Friends of Socialist China, Author at Friends of Socialist China

BRICS+ and the future of the international order

This thought-provoking article by Elias Jabbour – associate professor of theory and policy of economic planning at Rio de Janeiro State University, and member of the Friends of Socialist China advisory group – explores the shifting dynamics of global power and the emergence of BRICS+ as a significant factor in the evolving international order. The article underlines the significance of China’s socialist development in particular – which has positioned it at the centre of a rising multipolar world – and an emerging “globalisation with Chinese characteristics” which promotes development, peace and common prosperity, in contrast to the enforced inequality and violence that characterise imperialist globalisation.

Elias notes the resurgence of the Global South as a key factor in the transformation of the international order, and the role of BRICS+ in this process. While the Global South is made up of “a heterogeneous set of countries, with differentiated levels of development”, these countries collectively “have the ability to converge on some fundamental issues for their own future, and for that of humanity itself.” Put in other words, the countries of the Global South have a shared interest in opposing imperialism, defending sovereignty and pursuing peaceful development. China stands at the centre of the process of uniting the countries of the Global South in promoting a multipolar, democratic and fair system of international relations.

The article also highlights the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative as a key component of China’s global strategy, and the potential for BRI to transform the global economic landscape by promoting infrastructure development, economic integration, and a shift away from the financialised neoliberal model associated with the US.

Elias discusses the disastrous consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the concurrent global imposition of neoliberalism. On the other hand, the US’s moment of triumph did not last long, and the last decade and a half have witnessed “the erosion of the ability to reinvent capitalism due to financialisation and the emergence of a socialist country (China) as an economic power whose path reflects nothing of the neoliberal recipes sold by the IMF and the World Bank have contributed to the acceleration of a systemic transition, in which a new globalisation centered on China is only its greatest expression.”

In conclusion, the article argues that the political future of BRICS+ and the broader Global South is intricately linked to China’s trajectory and its ability to offer a developmental model that counters neoliberalism. It suggests that the global struggle against underdevelopment and for independence is gaining momentum, with BRICS+ playing a pivotal role in shaping a more equitable global order.

This article first appeared in Geopolitical Economy Report.

The emergence and rise of new poles of power to the detriment of existing ones is nothing new in history. Since the 18th century, there have been countless examples of transitions in international hegemony. This accelerated with the emergence of industrial capitalism in England, which was more advanced than the Portuguese and Spanish commercial capitalism that for centuries had dominated much of the world, especially Latin America.

Even the capitalist dynamic inaugurated by England has characteristics that are not unfamiliar to economic historians with great theoretical and conceptual rigor.

Well known is Vladimir Lenin’s discovery of the uneven nature of the development of nations and the tendency of the most developed countries to lose dynamism while others begin to enjoy what economist Alexander Gerschenkron called the “advantages of backwardness”.

So the international order cannot be observed, from a historical point of view, as a march where countries change positions like in a military parade.

The emergence of monopolistic capitalism brought with it the tendency toward war, for example. We have witnessed two great world wars where the center of the dispute was world power, with results that consolidated new political actors on the international stage, mainly the United States.

A new systemic transition

I start from the historical principle that reality has shown Lenin to be correct, regarding the uneven development of the system and the tendency toward stagnation in the developed centers. These processes open spaces of power in the world.

I also say that we will have little to offer in terms of explanation for the future if we do not relate the transformation of the United States into a unified continental economy at the end of the 19th century, and its impacts on the development of the international capitalist system, with what we have witnessed in China over the past decades: the emergence of a unified continental economy in the third-largest country in the world, which is generating huge impacts on the international political economy – and is still little investigated by so-called experts.

This is a fundamental point when we want to develop a sophisticated thinking about the BRICS+ and the future of the international order. I will return to this point.

On the other hand, we are witnessing a new wave of systemic transition today. This time, there is the emergence of new poles of global power on one side, while on the other there is an accelerated stage of political, social, moral, and economic decomposition of a hegemonic power: the United States of America.

It is interesting to note that the new order that is emerging is itself the product of the order created by the United States after World War II, which accelerated in the late 1970s with the rise of neoliberalism, and especially after the end of the Soviet Union.

Globalization led by the powerful finance of the United States was a reality that transformed the economic geography of the world, but which is eroding within its own limits. Since the moment when financialization became the dominant dynamic of accumulation in capitalism, and neoliberalism won hearts and minds around the globe, the world has entered a spiral of greater instability and unpredictability.

Wang Yi: Contributing to a brighter future of peace, security, prosperity and progress in the world

Following last December’s Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, held in Beijing, an important article by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was published on January 16, in which China’s top diplomat comprehensively outlined the themes of the conference and gave a profound exposition of the key features and theoretical background of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.

According to Wang Yi, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is “a shining example of applying the basic tenets of Marxism to the practice of China’s diplomacy and fine traditional Chinese culture. It has not only built on the proud diplomatic tradition of New China but also kept abreast of the times, broken new ground and opened up new vistas in China’s diplomatic theory and practice.”

He goes on to explain that “building a community with a shared future for humanity is the core tenet of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. It reflects the high consistency of the Communist Party of China’s founding aspiration and mission with the trend of our times, and embodies the broadest common expectations of people around the globe for a better world. With tremendous theoretical value and far-reaching historical significance, this vision is gaining increasingly strong influence, vitality and appeal.”

The fundamental safeguard for China’s diplomacy and foreign policy, he notes, is the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). “CPC leadership is our greatest political strength and the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is also the most fundamental principle and greatest source of strength for China’s diplomacy.”

Reviewing the achievements of China’s diplomacy over the last decade, Wang Yi outlined six imperatives, namely that it “is imperative to uphold principles, shoulder China’s responsibility as a major country, apply systems thinking, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, carry forward our fighting spirit, and leverage our institutional strengths.”

Further developing this theme, he explains:

“On major issues of right and wrong, it is imperative to uphold principles. China is a socialist country led by the CPC. We should take a clear position by standing on the progressive side of history and on the side of fairness and justice, work actively to meet the common aspirations and legitimate concerns of people of all countries, and demonstrate the people-centeredness of the CPC and the commitment to serving the people in China’s foreign policy. This way, we will always rally abundant support for the just cause, hold the high ground of justice and have strategic initiative.

“It is incumbent on China, the biggest developing country and a major country, to uphold justice in a world undergoing profound changes and turbulence and to shoulder responsibility at critical moments, and hence be a firm defender of world peace and champion of global development. “At the same time, and through Chinese modernisation, we are ready to be helpful in the efforts of other developing countries that want to achieve development while preserving their independence, so that all countries will be able to embark on the right path toward modernisation through peaceful development.

“In developing strategies and policies, it is imperative to apply systems thinking. The CPC, a Marxist party armed with theories of dialectical and historical materialism, should know how to analyse, study and assess the international situation with the understanding that things are universally connected and constantly evolving. “We should be able to see the present from a historical perspective and look beyond the surface to get to the crux of issues, so as to discern and analyse accurately the laws and direction of the profoundly changing world, and formulate sound foreign policies.”

Regarding assessing risks and challenges, “it is imperative to carry forward our fighting spirit. The CPC has never been deterred by intimidation, swayed by fallacies, or cowed by pressure. Only with the courage and ability to carry on our fight, can we overcome various difficulties and obstacles. Going forward, we will face an even more severe international situation and more complex external environment. We must forge ahead with an indomitable spirit and tenacious efforts to open up new horizons in our external work.”

Wang notes that at the conference, it was pointed out that great transformation is accelerating across the world. Changes of the world, of our times, and of historical significance are unfolding like never before, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Yet the overall direction of human development and progress will not change, the overall dynamics of world history moving forward amid twists and turns will not change, and the overall trend toward a shared future for the international community will not change.

A country’s foreign policy, he went on to explain, is closely linked to its domestic agenda as its external and internal imperatives correlate and interplay with each other. “At a fundamental level, we should handle the relationship between the three well: a community with a shared future for humanity, global transformation, and Chinese modernisation. Building a great modern socialist country in all respects and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation is the top political priority on the new journey of the new era. To accomplish this central task of the Party and the country, we must hold high the banner of building a community with a shared future for humanity to steer global transformation in the right direction. We need to pursue China’s development in the broader development of the world, and advance the interests of both the Chinese people and people the world over. By doing so, we will facilitate the move toward a brighter future of peace, security, prosperity and progress in the world.”

Turning to multipolarity, Wang described it as the general trend of the world today. Great transformation is accelerating across the world. The international balance of power is undergoing profound realignment. The Global South is gaining a stronger momentum, shaping the trajectory of world history in a profound way. The overwhelming majority of the members of the international community, be they big or small, all stand for a multipolar world and reject the old path of bloc confrontation and zero-sum competition, still less a repeat of war and conflict.

The multipolar world China champions is one based on equality. It means all countries, regardless of their size, are treated as equals; hegemonism and power politics are rejected; international affairs are not dominated by only a handful of countries; and democracy is truly promoted in international relations. Each and every country or group of countries should have its place in the multipolar system, and the conventional myth that multipolarity is the monopoly of a few big powers should be debunked.

Similarly, the economic globalisation China advocates is one that is universally beneficial. It means meeting the common needs of all countries, especially the developing countries, properly addressing the development imbalances between and within countries resulting from the global allocation of resources and delivering balanced and adequate development. This will help foster a globalisation process that enables faster development of all countries, especially the developing countries, and ensure universal benefit and common prosperity.

The following is the full text of Comrade Wang Yi’s article. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Implementing the Guiding Principles of the Central Conference On Work Relating to Foreign Affairs and Breaking New Ground In Major-Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics

At the end of December 2023, the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs was successfully held. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important address at the conference, in which he presented a comprehensive review of the historic achievements and valuable experience of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, gave a profound exposition on the international environment and historical mission of China’s external work on the new journey, and made comprehensive plans for China’s external work for the present and coming periods. The conference identified the theme of China’s external work as building a community with a shared future for mankind, set the noble goal pursued by China in conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and laid out the top-level plan for China’s diplomatic strategies on the new journey ahead. Practiced and developed over the first decade of the new era, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy has increasingly demonstrated its extraordinary theoretical quality of keeping in sync with and leading the times, a testament that our Party’s understanding of China’s relations with the world has reached a new and higher level.

Clean energy was top driver of China’s economic growth in 2023

The following detailed article by Lauri Myllyvirta and Qi Qin, originally published in Carbon Brief, highlights the unprecedented expansion of clean energy technology in China in 2023.

The authors’ analysis shows that clean energy investment in China increased 40 percent year-on-year – the $890bn total is slightly higher than the GDP of Switzerland. Furthermore, clean energy sectors “were the largest driver of China’ economic growth overall, accounting for 40 percent of the expansion of GDP in 2023… This shift positions the clean-energy industry as a key part not only of China’s energy and climate efforts, but also of its broader economic and industrial policy.”

The largest growth was in solar energy, the value of which sector increased by 63 percent. “While China has dominated the manufacturing and installations of solar panels for years, the growth of the industry in 2023 was unprecedented.” There was also significant growth of solar product exports to countries along the Belt and Road, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia.

