Author: Friends of Socialist China

Forecasting China?

In the following article, which was originally carried by Sidecar, the blog published under the auspices of New Left Review, on 8 September 2023, Nathan Sperber addresses some typical but fundamental western misconceptions concerning the Chinese economy.

He begins with the observations of Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman that “China is in big trouble. We’re not talking about some minor setback along the way, but something more fundamental. The country’s whole way of doing business, the economic system that has driven three decades of incredible growth, has reached its limits…the only question now is just how bad the crash will be”; only to then note that Krugman had been writing in the summer of 2013.

In fact, China’s GDP grew by 7.8 percent that year and in the ensuing decade its economy has expanded by 70 percent in real terms compared to 21 percent for the United States.

Similar dire predictions were made, the article points out in the early 2000s, “when runaway investment was thought to be ‘overheating’ the economy; in the late 2000s, when exports contracted in the wake of the global financial crisis; and in the mid-2010s, when it was feared that a buildup of local government debt, under-regulated shadow banking and capital outflows threatened China’s entire economic edifice.” Today, the trigger for such doom mongering is the relatively low growth figures for the second quarter of 2023.

Sperber asserts that the existence of structural weaknesses in the Chinese economy is not in dispute. But he also considers that a fundamental weakness in much Western coverage of the Chinese economy is that it responds to the needs of the ‘investor community’:

“The most salient preoccupations of Western commentators reflect the skewed distribution of foreign-owned capital within the Chinese economy. China’s economy is highly globalized in terms of trade in goods but not in terms of finance: Beijing’s capital controls to a large degree insulate the domestic financial sector from global financial markets. Overseas financial capital has only a handful of access points to China’s markets, meaning international exposure is uneven. China-based companies with foreign investors, offshore debt or listings on stock markets outside of the mainland (that is, free of China’s capital controls) generate attention precisely in proportion to their overseas entanglements.”

To illustrate his argument, he notes how countless news articles have been devoted to the travails of real estate giants Evergrande (Hong Kong-listed and reliant on dollar-denominated debt) and, more recently, Country Garden (Hong Kong-listed and again carrying offshore debt). Readers of the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times will be far less likely to read about State Grid, the world’s largest electricity provider, or China State Construction Engineering, the world’s largest construction firm – “two companies less dependent on global finance and over which international investors are unlikely to lose any sleep.”

Noting how the “slow-motion collapse” of Evergrande has been portrayed in the Western media as a “calamity in waiting for the entire Chinese economy”, Sperber adds that this “elides the fact that the Chinese government deliberately prevented highly indebted property developers, including Evergrande, from accessing easy credit in the summer of 2020… Of course, no large-scale corporate default and restructuring is desirable per se. But it appears that failures like Evergrande’s have been treated by Chinese authorities as the price of disciplining the property sector as a whole and reducing its weight in the broader economy.”

Although not mentioned by Sperber, his above point also serves, inter alia, to underline how, again contra to much western reportage (even by some progressive scholars not unfriendly to China), China has not strategically departed from President Xi Jinping’s insistence that homes are for living in not for speculation. Against the common western narratives, Sperber argues that a more level-headed approach would be to put China’s current economic moment in a longer-term perspective. China’s economy was comprehensively transformed in the 1980s and 1990s, and “since this era of intense institutional restructuring ended in the early 2000s, China’s GDP has more than quadrupled in real terms but the country’s fundamental economic structure has remained stable, in terms of both the balance between state-owned enterprises and private capital, and the precedence of investment over consumption.”

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman does not mince his words:

the signs are now unmistakable: China is in big trouble. We’re not talking about some minor setback along the way, but something more fundamental. The country’s whole way of doing business, the economic system that has driven three decades of incredible growth, has reached its limits. You could say that the Chinese model is about to hit its Great Wall, and the only question now is just how bad the crash will be.

That was in the summer of 2013. China’s GDP grew by 7.8 per cent that year. In the decade since, its economy has expanded by 70 per cent in real terms, compared to 21 per cent for the United States. China has not had a recession this century – by convention, two consecutive quarters of negative growth – let alone a ‘crash’. Yet every few years, the Anglophone financial media and its trail of investors, analysts and think-tankers are gripped by the belief that the Chinese economy is about to crater.

The conviction reared its head in the early 2000s, when runaway investment was thought to be ‘overheating’ the economy; in the late 2000s, when exports contracted in the wake of the global financial crisis; and in the mid-2010s, when it was feared that a buildup of local government debt, under-regulated shadow banking and capital outflows threatened China’s entire economic edifice. Today, dire predictions are out in force again, this time triggered by underwhelming growth figures for the second quarter of 2023. Exports have declined from the heights they reached during the pandemic while consumer spending has softened. Corporate troubles in the property sector and high youth unemployment appear to add to China’s woes. Against this backdrop, Western commentators are casting doubt on the PRC’s ability to continue to churn out GDP units, or fretting in grander terms about the country’s economic future (‘whither China?’, asks Adam Tooze by way of Yang Xiguang). Adam Posen, president of the Washington-based Peterson Institute, has diagnosed a case of ‘economic long Covid’. Gloom about China’s economic prospects has once again taken hold.

That there are structural weaknesses in the Chinese economy is not in dispute. After two waves of dramatic institutional reform in the 1980s and 1990s respectively, China’s economic landscape has settled into a durable pattern of high savings and low consumption. With household spending subdued, GDP growth, slowing over the past decade, is sustained by driving up investment, enabled in turn by growing corporate indebtedness. But despite this slowdown, the current bout of doomsaying in the English-language business press, half investor Angst, half pro-Western Schadenfreude, is not an accurate reflection of the fortunes of China’s economy – plodding, but still expanding, with 3 points of GDP added over the first six months of 2023. It is rather an expression of an intellectual impasse, and of the flawed conditions in which knowledge about the Chinese economy is produced and circulated within the Western public sphere.

Continue reading Forecasting China?

Minister Liu Jianchao: Promoting a human community with a shared future

We reprint below an important article by Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, which first appeared in China Daily.

In his article, Minister Liu outlines the key points and significance of the three major initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, namely the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI). According to Liu, together they promote “global organic unity… in order to build a human community with a shared future.” This unity, “following the trend of human progress and in response to the unprecedented changes in the world, points to the direction in which the world, which now is at a crossroad, should go.”

He further outlines the essence of each initiative, as follows:

“The GDI, from the perspective of growth, answers the question of what development philosophy people need and how to achieve global development. It is aimed at creating the material foundation for a human community with a shared future. The GSI, from the viewpoint of security, focuses on the issue of what sort of security humanity needs and how to achieve universal security. It is aimed at providing security guarantee for the community. The GCI… answers the question of how to view different civilisations and promote exchanges and mutual learning among them. It aims to build the cultural foundation for the human community.”

Targeting issues like humanity’s survival, development, and modernisation, the GDI effectively responds to the strong aspiration and urgent need of the international community, developing countries in particular, to achieve faster economic growth. It also focuses on tackling the unbalanced and inadequate development within and among nations, thus setting the direction for the cause of global development and global cooperation on development.

China’s success in brokering a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and its commitment to promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis through peace talks, are all examples of how we address security dilemmas by following the GSI. Targeting issues such as misunderstandings, estrangement, lack of mutual trust and inclusiveness among civilisations, the GCI aims to achieve dialectical unity based on the commonality and notwithstanding the diversity of civilisations, by seeking the common ground among them while fully respecting that diversity.

Whilst also outlining the influence of traditional Chinese culture and philosophy on the initiatives, Liu particularly emphasises how they are rooted in and embody Marxism.

“The vision of building a human community with a shared future and the three global initiatives are scientific. They encapsulate the stances, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism, reflecting the hallmarks of Marxism, and demonstrating salient theoretical characters. Underpinned by dialectical and historical materialism, the vision and the three global initiatives reveal the laws governing the development of human society and its future direction.”

They are also people-centred: “Focusing on the aspiration for a better life of the peoples across the world, the vision and the three global initiatives highlight the overall interests of humanity and strive to improve the common wellbeing of all peoples.

“Moreover, their vision of caring for every individual is self-evident. Responding to the yearning of peoples of different countries for peace, development and cooperation, the vision and the three global initiatives are committed to creating the right conditions to realise and guarantee each individual’s well-rounded development.”

Concluding his arguments, Minister Liu notes:

“The vision of a human community with a shared future and the three global initiatives uphold and apply Marxist stances, viewpoints and methods, and constitute a well-developed system of thought with compelling logic. They reflect China’s keen grasp of the law of history and its civilisation, and its deep reflection on the questions that have emerged in modern times.

“The three global initiatives, which are interconnected, interdependent and mutually reinforcing, provide a strong underpinning for the vision of building a global community with a shared future and offer China’s solution to build a better world.”

In March this year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, proposed the Global Civilization Initiative at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting. The GCI was the third global initiative he proposed to promote global organic unity after the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative in order to build a human community with a shared future.

The unity, following the trend of human progress and in response to the unprecedented changes in the world, points to the direction in which the world, which now is at a crossroad, should go. It is a new development of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and speaks volumes about the sense of history, mission and responsibility, and the global vision of Chinese communists with Xi Jinping as their chief representative. To break new ground in advancing major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, we must get a sound grasp of the scientific nature and the considerable significance of this unity and the inherent relationship between the vision and the three global initiatives.

From the historical perspective, the three global initiatives, reflecting three major themes of human progress, constitute three pillars that support the overarching vision of a human community with a shared future.

In the long river of history, different civilizations, flowing and converging from time to time, have surged forward like waves. Along with the continuous progress of human society and the deepening of globalization, countries have become increasingly connected and inter-dependent, forming a community with a shared future.

People of all countries have come to realize that material abundance, peace and stability and cultural prosperity are what all societies aspire for. To achieve them, we need growth, security and civilization, which complement and reinforce each other.

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, “Only when the granary is full will people learn etiquette; only when people are well fed and clothed will they know honor and shame.” Growth is the basis for security and civilization. Only when all countries prosper can peace last and civilizations thrive.

“Stability brings a country prosperity, while instability leads a country to poverty,” is another ancient Chinese saying. Security is a prerequisite of growth and civilization. Chinese people in ancient times believed that the civilized tend to enjoy safety while the uncivilized are more prone to face troubles and encounter danger. Civilization develops on the basis of economic growth and security. It is the accumulation of a people’s cultural pursuit and carries the imprint of a nation’s history. It has a gradual and imperceptible influence on people’s way of thinking and doing things, providing spiritual strength to the cause of development and security.

