda, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairman, and Jhala Nath Khanal, Senior Leader, of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) – all four of whom are also former Prime Ministers – and Narayan Man Bijukchhe, President of the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party.

Welcoming Liu, Chairman Oli of the CPN(UML) said that Nepal and China are connected by mountains and rivers, and share the same destiny. The Nepali side appreciates the firm support of the Chinese side in Nepal’s efforts in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and the selfless support for Nepal’s development and stability over a long time. Liu said that China resolutely supports Nepal’s efforts in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, supports the Nepali people in choosing a social system and development path independently, and is willing to continue its support and help for Nepal’s economic and social development.

Comrade Prachanda said that Nepal sees China as a trustworthy friend and thanks China for giving a helping hand when needed by Nepal. Though the political parties in Nepal have different political views, they share a high degree of consensus on developing friendly relations with China, are all firmly committed to developing friendly relations with China, and will not allow any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities.

What was also significant was that the Chinese leader also visited and participated in poverty alleviation programmes supported by China as well as the grassroots units and activities of the communist parties.

On his way home, Liu also made a stop over in Singapore where he held meetings with leading members of the ruling People’s Action Party and government and participated in a dialogue with leading local scholars, including Kishore Mahbubani, author of the influential book, ‘Has China won? The Chinese challenge to American Primacy’.

The following reports first appeared on the website of the CPC International Department.

Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister of Nepal and President of Nepali Congress Party Meets with Liu Jianchao

Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister of Nepal and President of Nepali Congress Party met here today on the afternoon with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, who was on his visit to Nepal.

Deuba said, Nepal-China friendship has a long history, and the Nepali Congress Party and the Nepali government have always adhered to a friendly policy toward China. He thanked China for providing important assistance for Nepal in fighting the epidemic, developing economy and improving people’s livelihood, and looked forward to strengthening friendly cooperation with China in various fields and building the Belt and Road initiative together for mutual benefits and win-win results. Nepal sees China as a trustworthy friend and firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and will not allow any force to use its territory for anti-China activities. The Nepali Congress Party attaches great importance to developing friendly exchanges with the CPC, and looks forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two Parties to push Nepal-China relations for in-depth development. Deuba wished the 20th CPC National Congress to be held in the second half of 2022 a complete success.

Liu said, China has always viewed and developed China-Nepal relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and has maintained a consistent policy of friendship toward Nepal, maintaining and developing friendly and cooperative relations with all political parties in Nepal. China believes that developing friendly relations with China is also the consensus of all political parties in Nepal and the aspiration of the Nepali people. The high-level political mutual trust between China and Nepal not only stems from the traditional friendship and extensive common interests between the two countries, but also cannot be separated from the important role played by political parties of both countries in bilateral relations. At a historical moment when the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century and the world is entering a period of turbulence and transformation, the CPC is willing to, together with the Nepali Congress Party, strengthen strategic communication, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen exchanges and mutual learning, support each other on issues related to each other’s core interests and major concerns, implement the important consensus reached during General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal in October 2019, and push China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity for constant development, so as to benefit the two countries and peoples.

Liu Jianchao presented Deuba with the English version of the fourth volume of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China”.


Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari Meets with Liu Jianchao

Bidya Devi Bhandari, Nepali President, met here today on the morning with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Bhandari welcomed Liu and his delegation, who were on a visit to Nepal, and asked Liu to convey her warm greetings and best wishes to President Xi Jinping. She said, Nepal and China enjoy an ever-lasting and long-standing friendship. President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Nepal in October 2019, bringing Nepal-China relations to new highs with constant new progress. Implementing the important consensus reached between both sides during the visit of President Xi Jinping is a goal that requires the joint efforts of both countries. Nepal hopes to push the construction of Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network for more fruitful results.

Bhandari said, Nepal and China are good friends and brothers. The most important experience of maintaining the healthy and stable development of Nepal-China relations is that both sides have always respected each other and safeguarded our common interests. The Chinese side has never interfered in the internal affairs of Nepal, and has always opposed the practice of the strong bullying the weak. The Nepali side trusts China completely. Nepal adheres to the one-China principle, and supports the Chinese side’s position on Taiwan and issues regarding Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The Nepali side opposes interference and expansion in Nepal of any force, and by no means allows any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities.