The article finds that China’s production of electric vehicles grew 36 percent in 2023. Over a third of cars purchased in China in the last year were electric; this growth is supported by a vast charging infrastructure – the article notes that by November 2023 there were 8.6m charging points (around 50 times the number in the US).

The article also notes that China is rapidly scaling up its electricity storage capacity. “This has the potential to significantly reduce China’s reliance on coal- and gas-fired power plants to meet peaks in electricity demand and to facilitate the integration of larger amounts of variable wind and solar power into the grid.”

The authors argue that the growth of clean energy in China is a result of the country’s overall economic strategy and its clear political commitment to climate goals. “China’s clean-energy policies and wider industrial policy built the foundation and scaled up these sectors so that they were primed for rapid growth.”

It is likely that the Chinese government will continue to direct vast resources towards green energy – benefitting not only China but the whole world. In this light, the recklessness of the US-led strategy of “decoupling” and New Cold War is ever more apparent. Those in the West that care about the future of the planet should work towards friendly relations and close cooperation with China in support of a global green energy transition.

Clean energy contributed a record 11.4tn yuan ($1.6tn) to China’s economy in 2023, accounting for all of the growth in investment and a larger share of economic growth than any other sector.

The new sector-by-sector analysis for Carbon Brief, based on official figures, industry data and analyst reports, illustrates the huge surge in investment in Chinese clean energy last year – in particular, the so-called “new three” industries of solar power, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.

Solar power, along with manufacturing capacity for solar panels, EVs and batteries, were the main focus of China’s clean-energy investments in 2023, the analysis shows.

(For this analysis, we used a broad definition of “clean energy” sectors, including renewables, nuclear power, electricity grids, energy storage, EVs and railways. These are technologies and infrastructure needed to decarbonise China’s production and use of energy.)

Other key findings of the analysis include:

Clean-energy investment rose 40% year-on-year to 6.3tn yuan ($890bn), with the growth accounting for all of the investment growth across the Chinese economy in 2023.
China’s $890bn investment in clean-energy sectors is almost as large as total global investments in fossil fuel supply in 2023 – and similar to the GDP of Switzerland or Turkey.
Including the value of production, clean-energy sectors contributed 11.4tn yuan ($1.6tn) to the Chinese economy in 2023, up 30% year-on-year.
Clean-energy sectors, as a result, were the largest driver of China’ economic growth overall, accounting for 40% of the expansion of GDP in 2023.
Without the growth from clean-energy sectors, China’s GDP would have missed the government’s growth target of “around 5%”, rising by only 3.0% instead of 5.2%.

The surge in clean-energy investment comes as China’s real-estate sector shrank for the second year in a row. This shift positions the clean-energy industry as a key part not only of China’s energy and climate efforts, but also of its broader economic and industrial policy.

Xi Jinping extends condolences over death of Namibian President Hage Geingob

Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, died on Sunday February 4, 2024, whilst receiving treatment for cancer, at the age of 82.

A longtime veteran of the liberation struggle waged by the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), Geingob served as Nambia’s first Prime Minister when the country won independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. He was elected President in 2014, with 87% of the vote, and was re-elected five years later.

Announcing the President’s death, Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, said that the country had “lost a distinguished servant of the people, a liberation struggle icon, the chief architect of our constitution.”

In accordance with the constitution, Mbumba has been sworn in as the country’s fourth president but has stated that he will not be a candidate in November’s presidential election. SWAPO had already selected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who was serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, as its candidate. She has now been appointed as the country’s Vice President.

In one of his final political acts, Geingob not only backed South Africa’s case charging Israel with genocide at the International Court of Justice, but also criticised Germany, Namibia’s former colonial overlord, for backing Israel’s defence of the charges levelled against it, noting that the country was responsible for the genocide of tens of thousands of Nama and Herero people from 1904 to 1908. “The German government is yet to fully atone for the genocide it committed on Namibian soil,” he noted.

In a message sent on February 5, Chinese President Xi Jinping, said that President Geingob, an outstanding leader of Namibia, had promoted the in-depth development of the China-Namibia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation during his lifetime and made important contributions to boosting China’s friendship with Namibia and Africa. His death is a great loss to the Namibian people and the Chinese people also lost a good friend.

The same day, Foreign Ministry press spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, responding to a question from Xinhua News Agency, said:

“We express deep condolences over President Hage Geingob’s passing and extend sincere sympathies to the Namibian government and people and to President Geingob’s family. President Geingob was an extraordinary leader of his country. He led the Namibian people in pursuing national independence and liberation and advancing socio-economic development and was supported and loved by the people.

“President Hage Geingob was an old friend of the Chinese people. He oversaw on the Namibian side the upgrade of China-Namibia ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the deepening of the relationship, and he made important contributions to the friendship between our two countries. The Chinese people firmly stand with the Namibian people in this time of grief.”

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

BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message of condolences to Namibia’s newly sworn-in President Nangolo Mbumba over the death of former Namibian President Hage Geingob.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, and in his own name, Xi extended profound condolences and expressed sincere sympathy to the Namibian government and people, as well as Geingob’s family.

In his message, Xi pointed out that President Geingob, an outstanding leader of Namibia, had promoted the in-depth development of the China-Namibia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation during his lifetime and made important contributions to boosting China’s friendship with Namibia and Africa.

His death is a great loss to the Namibian people, and the Chinese people also lost a good friend, Xi said.

He added that China cherishes the profound traditional friendship between China and Namibia and is ready to work with the Namibian side to push forward the continuous development of the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.

Chinese leaders meet with delegation of the Social Democratic Party of Japan

A delegation of the Japanese Social Democratic Party (JSDP), headed by its leader Mizuho Fukushima, recently visited China.

Formerly known as the Japan Socialist Party, the JSDP has consistently stood for friendship with China and for peace and has actively opposed militarism and war.

On January 19, Fukushima met with Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Huning.

She said that the main purpose of the Social Democratic Party’s visit is to reaffirm peace and friendship between Japan and China. She said Japan had launched the war of aggression against China and caused great harm to China, for which they sincerely apologise. The Social Democratic Party is willing to promote the sound development of Japan-China relations based on the four political documents previously agreed between the two countries.

The same day she and her delegation also met with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC).

Liu said that the Social Democratic Party has always attached importance to China-Japan relations. It established inter-party exchange relations with the CPC more than 40 years ago and has made important contributions to strengthening friendly cooperation between the two sides and improving and developing China-Japan relations. The Chinese side appreciates this. It is hoped that the Japanese side will abide by the one-China principle and properly handle historical issues as well as issues such as the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the ocean. The CPC is willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with the Social Democratic Party, promote exchanges between legislatures and non-governmental organisations, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, including in media and other fields, and strive to bring China-Japan relations back to the track of healthy development.

Mizuho Fukushima said that the Social Democratic Party has long adhered to the concept of cherishing peace and opposing war, and is committed to promoting Japan-China friendship. Last year, Prime Minister Kishida met with President Xi Jinping, reaffirming the decision to comprehensively advance bilateral ties with the commitment to promoting a strategic relationship of mutual benefit, adhere to the principles established in the four political documents between Japan and China, and bring important opportunities to Japan-China relations. The Social Democratic Party is deeply encouraged by this and is willing to work with the CPC to promote closer economic cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries and build a future-oriented Japan-China relationship. The Social Democratic Party, she added, opposed the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

Fukushima also said: “The delegation visited the Museum of the War of Peoples Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on January 18th, and expressed deep apologies for Japan’s war of aggression against China, which caused severe harm to the Chinese people. On behalf of the Social Democratic Party, I pledged ‘no more war between Japan and China’, opposed the implementation of Japan’s new security strategy, which is a ‘war bill’, and opposed lifting bans on exercising the right of collective self-defence. I believe that Japan should not prepare for war but build peace. The Social Democratic Party hopes to strengthen friendly relations with the CPC and work together to promote the development of Japan-China relations, deepen mutual understanding and trust among Northeast Asian countries, and promote an Asian community with a shared future.”

The following articles were originally published on the websites of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the IDCPC.

Wang Huning Meets with a Delegation of the Social Democratic Party of Japan

On January 19, 2024, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Huning met with a delegation led by Head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan Mizuho Fukushima in Beijing.

Wang Huning said that President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in November last year, and the leaders of the two countries reiterated their commitment to the principles and consensus stipulated in the four political documents between China and Japan, and reaffirmed the positioning of comprehensively advancing a strategic relationship of mutual benefit between China and Japan. He expressed the hope that the two sides will view each other’s development in an objective and rational manner in the spirit of “drawing lessons from history and opening up the future”, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, and promote the building of a China-Japan relationship that meets the demands of the new era. The CPPCC National Committee is willing to strengthen contact with Japan and make positive contributions to this end.

Mizuho Fukushima said that the main purpose of the Social Democratic Party’s visit is to reaffirm peace and friendship between Japan and China. She said Japan had launched the war of aggression against China and caused great harm to China, for which they sincerely apologize. The Social Democratic Party is willing to promote the sound development of Japan-China relations based on the four political documents between the two countries.

Shi Taifeng and Wang Dongfeng, among others, were present at the meeting.

Liu Jianchao Meets with a Delegation of the Social Democratic Party of Japan

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation led by Mizuho Fukushima, Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Japan.

Liu said, the Social Democratic Party has always attached importance to China-Japan relations. It established inter-party exchange relations with the CPC more than 40 years ago, and has made important contributions to strengthening friendly cooperation between the two sides and improving and developing China-Japan relations. The Chinese side appreciates this. Last November, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in San Francisco, US, and had in-depth exchanges on how to build a China-Japan relationship that can meet the requirements of the new era. Both sides must always abide by the principles established in the four political documents between China and Japan, maintain the foundation for the development of China-Japan relations, proceed from the overall situation, and act on the political consensus of viewing each other as cooperative partner and not posing any threat to each other. It is hoped that the Japanese side will abide by the one-China principle and properly handle historical issues as well as issues such as the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the ocean. We are willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with the Social Democratic Party, promote exchanges between legislatures, non-governmental organizations, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, media and other fields, and strive to bring China-Japan relations back to the track of healthy development.

Liu said, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an accelerated pace, while regional peace and development are facing more instability and uncertainty. Yet the overall direction of human development and progress will not change, and the overall trend toward a shared future for the international community will not change. Currently, Asia is at an important juncture in its development and revitalization. China will continue to promote high-quality development, adhere to high-level opening up, and promote Chinese modernization on all fronts. China and Japan are the two largest economies in Asia. The two countries shoulder important responsibilities for peace and prosperity in the region and the world at large. It is hoped that both sides will focus on respective long-term interests and regional interests, and make positive contributions to building an Asian community with a shared future.