Continue reading Minister Liu Jianchao: Promoting a human community with a shared future

Bashar al-Assad: China has gone from being the world’s factory to being the world’s innovation powerhouse

In this edition of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, Zou Yun interviews Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was visiting China for the first time in 19 years. His 21-26 September visit began in Hangzhou, where he and his wife Mrs. Asma al-Assad were among the international leaders to attend the opening of the 19th Asian Games. Talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping saw the two countries establish a strategic partnership and their agenda focused in particular on the Syrian people’s efforts to rebuild their country after years of war and its full return to the regional and international stage.

In the interview, President Assad was clearly touched by the warm and spontaneous welcome given by Chinese spectators to the Syrian athletes as they entered the stadium as well as by the subsequent comments by Chinese netizens on social media. Comparing the China of today with the one he saw on his previous visit in 2004, he said it had gone from being the world’s factory to being the world’s innovation powerhouse. But what was even more important than the changes was that the patriotic qualities of the Chinese people had not changed.

Reflecting on his talks with President Xi, the Syrian leader noted that China rejects hegemony and always stands with Syria politically. He felt that there was much that could be learned from the Chinese experience of modernisation as China’s own situation was once similar to that of many other third world countries. Syria and other countries, he continued, had once tried to learn from the western experience, but these attempts had proved to be unsuccessful and even counterproductive.

Turning to the current situation in Syria, Assad noted that the war is not over. The physical destruction could be addressed, as Syria had done many times in its long history, but the destruction of national culture and civilisation by western neoliberalism led by the United States, along with the related issue of extremism, was more dangerous. If Syria is rebuilt, he continued, his country will have a bright future. It had previously enjoyed high growth and low debt, was an exporter of wheat and other foodstuffs and had been developing various industries.

He praised the recent reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which was facilitated by China, as a huge achievement and a wonderful surprise. Syria had suffered for years from the estrangement between these two neighbouring countries. According to the Syrian President, the world is now in a period of transition from the centuries of colonialism, which had begun with the “discovery” of the Americas, and which has been characterised by slaughter and exploitation. It is this transition that underlines the significance of the various international initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping.

The full interview with President Bashar al-Assad is embedded below.

The West’s blueprint for goading China was laid out in Ukraine

The following article by Jonathan Cook (first published by Middle East Eye) explores the complex and contradictory policies of the Western powers in relation to China. On the one hand, Western leaders talk of wanting a collaborative relationship with China, and on this basis “US and European officials have scurried to Beijing for so-called talks”, including a high-profile visit by British foreign secretary James Cleverly in August. On the other hand, these same leaders are taking reckless steps towards confrontation: “showering Taiwan with weapons systems”; setting up AUKUS; forging a trilateral security arrangement between the US, Japan and South Korea; and developing new military bases in the Pacific as part of an ongoing strategy of encirclement. NATO last year declared Beijing a challenge to its “interests, security and values.”

Jonathan writes that “European leaders are torn. They fear losing access to Chinese goods and markets, plunging their economies deeper into recession after a cost-of-living crisis precipitated by the Ukraine war. But most are even more afraid of angering Washington, which is determined to isolate and contain China.”

The manifestation of these contradictory motivations is a policy of aggression combined with the pretence of a meaningful desire for peaceful engagement. “But the only real engagement is the crafting of a military noose around China’s neck, just as a noose was crafted earlier for Russia.” And the crafting of this military noose is justified to ordinary people in the West – who will inevitably shoulder the economic costs of the deteriorating relationship – with an absurd but carefully-curated narrative about protecting Taiwan. This “obscures Washington’s less palatable aim: to enforce US global dominance by smashing any economic or technological threat from China and Russia.”

The West is writing a script about its relations with China as stuffed full of misdirection as an Agatha Christie novel.

In recent months, US and European officials have scurried to Beijing for so-called talks, as if the year were 1972 and Richard Nixon were in the White House.

But there will be no dramatic, era-defining US-China pact this time. If relations are to change, it will be decisively for the worse.

The West’s two-faced policy towards China was starkly illustrated last week by the visit to Beijing of Britain’s foreign secretary, James Cleverly – the first by a senior UK official for five years.

While Cleverly talked vaguely afterwards about the importance of not “disengaging” from China and avoiding “mistrust and errors”, the British parliament did its best to undermine his message. 

The foreign affairs committee issued a report on UK policy in the Indo-Pacific that provocatively described the Chinese leadership as “a threat to the UK and its interests”. 

In terminology that broke with past diplomacy, the committee referred to Taiwan – a breakaway island that Beijing insists must one day be “reunified” with China – as an “independent country”. Only 13 states recognise Taiwan’s independence.

The committee urged the British government to pressure its Nato allies into imposing sanctions on China.

The UK parliament is meddling recklessly in a far-off zone of confrontation with the potential for incendiary escalation against a nuclear power, a situation unrivalled outside of Ukraine. 

But Britain is far from alone. Last year, for the first time, Nato moved well out of its supposed sphere of influence – the North Atlantic – to declare Beijing a challenge to its “interests, security and values”.

There can be little doubt that Washington is the moving force behind this escalation against China, a state posing no obvious military threat to the West.

Continue reading The West’s blueprint for goading China was laid out in Ukraine

Prachanda: China’s socialism offers Nepal valuable insights for improving the lives of the disadvantaged

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Prime Minister of Nepal, who is also the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), visited China from September 23-30, with his first engagement being to attend the opening of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and to meet there with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Prachanda has visited China many times, but this was the first visit of his current third term as Prime Minister.

During his visit, Prachanda gave an exclusive interview to the Chinese newspaper, Global Times.

In its preamble, the newspaper described the Nepalese leader as having witnessed abject poverty in his youth and therefore, becoming “determined to change his country’s corruption and a ruling exploitative class, Prachanda embarked on a revolutionary path to transform Nepal’s destiny.” It added: “As a staunch socialist and a long-time member of the Communist Party, Prachanda has deep ties to China.”

The interview features a detailed overview of the economic situation in Nepal and the current stage and prospects of the country’s relations with China in the economic and social fields. Prachanda tells his interviewers that:

“Nepal urgently requires to create more jobs in order to address the unemployment problem, enhance productivity, expand the output of exportable goods and services, explore new markets for export, control inflation, and maintain trade balance. These objectives stand as my foremost priorities.”

He then adds: “China has ascended to become the world’s second-largest economy, showcasing remarkable achievements in the socio-economic transformation of its society. Notably, China serves as a significant pillar of economic support for Nepal. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China in 1955, China has played an important role in assisting Nepal’s infrastructure and development endeavours. Many of these projects hold immense importance for our nation’s progress. As China continues to advance, its support and investment in Nepal are continuously growing. Nepal views China’s development trajectory as an opportunity, with the BRI [Belt and Road Initiative] serving as a suitable platform for enhancing trans-Himalayan multidimensional connectivity.”

One key element of the two countries’ cooperation, which holds the potential to be transformatory for the Nepalese economy, is a planned railway link. On this, Prachanda notes:

“The primary concern associated with this project is how quickly we can bring it to fruition. You must be aware that the construction of this project requires a substantial amount of resources that Nepal alone cannot afford. In such a situation, we have no choice but to rely on external funding. However, we also share concerns that the size of the loan for this project and terms and conditions should be manageable for the Nepali economy.”

Asked whether he believes that socialism is still relevant in Nepal, the veteran communist leader replies:

“Nepal’s constitution defines Nepal as a socialism-oriented state. In my view, socialism and Chairman Mao’s ideas and teachings remain relevant to transform Nepal into a socialist country.

“Under the socialism and the leadership of Mao, the Communist Party of China (CPC) established the People’s Republic of China. The CPC developed its unique path to socialism with Chinese characteristics.

“Similarly, Nepal will determine its own path as a socialism-oriented country that suits its historical political development and current geopolitical realities. It’s not about Nepal imitating China’s socialism and Chairman Mao Zedong. China’s socialism and Mao’s ideas offer us valuable insights to improve the socio-economic status of the oppressed and economically disadvantaged class of people.”

He is also asked whether he believes he has realised the dreams and goals he had when he first fought in the revolution, drawing this reply:

“I should say our dreams have been partially realised. Politically, the country has overthrown a centuries-old monarchy and has been transformed into a republic. This would not have been possible without our ‘People’s War.’ Now, in the eyes of the constitution and laws, all citizens are equal. The country has adopted inclusive policies protecting the basic rights of people from all walks of life. From the highest level such as parliament and other constitutional bodies to the lowest level of political representations such as ward committees, from government institutions to cooperatives, from recruitments in government jobs to student admissions in colleges, certain reservations have been ensured for people from marginalised groups like women, the economically poor, and the underprivileged classes. This remarkable achievement was institutionalised through the constitution promulgated in 2015.

“Despite achievements made in several areas, I must admit that much remains to be done in the economic sector. Economic, technical, and educational advancements take a longer time to show visible results. To achieve progress in these sectors, we need consistent, long-term efforts, and most importantly national consensus.”

We reprint below the full text of Comrade Prachanda’s interview.

We also reprint the full text of the joint statement between China and Nepal, which was released following Prachanda’s talks with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, in Beijing on September 26.

The statement notes that both countries agreed that, “since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1955, China and Nepal have withstood changes of the international situation, always upheld mutual respect, equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and win-win cooperation, setting a fine example of friendly interaction between countries with different social systems and of different sizes… China firmly supports Nepal in upholding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respects and supports Nepal’s independent choice of social system and development path that suits its national conditions.”

The statement reviews in detail all areas of bilateral cooperation and addresses ways to advance them in a smoother and more expeditious manner. It adds:

“The two sides commended their mutual support in fighting COVID-19 together. The two sides expressed satisfaction over the completion and handover of the China-aided project of upgrading and renovating the Civil Service Hospital in Nepal and are ready to further strengthen health and medical cooperation, including expediting the installation of a Bone Marrow Transplant Service at the B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Nepal.”

China and Nepal also stressed “the importance to uphold true multilateralism, promote greater democracy in international relations, and make global governance more just and equitable. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral mechanisms to uphold the common interest of developing countries. The two sides support the multilateral trading system and oppose protectionism. They will work together to make economic globalisation more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all, promote global and regional peace, security, development and prosperity, and build a community with a shared future for humanity.”