Bhandari said, China is an important development partner of Nepal, and has played a significant role in boosting Nepal’s development. When Nepal was struck by a massive earthquake in 2015, the Chinese side immediately lent a helping hand to help Nepal with disaster relief and reconstruction. Now Nepal has survived the huge losses of the earthquake. China’s selfless help for Nepal at the critical moment played a vital role. When the COVID-19 broke out, China once again offered precious help to Nepal. The Nepali people are deeply moved.

Bhandari said, our world has yet to achieve full peace. China has made huge contributions to safeguarding world peace and development. China develops peaceful and friendly relations with all countries in the world on the basis of mutual respect, winning extensive support from the international community. The Nepali side again congratulates the CPC on its centenary, wishes greater development achievements of the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC, and wishes the 20th CPC National Congress a complete success.

Liu conveyed President Xi Jinping’s warm greetings and best wishes to President Bhandari. Liu said, the main purpose for my visit is to implement the important consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and President Bhandari in an in-depth way, carry out friendly exchanges with all political parties of Nepal, and push bilateral relations for healthy and stable development. During the visit, I met leaders of the government and political parties of Nepal. I have gained three major impressions. The first is, though the political parties of Nepal have different political views, they all share a high degree of consensus of deepening China-Nepal friendship. The second is that China and Nepal are true friends with mutual support. Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and does not allow any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities. The Chinese side resolutely supports Nepal’s efforts in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in choosing a social system and development path suited to its national conditions. The third is that the two peoples share an ever-lasting friendship. Both sides have huge potential in mutually beneficial cooperation. The Chinese side will work with the Nepali side to resolutely promote the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state.

Liu said, developing friendly relations with Nepal is China’s long-term policy that is open to all the political parties and people of Nepal. The Chinese side’s support and assistance for Nepal is truly for the good of Nepal and the Nepali people. The Chinese side is willing to continue to offer support and assistance to Nepal within its capacity in developing economy and improving people’s livelihood. Please rest assured that whenever Nepal is in difficulty, your Chinese brother over the Himalayas is always there for you.


KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and Former Prime Minister of Nepal, Meets with Liu Jianchao

KP Sharma Oli, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and former Prime Minister of Nepal, met here today on the morning with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Oli welcomed Liu and his delegation, who were on a visit to Nepal, saying that Nepal and China are connected by mountains and rivers, and share the same destiny. Recent years have witnessed rapid development of Nepal-China relations. The Nepali side appreciates the firm support of the Chinese side in Nepal’s efforts in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and the selfless support for Nepal’s development and stability over a long time. The Nepali side has always adopted a consistent policy towards issues concerning the core interests and major concerns of the Chinese side, has always upheld the one-China principle, and has never allowed any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities. The achievements and experience of the CPC over the past centenary is an important inspiration to Nepal and Nepal’s political parties. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) looks forward to strengthening exchange and cooperation with the CPC, and learning the successful experience in party building and state governance from the CPC. Oli wished the 20th CPC National Congress a complete success.

Liu thanked Oli for his contributions to the development of China-Nepal relations, saying that China and Nepal are close neighbors sharing an ever-lasting friendship. The Chinese side appreciates Nepal’s adherence to the one-China principle, and its firm support for China’s position on Taiwan, and issues related to China’s Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. China firmly adopts a long-term, strategic and solid policy towards Nepal. China resolutely supports Nepal’s efforts in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, supports the Nepali people in choosing a social system and development path independently, and is willing to continue its support and help for Nepal’s economic and social development. At a historic moment when the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the world is entering a period of turbulence and transformation, China-Nepal relations assume more strategic significance. The Chinese side is willing to work with the Nepali side to implement the important consensus reached during General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal in October 2019, and constantly push China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity to new highs. The CPC is willing to reinforce high-level exchanges and strategic communication with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and promote practical cooperation.