Mizuho Fukushima said, the Social Democratic Party has long adhered to the concept of cherishing peace and opposing war, and is committed to promoting Japan-China friendship. Last year, Prime Minister Kishida met with President Xi Jinping, reaffirming the decision to comprehensively advance bilateral ties with the commitment to promoting a strategic relationship of mutual benefit, adhere to the principles established in the four political documents between Japan and China, and bring important opportunities to Japan-China relations. The Social Democratic Party is deeply encouraged by this and is willing to work with the CPC to promote closer economic cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries and build a future-oriented Japan-China relationship. The Social Democratic Party opposed the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

The delegation visited the Museum of the War of Peoples Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on January 18th, and expressed deep apologies for Japan’s war of aggression against China, which caused severe harm to the Chinese people. On behalf of the Social Democratic Party, I pledged “no more war between Japan and China”, opposed the implementation of Japan’s new security strategy, which is a “war bill”, and opposed lifting bans on exercising the right of collective self-defense. I believed that Japan should not prepare for war but build peace. The Social Democratic Party hopes to strengthen friendly relations with the CPC, and work together to promote the development of Japan-China relations, deepen mutual understanding and trust among Northeast Asian countries, and promote an Asian community with a shared future.

Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, Kunio Arakaki, deputy head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan and Member of the House of Representatives, Yuko Ohtsubaki, deputy head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan and Member of the House of Councillors, and others were present.

Asian NATO under a new guise

In the following article, which was originally published on the Australian website Pearls and Irritations, Tim Beal analyses the increasing focus on the Asia-Pacific region by the NATO military alliance, with China as its main potential target.

Tim notes recent military activities in the region on the part of Germany, France and the Netherlands, while Britain, “enthused with imperial nostalgia and memories of the Opium War, flaunts its very expensive but very vulnerable aircraft carriers in a mix of high ambition and low farce.”

There are, however, impediments to NATO’s regional expansion, including the potential role of more independent minded leaders in some member countries, such as Türkiye, Hungary, Slovakia, and even France. Tim therefore argues that the Seoul-based United Nations Command (UNC) might be pressed into service as a more pliant alternative, citing an article by US strategist Clint Work to explain:

“Although the Koreas, both South and North, are important in their own right the peninsula’s position in US geostrategy is principally as an instrument against China. Sometimes, Work mentions China, sometimes he uses North Korea as a surrogate for China and on other occasions he employs coded phrases for China such as South Korea’s ‘broader regional responsibilities’.”

Regarding the UNC, Tim further notes that: “Despite its name it is not an organisation under the control of the United Nations but in fact a US-controlled military alliance that got its misleading title during the early stages of the Korean War when the Soviet Union was boycotting the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over the US blocking of recently-established People’s Republic of China (PRC) taking over the China seat from Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China (ROC) which had retreated to Taiwan province. And because of its name and its illegal use of the UN flag and logo, the UNC can be portrayed as a UN body, an expression of ‘the international community’, rather than the US military.”

Tim Beal is a retired New Zealand academic, whose main focus has been Northeast Asia. He is the author of ‘North Korea: The struggle against American power’ (2005) and ‘Crisis in Korea: America, China and the risk of war’ (2011), both published by Pluto Press.

Over the past couple of years there has been a flurry of activity linking NATO, and some of its constituent countries with the states of American East Asia, principally Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been a frequent visitor, and in December 2023, the US embassy in Seoul arranged for senior representatives from eight NATO countries to visit South Korea to “engage in discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent issues”. Meanwhile back in Washington Representative Mike Lawler has introduced a bill in Congress aimed at “establishing [a] task force for NATO-like Indo-Pacific Alliance”. The Luftwaffe made headlines in August 2022 by flying non-stop, refuelling in air, to participate in the Pitch Black exercises in Australia and more of the Bundeswehr returned in 2023 for the Talisman Sabre 23 exercises. In November a British army unit participated in military exercises in South Korea. France and the Netherlands have been doing their bit, and Britain, enthused with imperial nostalgia and memories of the Opium War, flaunts its very expensive but very vulnerable aircraft carriers in a mix of high ambition and low farce. The participation of Asian militaries in the NATO space has been, so far, very low key. The Japanese sent observers to Air Defender 23 in Germany, and the South Koreans joined in a cyberwar game in Estonia in November 2023. However regional leaders – the Asia Pacific Four (AP4), Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – have been invited with some fanfare to mix with the grown-ups at NATO summits in Madrid and Vilnius. Moreover, NATO has been active in crafting Individually Tailored Partnership Programmes (ITPPs) with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and soon, New Zealand.

The reasons for this accelerating activity are easily discernible. For regional leaders – Yoon, Kishida, Albanese, etc – the illusion of European support in a war against China must offer comfort; delusionary given the state of European militaries but something to clutch at. For the Europeans in NATO, civilians and military, there is a desperate need to convince Washington that they are still relevant, given the shift of USA attention towards China and the failure of the proxy war in Ukraine. The search for relevance has been a constant since the Soviet collapse; as Senator Richard Lugar put it in 1993, for NATO it’s either ‘out-of-area or out-of-business’. NATO chose out-of-area and Beijing is the logical, and final, destination.

Building a China-Vietnam community with shared future

The top Communist Party leaders of China and Vietnam have exchanged greetings with the approach of the Spring Festival, or Lunar New Year, a very significant traditional holiday for both peoples.

In his message to Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, said that 2023 was an epoch-making year in the history of China-Vietnam relations, with frequent high-level exchanges between the two sides, a more solid political mutual trust, an acceleration in synergy of their development strategies, a robust momentum of comprehensive cooperation, vibrant people-to-people exchange activities and a traditional friendship that grows ever stronger.

He added that amidst an atmosphere of goodwill marking the 15th anniversary of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he had visited Vietnam as promised, thus realising the third round of mutual visits between him and Trong in the new era.

For his part, Trong said bilateral relations have shown a positive momentum of development and achieved significant progress ever since his official visit to China in October 2022 following the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress.

Xi’s successful state visit to Vietnam in December 2023, he added, demonstrated the great importance the CPC, China and Xi attach to Vietnam’s socialist construction and to bilateral relations.

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

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) — General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that he stands ready to work with the Vietnamese side to promote the China-Vietnam community with a shared future and see it take root and bear fruits.

Xi made the remarks in an exchange of Spring Festival greetings with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.

In his message, Xi extended his sincere greetings and best wishes for the Spring Festival to Trong, the CPV as well as the Vietnamese government and people on behalf of the CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people.

The year 2023 was epoch-making in the history of China-Vietnam relations, with frequent high-level exchanges between the two sides, a more solid political mutual trust, an acceleration in synergy of their development strategies, a robust momentum of comprehensive cooperation, vibrant people-to-people exchange activities and a traditional friendship that grows ever stronger, Xi said.

He said that amidst an atmosphere of goodwill marking the 15th anniversary of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, he visited Vietnam as promised, thus realizing the third round of mutual visits between him and Trong in the new era.

Noting that he and Trong jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Xi said that it has opened up a new journey and a new chapter for the development of ties between the two parties and two nations, a manifestation of the firm will and resolve of the two sides to cooperate and forge ahead.

Xi said that in 2024, he stands ready to maintain close contacts with Trong in guiding the two sides to anchor the new positioning of bilateral ties, and make concerted and solid efforts to promote high-level and high-quality development of exchanges and cooperation via all channels, at all levels and in all sectors.

All the vivid practices and practical results will inject new impetus into the modernization cause of the two countries, so as to provide positive energy for the prosperity and development of the Asia-Pacific region, and make greater contribution to the cause of peace and progress of mankind, Xi said.

Xi’s successful state visit to Vietnam in December 2023 demonstrated the great importance the CPC, China and Xi attach to Vietnam’s socialist construction and to bilateral relations, Trong said.

During Xi’s Vietnam visit, the two sides conducted comprehensive and in-depth exchanges in the spirit of the deep friendship of comrades plus brothers between Vietnam and China, issued a joint statement on further upgrading the bilateral relations, and signed dozens of cooperation documents of historic significance, Trong noted.

These fruitful results have laid a solid foundation and provided strategic guidance for the relations between the two parties and the two countries to enter a healthier, practical and fruitful new development stage and maintain a long-term stable and positive momentum, he said.

Trong said he highly values and is willing to maintain exchanges and contact with Xi, adding that he stands ready to continuously offer care and guidance to various localities and departments at all levels from the two sides in implementing the important consensus and agreements reached by high-level officials of both sides during Xi’s Vietnam visit.

Doing so will benefit the development of relations between the two parties and between the two countries, serve the interests of the two peoples, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development.

Trong also wished the CPC continued growth, the People’s Republic of China prosperity, and the brotherly Chinese people a happy and peaceful New Year.

US peace activists call for dialogue and understanding with China

The following article in China Daily reports on a recent delegation to China by the US Peace Council, at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD). Among the delegates were Bahman Azad (president of the US Peace Council), Ajamu Baraka of Black Alliance for Peace, Immanuel Ness (chair of the New York Peace Council), and Roger Harris of the US Peace Council executive committee.

The purpose of the trip was to encourage dialogue between the US and China, to promote peace and mutually beneficial relations, and to oppose an escalating New Cold War. Bahman Azad commented: “It is our hope that with the information obtained from this visit and closer cooperation with CPAPD, we will be able to help clear the fog of misunderstanding that is being created about China in our country”.

The delegates all commented on the profound difference between the US and China in terms of their approach to international relations. Ajamu Baraka contrasted China’s commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind with the “crisis-oriented zero-sum diplomacy” of the West. Ajamu points out in a report on the delegation for Black Agenda Report that “we have witnessed concretely the results of the Chinese approach with the historic agreement brokered by the Chinese between Saudi Arabia and Iran that effectively ended the Obama war in Yemen.” Ajamu explores these issues further in an interview on Margaret Flowers’ Clearing the FOG podcast.

In the Black Agenda Report article, Ajamu also talks about the Global Security Initiative (GSI), linking it to the long-term multipolar project – “the transition from Western colonial/capitalist domination of the last five hundred years to new power configurations and social systems that have not yet taken a permanent form but, nevertheless, are in dialectical emergence.” Roger Harris supports this point in an article about the delegation written for Counterpunch: “in this contentious geopolitical climate, China and by extension the Global South pose a countervailing space from US imperial hegemony.”

We will hear from Bahman and Ajamu – alongside Sara Flounders, Danny Haiphong, Dee Knight, Lee Siu Hin, Qiao Collective, Radhika Desai, and representatives of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament and Communist Party USA International Department – on Sunday 18 February at a webinar organised by Friends of Socialist China and the International Manifesto Group, entitled Peace delegates report back from China: Building solidarity and opposing the New Cold War.

At a time when China-United States relations are increasingly defined by narratives of rivalry, a recent visit by US peace activists to China offered a refreshing counterpoint.

Seeking to build bridges of understanding between the two nations, a delegation from the US Peace Council visited China last month at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament.

They shared their firsthand experience in China at a recent webinar to demonstrate that cooperation, not competition, is the path to a peaceful future.

“What we witnessed was a modernizing China focused on promoting peaceful development of all nations and respect for international law by all states,” said Bahman Azad, the organization’s president.

This commitment to peaceful development stands in stark contrast to the “China threat” narrative often peddled by the US media and government officials. That narrative “presents China’s economic development and its growing diplomatic role in the global affairs as a ‘threat’ to the United States”, said Azad.

“It is our hope that with the information obtained from this visit and closer cooperation with CPAPD, we will be able to help clear the fog of misunderstanding that is being created about China in our country,” he said.

For Immanuel Ness, chair of the New York Peace Council and a professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, China’s commitment to equity and noninterference resonates deeply.