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

Nepal to maintain non-aligned policy in friendly relations with neighbors, hopes China’s strengths will help bolster economy: Nepalese PM

At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda commenced his five-day state visit to China from September 23 to 30, his first visit to China since the start of his third term as the Prime Minister of Nepal. The 69-year-old is a legendary figure in Nepal. Born in a poor Brahmin farming family in Pokhara in 1954, he witnessed abject poverty in his youth. Determined to change his country’s corruption and a ruling exploitative class, Prachanda embarked on a revolutionary path to transform Nepal’s destiny. In 2008, he became the first prime minister of Nepal after the abolition of the monarchy. In 2016, he assumed the office of prime minister for a second term, and in November 2022, this veteran of Nepalese politics made a comeback for a third term. As a staunch socialist and a long-time member of the Communist Party, Prachanda has deep ties to China. After assuming office as the first term as prime minister of Nepal, the first country he visited was China. In 2008, he also came to Beijing to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Continue reading Prachanda: China’s socialism offers Nepal valuable insights for improving the lives of the disadvantaged

Chinese Embassy symposium: The CPC and the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

On 22 August 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the UK held a symposium themed The Communist Party of China and the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, to which a range of political parties, organisations and individuals were invited. Three people attended the symposium on behalf of Friends of Socialist China, at which Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, Minister Zhao Fei, Minister Wang Qi and other senior diplomats introduced Xi Jinping’s concepts in relation to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ambassador Zheng and the ministers from the Chinese Embassy provided valuable reports on China’s major foreign policy initiatives directed at supporting global peace, prosperity and friendship: the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative. The presentations were followed by contributions from Robert Griffiths of the Communist Party of Britain; Ella Rule of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist Leninist); Andy Brooks of the New Communist Party; Keith Bennett of Friends of Socialist China; and British scholars Martin Albrow, Frances Wood and Martin Jacques. The event concluded with a wide-ranging discussion, to which Carlos Martinez and Francisco Dominguez both contributed on behalf of Friends of Socialist China.

We publish below the report of the syposium from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the UK, along with Keith Bennett’s speech and Carlos Martinez’s remarks.

The Chinese Embassy in the UK Holds a Symposium on “The Communist Party of China and the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind”

On 22 August 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the UK held a symposium themed “The Communist Party of China and the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind”, which was attended by representatives of various political parties and people from different sectors in the UK. At the symposium, H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, Minister Zhao Fei, Minister Wang Qi and other senior diplomats at the Embassy introduced the important thought of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Party building and the important contributions made by the CPC to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Participants from the British side made remarks respectively, sharing their understanding of the tenets and significance of the relevant philosophies of the CPC.

Ambassador Zheng pointed out that to understand China, one must understand the CPC. The key to China’s great achievements to date lies fundamentally in the strong leadership of the CPC and its Party building. Since the 18th Party Congress, the Chinese communists with General Secretary Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have attached great importance to the innovation of Party building on practical, theoretical, institutional and other aspects, and formed the important thought of General Secretary Xi Jinping on Party building.

This important thought is a scientific summary of the theoretical development and practical experience of Party building in the new era. It represents a major theoretical innovation that answers the call for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It has given sensible answers to what kind of Marxist party exercising long-term governance we should develop in the new era, and how we should go about achieving it. This innovation has enabled the CPC to always remain at the forefront of the times, brimming with vigour and vitality.

Ambassador Zheng said that the CPC has led the Chinese people in a concerted effort to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal, to embark on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advance towards the Second Centenary Goal, and to promote the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation.

Continue reading Chinese Embassy symposium: The CPC and the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

BRICS and G20: A tale of two summits

In the following article, which was originally published in the Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune, Senator Mushahid Hussain, the Chairman of the Defence Committee of Pakistan’s Senate, who is also a member of our advisory group, compares and contrasts two recent major summits, that of the BRICS grouping, that was held in South Africa in August, and that of the G-20, held in India in September.

Whilst observing that they reflected a polarised world, Senator Mushahid goes on to state that “both summits were dominated by the ‘China factor’. BRICS was essentially showcasing Chinese diplomacy at its best, because after Beijing brokered the historic Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement in March 2023, at BRICS, both these protagonists together with the UAE plus Ethiopia, Egypt and Argentina were welcomed into what is now BRICS+, making the largest producers and consumers of oil sit around one table. And at the G-20 Summit in Delhi, which was more about symbolism as a two-in-one attempt by PM Narendra Modi to make India the West’s bridge to the Global South while choreographing the early launch of his own election campaign through extensive billboards, photo ops and not-so-sophisticated PR, the most concrete outcome was yet another attempt to unveil a copycat project of China’s BRI [Belt and Road Initiative].”

Noting that the West had pushed for the launch of the “rather grandiose sounding” India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), he writes that this is the fifth attempt in five years to launch a Western copycat version of the BRI.

Senator Mushahid also points out that 2023 is, “the year of anniversaries for both China and the US, reflecting a marked contrast in perspectives and policies. For China, it marks 10 years of BRI, probably the most important developmental and diplomatic initiative of the 21st century. For the US, it marks three anniversaries reflecting the US security-centric, military-dominated worldview: 70 years of the CIA coup in Iran, 50 years of the CIA coup in Chile and 20 years of the war in Iraq.”

China, he concludes, “is embarked on presenting a strategic option to the Global South by building an alternative, more equitable world economic and political order, reflecting the shift in the global centre of gravity from the West to the East.”

Reflecting a polarised world, two major summits, within a span of three weeks, with some overlap in membership in different continents, presented a sharp contrast in goals and outcomes. The Summit of BRICS hosted by South Africa, and the G-20 Summit held in India, in August and September respectively, are contrasting examples.

The BRICS Summit in the land of Mandela reflected the late leader’s ethos of pluralism and inclusivity, while the G-20 Summit in the land of Modi saw the conspicuous absence of China’s President Xi Jinping, who had been the star of the show at Johannesburg. President Vladimir Putin was absent at both, while President Joe Biden and other Western leaders were in attendance in a spruced-up New Delhi, keen to cover the ugly reality of a divisive, bigoted polity.

However, both summits were dominated by the ‘China factor’: BRICS was essentially showcasing Chinese diplomacy at its best, because after Beijing brokered the historic Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement in March 2023, at BRICS, both these protagonists together with the UAE plus Ethiopia, Egypt and Argentina were welcomed into what is now BRICS+, making the largest producers and consumers of oil sitting around one table. And at the G-20 Summit in Delhi, which was more about symbolism as a two-in-one attempt by PM Narendra Modi to make India the West’s bridge to the Global South while choreographing the early launch of his own election campaign through extensive billboards, photo ops and not-so-sophisticated PR, the most concrete outcome was yet another attempt to unveil a copycat project of China’s BRI.

Despite deriding BRI, the West pushed for launch of the rather grandiose sounding India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This is the fifth attempt in five years of a Western copycat project of the BRI: in 2018, the US Congress passed the BUILD Act (Better Utilisation of Investments Leading to Development) with a $60 billion outlay for a dedicated body for its implementation, the International Development Finance Corporation; in 2021, President Biden had announced the B3W (Build Back Better World) which was later rebranded as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure & Investment; while the EU announced its own copycat version of BRI, calling it ‘Global Gateway’.

And what was touted as a ‘breakthrough achievement’ at G20, the ‘consensus’ on Ukraine, was actually a rehash of universal principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The real story was in the West’s retreat on Ukraine from a position of outright condemnation of Russia to acquiescence to India’s superb ‘diplomacy by deft drafting’ of verbiage in the English language! The fundamental differences between G20 and BRICS+ is that the G20 remains an extension of the G7 with strong geopolitical overtones, as largely a status quo platform, now influenced by a Cold War mindset, of which India, as a major American ally, is a key component. Conversely, BRICS+, spearheaded by China, is both geopolitical and geoeconomic, with clarity on a vision and will to play a proactive role in a world where the Global South is the pivot. Hence, dedollarisation forms part of the BRICS+ agenda.

The future of both BRICS+ and G20 will also be determined by their respective goals and contrasting visions. China has been the harbinger of globalisation for the past 2,000 years when the Silk Road used to connect China with Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe through commerce and culture. Its modern day version of the Silk Road, the BRI, now is 10 years old, comprising 150 countries and 32 international organisations, with an investment of $1 trillion in 3,000 projects, generating 420,000 jobs and lifting 40 million out of poverty. Out of 193 UN member countries, 130 have more trade with China than with the US. Underpinning the BRI, and BRICS+ for that matter, are institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and New Development Bank, respectively. And BRI has been reinforced by the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilisation Initiative, which are promoting equality, inclusivity and diversity through connectivity and cooperation.

China is focusing on modernisation, and according to a landmark study by the Harvard University, “China is displacing the U.S. in hi-tech manufacturing”, evident in the recent launch of the Huawei Mate60Pro smartphone, which has managed to beat the American sanctions by producing an advanced, sophisticated, state-of-the-art technology product.

Conversely, the past two American Administrations have been busy in the militarisation of international relations, increasing their military budgets, building military bases, arming Asian allies against China and building a network of military alliances including an ‘Asian NATO’, while NATO itself now talks of the ‘China threat’.

Year 2023 is also the year of anniversaries for both China and the US, reflecting a marked contrast in perspectives and policies. For China, it marks 10 years of BRI, probably the most important developmental and diplomatic initiative of the 21st Century. For the US, it marks three anniversaries reflecting the US security-centric, military-dominated worldview: 70 years of the CIA coup in Iran, 50 years of the CIA coup in Chile and 20 years of the war in Iraq.

Key components of China’s Strategic Culture include: Silk Road, connectivity and cooperation amongst countries, cultures and civilisations; Great Wall, which manifests China’s defensive and protective approach against outside intruders and aggressors; Long March, an epic of the Chinese Revolution which demonstrates patience, perseverance and persistence; and ‘Century of Humiliation’, from 1840-1949, a determination of ‘never again’ allowing for violations of China’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and dignity. China’s March to modernisation takes its inspiration from its Strategic Culture. Hence, it is no accident that China is the only global power in history to rise peacefully without any invasion, conquest, colonisation or aggression.

For the foreseeable future, as these Summits underline, China is embarked on presenting a strategic option to the Global South by building an alternative, more equitable world economic and political order, reflecting the shift in the global centre of gravity from the West to the East.

Western leaders too have hinted at this transformation. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has talked of an ‘epochal tectonic change’ or ‘Zeitenwende’, referring to a rapidly transforming global scenario.

French President Emmanuel Macron was even more blunt, telling French diplomats that “we should learn to accept the fact that 300 years of Western hegemony is coming to an end.”

Given this context, Pakistan’s policymakers need to demonstrate Strategic Clarity, by being on the right side of history and not be swayed by tactical considerations or be nostalgic about a non-existent romance with distant Godfathers!

Capitalist and socialist modernisation

The Sixteenth Forum of the World Association for Political Economy (WAPE) took place from 25 to 27 September 2023 in Fuzhou, China, co-organised by Fujian Normal University. The theme of the forum was Chinese modernisaton and the prospects of world modernisation. Although unable to attend in person, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez was invited to submit a video presentation.