Prachanda, Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and Former Prime Minister of Nepal Meets with Liu Jianchao

Prachanda, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and former Prime Minister of Nepal met here today on the afternoon with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Prachanda welcomed Liu and the CPC delegation to visit Nepal, and said that Nepal and China are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. Nepal sees China as a trustworthy friend and thanks China for giving a helping hand when needed by Nepal. Though the political parties in Nepal have different political views, they share a high degree of consensus on developing friendly relations with China, are all firmly committed to developing friendly relations with China, and will not allow any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities. The Nepalese side supports strengthening Nepal-China friendship and cooperation, and accelerating the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, especially the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) admires the development achievements of the CPC in the past century and looks forward to deepening experience exchange and mutual learning between the two sides in party building and state governance, so as to contribute to in-depth development of Nepal-China relations. Prachanda wished the 20th CPC National Congress a complete success.

Liu appreciated Prachanda’s long-standing contributions to the development of China-Nepal relations, saying that the key to the long-term friendly relations between China and Nepal lies in mutual respect for each other’s core interests and major concerns. China’s friendly policy toward Nepal is a long-term policy, not a matter of expediency. China appreciates the Nepalese side for its firm support on issues related to China’s core interests, and will continue to support Nepal in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and in exploring a social system and development path suited to its national conditions. The friendly exchanges between the CPC and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) are an important bond in the relations between the two countries. In the new situation of accelerating changes unseen in a century and emerging international and regional challenges, the CPC is willing to strengthen high-level contacts and strategic communication with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), deepen experience exchange and mutual learning in state governance and administration, jointly implement the important consensus reached between the two sides during General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal, and push China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity for constant development, so as to benefit the two countries and peoples.


Leaders of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) Meet with Liu Jianchao

Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) and former Prime Minister and Jhala Nath Khanal, the senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) and former Prime Minister of Nepal met here today on the afternoon with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The Nepali side said, the two countries and peoples have a history of friendly exchanges spanning thousands of years. Nepal thanks the Chinese side for helping Nepal fight the epidemic, develop its economy and improve people’s livelihood. Nepal’s friendly policy towards China is consistent and Nepal will not allow any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities. The Nepali side is willing to further strengthen the Belt and Road cooperation with China and support the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by the Chinese side. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) hopes to learn more about the successful experience of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and looks forward to strengthening experience exchanges and mutual learning with the CPC in party building and state governance, so as to contribute to the further development of Nepal-China relations. The Nepali side wished the 20th CPC National Congress a complete success.

Liu appreciated the long-standing contributions of Nepal and Khanal to the development of China-Nepal relations and said that his visit aims at deepening the traditional friendship between China and Nepal and promoting friendly exchanges with the political parties in Nepal. The Chinese side appreciates Nepal’s long-term friendly policy toward China. The Chinese side’s friendly policy toward Nepal is long-term and consistent, and the Chinese side firmly supports Nepal in safeguarding its sovereign, independence and territorial integrity. Under the new situation, the CPC is willing to strengthen contacts with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist), deepen experience exchange and mutual learning in state governance and administration, and push China-Nepal friendship and practical cooperation for constant development.

When it comes to China’s development, Hukou reform is inevitable

In this useful article, republished from China Daily, Keith Lamb provides an overview of the Hukou household registration system and the reasons for the recently-announced plans to reform it. Lamb notes that Hukou was originally introduced in order to prevent uncontrolled urban migration and the accompanying problems (in particular the emergence of slums, which can be found in practically all other recently-industrialized countries). However, the economic and social needs of a modern, increasingly urbanized socialist country require loosening restrictions on household registration and improving the rights and living conditions of people migrating to the cities. As the author observes, “when it comes to building a modern socialist state, inequality in accessing services must eventually, on principle, be transformed into a state of equality.”

China’s National Development and Reform Commission recently announced that the household registration system, popularly known by its Mandarin name Hukou, will be streamlined to encourage urbanization. All cities with a population under 3 million will have Hukou limits removed and registration for an urban Hukou in cities with a population between three and five million will be eased.

The modern Hukou, which reached maturity in 1958, determines who has access to local social amenities, such as education, healthcare and employment. Originally, it was an effective measure that prevented mass internal migration when China had an undeveloped economy based on agricultural production.

Checking mass migration from rural to urban centers prevented slums from building up, which was common in neighboring developing countries. Labor was also paired with the land which was important considering it was the location where the majority of production took place, allowing agriculture to be used in the service of industrialization.

Continue reading When it comes to China’s development, Hukou reform is inevitable