“The idea of creating equity, not just equity within a country, but equity among countries came across to me as being extremely important,” he said. “Peaceful development means noninterference in the internal affairs of countries of the Global South, and the world as a whole. That was one of the important aspects of creating a sense of peace.”

He said China’s efforts to develop global partnerships and build political trust are key to creating a more peaceful world. “That level of trust is based on openness and inclusiveness, and on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, something that has been abrogated by the West,” he added.

Roger Harris, a member of the US Peace Council’s Executive Committee and a member of the delegation, highlighted the fundamental divergence in core values between the two nations.

While the US national security doctrine emphasizes “full spectrum dominance”, he said he was impressed by China’s principles of “independence, common prosperity, and peaceful development”.

“The Chinese recognize and celebrate the fact that there’s a very high level of integration between China and the US, particularly in economics. They also see that these intertwined relationships are positive and that they result in the mutual benefits of both countries,” said Harris.

Ajamu Baraka, another member of the delegation and chair of the coordinating committee of the Black Alliance for Peace, further emphasized the difference in the two nations’ diplomatic approaches.

He contrasted China’s commitment to building a “community with a shared future for mankind” with the “crisis-oriented zero-sum diplomacy”, what he called “characteristic of diplomacy emanating from the West”.

China is also committed to pursuing peaceful development based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation and steering the reform of the global governance system under the principle of fairness and justice, said Baraka.

This fundamental divergence in core values underscores the importance of open dialogue and understanding in bridging the divide, he added.

During the visit to China, the delegation members and their Chinese counterparts held “informative, constructive, and productive” discussions, said Azad from the US Peace Council.

At the heart of the agreements reached between the two sides lie people-to-people exchanges. Recognizing the power of direct interaction, both sides pledged to facilitate youth travel and cultural exchanges, allowing citizens to experience each other’s realities firsthand.

Joint webinars and seminars are planned, tackling complex topics like the intricacies of US-China relations and broader issues of global peace. By encouraging open dialogue and knowledge sharing, these initiatives aim to dispel the fog of misinformation and mistrust that clouds bilateral relations, said Azad.

Self-confidence and self-reliance, openness and inclusiveness, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation

China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, delivered an important and comprehensive speech at a Beijing Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations on January 9, 2024.

Saying that in the preceding year China had created a favourable environment for building a great modern socialist country and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and had made new contributions to maintaining world peace and promoting common development, Wang Yi went on to identify six highlights:

Our head-of-state diplomacy has been immensely successful, achieving new milestones in major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

In 2023, President Xi Jinping was personally involved in the planning and execution of major diplomatic actions. He chaired two home-ground events, attended three multilateral summits, made four important overseas visits, and held more than 100 meetings and phone calls.

Solid progress has been made in building a community with a shared future for mankind, lending new impetus to the building of a brighter future for humanity.

During General Secretary Xi Jinping’s historic state visit to Vietnam in December 2023, the most important political outcome reached between the two sides was to upgrade the bilateral relationship to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. This characterisation has marked not only a new level in the “comradely and brotherly” relations between the two socialist neighbours but also a full commitment of the Indochina Peninsula to jointly building a community with a shared future.

The inclusion of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has brought its coverage to the whole of Central Asia. China is working with Cambodia and Laos on a new, five-year action plan, and has reached agreement with Malaysia, in addition to Thailand and Indonesia, adding to the good momentum toward a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. In his visit to South Africa, President Xi Jinping announced with President Cyril Ramaphosa the decision to build a high-quality China-South Africa community with a shared future, taking China-Africa relations to a new stage.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully held, taking BRI cooperation to a new stage of high-quality development.

Ten years on, Belt and Road cooperation has extended from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America and expanded from physical connectivity to institutional connectivity and people-to-people bonds.

The BRICS mechanism achieved a historic expansion, adding new strength to unity and cooperation in the developing world.

BRICS countries have made dedicated efforts to promote global growth and improve global governance. Inspired by the vibrancy and appeal of the mechanism, dozens of developing countries have officially applied for its membership. The expansion marks a milestone in the development of the BRICS mechanism, and ushers in a new era of strength through unity for the Global South. The expanded “greater BRICS” will surely play a stronger role in shaping a more just and equitable global governance system and increasing the representation and voice of the Global South in international affairs.

A successful China-Central Asia Summit was held, creating a new platform for good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation in the region.

China and the five Central Asian countries, connected by mountains and rivers, have always been friendly neighbours. China hopes to see, more than anyone, a stable, prosperous, harmonious, and interconnected Central Asia. At a key moment in the evolving international landscape, President Xi Jinping and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries gathered in the historical city of Xi’an, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, for the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit.

President Xi Jinping comprehensively elaborated on China’s foreign policy toward Central Asia, and decided, together with the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries, to build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, formally establish the mechanism of meetings between the heads of state of China and Central Asian countries and set up a permanent secretariat for the China-Central Asia mechanism.

We facilitated the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, setting a new example of political settlement of hotspot issues.

President Xi Jinping had in-depth communication with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Iran, persuading the two countries to let go of past grievances and meet each other halfway. We are glad to see that Syria has rejoined the family of the League of Arab States; Qatar, Syria, Iran, and Türkiye have restored diplomatic ties or normalised their relations respectively with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, with Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, with Sudan and with Egypt; and the people of regional countries are taking the future of the Middle East back into their own hands.

Wang Yi went on to say that over the past year, when faced with major issues concerning the future of humanity and the direction of world development, China has all along stood firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress in its diplomacy, and made decisions that can stand the test of practice and time, and gave a further six examples in this regard:

‘Clash of civilisations’ is essentially a racist concept

The following is a short commentary by our co-editor Keith Bennett, which formed part of a year-end review by Beijing Daily on President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilisation Initiative.

Published on the Beijing Daily news client app under the title, “‘Clash of civilisations’ is essentially a racist concept”, Keith argues that there are currently two fundamentally different world views with regard to civilisations and the relationship between them. The ‘clash of civilisations’ concept, as advanced by the late US scholar Samuel Huntington, is at base, “a racist conception which constructs a hierarchy of civilisations… placing them in an adversarial and antagonistic relationship to one another. It provides an intellectual and ideological fig leaf for the weaponisation of immigration, Islamophobia, a new cold war, and wars of aggression against countries of the Global South.

“In stark contrast, the Global Civilisation Initiative advanced by President Xi Jinping makes clear that the history of humanity… has seen a variety of civilisations come into being, develop and thrive, and this has in return promoted the overall development of human society.”

An extract of Keith’s commentary was published among a selection of quotations carried in the print edition of Beijing Daily and the full text was carried on its app.

Beijing Daily is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China’s Beijing Committee.

There are two fundamentally different outlooks with regard to civilisations, and the relationship between them, in today’s world.

In the western capitalist countries, ideas of a ‘clash of civilisations’, as promoted for example by the late Samuel Huntington, find a strong resonance, in more or less overt or covert forms. Huntington himself may be dead, but his malign influence lives on. At base, it is a racist conception which constructs a hierarchy of civilisations, elevating that of the West, which is actually the most recent major civilisation in historical terms, and placing them in an adversarial and antagonistic relationship to one another. It provides an intellectual and ideological fig leaf for the weaponisation of immigration, Islamophobia, a new cold war, and wars of aggression against countries of the Global South.

In stark contrast, the Global Civilisation Initiative advanced by President Xi Jinping makes clear that the history of humanity, spanning thousands of years, has seen a variety of civilisations come into being, develop and thrive, and this has in return promoted the overall development of human society. Diversity has been a prominent feature, and indeed a hallmark, of civilisations.

People therefore need to keep an open mind in appreciating how different civilisations perceive values, and refrain from imposing their own values or models on others, as well as from stoking ideological confrontation or politicising civilisational issues.

The world is facing both old and new challenges. This is all the more reason why we need to promote dialogue and exchanges among cultures and civilisations. The differences among civilisations should be seen not as a curse but a blessing – they enrich human society as a whole. Moreover, dialogue and joint study will increasingly reveal the common humanistic essence of civilisations, no matter how diverse the forms they might assume.

Exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations need to be promoted on a number of levels – among scholars, specialists and academics as well as on a people-to-people basis, particularly among young people. This will not only promote science and knowledge, but also mutual understanding, peace, and friendship, thereby helping to build a community of shared future for humanity.

China accounts for more than 20% of the global population. Its civilisation and culture are therefore by definition of very significant importance and influence for humanity. China’s culture and civilisation are also the oldest uninterrupted ones on earth and thus provide important reference materials for humanity as a whole. They have also exerted profound influence on the cultural and civilisational development of neighbouring countries in particular, as can be seen especially in Korea, Japan and the countries of both south-east and central Asia. They are also profoundly inclusive and have never hesitated to absorb, inherit, and incorporate, apply and develop, advanced ideas from outside, be they of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) or of Karl Marx. This in turn helps create a dialectical interaction that can make Chinese civilisation and culture profoundly attractive to people throughout the world.

Confucius put forward the idea of the great harmony of all under heaven. This is something with which people in all parts of the world can identify with and aspire to. Indeed, faced with existential threats to humanity, it increasingly becomes a necessity.

Similarly, the Chinese concept of harmony between people and nature greatly echoes the sentiment and aspirations of many young people, in particular, in the West and again increasingly represents an imperative for human survival.

Israel’s bizarre human rights accusations against China

The article below, originally published in Xinhua, discusses the bizarre phenomenon of Israel (during a regular periodic review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council) criticising China’s treatment of Muslims.

As the author points out, this criticism has been issued at a time when Israel is carrying out a genocidal assault on Gaza; when “Israeli bombardment and gunfire have killed more than 25,000 Palestinians and displaced millions, leaving the survivors desperately trying to access critical supplies, including food and medicine.”

The major imperialist powers have no problem echoing these unsubstantiated and entirely false accusations against China, and yet at the same time they refuse to condemn Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people; refuse to call for a ceasefire in Gaza; and claim that South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice is “without merit”.

All this proves once again that the Western powers have no interest whatsoever in human rights, other than to the extent that a human rights narrative can be leveraged in the pursuit of hegemony.

Western double standards – on bold display with unwavering support for Israeli atrocities in Gaza – illustrate no genuine concern for human rights. Instead, the West manipulates the topic to advance its geopolitical agenda.

During a regular periodic review conducted by the UN Human Rights Council, Israel criticized China’s treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang.

You read that right.

The accusation came from Israel that has been accused of killing innocent civilians and creating a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Since the latest stage of the conflict broke out on Oct. 7 in the Gaza Strip, Israeli bombardment and gunfire have killed more than 25,000 Palestinians and displaced millions, leaving the survivors desperately trying to access critical supplies, including food and medicine.

It continues to ignore the growing outcry from the Arab world and international community to end the devastation.

Despite the bloodshed, Israel has turned to lecturing others on how to safeguard human rights, and even on treatment of Muslims.

The bizarre accusations have nothing to do with human rights, but politics. Israel acted in collusion with its Western allies, which are plagued by double standards on human rights. Facing the atrocities in Gaza, the U.S.-led West has been reluctant to condemn Israel publicly. While visiting Israel earlier in the month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said South Africa’s genocide claim against Israel is without merit.