Carlos’s presentation, entitled Capitalist and socialist modernisation, takes up a number of questions: What is modernisation? Is modernisation desirable? How has modernisation been achieved in the West? What is China’s modernisation plan? What are the unique characteristics of Chinese modernisation? How does socialist modernisation differ from capitalist modernisation? What effect does China’s modernisation on the global journey towards development and socialism?

The video and the text of Carlos’s presentation are available below.

What is modernisation, and is it necessary?

Modernisation is a somewhat nebulous concept. It means different things to different societies at different times. By definition, its parameters are constantly changing.

In the broadest sense, it means adapting to the latest, most advanced ideas and techniques for meeting humanity’s material and cultural needs.

In sociology, there is more or less an equals sign between modernisation and industrialisation, and is generally held to begin with Britain’s Industrial Revolution. We can think of it essentially as the transition from ‘developing country’ status to ‘developed country’ status; from a predominantly rural society to a predominantly urban society; from a technologically backward society to a technologically advanced society.

Is this desirable? Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder, but most people consider modernisation to be desirable, because it enables higher living standards for the masses of the people.

With modernised industry, production techniques, communication methods, transport systems, energy systems and healthcare strategies, there exists the possibility of providing a healthy, meaningful and dignified life to all, such that each individual has reliable access to a healthy diet, to decent housing, to clothing, to education, to healthcare, to a vibrant cultural, social and intellectual life, and to fulfilling work. In short, modernisation makes it possible to attend to people’s basic human rights.

The fruits of modernisation have thus far been divided extremely unequally: the process of industrialisation in North America, Europe and Japan has created previously unimaginable wealth for a few, but this has been accompanied by desperate poverty and alienation for significant numbers. However, modernisation creates a material basis for common prosperity, far beyond what a pre-modern economy can offer.

Specifically in the case of China, the government has set a goal of “basically realising socialist modernisation by 2035”, and has defined some parameters for this:

  • Reaching a per-capita GDP on a par with that of the mid-level developed countries such as Spain or the Czech Republic
  • Joining the ranks of the world’s most innovative countries in the realm of science and technology
  • Becoming a global leader in education, public health, culture and sport
  • Substantially growing the middle-income group as a proportion of the population
  • Guaranteeing equitable access to basic public services
  • Ensuring modern standards of living in rural areas
  • Steadily lowering greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity, so as to restore a healthy balance between humans and the natural environment

If achieved, these aims will constitute a significant – indeed world-historic – improvement in the living standards of the Chinese people, and will blaze a trail for other developing countries.

How did the West modernise?

But is China doing anything new? After all, it won’t be the first country to achieve modernisation.

In mainstream modernisation theory in the West, the dominant narrative is that the countries of Western Europe, North America and Japan achieved their advances via a combination of good governance, liberal democracy, free-market economics, scientific genius, geographical serendipity and a dash of entrepreneurial spirit.

Historical investigation reveals a considerably different story.

The most important precursors of the West’s modernisation are colonialism, slavery and genocide. The conquest of the Americas, the settlement of Australia, the transatlantic slave trade, the colonisation of India, the rape of Africa, the Opium Wars, the theft of Hong Kong, and more. The profits of colonialism and the slave trade were essential for propelling the West’s industrialisation, as was so eloquently uncovered in Eric Williams’ classic 1944 work, Capitalism and Slavery.

As Karl Marx famously wrote in Volume 1 of Capital: “The discovery of gold and silver in America, the enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signalled the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production.”

Such is the ugly truth of European modernisation. And the story is not so different in the United States. Many of the so-called founding fathers of that country were slave-owners, and they established a slave-owners’ society. They went to war against the indigenous peoples and against Mexico in order to expand their territory.

In the 20th century, having established their domination over the Americas, they constructed a neocolonial global system that is still in place to a significant degree, imposing American hegemony on the world.

A network of 800 foreign military bases. NATO. An enormous nuclear arsenal. Genocidal wars waged on Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. Systems of economic coercion and unilateral sanctions.

Proxy wars, coups, regime change projects, destabilisation.

This is the global system of violence that has facilitated and accompanied North American modernisation.

Japan’s rapid rise was facilitated first by its brutal expansionist project in East Asia, particularly Korea and China, and then through adaptation to and integration with the US-led imperialist system, the much-vaunted ‘rules-based international order’.

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan Province constitute the small handful of non-imperialist territories that have been able to achieve modernisation, but these are special cases. Their shared proximity to China and the DPRK is no coincidence; they have been inducted into the imperialist club by the US, to play a dual role as regional policemen and living advertisements for capitalism on the frontline of its confrontation with socialism. Both roles rely on at least a certain degree of prosperity for a section of the population.

There is no shortage of countries of the Global South which have attempted to apply the “liberal democracy plus free market capitalism” formula, but none have been successful in modernising. Indeed the West’s prescriptions for (and interference in) developing countries have largely led to chaos and disaster.

The contrast between the West’s success in modernising and the Global South’s failure has fed into a largely unspoken but widespread and pernicious racism: an assumption that white people are somehow inherently more advanced than everyone else.

This supremacism is allowed to fester, because in addition to dividing working class and oppressed communities, it provides convenient cover for the reality that capitalist modernisation is built on the foundations of colonialism, imperialism and hegemonism.

As Kwame Nkrumah commented, “in the era of neocolonialism, under-development is still attributed not to exploitation but to inferiority, and racial undertones remain closely interwoven with the class struggle.”

How is China modernising?

China’s journey towards modernisation starts in 1949 with the founding of the People’s Republic, the early construction of socialist industry, land reform and the extirpation of feudalism and the landowning class, and the provision of at least basic levels of education and healthcare services to the whole population.

In 1963, Premier Zhou Enlai, supported by Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun, first raised the question of the Four Modernisations: of agriculture, industry, national defence, and science and technology. Despite a complex political environment this goal was revived in the early 1970s, and, with the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, China accelerated its pursuit of those goals, and ushered in an era of rapid development of the productive forces and improvement in the people’s living standards.

China’s journey of modernisation has evolved again in recent years with the pursuit of the second centenary goal: of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2049.

China is on a fast track to becoming an advanced, developed country, and this process stands in stark contrast to the West’s modernisation process:

First, China’s modernisation is built on the efforts of the Chinese people rather than on war, colonialism and slavery.

Second, its fruits are to be shared by everybody, not dominated by the wealthy. As General Secretary Xi Jinping said in his work report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s modernisation is “the modernisation of common prosperity for all.”

Even today, not everyone in the West is able to enjoy the fruits of modernisation. Consider for example the US, where tens of millions lack access to healthcare; where over half a million people are homeless; where life expectancy for African Americans is six years less than for their white counterparts; where – according to the US Department of Education – over half of adults read below a sixth-grade level.

Third, China’s modernisation is becoming a green modernisation, fuelled by clean energy, careful not to destroy the planet that sustains us. Again quoting Xi Jinping’s work report, “it is the modernisation of harmony between humanity and nature.”

Capitalist modernisation has had a disastrous impact on the environment. With 4 percent of the global population, the US alone is responsible for 25 percent of historic greenhouse gas emissions. The simple fact is that humanity literally cannot afford for China’s modernisation to follow this pattern.

Socialist modernisation will become the ‘new normal’

The West’s modernisation path is not open to the countries of the Global South, and it wouldn’t be desirable even if it were. Today, the road of capitalist modernisation is closed, so how is China able to modernise?

China does not have an empire, formal or informal, but it does have a particular advantage of being a socialist state, a “people’s democratic dictatorship based on the alliance of workers and peasants”, to use Mao Zedong’s expression. Such a state can use its power to direct economic activity towards the goals of the social classes it represents.

Thus the specificities of China’s modernisation – the commitment to common prosperity, to ending poverty and underdevelopment, to preventing climate collapse and to peaceful development – are a function of China’s political system, its revolutionary history, and the leadership of the CPC.

At a meeting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2016, Xi Jinping made this point very succinctly: “Our greatest strength lies in our socialist system, which enables us to pool resources in a major mission. This is the key to our success.”

Or as Deng Xiaoping famously commented in 1984: “the superiority of the socialist system is demonstrated, in the final analysis, by faster and greater development of the productive forces than under the capitalist system.”

In a world still largely dominated by capitalism – and an intellectual world still dominated by bourgeois ideology – it’s easy to forget this system’s fundamental and irreconcilable contradictions, which Marx identified with such clarity and profundity 150 years ago; contradictions which lead inexorably to inefficiency, stagnation and crisis. A political economy directed at the production of exchange values rather than use values can never result in common prosperity.

In China, the capitalist class is not the ruling class and is therefore not able to direct the country’s resources according to its own prerogatives. At the top level, resources are allocated by the state, in accordance with long-term planning carried out by, and in the interests of, the people.

This is what is enabling a new type of modernisation, which is blazing a trail for socialist and developing countries the world over.

The fruits of this process are being shared with the world, via mechanisms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, which are creating a path for the countries of the Global South to break out of underdevelopment, even where they lack China’s resources and political advantages.

As such, China’s evolving modernisation has great historic significance, and offers valuable lessons for the world. It is an embodiment of historical materialism in the current era: capitalism has long since exhausted its ability to fundamentally drive human progress, and therefore the future lies with socialism.

Whole Process People’s Democracy is a significant contribution to human rights

The 2023 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights was held in the Italian capital Rome on September 20, with the theme, “Modernisation and the diversity of human rights among civilisations”.

Organised by the Human Rights Institute of the South West University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) in Chongqing, China, and the Roma 9 China-Italy Economic and Cultural Exchange Centre, and hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the Faculty of Law at Sapienza University of Rome, it was attended by distinguished academics and prominent political and social activists from China, Italy, Austria, Britain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland.

In his paper, entitled ‘Whole Process People’s Democracy is a significant contribution to Human Rights’, our co-editor, Keith Bennett noted that:

“To frame international relations as being characterised by a supposed struggle between democracy and autocracy, and to stigmatise, sanction and even commit acts of war against other countries on such a basis, is itself the grossest violation of the most fundamental human rights of many millions of people and potentially of the majority of humanity.”

Drawing on The German Ideology, an 1846 work by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Keith noted that, “it is on the basis of this materialist Marxist principle that socialist countries like China, and many developing countries more generally, have placed such emphasis on the liberation and development of the productive forces. This has not been to negate or to violate human rights. On the contrary, it has been the prerequisite for their development and their guarantee.

“In this way, socialist countries, both historically and today, have paved, and are paving, the way for the elaboration of a human rights paradigm that is actually focused on people’s right and ability to manage the affairs of the state, economy and society as a whole.”