Pretty rich coming from a country guilty of committing human rights abuses across the globe.

In sharp contrast to its tolerance of Israel, the West continues to attack China’s efforts to protect human rights at home. The United States and its allies falsely claim that China is committing “genocide” in Xinjiang without producing a shred of evidence.

Call it the lie of the century.

In Xinjiang, the human rights of all ethnic groups are well-protected. For years, the region has allocated a large proportion of public spending to implement a series of projects to bolster employment, culture, education and healthcare. These investments guarantee that everyone equally shares in the region’s economic growth regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation.

China’s efforts to protect human rights have won recognition across the world. Over 120 countries acknowledged China’s human rights endeavors during this year’s UN review.

Western double standards — on bold display with unwavering support for Israeli atrocities in Gaza — illustrate no genuine concern for human rights. Instead, the West manipulates the topic to advance its geo-political agenda.

Xinjiang is “a political issue provoked by the West, who wish to leave the people (in Xinjiang) in poverty and ignorance,” said Kamal Gaballa, an Egyptian columnist and a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs. “The West wishes to make Xinjiang a focal point of tensions and terrorism to impact the development of China.”

Gaballa is right, and the world must do more to call out these glaring double standards.

Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong visits DPRK

With 2024 having been jointly designated as the China-DPRK Friendship Year in an exchange of new year messages between the top leaders of the two countries, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong has visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with arrangements for the main activities to be held in the year high on his agenda.

On January 26, he held consultations with DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho and paid a courtesy call on Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

Earlier, on January 19, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), met with DPRK Ambassador to China Ri Ryong Nam.

Liu said, General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong Un exchanged congratulatory messages and jointly designated 2024 as the China-DPRK Friendship Year. The Chinese side is willing to work with the DPRK side to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, and take the 75th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations and the Friendship Year as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen strategic communication, promote mutually beneficial cooperation and the constant development of China-DPRK relations, and maintain regional peace and stability.

The relationship between the two parties plays an important leading role in the development of China-DPRK relations. The IDCPC is willing to work hand in hand with the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the DPRK Embassy in China to strengthen communication and coordination through inter-party channels and make due contributions to the development of relations between the two countries.

Ri Ryong Nam congratulated the CPC and the Chinese people on their remarkable achievements in politics, economy, culture and other fields under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. He believed that in the new year, China will achieve new and greater progress in promoting the cause of socialism through Chinese modernisation. The DPRK side firmly supports China’s struggle to safeguard its core interests involving Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights and other areas, and is willing to work with the Chinese side to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries.

The following articles were originally published on the websites of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the IDCPC.

Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong Visits DPRK

Jan 26 (Chinese Foreign Ministry) — On January 26, 2024, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong held consultations with Vice Foreign Minister of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Pak Myong Ho in Pyongyang and paid a courtesy call on Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. The two sides had an extensive and in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, international and regional situations, and other issues of mutual interest and concern in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.

The two sides spoke highly of the achievements in the development of bilateral relations in recent years and reaffirmed that it is the unswerving position of the two parties and governments to maintain, consolidate, and develop bilateral relations. The two sides agreed to follow the guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries and take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and DPRK and the China-DPRK Friendship Year as an opportunity to strengthen strategic communication at all levels, deepen traditional friendship and practical cooperation, strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation, and push forward the sustained development of China-DPRK relations. The two sides agreed on the arrangements for major activities of the China-DPRK Friendship Year.

Chinese Ambassador to DPRK Wang Yajun attended relevant events.

Liu Jianchao Meets with Ri Ryong Nam, DPRK Ambassador to China

Jan 19 (IDCPC) — Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Ri Ryong Nam, Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to China.

Liu said, General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Kim Jong Un exchanged congratulatory messages and jointly designated 2024 as the China-DPRK Friendship Year at the beginning of the year. The Chinese side is willing to work with the DPRK side to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and the two countries, and take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the China-DPRK Friendship Year as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen strategic communication, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, promote China-DPRK relations for constant development and maintain regional peace and stability. The relationship between the two Parties plays an important leading role in the development of China-DPRK relations. The IDCPC is willing to work hand in hand with the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) of the DPRK and the DPRK Embassy in China to strengthen communication and coordination through inter-party channels and make due contributions to the development of relations between the two countries.

Ri Ryong Nam briefed on the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th WPK Central Committee, congratulated the CPC and the Chinese people on the remarkable achievements in politics, economy, culture and other fields under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. He believed that in the New Year, China will achieve new and greater progress in promoting the cause of socialism through Chinese modernization. The DPRK side firmly supports China’s struggle to safeguard core interests involving Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights and others, and is willing to work with the Chinese side to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and the two countries, and take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the DPRK-China Year of Friendship as an opportunity to give full play to the role of inter-party channels, so as to serve the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.

Anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations marked in Beijing

Vietnam and China recently celebrated the 74th anniversary of their establishing diplomatic relations on January 18, 1950.

On the anniversary day, the Chinese Embassy in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi hosted a banquet attended by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang.

In his remarks, Quang, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam-China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, affirmed that the party, state, and people of Vietnam view the development of relations with China as a strategic choice and leading priority in the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralisation and diversification of external relations.

The Deputy PM emphasised that after the historic visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in October 2022, the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership made great strides and obtained significant achievements in 2023.

During the state visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023, the two Parties and two countries agreed to continue deepening and elevating their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and to build a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Then, on January 22, the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing held a ceremony attended by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu.

In his remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Sao Mai said that the Vietnam–China friendship, which was nurtured and fostered by President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong, as well as successive generations of the two countries’ leaders, has become a valuable asset of the two nations, adding that the two countries’ people have stood shoulder to shoulder and supported each other in their cause of national liberation and the process of national construction and development.

The Vietnamese diplomat further recalled the recent state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping, during which General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and the Chinese leader discussed and reached agreement on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building a Vietnam–China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, for the happiness of the two nations’ people and for the peace and progress of humanity.

The Vietnamese party, state and people always attach much importance to consolidating and bolstering the friendship and cooperation with the Chinese party, state and people, and consider developing the ties with China as a top priority and a strategic choice in the country’s foreign policy, he stressed.

The following articles were originally published by the Vietnamese newspaper Nhân Dân.

Ceremony marks 74th anniversary of Vietnam – China diplomatic ties

Jan 19 (Nhan Dan) — The Chinese Embassy in Vietnam hosted a banquet on January 18 in the presence of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang to celebrate the 74th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 – 2024).

In his remarks, Quang, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam – China Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation, affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam view the development of relations with China as a strategic choice and leading priority in the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralisation and diversification of external relations.

Vietnam holds that the stable and sustainable development of the bilateral ties matches practical benefits of the two countries’ peoples and also benefits cooperation and prosperous development in the region and the world, he said.

During the state visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023, the two Parties and the two countries agreed to continue deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and to build a Vietnam – China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. This was an important milestone during the development of the bilateral relations, raising the ties between the two Parties and the two countries to a new stage, Quang added.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo noted that China is ready to join hands with Vietnam to properly implement the important common perceptions reached between the Parties and countries’ top leaders, and unceasingly develop the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership

and the Vietnam – China community with a shared future, thereby generating tangible benefits for the people of both nations.

The two sides agreed to keep close coordination to concretise the achievements and new dimensions of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, on which Party General Secretary of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping agreed, to promote the relations between the two Parties and the two countries with higher political trust, more practical defence – security cooperation, more solid social foundation, closer multilateral coordination, and better controlled and resolved differences, the diplomat said.

Anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic relations marked in Beijing

Jan 23 (Nhan Dan) — The Vietnamese Embassy in China held a ceremony in Beijing on January 22 to celebrate the 74th founding anniversary of Vietnam – China diplomatic relations (January 18, 1950 – 2024).

The event was attended by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, representatives of Chinese ministries, sectors, agencies, localities and businesses, experts, scholars and press agencies of both nations.

In his remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Sao Mai highlighted the significance of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries, and reviewed their cooperation achievements over the past time.

The Vietnam – China friendship, which was nurtured and fostered by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong as well as generations of the two countries’ leaders, has become a valuable asset of the two nations, he said, adding the two countries’ people have stood shoulder by shoulder and supported each other in their cause of national liberation and the process of national construction and development.

Amidst complicated and unprecedented developments across the globe, the Vietnam – China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership has developed in a stable manner and recorded important progress thanks to the sound direction of high-level leaders of the two Parties and States as well as concerted efforts made by sectors and people of both sides, he said.

The Vietnamese diplomat recalled the recent state visit to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping, during which General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and the Chinese leader discussed and reached perceptions on continuing to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building a Vietnam – China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance for the happiness of the two nations’ people and for peace and progress of the humankind.

Mai said that the stable Vietnam – China relations have played an important role in the development in each country, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always attach much importance to consolidating and bolstering the friendship and cooperation with the Chinese Party, State and people, and consider developing the ties with China as a top priority and a strategic choice in the country’s foreign policy, he stressed.

He suggested that both sides should continue enhancing the exchange of delegations at all levels, fully and effectively carry out the perceptions reached by the two Parties and nations, enhance political trust, promote cooperation in economy, trade, investment, tourism, and properly control and handle disagreements on the basis of respect for each other’s legitimate interests and in line with international law.

Participants at the event congratulated Vietnam and China on the achievements they have attained over the past time.

Lenin, China, Palestine, and the global struggle against imperialism

Below is the text and video of a short speech given by Carlos Martinez on behalf of Friends of Socialist China at the International Assembly Against Imperialism in Solidarity with Palestinian Resistance, held at the Malcolm X & Dr Betty Shabazz Memorial & Educational Center in New York City on January 21, 2024.

The event was organised by Workers World Party, and the date was chosen to honour the centennial of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, who died that day in 1924.

Carlos asks “what ties together these seemingly disparate themes of Palestine, China and Leninism”, suggesting that the answer lies in the global struggle against imperialism. He explains the effect of Lenin’s analysis of imperialism in expanding the scope and applicability of Marxism to cover the entire world; how this informed Soviet support for socialist and national liberation projects in the Global South; and how People’s China carried forward this tradition. “China has been and remains a bulwark against imperialism, standing in solidarity with the Global South.”

The speech discusses China’s long history of solidarity with Palestine, and its current positive diplomatic role in opposition to the genocide in Gaza, and concludes:

“The brave Palestinian people, with the solidarity and support of freedom-loving people around the world, will surely win their liberation.”

Dear comrades and friends,

It’s a great honour for Friends of Socialist China to be invited to contribute to this International Assembly Against Imperialism, in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance and coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

What ties together these seemingly disparate themes of Palestine, China and Leninism?

The answer lies in the struggle against imperialism.

The original slogan of the communist movement, ‘Workers of the world unite’ – the rallying cry and final phrase from the Communist Manifesto, written by Marx and Engels in 1848 – was put forward at a time when the nascent communist movement was geographically limited to Europe and North America, and focused almost exclusively on the industrial working class.