Xi Jinping’s concept of whole process people’s democracy, he explained, has its roots in Marxist theory, the historical experience of the Chinese revolution and in China’s fine traditional culture and civilisational experience.

According to this concept, politics, and therefore social relations, are not characterised by an adversarial division into contending and hostile camps, but rather by a search for consensus, harmony and inclusivity, whereby the achievement of the rights of all becomes the prerequisite for the achievement of the rights of one.

The necessary prerequisite, and material basis, to fully embody such inclusive and non-adversarial democracy is the establishment of a socialist system, where exploitation and oppression are no longer the defining characteristics of society, although they may persist to a certain extent in a primary phase of socialism.

In a situation characterised variously by frequent changes of prime ministers, unstable coalition governments, and the crisis and implosion of the traditional political party system, with once almost hegemonic political forces reduced to insignificance or even extinction, whilst new party formations prove to be nebulous and ephemeral, it surely behoves those of us in Europe to look without prejudice at alternative experiences and experiments and not least at China’s evolving whole process people’s democracy.

The full text of Keith’s paper is printed below.

We also reproduce a news report on the conference originally published by the Chinese newspaper, Global Times. Reporting the presentation made by Lord (Neil) Davidson, a member of the British House of Lords from the Labour Party and former minister, it notes his observation that certain sections in the UK’s political parties have been particularly vocal in their use of human rights criticisms to attack other states’ parties, adding:

“In the case of the UK, one does not require to be steeped in history to reflect that the history of the British Empire reveals case after case of the destruction of the human rights of peoples across the world.”

He noted that discussions on human rights with the objective of mutual understanding between countries can only serve to improve relations. Differing ideologies and differing cultures are a given in today’s world but an acceptance that mutual understanding makes for a safer world for all is hardly a controversial proposition.

Whole Process People’s Democracy is a significant contribution to human rights

Thank you very much for your invitation to participate in the 2023 China-Europe Seminar on Human Rights and for giving me an opportunity to say a few words.

Dialogue of this type is extremely relevant and timely. Human rights are the universal aspiration and entitlement of humanity. But each country and each people have to find their own way to realise them. No country can genuinely claim that its human rights situation is perfect. They remain a work in progress. To frame international relations as being characterised by a supposed struggle between democracy and autocracy, and to stigmatise, sanction and even commit acts of war against other countries on such a basis, is itself the grossest violation of the most fundamental human rights of many millions of people and potentially of the majority of humanity.

Continue reading Whole Process People’s Democracy is a significant contribution to human rights

Timor-Leste PM: Chinese modernisation creates new paths for developing countries

China and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste have jointly announced the elevation of their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This move came as President Xi Jinping met with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão at the opening of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Meeting the Timorese leader, Xi said that China is willing to join hands with Timor-Leste on the journey of modernisation to bring more benefits to the two peoples. The two countries should strengthen cooperative efforts in the four key areas, namely industrial revitalistion, infrastructure development, food self-sufficiency and livelihood improvement.

In the joint statement announcing their comprehensive strategic partnership, both nations share the view that since their establishment of diplomatic 21 years ago, the two countries have acted with mutual respect and treated each other as equals, with their friendship continuing to deepen.

Timor-Leste believes that Chinese modernisation presents a new paradigm, which broadens paths and options for developing countries to achieve modernisation and provides a Chinese solution for humanity to pursue a better social system.

Regarding industrial revitalisation, Timor-Leste expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for granting zero-tariff treatment to 98 percent of Timor-Leste exports to China. China will continue to render help in technology training on coffee growing and support Timor-Leste in exporting coffee to China to support revitalising the Timor-Leste coffee industry.

On infrastructure development, China will focus on the policy priorities of the government of Timor-Leste, guide enterprises to ensure sound operation and maintenance of the national grid in Timor-Leste and conduct cooperation with Timor-Leste on communication infrastructure. China expressed its willingness to encourage its enterprises to actively participate in the development of infrastructure, including roads, bridges and ports.

On food self-sufficiency, the two nations will implement agricultural projects to help Timor-Leste achieve food self-sufficiency and modernisation of agriculture.

Regarding the improvement of people’s livelihood, the Chinese government will continue to send medical teams to Timor-Leste, providing medical services for the Timorese people and will ensure sound implementation of projects including the National Imaging Centre of Timor-Leste. The two nations will also accelerate cooperation on the China-Timor-Leste Friendship Hospital.

The statement noted that China and Timor-Leste share common interests and similar positions in international affairs, support the United Nations (UN) in playing a central role in maintaining world peace, promoting common development and advancing international cooperation, and will strengthen mutual support in international affairs, including upholding the UN-centered international system. Both nations agreed to jointly maintain the unity and cooperation of the international community, oppose hegemonism and power politics, uphold true multilateralism, and promote humanity’s common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom.

Prime Minister Gusmão was a key leader of the armed struggle that secured his country’s independence against almost impossible odds. Indonesia invaded the country in December 1975, nine days after it had declared its independence from Portuguese colonialism. In the initial days of the struggle Gusmão walked from village to village to gain support and recruits. Finally captured in November 1982, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 1993, commuted to twenty years in August 1993. He was released in late 1999, as the struggle moved towards victory, following the toppling of the brutal Suharto dictatorship in May 1998. Gusmão had continued to lead the resistance from prison with the courageous help of his Australian wife Kirsty Sword.

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

China, Timor-Leste elevate ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

HANGZHOU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao of Timor-Leste on Saturday jointly announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

They met in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province, ahead of the opening of the 19th Asian Games scheduled for Saturday.

The elevation of bilateral ties is a practical necessity for the two countries to advance their cooperation, and a shared expectation of the two peoples, Xi said.

China is willing to join hands with Timor-Leste on the journey of modernization to bring more benefits to the two peoples, Xi added.

Xi emphasized that being staunch supporters for each other’s core interests and major concerns serves as an important political foundation for the continuous upgrading of bilateral relations.

The two sides should continue to promote Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen cooperative efforts in the four key areas, namely industry revitalization, infrastructure development, food self-sufficiency and livelihood improvement, Xi said, adding that China supports Timor-Leste in better integrating into the regional development.

The Timor-Leste prime minister said he is glad that bilateral relations have continuously achieved positive results in recent years, and the people of Timor-Leste will always remember Chinese government’s timely and tremendous help during Timor-Leste’s fight against COVID-19.

He welcomed Chinese enterprises to invest in Timor-Leste and help the country with its development. He expressed the hope to work with China to usher bilateral ties into the new phase of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi, and Shen Yiqin attended the meeting. 

Continue reading Timor-Leste PM: Chinese modernisation creates new paths for developing countries

China and Syria announce establishment of a strategic partnership

President Bashar al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic, accompanied by First Lady Mrs. Asma al-Assad and a large government delegation, visited China from September 21-26, beginning with attending the opening of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

This was President Assad’s second visit to China, the first being in 2004. Syria was one of the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, on August 1, 1956, preceded by Egypt on May 30, 1956.

Meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on September 22, the two leaders jointly announced the establishment of a China-Syria strategic partnership. Xi Jinping said that over the 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the China-Syria relationship has stood the test of changes in the international situation, and their friendship has grown stronger over time, and went on to note that the establishment of the strategic partnership will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral ties.

Xi emphasised that China will continue to work with Syria to firmly support each other on issues concerning the two sides’ respective core interests and major concerns, safeguard the common interests of both countries and other developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

China supports Syria in opposing foreign interference, rejecting unilateralism and bullying, and safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Assad said that in international affairs, China has always aligned itself with international fairness and justice, and upheld international law and humanitarianism, playing an important and constructive role.

The Syrian side thanks the Chinese government for its invaluable support to the Syrian people, firmly opposes any act of interference in China’s internal affairs and is willing to be China’s long-term and staunch friend and partner.

In the joint statement announcing their establishment of a strategic partnership, Syria affirmed its adherence to the one-China principle and expressed support for China’s positions with regard to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs.

In turn: “China firmly supports Syria in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, supports the Syrian people in following a development path suited to its national conditions, supports the policies and measures adopted by the Syrian government aimed at safeguarding national security, stability and development, opposes interference by external forces in Syria’s internal affairs and undermining of Syria’s security and stability, opposes the illegal military presence in Syria, the launching of illegal military operations and the illegal plundering of Syria’s natural resources, and urges relevant countries to immediately lift all illegal unilateral sanctions against Syria.”

The two sides expressed willingness to deepen exchanges and cooperation between political parties, parliaments and local governments of the two countries and to strengthen the exchange of experience in governance. They will also strengthen friendly cooperation in various fields, such as economy and trade, agriculture, culture, youth work and journalism. China will continue to provide assistance to Syria within its capacity to support it in its reconstruction and restoration. The Syrian side thanks China for its political support and selfless help, as well as for speaking out for Syria at the UN Security Council. The two countries agreed to continue to strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation and to work together to combat terrorism.

China supports and welcomes Syria’s return to the League of Arab States, supports Syria in improving its relations with other Arab countries, and supports Arab countries in the region, including Syria, in unity and self-strengthening.

China and Syria will strengthen coordination and cooperation in regional and international affairs, jointly adhere to true multilateralism, defend the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, resolutely oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, including the imposition of illegal unilateral sanctions and restrictive measures against other countries, and promote the building of a new type of international relations, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

From Hangzhou, President Assad and his party continued to Beijing, where they met with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Premier Li said that China and Syria have shared a time-honoured friendship and are true friends who stand together through thick and thin.

He added that China will continue to firmly support Syria in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, in following a development path suited to its national conditions, and firmly opposes external interference in Syria’s internal affairs.

China welcomes Syria’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, will continue to support Syria’s reconstruction, recovery, and development, and is willing to expand bilateral economic and trade exchanges with Syria, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

The Chinese Premier told President Assad: “Friendship is a tree whose roots are loyalty and whose branches are kindness. You, Your Excellency, are an old and dear friend of the people of China.”

President Assad thanked the Chinese government for providing support to Syria in its war against terrorism and in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake that hit the country last February.

He pointed out that friendship and trust between Syria and China are based on a similar history and fixed principles, and these principles are the same ones from which we can move towards the future.

Meeting Zhao Leji, President Assad said that the transition from the old world, which depends on force, to the new world, which is based on morals, must start from the role of China, which follows an ethical policy and development and presents initiatives to the whole world.

He said that China stood by Syria politically, based on the Chinese policy that rejects interference in the internal affairs of countries, respects the policies of countries, and rejects terrorism and added that China also supported Syria on the economic and humanitarian fronts, helping the Syrian people to mitigate the effects of the siege.

For his part, Zhao Leji said that: “Syria and China are working together and will continue to exchange support regarding the core interests of both sides in order to strengthen friendship between the two countries and enhance understanding between the two peoples.”

He added that: “China will continue to be on the right side of history to promote development for all humanity.”

The following reports were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency, the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The text of the joint statement was machine translated from Chinese and lightly edited by us.

Xi, Assad jointly announce China-Syria strategic partnership

HANGZHOU, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday jointly announced the establishment of a China-Syria strategic partnership.

The two presidents met in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, ahead of the opening of the 19th Asian Games scheduled for Saturday.

Syria was one of the first Arab countries that established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, and was one of the countries that co-sponsored the resolution to restore the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations, Xi said.

Over the 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the China-Syria relationship has stood the test of changes in the international situation, and their friendship has grown stronger over time, he said.

Xi noted that the establishment of the strategic partnership will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral ties.

China is willing to work with Syria to enrich their relationship and continuously advance the China-Syria strategic partnership, Xi said.

Xi emphasized that China will continue to work with Syria to firmly support each other on issues concerning the two sides’ respective core interests and major concerns, safeguard the common interests of both countries and other developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

China supports Syria in opposing foreign interference, rejecting unilateralism and bullying, and safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

China supports Syria in conducting reconstruction, enhancing counter-terrorism capacity building, and promoting a political settlement of the Syrian issue following the “Syrian-led, Syrian-owned” principle, Xi said.

China also supports Syria in improving its relations with other Arab countries and playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, he added.

China is willing to strengthen Belt and Road cooperation with Syria, increase the import of high-quality agricultural products from Syria, and jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative to make active contributions to regional and global peace and development.

Assad said that in international affairs, China has always aligned itself with international fairness and justice, and upheld international law and humanitarianism, playing an important and constructive role.

Syria highly appreciates and firmly supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and will actively participate in them, Assad added.

The Syrian side thanks the Chinese government for its invaluable support to the Syrian people, firmly opposes any act of interference in China’s internal affairs, and is willing to be China’s long-term and staunch friend and partner, he said.

Assad said Syria will take the establishment of the Syria-China strategic partnership as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral friendly cooperation and step up their communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including Belt and Road cooperation, and economic and technological cooperation.

The two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of the strategic partnership.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and Shen Yiqin attended the activities. 

Continue reading China and Syria announce establishment of a strategic partnership

China to deepen cooperation with Brazil

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited Brazil from September 18-22, at the invitation of the Brazilian government and the Workers’ Party (PT).

Meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Li said that China and Brazil are the largest developing countries in the Eastern and Western hemisphere respectively, and are comprehensive strategic partners,adding that the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties next year.

The CPC is willing to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning with the Workers’ Party of Brazil, jointly explore the modernisation path in line with their respective national conditions, and promote the in-depth development of China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership, he added.

Recalling his friendship with President Xi Jinping, and conveying his best wishes to the Chinese leader, Lula said that Brazil and China are good friends and partners, embracing fruitful bilateral cooperation in such fields as politics, economy and trade, party-to-party relations and collaboration on international affairs.

Brazil hopes to promote the synergy between its New Growth Acceleration Program and China’s development strategies, so as to advance the sustainable development of the two countries, he said, adding that Brazil stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China within multilateral mechanisms, so as to jointly address such global challenges as poverty, inequality and climate change, as well as conflicts and confrontation, and to promote world peace, development and prosperity.

Noting that the Workers’ Party of Brazil and the CPC have maintained close contacts, Lula said he is willing to play a positive role in deepening bilateral relations and the friendship between the two peoples.

During his meeting with the President of the Workers’ Party, Gleisi Hoffmann, Li said the CPC attaches great importance to strengthening experience exchanges with the PT on party and country governance.

China stands ready to work with Brazil to take the 40th anniversary of the establishment of party-to-party relations between the CPC and PT next year as an opportunity to advance exchanges at all levels, making good use of the BRICS interparty exchange mechanism as well as the platform of the China-Latin America political parties forum, and promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation, he added.

Li and Hoffman jointly attended the signing ceremony for an agreement on exchanges and cooperation between their two parties.

Li’s visit to Brazil, during which he also met a number of other political leaders, followed his visit to Cuba, where he also participated in the Summit Meeting of the Group of 77 and China, as President Xi’s Special Representative.

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

BRASILIA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) — China is ready to work with Brazil to deepen all-round practical cooperation, cement coordination within such multilateral mechanisms as BRICS and the Group of 20, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) during his visit to Brazil.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Li paid an official friendly visit to Brazil from Monday to Friday.

Conveying cordial greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Lula, Li noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Brazil.

Xi and Lula have met and exchanged views with each other on several occasions, jointly opening up and steering the future for China-Brazil relations in the new era, said Li, also secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

China and Brazil are the largest developing countries in the Eastern and Western Hemisphere respectively, and are comprehensive strategic partners, he said, adding that the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties next year.

Continue reading China to deepen cooperation with Brazil

‘The East is Still Red’ an able defence of People’s China

In this concise review of Carlos Martinez’s The East is Still Red, Graham Harrington summarises the book’s main arguments, describing it as a “very readable and able defence of the current People’s Republic of China.”

Graham notes that, while the socialist market economies of China and Vietnam are controversial among many Marxists in the West, it is important to recognise these countries’ achievements – particularly in relation to poverty alleviation – and to assess them from a position of humility. “Given the lack of any revolution in the West, we should perhaps not be so dismissive of what has been achieved in China, or look at China from an ivory tower.”

The review originally appeared in Socialist Voice, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Ireland (CPI).

The CPI is hosting book launches for The East is Red at Connolly Books, Dublin, on Wednesday 27 September 2023, and Cultúrlaan Mac Adam Ó Fiach, Belfast, on Thursday 28 September 2023.

For those based in the EU, Connolly Books is the best place to order a paperback copy. Elsewhere, we recommend buying from Praxis Press.

The East Is Still Red is a very readable and able defence of the current People’s Republic of China. The basic argument of the book is that China is on the right path with regard to building socialism, despite the controversy a statement like this causes among the Western left.

The Chinese Revolution of 1949 put an end to what Chinese call their “century of humiliation,” the period of the Opium Wars, Japanese colonialism, famine, and warlord rule. It was also the culmination of decades of struggle by the Communist Party of China, which had endured massacres and guerrilla struggle before the revolution.

The new People’s Republic managed to unite the country, double the life expectancy of China’s people, end horrific misogynist practices such as foot-binding in some areas, and eliminate landlordism and inequality. This was despite failures and mistakes, such as the Great Leap Forward.

For the author, China’s achievements are not just historical but in fact continue to this day. The reform and opening-up period did not mark a break with socialism in China. At the time of Mao’s death the People’s Republic had achieved many advances. Its economy had impressive successes in heavy industry, but the majority of its people continued to languish in objective poverty, and it was this fact that made the CPC examine the direction of the country.

Essentially, the argument of the CPC for reform was that if poverty remained in the country it would threaten socialism. In the 1970s China’s neighbours, including Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia, were experiencing economic booms, while China’s citizens lived on state rations. The leadership felt that this was a threat to the existence of the People’s Republic. Foreign investment was encouraged, as was a domestic private sector. The rest is history. China is now the world’s second-largest economy.

Despite the huge increase in inequality, the author argues that the reforms were still necessary for development and people’s needs. The strongest argument for this is that China has taken some 800 million citizens out of absolute poverty. The reforms did indeed create billionaires, but they also eliminated absolute poverty. If China is capitalist, then this presents major challenges to the Marxist understanding of capitalism.

We may add the existence of the second economy in the socialist states, past and present, as documented in Roger Keeran and Thomas Kenny’s book Socialism Betrayed (2010). The second economy incorporated the black market, those who hoarded state-subsidised goods and in effect provided the material basis for the destruction of socialism in the country where it was born. In no country today is there a perfect socialism, where there is no private sector or markets. Martinez writes how carefully the Chinese leadership analysed the defeat of the USSR.

Along with several quotations from Mao in the PRC’s early days, Martinez gives a quotation from Lenin in 1921 to show how the CPC’s post-reform thinking was not something new: “What we must fear is protracted starvation, want and food shortage, which create the danger that the working class will be utterly exhausted and will give way to petty-bourgeois vacillation and despair.”

While China’s recent trajectory is not popular among leftists in the West, the author believes it should perhaps give us some reason to examine how Western leftists can over-idealise socialism into a utopia, while countries such as China or Vietnam have to provide for their people’s basic needs after decades of imperialist underdevelopment. Given the lack of any revolution in the West, we should perhaps not be so dismissive of what has been achieved in China, or look at China from an ivory tower.

The environment, and specifically China’s response, is looked at in a very important chapter of the book. While China’s economic boom produced much pollution, China now produces more solar panels than any other country, and is first in investment in renewable energy. It has also doubled its forest coverage.

Additionally, it is noted that China’s pollution cannot be compared with historical pollution by the likes of the United States and Britain. Per capita, China’s emissions are similar to those of Ireland and Austria. A huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions is in fact caused by production for Western consumption: American and Canadian households emit nine times the emissions of the average Chinese household. In effect, the West has exported its polluting to China, leaving it with the blame.

The book does not pretend to be a comprehensive overview of China, nor a justification of every policy taken. It seeks to examine China and explain why we need to examine it seriously, not rating it out of ten but instead seeing how China has remained much closer to its original path than Western leftists believe it to be.

Building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future

King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia was among the friendly foreign leaders to attend the September 23 opening of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, the capital city of China’s Zhejiang province, as a guest of President Xi Jinping.

Meeting Sihamoni, Xi said that China stands ready to work with Cambodia to achieve solid progress in building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future. Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Cambodia diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship, he added that China cherishes the friendship with the Cambodian royal family and attaches great importance to the development of ties with Cambodia.

He also stressed that China supports Cambodia in taking a development path that suits its national conditions, maintaining stability and development, and playing an important role on the international and regional stage.

Cambodia will always remember the brotherly ties forged by King Father Norodom Sihanouk with Chinese leaders and cherish the ironclad friendship with China, the Cambodian king said, adding that his country stands ready to work with China on Belt and Road cooperation and to build a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.

Like his late father and his mother, Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, King Sihamoni enjoys a particular friendship with China and visits the country frequently, including for regular medical checkups, together with the Queen Mother.

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

Xi meets Cambodian king

HANGZHOU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday China stands ready to work with Cambodia to achieve solid progress in building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, who is in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province, to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games.

Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Cambodia diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship, Xi said China cherishes the friendship with the Cambodian royal family and attaches great importance to the development of ties with Cambodia.