Lenin’s study of global political economy, and particularly of the dynamics of monopoly capitalism and the emergence of modern imperialism, led him to an acute understanding of the expanded – global – applicability of Marxist thought. He understood that, as a result of imperialist domination, the capitalist class of the metropolis had become an enemy not just to the working class in the advanced capitalist countries but to the broad masses of the oppressed in all countries.

Lenin and the Bolsheviks thus proposed the development of a worldwide united front of the working class and all peoples oppressed by imperialism. Such a united front would be capable – indeed still is capable – of taking the fight to the oppressors, of defeating imperialism, of establishing national independence and sovereignty for the peoples of the Global South, and thereby opening the possibility for a global advance to socialism.

Hence at the second congress of the Comintern in 1920, ‘Workers of the world unite’ was updated to ‘Workers and oppressed peoples of all countries, unite’.

In his letter titled Better Fewer, But Better, the last document he wrote, Lenin observed that “in the last analysis, the outcome of the struggle will be determined by the fact that Russia, India, China etc account for the overwhelming majority of the population of the globe. And during the past few years it is this majority that has been drawn into the struggle for emancipation with extraordinary rapidity, so that in this respect there cannot be the slightest doubt what the final outcome of the world struggle will be. In this sense, the complete victory of socialism is fully and absolutely assured.”

The Chinese communists of course played a crucial role in developing this ideology and applying it in practice. The overthrow of imperialist domination and the construction of socialism in China, Korea and Vietnam represented a profound shift of the revolutionary centre of gravity in the world towards the East and the South.

The Chinese benefited enormously from the solidarity of the Soviet peoples.

Mao Zedong stated in 1949, just two months before the proclamation of the People’s Republic, that “it was through the Russians that the Chinese found Marxism. The salvoes of the October Revolution brought us Marxism-Leninism. The October Revolution helped progressives in China, as throughout the world, to adopt the proletarian world outlook as the instrument for studying a nation’s destiny and considering anew their own problems.”

In turn, China has been and remains a bulwark against imperialism, standing in solidarity with the Global South.

China’s history of support for the Palestinian national struggle in particular goes back to the 1950s. As Xi Jinping has put it, no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China always firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore the legitimate rights and interests of their nation, and always stands with the Palestinian people.

China sent its first aid to the Palestinian people in 1960, and when the PLO was founded in 1964, China became the first non-Arab country to recognise it. The first Palestinian fighters were sent for military training in China in 1965. It was also one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine – on 20 November 1988. Indeed Yasser Arafat – Chairman of the PLO from 1969 to 2004 – stated in 1970 that “China is the biggest influence in supporting our revolution and strengthening its perseverance.”

Premier Zhou Enlai wrote in 1967; “Wherever there is oppression, there is resistance; wherever there is aggression, there is struggle against aggression. I believe that having taken up arms, the revolutionary Arab people of Palestine and the entire Arab people will not lay down their arms and, like the heroic Vietnamese people, will fight on unflinchingly, resolutely and stubbornly until final victory.”

Today, China is among the loudest voices calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and insistently calling for the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and for the establishment of an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital and with the right of return.

The heroic Palestinian resistance has put the issue of Palestine back at the centre of global politics. Meanwhile the shift towards a multipolar world and away from US hegemony is creating favourable conditions for finding a lasting and just solution.

Even as we witness the horrors of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, we remember the words of the great Paul Robeson, that the people’s will for freedom is stronger than atom bombs. The brave Palestinian people, with the solidarity and support of freedom-loving people around the world, will surely win their liberation.

Xi Jinping meets with Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of the Caribbean twin island state of Antigua and Barbuda, who is also the leader of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, paid an official visit to China at the invitation of his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, January 22-28. His previous visit had been in 2014, the year he assumed the premiership.

On January 24, Prime Minister Browne met in Beijing with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

Noting that Antigua and Barbuda is one of the first countries in the Eastern Caribbean to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 41 years ago, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting an example of equality and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. The bilateral relations have maintained healthy and stable development, pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and people’s friendship has deepened, Xi added.

He emphasised that the two sides should continue their traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, and continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.

Xi observed that Antigua and Barbuda is the first Eastern Caribbean country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation MoU with China and said the cooperation between the two sides has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, adding that China is now advancing Chinese modernisation on all fronts through high-quality development and this will bring new opportunities for the development of Antigua and Barbuda and bilateral cooperation.

Stressing the need to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said China welcomes more young people from Antigua and Barbuda to come and study in the country.

He added that China attaches importance to the concerns and demands of Antigua and Barbuda and other small-island developing countries in the field of climate change and is ready to support Antigua and Barbuda in hosting the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, continue to provide assistance to the economic and social development of regional countries within its capacity, and promote the continuous development of relations between China and Caribbean countries.

Browne thanked the Chinese government for its valuable support, saying that China’s assistance and cooperation have greatly promoted the development of Antigua and Barbuda and helped with its poverty alleviation efforts.

China adheres to the principle that all countries, regardless of size, are equal, and actively promotes the noble vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, Browne said, adding that by proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, China has taken concrete actions to promote common development and prosperity of the world and benefit the people, showing unparalleled leadership and charisma in the world, and will surely lead more countries in the Global South to strengthen unity and cooperation.

Antigua and Barbuda is willing to be China’s most reliable partner, and will stand firmly with China on issues concerning the well-being of all humanity, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, Browne added.

In his meeting, Premier Li Qiang said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 41 years ago, China and Antigua and Barbuda have always respected and supported each other, adding that China stands ready to work with Antigua and Barbuda to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate and carry forward the traditional friendship, continuously deepen strategic mutual trust, and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields to benefit the two countries and two peoples.

He noted that China, within its capacity, is ready to provide assistance to Antigua and Barbuda in addressing climate change under the framework of South-South cooperation, and to continue strengthening multilateral coordination and cooperation to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Browne expressed his appreciation of China’s strong support for the economic and social development of Antigua and Barbuda over the years. Antigua and Barbuda abides by the one-China principle, believes that Taiwan is a province of China, and firmly supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He noted that Antigua and Barbuda stands ready to promote cooperation between the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and China, promote the reform of the global economic governance system, elevate bilateral relations to a new level, work with China to cope with climate change, and strengthen cooperation with China on agriculture, education and infrastructure construction.

Antigua and Barbuda finally won its national independence on November 1, 1981, after having been a British colony since 1632. The newly independent country established diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1983, and the two countries’ friendly ties have developed smoothly ever since.

In order to make his country’s sovereignty complete, Prime Minister Browne has joined the regional trend to remove the British monarch as head of state and for Antigua and Barbuda to become a republic, pledging to hold a referendum on the subject in the near future.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

China hails Non-Aligned Movement’s endeavours in advancing global peace

The Ugandan capital Kampala hosted the 19th summit meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), January 19-20. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative Liu Guozhong attended and delivered a speech, highlighting the movement’s important role in promoting the cause of world peace and human progress and noting its birth, “at the climax of the national liberation movements in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.” Liu is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and a Vice Premier of the State Council.

The NAM should continue to uphold independence and oppose power politics, seek common ground while shelving differences, promote peaceful coexistence, seek strength through unity, strive for common development, and advocate equality, fairness and justice, Liu added.

The NAM Summit was followed on January 21 with the third South Summit, the highest decision-making body of the Group of 77 (G77), which now groups 135 developing countries.

Speaking there, Liu said that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Group of 77, and over the past six decades, the Global South has followed the right path of equality, mutual trust, mutual benefit, solidarity, and mutual assistance.

Independence is the defining political feature of the Global South, seeking strength through unity is the glorious tradition of the Global South, development and revitalisation are the historical mission of the Global South, and fairness and justice are the common propositions of the Global South, he noted.

As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China has always shared a common destiny with other developing countries and will continue to take South-South cooperation as a priority in its foreign cooperation and contribute to the common development of developing countries in the Global South.

On January 21, Liu had a meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has also assumed the rotating chair of the NAM and G77.

Museveni asked Liu to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi. He welcomed the vice premier and his delegation to attend the two summits and thanked China for its significant contribution to the success of the meetings.

From joining hands to oppose colonialism and hegemonism and strive for national liberation, to strengthening unity and cooperation and jointly promoting development and revitalisation, the destiny of the African and Chinese people has always been closely linked, Museveni stressed.

The Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post further reported Museveni as telling Liu: “We have been together in the anti-colonial struggle. China supported us when we were fighting for independence. It also supported the freedom fighting groups in Southern Africa – Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“Since then, China has grown economically [and] has helped Africa even more. We are therefore very happy with China.”

Liu responded that China was still a very poor country in 1949 when the People’s Republic was founded, “but the Chinese leaders made a very important decision” to develop relations with Africa through “supporting African people in fighting for national independence, liberation and their efforts to fight imperialism.”

In a meeting with another high-level Chinese delegation last November, the Ugandan presidential website quoted Museveni as saying that: “Ever since 1949, when the Communist Party took power in China, China has been on the side of Africa. At that time, Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong supported our struggle against colonialism. Then, after independence, even when China was not so prosperous, they extended support to Africa. I remember China building the Tanzania-Zambia railway after independence, and that was to help landlocked Zambia against the white supremacists in Southern Africa.”

Prior to visiting Uganda, Liu had visited Algeria and Cameroon.

The Kampala NAM Summit saw the admission to full membership of South Sudan, the first expansion in 13 years, meaning that the body now has 121 member states – 54 from Africa, 26 from the Americas, 36 from Asia, 3 from Oceania and 2 from Europe. In addition, there are 19 observer countries, including China, and 11 observer organisations, including liberation movements from the US colony Puerto Rico and Kanaky, the French colony known as New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

China hails Non-Aligned Movement’s endeavors in advancing global peace

KAMPALA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative Liu Guozhong attended the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit on Friday and Saturday in the Ugandan capital Kampala and delivered a speech, highlighting the movement’s important role in promoting the cause of world peace and human progress.

The NAM, born at the climax of the national liberation movements in Asia, Africa and Latin America, has effectively advanced the cause of world peace and human progress, said Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council.

It should continue to uphold independence and oppose power politics, seek common ground while shelving differences, promote peaceful coexistence, seek strength through unity, strive for common development, and advocate equality, fairness and justice, Liu said.

Liu stressed that China will always be a member of the developing world and is willing to work with the NAM countries to promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative under the guidance of building a global community of shared future.

China is ready to advance Belt and Road cooperation, practice the common values of humanity, and advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, to promote the world toward a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress, Liu said.

Heads of state and government and high-level representatives from more than 100 countries, and heads of international organizations attended the summit. Ugandan President and the chair of the NAM Yoweri Museveni, heads of state of South Africa, Sri Lanka and other countries, the president of the UN General Assembly, and the UN secretary-general delivered speeches, expressing their views on the current international situation and strengthening the role of the NAM. Liu’s speech was positively recognized and widely appreciated by representatives of other countries.

On Saturday, Liu was invited to attend a seminar of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation on development held by President Museveni and delivered a speech.

China, Maldives upgrade ties as presidents hold talks

President Mohamed Muizzu of the Republic of Maldives, an island nation in South Asia, became the first foreign head of state to visit China in 2024, paying a state visit from January 8-12. His visit, 10 years after President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Maldives in 2014, was also President Muizzu’s first overseas state visit since assuming office in November 2023.