Xi said relations between China and Cambodia epitomize the diplomatic principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, which he proposed a decade ago.

He stressed that China supports Cambodia in taking a development path that suits its national conditions, maintaining stability and development, and playing an important role on the international and regional stage.

The two countries should maintain high-level exchanges and deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation, he said.

Noting that China has successfully hosted two Asian Games, Norodom Sihamoni said he believes that China, under the strong leadership of President Xi, will deliver a spectacular sports event again and make new contributions to promoting solidarity and friendship among the people of Asia.

Cambodia will always remember the brotherly ties forged by King Father Norodom Sihanouk with Chinese leaders and cherish the ironclad friendship with China, the Cambodian king said, adding that the country stands ready to work with China on Belt and Road cooperation and build a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and Shen Yiqin attended the meeting. 

China and Nepal an example of equal treatment between big and small countries

The 19th Asian Games (Asiad) were officially opened in the Chinese city of Hangzhou by President Xi Jinping at a spectacular ceremony on the evening of Saturday September 23. With the participation of all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and more than 12,000 athletes, it is the largest Asiad to date.

A number of leaders of friendly countries paid visits to China on this occasion and attended the ceremony. They included President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda of Nepal and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão of Timor-Leste.

Meeting with the Nepalese Prime Minister, President Xi Jinping said that China and Nepal have set an example of equal treatment and win-win cooperation between big and small countries. The two countries are partners and opportunities for each other on their way to national development and prosperity.

Noting that the two countries have made progress in Belt and Road cooperation, and the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network has taken shape, Xi urged efforts from both sides to promote infrastructure connectivity and expand transit transportation cooperation to help Nepal transform itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked country at an early date.

Prachanda, who is also the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), said that Xi is a visionary global leader and a good friend of all Nepalese people. Hailing Nepal and China as friends and partners who can understand, rely on, and support each other, he reiterated Nepal’s firm adherence to the one-China policy.

Prachanda further noted that Nepal will actively participate in Belt and Road cooperation and will also promote the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network.

Following the opening of the Asian Games, Prachanda continued his official visit to China in the capital, Beijing. Meeting his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang on September 25, he said that Nepal-China relations are based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and have stood the test of the changing international situation.

Premier Li noted that China and Nepal have always respected, trusted and supported each other since the establishment of diplomatic ties nearly 70 years ago and said that their bilateral relations have enjoyed sound and steady development, and that cooperation in various fields has constantly scored new achievements, setting a good example of equality and mutual benefit between countries.

China is willing to work with Nepal to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enhance development strategy synergies, consolidate and expand practical cooperation, push China-Nepal relations to a higher level, and jointly create a better future for the two countries, he added. China will, as always, firmly support Nepal in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and taking a development path that suits its national conditions.

After the talks, Li and Prachanda witnessed the signing of over 10 bilateral cooperation documents in economy and trade, agriculture, science and technology, culture, publishing, digital economy, green and low-carbon industry, inspection and quarantine, and development assistance.

Prior to the visit, at a regular Chinese Foreign Ministry Press Conference on September 21, spokesperson Mao Ning noted that, “Prime Minister Prachanda has visited China many times and made an important contribution to the growth of China-Nepal relations.”

She added: “China and Nepal are traditional friends, neighbours and strategic cooperative partners. Since our two countries established diplomatic relations 68 years ago, no matter how the international or regional situations have evolved, China-Nepal relations have maintained sound and steady progress. Our two countries have given each other understanding and support on issues concerning our respective core interests.”

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

Xi meets Nepalese prime minister

HANGZHOU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday met with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province.

China and Nepal have set an example of equal treatment and win-win cooperation between big and small countries. The two countries are partners and opportunities for each other on their way to national development and prosperity, Xi said.

The two sides should always understand and support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, and constantly consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, Xi said.

Noting that the two countries have made progress in Belt and Road cooperation and the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network has taken shape, Xi urged efforts from both sides to promote infrastructure connectivity and expand transit transportation cooperation to help Nepal transform itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked country at an early date.

China is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with Nepal, safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

Prachanda said Xi is a visionary global leader and a good friend of all Nepalese people.

Continue reading China and Nepal an example of equal treatment between big and small countries

CGTN interview with Senegalese President Macky Sall

In this episode of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, filmed in the South African city of Johannesburg immediately following the BRICS Summit and the China/Africa Leaders Dialogue held in its margins in August, Wang Guan interviews President Macky Sall of Senegal.

President Sall sets out a strong case for the reform of international institutions formed in the wake of World War II. The world has changed greatly since then and reform is demanded by Africa and the Global South as we are moving towards a multipolar world. 

Senegal was the first country in West Africa to sign up for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) advanced by President Xi Jinping. President Sall extols his personal and friendly relationship with his Chinese counterpart and is full of praise for China’s relations with Africa.

China, he notes, once suffered aggression from the colonial powers, so today it shows empathy and humility in its dealings with others. Citing a recent discussion he held with French President Emmanuel Macron, he said that his message to Africa’s other partners is that we want the same from them. There is now a generation, including himself, born after the end of colonial rule, and they have a new mentality.

Turning to questions of development financing and foreign debt, Sall makes the point that China’s financing is based on requests made by Africa and priorities set by Africa. Refuting ideas of a ‘Chinese debt trap’, he notes that Africa’s debt to China is only some 12% of its total. Moreover, the interest rate is low, at a maximum of 2.5%, with a minimum repayment period of 20 years, and a grace period before payments become due that is generally longer than that offered by others.

Furthermore, citing a China-built expressway in his country as an example, because China’s projects are built quickly, they can often be generating revenue for a few years before any loan repayments fall due.

The full interview with President Macky Sall is embedded below.

BRICS – Dawn of a New World Order?

In the below article, which was contributed for discussion to the Socialist Network, an international body with sections in several countries, and which originally appeared on their website, Pat Byrne poses the question as to whether the BRICS grouping, whose 2023 summit meeting was held in South Africa in August, can lead to the dawning of a new world order. It might, he argues, be “a turning point that could mark the beginning of the end of the US-led, neo-imperialist international system. In its place, the BRICS are calling for a new world order that seeks to create a more fair, prosperous, equal, democratic, peaceful and cooperative planet. If that happens, it would possibly open the way for a global democratic socialist era for humanity.”

The August meeting, he writes, “confounded the sceptics, attracting an impressive turnout of around sixty countries among whom 40 indicated a desire to join the new bloc.” As a result, “the BRICS has the potential to become the world’s most important international institution. As a future bloc that strives to coordinate the economies, future development, geopolitical positions and security of the large majority of countries, the BRICS promises to become more influential than the United Nations, never mind the G7 or G20.”

Already, “there has been a two decades-long trend in which the combined economies of the G7 have been declining while the BRICS have been rising. Soon, as more countries join the BRICS, there will be no dispute over which bloc is economically stronger.”

Having analysed the individual significance of the six countries who have been invited to take up full BRICS membership from January 1, 2024, as the first tranche of a planned wave of successive expansion, Pat turns his attention to a number of questions and doubts that are often posed, particularly on the left, starting with whether the BRICS is anti-imperialist. He argues:

“While many western commentators appreciate the threat that the BRICS poses to Western hegemony, there are many on the Left, especially in the neo-imperialist countries, who are sceptical about whether the new bloc represents a genuine challenge to imperialism. In some ways, this questioning appears to flow more from the lack of symbolism and ideological phraseology used by BRICS, rather than from its actual principles and content. No doubt, if the BRICS Summit was full of red, flag-waving activists chanting ‘Down with American Imperialism’ many more in the international Left would be convinced of the anti-imperialist direction of BRICS. However, it will be the deeds of the BRICS that will determine its true character rather than its outward appearance. For now, it is important for socialists around the world to become properly aware of the values and principles that the BRICS members have accepted as the basis of their new organisation and programme.”

He further notes that that these values and principles are largely based on China’s long-held international programme, starting with the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence and now augmented by the Global Development, Global Security, and Global Civilisation Initiatives:

“Thus the BRICS stands for an end to international exploitation of the developing world and for sustained cooperative economic development that can raise the living standards of the majority of humanity. To achieve this the BRICS is particularly seeking to encourage and foster trade and economic activity between the developing countries, creating an increasingly powerful parallel international economy free from the old patterns of trade with the rich countries and the imperialist domination that went with it.”

This is, “clearly a fundamental departure from the existing neo-imperialist system which has enabled those countries in Europe and North America that first began to adopt capitalism and plunder the world, to continue to maintain their advantage over the rest of the planet.”

How it will be possible for an organisation that includes many countries with reactionary governments to become a progressive force for change is, he agress, an understandable question, but explains:

“Here, there is a misunderstanding about the nature of BRICS. This is not a bloc that seeks to achieve ideological agreement across the board, such as we saw attempted by the Soviet Union internationally in decades past. Rather, it is a united front which aims to bring together a range of different governments and countries which are agreed on the need to end the old neo-imperialist world order. In its place, the BRICS wishes to establish a new world order based on genuine sovereignty, cooperation and consensus rule by the international majority.”

As the world order represented by the BRICS increasingly supersedes the neoliberal ideology prevalent in the west, “the class struggle over the distribution of wealth between and within individual countries will proceed, but in far more favourable circumstances than we faced in the past. So too will the struggle for more progressive social policies. Moreover, the fact that an increasingly more successful China sits at the core of the BRICS development, gives considerable hope that the socialist agenda will come to the fore in the new world system that is emerging… Certainly, the BRICS will not replace the class struggle which will need to be continued in each country in order to ensure the aims of this programme are fully realised. But the BRICS programme and the progressive propaganda that surrounds it can inspire working people and create a better environment for the class struggle to be waged successfully.”

The 2023 BRICS Summit that was recently held in South Africa might turn out as an event of historic importance. A turning point that could mark the beginning of the end of the US-led, neo-imperialist international system. In its place, the BRICS are calling for a new world order that seeks to create a more fair, prosperous, equal, democratic, peaceful and cooperative planet. If that happens, it would possibly open the way for a global democratic socialist era for humanity.

In the run up to the BRICS Summit there was widespread speculation over whether it would be successful. Or even able to make any serious progress. However, the Summit confounded the sceptics, attracting an impressive turnout of around sixty countries among whom 40 indicated a desire to join the new bloc. After complex discussions the founding BRICS members, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, finally agreed to open their doors to new members and begin to respond to the scores of membership requests. Thus, from next January they invited six new countries to join – Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Argentina. But this is just the beginning. A process for new membership has been decided upon with the stated objective of joining many more nations in successive waves. In time, it is possible that the BRICS will come to include 150 or more countries. For example, all of the 131 countries in the progressive Group of 77 are likely to join. Similarly, almost all of the 155 countries which are currently part of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative will want to sign up.