Meeting President Xi on January 10, the two heads of state announced the elevation of their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi said that the people of the two countries established friendly ties through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, undertook productive cooperation in the construction of the Belt and Road and other areas in recent years, and set a good example of equality, mutual assistance, and mutual benefit between countries big and small over the past 52 years of diplomatic ties.

“Under the new circumstances, China-Maldives relations face a historic opportunity to build on past achievements and forge ahead,” Xi said, noting that the elevation of ties is necessary alongside the growth of bilateral relations and meets the expectations of the two peoples.

Xi spoke about the hard work and valuable experience of the Communist Party of China over the last century. He stressed that China respects and supports the Maldives in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions and firmly supports the Maldives in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity.

He called on the two sides to strengthen cooperation in such areas as the economy, trade and investment, agricultural parks, and the blue, green and digital economies. He also called for expanded cooperation on marine ecological and environmental protection, as well as strengthened people-to-people exchanges. He said China will support more Maldivian students to study in China and promote more direct flights between the two countries.

Xi noted that the two sides should strengthen multilateral communication and coordination to safeguard genuine multilateralism and the common interests of developing countries and build a community with a shared future for humanity to make the world more peaceful, secure and prosperous.

He said that China is willing to work with the Maldives to implement the consensus reached at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, and to promote the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Muizzu said he was honoured to pay his first state visit to China with a number of important cabinet ministers and to become the first foreign head of state that China has hosted this year, fully demonstrating the great importance both sides attach to the development of bilateral relations.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi’s historic state visit to the Maldives, Muizzu said that China has provided a significant amount of valuable assistance to his country’s economic and social development. He added that the Maldivian people have benefited greatly from the Belt and Road Initiative, citing the Maldives-China Friendship Bridge a symbol of the bond between the two peoples. He said the Maldives looks forward to taking the elevation of ties as an opportunity to expand new channels of cooperation and promote high-quality partnership in the construction of the Belt and Road, and that it welcomes more Chinese tourists to visit the country.

After their talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of an action plan to establish the China-Maldives comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as well as cooperation documents on the construction of the Belt and Road, disaster management, the economy and technology, infrastructure, people’s livelihoods, green development, and the blue and digital economies.

Meeting with Premier Li Qiang the next day, Muizzu noted that the visit to China is his first state visit since taking office, adding that the Maldives firmly adheres to the one-China policy, stands firmly with China, and firmly supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative proposed by China.

He also met with Zhao Leji, the Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee the same day.

According to the joint communiqué released by the two heads of state after their meeting, the two sides share the view that China and the Maldives are sincere friends of mutual trust and assistance, and partners for common development and prosperity. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 52 years ago, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting a fine example of equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes.

They also share the view that as changes of the world, our times and history unfold, the strategic significance of China-Maldives relations has become more pronounced. The two sides agree to elevate China-Maldives relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, better leverage the political guidance of high-level engagement, expand practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields, strengthen collaboration on international and multilateral affairs, enhance the well-being of the two peoples, and work toward a China-Maldives community with a shared future.

China firmly supports the Maldives in upholding its national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, respects and supports the Maldives’ exploration of a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in the internal affairs of the Maldives.

China also expresses its readiness to continue providing support for the Maldives to the best of its capability in areas that the Maldives deems as priorities, including infrastructure construction, medical service and health, improvement of people’s livelihood, new energy, agriculture, and protection of the marine environment. And the two sides intend to continue exchanges and cooperation in such areas as science and technology, culture, tourism, education, sports, civil aviation, personnel training, health, affairs related to women, youth, and people with disabilities, press and publication, radio, film and television, people-to-people ties, and subnational cooperation.

The two sides further agree to deepen cooperation in the field of ecology and environment, advocate green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable development, implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, work together for building the green Belt and Road, and strengthen communication and cooperation on climate change and other issues.

Following President Muizzu’s return home, he announced that all Indian troops must quit his country by March 15. There are currently some 80 Indian troops stationed in the Maldives.

The Indian newspaper The Hindu reported that: “Veteran Indian diplomat Rakesh Sood said that Mr. Muizzu was ‘playing to his base and presumably, his ‘benefactor’.’ He added: ‘He is being deliberately provocative but there is little to be gained by India engaging in tit-for-tat rhetoric. Far better to let him realise the relevance of India to Maldives, in socio-economic terms.’”

However, the paper further noted: “The Maldivian president has been consistent in his demand for Indian troops’ withdrawal, his chief poll pledge last year. The demand also figured in his inaugural address soon after he assumed office in November 2023. In December, days after his meeting with [Indian Prime Minister] Mr. Modi in Dubai [at the COP 28 climate summit], Mr. Muizzu announced that India had ‘agreed’ to withdraw its troops, although New Delhi has made no statement to that effect so far.”

Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post wrote that, “After his state visit to China, Muizzu said… that his country’s small size does not give anyone the licence to bully it… ‘We are a free and independent nation. So this territorial integrity is something China respects firmly.'”

This announcement also comes after a series of disagreements between India and the new administration in the Maldives, with India standing accused of attempting to undermine the Maldives’ tourism industry. Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives, accounting for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the country’s foreign exchange receipts.

Reporting just as President Muizzu began his state visit, China’s Global Times, prefigured this issue, noting that, “ President Muizzu’s decision to visit China before India has raised concerns among some Indian media outlets, with many speculating that the Maldivian leader is pursuing an ‘India-out’ policy and leaning toward China.

“Chinese analysts said that interpreting Muizzu’s China visit as being pro-China reflects the lack of confidence among certain Indian politicians. They believe that India’s long-standing hegemonic mentality in South Asia is the root cause of strained relations with some regional countries, including the Maldives and that India should not shift the blame onto China by hyping the narrative of competition with China in the region as an excuse.”

Long Xingchun, a professor at the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, noted that China respects the Maldives’ sovereignty and does not interfere in its domestic affairs. Unlike India, China does not exclude other countries’ cooperation with the Maldives. On the contrary, China encourages and welcomes more countries, including India, to engage in collaboration with the Maldives.

Global Times also reported that Chinese analysts said that India’s strained relations with certain countries in South Asia can be attributed to its perception of being the regional boss. Instead of shifting blame to China, India should take a moment to reflect on its policies toward its neighbours and abandon the zero-sum mentality.

Lin Minwang, deputy director at the Centre for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, told Global Times that the Indian media has attempted to exert pressure on Muizzu by hyping the so-called “pro-China” policy. This highlights India’s view of itself as a hegemon in the region, expecting leaders of other countries to seek its approval.

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

China, Maldives upgrade ties as presidents hold talks

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu in Beijing on Wednesday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi said that the people of the two countries established friendly ties through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, undertook productive cooperation in the construction of the Belt and Road and other areas in recent years, and set a good example of equality, mutual assistance and mutual benefit between countries big and small over the past 52 years of diplomatic ties.

Webinar: Building solidarity and opposing the New Cold War – Peace delegates report back from China

Date	Sunday 18 February
Time	4pm Britain / 11am US Eastern / 8am US Pacific

Although the Biden administration has made some small gestures towards improving US-China relations, the US continues to escalate its campaign of encirclement and containment. The US has ramped up its military aid to Taiwan; it is attempting to strengthen the AUKUS nuclear alliance; it is doing everything it can to prevent China’s emergence as a major computing power; it is imposing sanctions and tariffs on China; and it is relentlessly spreading lurid anti-China slander.

Recognising the terrible dangers posed by the New Cold War (and its potential degeneration into a hot war), a number of peace activists from the US have recently taken part in delegations to China, in order to build understanding and solidarity, and to see China’s reality with their own eyes.

We will hear back from these peace delegates and discuss ways to continue building people-to-people links between the West and China, and to develop a powerful movement for peace and cooperation.

Speakers

Ajamu Baraka (Coordinating Committee Chairperson, Black Alliance for Peace)
Bahman Azad (President, US Peace Council)
Sara Flounders (Co-director, the International Action Center)
Danny Haiphong (Youtuber; Author, ‘American Exceptionalism and American Innocence’)
Dee Knight (DSA International Committee’s Anti-War Subcommittee)
Lee Siu Hin (Founder, China-US Activist Solidarity Project)
Charles Xu (Writer and researcher, Qiao Collective)
Radhika Desai (Convenor, International Manifesto Group)
Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament
Communist Party USA International Department

Organisers

This webinar is jointly organised by Friends of Socialist China and the International Manifesto Group.

China and Nauru resume diplomatic relations

China resumed diplomatic relations with the South Pacific island nation of Nauru on January 24. This came nine days after Nauru independently announced that it was severing its so-called “diplomatic relations” with the authorities on the Chinese island of Taiwan.

Nauru thus becomes the 183rd country to have diplomatic relations with China. (Nauru previously had diplomatic relations with China, 2002-2005.)

The formal resumption of ties came with the signing of a joint communiqué in Beijing by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his visiting Nauruan counterpart, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea.

According to the joint communiqué:

“The two governments agree to develop friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

“The Government of the Republic of Nauru recognises that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal Government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Government of the Republic of Nauru shall sever ‘diplomatic relations’ with Taiwan as of this day and undertakes that it shall no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan. The Government of the People’s Republic of China appreciates this position of the Government of the Republic of Nauru.”

At the talks that preceded the signing, Wang Yi said that, bearing in mind the long-term development of Nauru and the fundamental interests of its people, the government of Nauru has made the political resolve to recognise the one-China principle, sever ‘diplomatic ties’ with the Taiwan region and resume diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. In so doing, Nauru has chosen to stand on the right side of history. The Parliament of Nauru has unanimously adopted a motion in support of this decision, which fully represents the will of the Nauruan people. China welcomes and appreciates the decision.

China will work with Nauru to take the resumption of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to increase exchanges at all levels, share governance experience, and synergise development strategies, so that the two countries will become good brothers, good friends and good partners that trust each other politically, benefit each other economically and support each other in international affairs. Together, the two sides will contribute to a closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific Island countries.

Foreign Minister Aingimea said that his country’s decision was unanimously adopted by the Parliament of Nauru, with a standing ovation by all of its members. It fully shows that this is a right decision which is welcomed by the people and serves the fundamental interests of Nauru.

He added that the way China says what it means and does what it says has won the hearts of the people of Nauru. With their diplomatic ties resumed, droplets of friendship between the two countries will create an ocean. Nauru admires China’s remarkable development achievements and great contribution to global growth, and firmly believes in the vast and promising future of the bilateral relationship. Nauru highly commends and will take an active part in President Xi Jinping’s vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and in the important global initiatives President Xi has put forward.

Following the signing of the communiqué, the two ministers met the press.

Foreign Minister Wang pointed out that although China and Nauru are far apart geographically, the two peoples enjoy a long-standing friendship. As developing countries, China and Nauru face the common tasks of growing the economy, improving people’s lives and realising modernisation. As members of the Global South, the two countries share the common aspirations to safeguard sovereignty and independence, uphold the common interests of developing countries, and work for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.

He added that China always believes that countries, regardless of size, strength, and wealth, are equals and important members of the international community. China will, following the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, treat Nauru as an equal and support Nauru in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and chosen independently by its people. China looks forward to working with Nauru to deepen political mutual trust, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance friendship between the people, and take bilateral ties to new heights. China will share with Nauru the development opportunities brought by Chinese modernisation in a joint pursuit of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Noting that just a handful of countries still maintain “diplomatic relations” with the Taiwan region for various reasons, Wang said that this not only contravenes the interests of their own countries and people and goes against Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly (which restored China’s seat in the United Nations), but also constitutes an infringement of China’s sovereignty. It must be redressed sooner or later. China urges those countries to be clear-eyed about the trend of the times, seize the historical opportunities, fulfil their obligations under international law, and join the international community in coming to the right side of history. It is never too late to forge a friendship. China is ready to turn a new page in its relations with those countries on the basis of the one-China principle.

The following day, Minister Aingimea met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. Hailing the political decision made independently by the Nauru government to resume diplomatic relations with China, Han said history will prove that this is the right decision and once again shows that the one-China principle is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

China supports Nauru in exploring the path of modernisation that suits its national conditions, and is willing to do its best to help Nauru achieve development based on mutual respect, equality, win-win cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, he added.

Aingimea said that the establishment of diplomatic ties with China has put Nauru on the right side of history, and becoming a partner with China will make Nauru’s development prospects brighter and bring more benefits to its people. Nauru looks forward to strengthening exchanges and cooperation with China and will actively participate in the Belt and Road cooperation and the three global initiatives put forward by President Xi.

Meanwhile, speaking to the Xinhua News Agency in the Nauruan capital Yaren shortly before the announcement, Joanna Olsson, director of the Government Information Office of Nauru, said that the Belt and Road Initiative brings development opportunities to Pacific Island nations, and Nauru looks forward to more practical cooperation with China after the two nations resume diplomatic relations.

She said that she is optimistic about future practical cooperation between the two nations, particularly on climate change, water supply and agriculture, among others.

Being a Pacific Island nation, Nauru is deeply affected by climate change, facing urgent challenges such as rising sea levels and land erosion. Some coastal areas are being submerged, necessitating the relocation of residential areas and some public service facilities to higher ground.

Moreover, the scarcity of fresh water for daily life is a persistent concern for local residents. Global climate change has worsened water crises, posing even more severe challenges to the islanders, she said.

Nauru’s move leaves just 12 countries having “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan. Of these, the South Pacific Island state of Tuvalu will hold an election on January 26. At time of writing, there is much speculation in the international media that it may then follow Nauru in establishing diplomatic relations with China.

Nauru won its national independence in 1968 having been under the colonial rule of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand in the form of a “UN Trusteeship”. Tuvalu achieved national independence from British colonialism in 1978.

The following articles were originally published on the websites of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Xinhua News Agency.

Joint Communiqué on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations Between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Nauru

Jan. 24 (Chinese Foreign Ministry) –The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Nauru, in keeping with the interests and desire of the two peoples, have decided to resume diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level, effective as of this day.

The two Governments agree to develop friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

The Government of the Republic of Nauru recognizes that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal Government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Government of the Republic of Nauru shall sever “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan as of this day and undertakes that it shall no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan. The Government of the People’s Republic of China appreciates this position of the Government of the Republic of Nauru.

The Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Nauru agree to exchange Ambassadors as early as possible and to provide each other with all the necessary assistance for the establishment of Embassies and their performance of functions in each other’s capitals on a reciprocal basis in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and international customary practices.

The undersigned, being duly authorized by their respective Governments, signed this communiqué on January 24, 2024 in Beijing. Done in duplicate in the Chinese and English languages, both texts being equally authentic.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi Holds Talks With Foreign Minister of Nauru Lionel Aingimea

Jan. 24 (Chinese Foreign Ministry) — On January 24, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Nauru Lionel Aingimea held talks in Beijing and signed a Joint Communiqué on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations Between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Nauru.

Foreign Minister Wang noted that the two sides are about to open a new chapter in China-Nauru relations, which is a historic moment that will go down in history. Bearing in mind the long-term development of Nauru and the fundamental interests of its people, the government of Nauru has made the political resolve to recognize the one-China principle, sever “diplomatic ties” with the Taiwan region and resume diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. In so doing, Nauru has chosen to stand on the right side of history. The Parliament of Nauru has unanimously adopted a motion in support of this decision, which fully represents the will of the Nauruan people. China welcomes and appreciates the decision.

China, Jamaica highlight fruits of bilateral cooperation

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his first overseas tour of 2024 with a visit to Jamaica.

Meeting Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who was joined by a number of his ministerial colleagues including for foreign affairs, on January 20, Wang said that China hopes to work with Jamaica to synergise development strategies, expand cooperation in various fields, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Jamaica friendship.

Holness recalled that in 2009, he had the honour of receiving Xi Jinping who visited Jamaica as Chinese vice president and that in 2019 he and President Xi jointly announced an upgrading of their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. He added that China did not hesitate to lend a helping hand when Jamaica encountered difficulties, which has strongly supported his country’s economic development and the improvement of people’s lives, and vividly demonstrated China’s sincere will to help developing countries.

Wang Yi said that China advocates that all countries, big or small, are equal and respects Jamaica’s choice of a system and way of life with its own characteristics. Briefing the Jamaican side on China’s development achievements and centenary goals, Wang said that China is accelerating Chinese modernisation and is willing to provide a useful reference for developing countries that hope to achieve rapid development while maintaining independence.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Holness wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that “this visit marks a significant milestone in our diplomatic ties, reflecting the enduring partnership and collaboration between our two great nations.”

The Chinese Foreign Minister also had a separate meeting with his Jamaican counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith. She expressed her pleasure to receive the Chinese foreign minister at Jamaica’s new foreign ministry building, one of China’s aid projects in the country. And she thanked China for providing valuable support to Jamaica’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood, and for helping Jamaica successfully fight the pandemic.

Wang said that China and Jamaica are geographically far apart but have a long history of friendly exchanges. It has been 170 years since Chinese migrants first arrived in Jamaica.

Jamaica is one of the first Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and the first Caribbean country to establish a strategic partnership with China. China appreciates the correct decision made by Jamaica, its unwavering friendship with China, and its firm support for China in safeguarding core interests, Wang noted.

Strategic partnership means mutual trust and mutual support. China and Jamaica respect each other and treat each other as equals. Their bilateral relations have achieved a historic leap, and their friendly cooperation has achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.

In a world lacking fairness and full of injustice, China will always stand on the side of fairness and justice, and support the cause of the vast mass of developing countries, in particular small and medium-sized countries. China supports the Caribbean countries in their efforts to unite for development and advance regional integration, Wang remarked.

Jamaica and China established diplomatic relations on November 21, 1972, eight months after the late Michael Manley, who pursued anti-imperialist and socialist-oriented policies, first became Prime Minister.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

China hopes to synergize development strategies with Jamaica: Chinese FM

KINGSTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) — China hopes to work with Jamaica to synergize development strategies, expand cooperation in various fields, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Jamaica friendship, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, which was also attended by Jamaica’s ministers of foreign affairs, finance, health and infrastructure.

Holness recalled that in 2009, he had the honor of receiving Xi Jinping who visited Jamaica as Chinese vice president and that in 2019, he and President Xi jointly announced upgrading bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.

Asking Wang to convey his sincere greetings to Xi, Holness said that China did not hesitate to lend a helping hand when Jamaica encountered difficulties, which has strongly supported Jamaica’s economic development and improvement of people’s lives, and vividly demonstrated China’s sincere will to help developing countries.

Jamaica will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China policy, give priority to the relationship between Jamaica and China, and strive to build a strong strategic partnership between the two countries, the prime minister stressed.

Wang conveyed Xi’s cordial greetings, noting that China appreciates Jamaica’s firm adherence to the friendly policy towards China and the one-China principle, and thanks Jamaica for understanding and supporting China in safeguarding its core interests.

China advocates that all countries, big or small, are equal and respects Jamaica’s choice of a system and way of life with its own characteristics, Wang said.

China supports Jamaica in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and national dignity and playing a more important role in regional and international affairs, Wang added.

Wang said that the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Jamaica has achieved fruitful results and has broad prospects.

Briefing the Jamaican side on China’s development achievements and centenary goals, Wang said that China is accelerating Chinese modernization and is willing to provide a useful reference for developing countries that hope to achieve rapid development while maintaining independence.

The two sides can share experience in state governance and achieve common development, he added.

Holness said that Chinese modernization has set a benchmark for high-quality development. Noting he has witnessed China’s adherence to the principle of equality and treating small and medium-sized countries sincerely, he firmly believes that China will continue to play a leading role in responding to global challenges.

On the same day, Wang also held talks with Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith.

(1/2) It was truly an honour to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, during his visit to Jamaica. pic.twitter.com/XQqnxrEtKf
— Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) January 20, 2024

China, Jamaica highlight fruits of bilateral cooperation

KINGSTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith highlighted fruitful results of bilateral cooperation during their meeting in the Jamaican capital of Kingston on Saturday.

Johnson Smith expressed her pleasure to receive the Chinese foreign minister at Jamaica’s new foreign ministry building, one of China’s aid projects in the country. Noting that Jamaica is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to support the one-China principle and has since adhered to this position, she said Jamaica is proud of this tradition and will continue to unswervingly stick to the one-China principle.

Johnson Smith said the two countries enjoy solid mutual political trust, highly compatible ideas, mutually beneficial cooperation, and active people-to-people exchanges, yielding fruitful results in their strategic partnership.

She thanked China for providing valuable support to Jamaica’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood, and for helping Jamaica successfully fight the pandemic.

Jamaica values China’s experience in governance and has been strengthening economic development planning and striving to eliminate poverty, Johnson Smith said, adding that her country looks forward to expanding bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, economy and trade, agriculture, education, science and technology, while developing a strong strategic partnership between the two countries.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China and Jamaica are geographically far apart, but have a long history of friendly exchanges. It has been 170 years since Chinese migrants first arrived in Jamaica.

History has proved and will continue to prove that the China-Jamaica friendship is in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries, Wang said, adding that China is willing to continue to support Jamaica in accelerating national development and revitalization, to write a new chapter of the China-Jamaica friendship as well as make new achievements in bilateral win-win cooperation.

Wang stressed that China adheres to the path of peaceful development, practices genuine multilateralism, and promotes the political settlement of hot-spot issues, making it a major country with the best record in peace and security.

In a world lacking fairness and full of injustice, China will always stand on the side of fairness and justice, support the cause of the vast developing countries, in particular small and medium-sized countries. China supports the Caribbean countries in their efforts to unite for development and advance regional integration, Wang said.

China is willing to jointly implement a series of important global initiatives proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping with Caribbean countries, promoting a high-level China-Jamaica comprehensive partnership featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development, he added.

Johnson Smith stated that Jamaica fully agrees with the concept of peaceful diplomacy, highly appreciates China’s role as a major country, supports and will actively participate in a series of Chinese global initiatives, and stands ready to make more achievements in the relationship between Caribbean countries and China.