This means that the BRICS has the potential to become the world’s most important international institution. As a future bloc that strives to coordinate the economies, future development, geopolitical positions and security of the large majority of countries, the BRICS promises to become more influential than the United Nations, never mind the G7 or G20. Already, the BRICS will soon become the voice of ‘the global majority’. Once the first wave of new countries join BRICS next January, the combined population of BRICS will be 47% of the world’s population. Undoubtedly, this will rise above 50% in 2025 after the next wave of expansion. As such, BRICS is poised to become a stronger and more progressive version of the United Nations. Not just a political arena but also an economic and security bloc free of the reactionary presence of the neo-imperialist countries that have long prevented the UN from implementing its Charter.  

Continue reading BRICS – Dawn of a New World Order?

Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh: Vietnam and China are comrades and brothers

The 20th China-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Expo opened on September 16 in Nanning, the capital city of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in southern China. Some 2,000 enterprises participated.

With a high-level political attendance, speeches were made at the opening ceremony by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (who had concluded an official visit to China, his first bilateral visit since assuming office, just the previous day), Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtan Wechayachai.

Among the bilateral meetings held by Premier Li Qiang were those with his counterparts from China’s two socialist neighbours, Vietnam and Laos.

Meeting his Vietnamese counterpart, Li Qiang said that China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbours and the two countries are working to build a community with a shared future with strategic significance, adding that under the guidance of the top leaders of two parties, the relations between the two parties and countries have maintained a sound momentum of development.

Li emphasised that China regards relations with Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy, and will work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, strengthen high-level guidance, support each other, safeguard common strategic interests and bring bilateral relations to a new level.

Noting that Vietnam and China are comrades and brothers, and the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is Vietnam’s earliest and most valued foreign relationship at the highest level, Pham Minh Chinh said it has always been the objective requirement, top priority and strategic choice of Vietnam’s foreign relations to continuously deepen the relations between the two parties and the two countries. The development of Vietnam’s foreign relations will not harm the interests of any third party, he added.

Meeting his Laotian counterpart, Premier Li said that the China-Laos community with a shared future has been continuously advanced, adding that China has always viewed relations with Laos from a strategic perspective.

China is ready to work with Laos to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, deepen cooperation in various fields, and share opportunities and jointly promote development, to deliver benefits to the two peoples and contribute to regional peace.

China supports Laos in assuming the rotating presidency of ASEAN next year.

For his part, Sonexay Siphandone said that Laos is willing to strengthen exchanges of experience in party and state governance, promote pragmatic cooperation in such fields as the Belt and Road, economy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, jointly safeguard strategic interests, and promote the upgrading of China-Laos community with a shared future.

We reprint below reports on these two meetings. They were originally carried by the Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese premier meets Vietnamese PM in Nanning

NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, pledging to bring bilateral ties to a new level.

Noting that China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors and the two countries are working to build a community with a shared future with strategic significance, Li said that under the guidance of the top leaders of two parties, the relations between the two parties and countries have maintained a sound momentum of development.

Li said China regards relations with Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, and will work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, strengthen high-level guidance, support each other, safeguard common strategic interests and bring bilateral relations to a new level.

Li pointed out that China is willing to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Vietnam and import more marketable quality Vietnamese products, explore port opening and upgrading, accelerate the construction of smart ports to provide more convenience for bilateral trade, and strengthen cooperation on railway connectivity, key minerals and other fields to jointly build a mutually beneficial, stable and unimpeded industrial chain and supply chain system.

He also said China wishes to expand exchanges and cooperation on youth, education, medical tourism and other fields to promote mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.

Continue reading Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh: Vietnam and China are comrades and brothers

Stop the War Coalition condemns war preparations against China

Britain’s Stop the War Coalition held its Annual General Meeting in London on September 16.

In a significant development, a resolution proposed by Manchester Stop the War, opposing the preparation for war against China, was passed unanimously. It notes that the US Biden administration, “is overseeing a massive military buildup in the Pacific amidst constant talk of war with China”, and continues:

“Just as Ukraine served as a proxy to aggravate Russia, the US is stoking Taiwan with arms and military trainers, creating uncertainty around the One China policy agreed with China and supported internationally.”

The resolution further notes the attempts being made to extend NATO’s reach into Asia and criticises Britain’s participation in the AUKUS pact alongside the Australia and the United States, as well as its increased military collaboration with Japan.

Key speakers at the meeting included Stop the War leaders Lindsey German and Andrew Murray, Irish Member of the European Parliament Clare Daly, independent Member of Parliament for Leicester East Claudia Webbe, and President of the RMT rail and transport union Alex Gordon. Videos of their speeches can be viewed here. A message of solidarity was also read from former Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn.

We reprint the full text of the resolution below. The full texts of all the resolutions passed can be read here along with the news report carried in the Morning Star.

Opposing the preparation for war against China

  1. This Conference notes that:
  • Biden’s administration is overseeing a massive military buildup in the Pacific amidst constant talk of war with China – now the main ‘strategic competitor’ – predictions ranging from 2 to 10 years;
  • Just as Ukraine served as a proxy to aggravate Russia, the US is stoking Taiwan with arms and military trainers, creating uncertainty around the One China policy agreed with China and supported internationally, in order to provoke aggression;
  • Increasing military activity in disputed waters in the South and East China Seas and around Taiwan runs a high risk of accidental collision escalating rapidly into a catastrophic war;
  • Increasing tensions jeopardise international cooperation essential to address the mounting climate catastrophe;
  1. We also note that:
  • With the claim ’Euro-Atlantic and IndoPacific security are linked’, the US is building an Atlantic-Pacific Global NATO-style partnership, drawing NATO into Asia, with Britain the most active accomplice;
  • Through AUKUS and a military forces exchange with Japan, Britain is not only stoking a Pacific arms race but also runs the risk of a direct clash with China;
  • Rishi Sunak has identified China as ‘the biggest challenge to the world’;
  • Spending on preparations for war with China is pushing up Britain’s military budget significantly.
  1. This Conference believes that a war between the US and China must be stopped before it starts.
  • We say no to war preparations and provocations;
  • We support the peaceful dialogue across the Taiwan Strait as well as between the countries bordering the South China Sea to resolve differences;
  • We oppose outside interference since this can only complicate dialogue, with failure likely leading into conflict;
  • We call for British withdrawal from AUKUS and from military commitments in the IndoPacific; the government should refrain from any moves that may contribute to destabilising the situation regarding Taiwan;
  • We support activists in the Pacific region opposing militarisation and the arms race, and calling for de-escalation of tensions.
  1. This Conference resolves to step up campaigning to oppose Britain’s part in the war preparations by

(i) developing understanding of the issues and dangers through discussion among our membership supported by educational materials;

(ii) raising public awareness of the dangers of Pacific militarisation and Britain’s part in this;

(iii) including in our campaigning to reverse the TUC’s decision on increasing military spending, factual material on the costs of Britain’s ‘IndoPacific tilt’.

China is proud to be part of the development of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh China Silk Road Forum organised a photo exhibition and discussion meeting in a hotel in the capital Dhaka on September 12 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Attracting support from a broad range of progressive forces in Bangladesh, the meeting was chaired by Dilip Barua, Chairman of the Bangladesh China Silk Road Forum, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist) and former minister. The Chief Guest was MA Mannan MP, Bangladesh’s Minister of Planning and member of parliament from the Awami League, while the Special Guest was Yan Hualong, Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.

Speakers were: Rasheed Khan Menon MP, President of the Workers’ Party of Bangladesh and former minister; Hasanul Haque Inu MP, President of the Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal (JSD – National Socialist Party) and former minister; Shah Alam, President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh; and Munshi Faiz Ahmed, former Bangladeshi Ambassador to China.

Dilip Barua noted how the aborted Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM), which had been one of the first routes proposed under the BRI, could have brought much prosperity for the region had it materialised. (India has refused to participate in the BRI citing the existence of projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, which India also claims.)

Planning Minister Abdul Mannan said Bangladesh has received loans from China on good conditions and through amicable negotiations. Saying that China is a leading Asian neighbour of Bangladesh, he added: “China has been there for thousands of years. Now, we see a rejuvenated China… We don’t have enmity or favour for any country, we decide projects based on our benefits and needs.”

As Bangladesh lags behind in the infrastructure sector, including rail, road and power, he said, “we revamped them with Chinese loans.” Bangladesh can benefit more by sharing technology from China.

Former Bangladesh Ambassador to China Munshi Faiz Ahmed said: “BRI is a Chinese idea but China doesn’t own it alone, all the participating countries own it.”

The following report was first published by the Financial Express, which is the second largest English language newspaper in Bangladesh.

The aborted Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could have brought much prosperity for the region if materialised, former industries minister Dilip Barua said.

The project did not see the light of day as a neighbour quit it, he told a photo exhibition and discussion on the 10th founding anniversary of BRI on Tuesday.

“BRI has various infrastructure projects and we had economic corridor under BRI. But our neighbour withdrew itself from the project,” added Mr Barua, also general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist).

The Bangladesh China Silk Road Forum organised the event at a city hotel with Dilip Barua, who is the chairman of the forum, in the chair.

Indicating the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was initiated through signing a MoU during the 2023 G20 New Delhi Summit, he said India is now initiating another economic corridor.

BCIM is a proposed corridor connecting India and China through Myanmar and Bangladesh while IMEC will connect India, the United States, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the EU.

IMEC is a counter to BRI, commented Mr Barua.

Speaking as the chief guest, planning minister Abdul Mannan said Bangladesh has received loans from China on good conditions and through amicable negotiations.

Citing that China is a leading Asian neighbour of Bangladesh, he said: “China has been there for thousands of years. Now, we see a rejuvenated China.”

“We don’t have enmity or favour for any country, we decide projects based on our benefits and needs.”

Mr Mannan said Bangladesh has diverse projects and collaboration based on mutual respect and trust with China.

As Bangladesh lags behind in the infrastructure sector, including rail, road and power, he said, “We revamped them with Chinese loans.” Bangladesh can be benefited more by sharing technology from China.

“We have deficit in technology. So, we want collaboration in that area,” said the minister, adding that both countries have so many things to give and take.

Speaking as the special guest, Chargé d’Affaires of Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh Yan Hualong said China would continue to assist Bangladesh in its development.

“China is proud to be part of the development of Bangladesh,” he added.

Former Bangladesh high commissioner to China Munshi Faiz Ahmed said the mission of BRI is to establish connectivity, infrastructure and shared prosperity.

“BRI is a Chinese idea but China doesn’t own it alone, all the participating countries own it,” he added.