Friends of Socialist China, Author at Friends of Socialist China

Carry forward the spirit of Dr Kotnis to strengthen China-India friendship

As part of a tour of South Asian countries in the first week of May, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited India to attend the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was held in Goa. Whilst there, on May 4, Qin Gang met with the family members of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis (known in China as Ke Dihua), along with representatives of friendship organizations with China and young people from both countries.

Dr. Kotnis was one of a team of five Indian doctors, one of whom had previously served with the International Brigades in Spain, who were sent to help the Chinese people in their war of resistance against Japan by India’s Congress party, then led by Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose, after China’s Red Army leader Zhu De had written a request to Nehru on the suggestion of Agnes Smedley, the American internationalist who maintained deep ties with the freedom movements in both countries.

In the spirit of the great Canadian communist, Dr. Norman Bethune, who the team had gone to replace following his death from sepsis incurred while operating behind enemy lines, Dr. Kotnis worked tirelessly, sometimes for 72 hours without sleep. He refused any special treatment, taught himself fluent Chinese, and passed on his knowledge by writing two textbooks on surgery (one uncompleted, he was actually struck by a fatal seizure as he was writing), and becoming a teacher and then the head of the Bethune Medical School.

It was while teaching at the school that he met, fell in love with and married Guo Qinglan, a nurse and nursing teacher. Their son, Yinhua, whose name means India-China, was born just four months before Dr. Kotnis’s death. In July 1942, Dr. Kotnis was admitted to membership of the Communist Party of China.

After Dr. Kotnis passed away on December 9, 1942, from epileptic seizures exacerbated by prolonged overwork, Mao Zedong wrote the following calligraphy in his memory:

“Dr. Kotnis, our Indian friend, came to China from afar to assist us in our war of resistance. He worked for five years in Yan’an and north China, giving medical treatment to our wounded soldiers and died of illness owing to constant overwork. The army has lost a helping hand, and the nation has lost a friend. Let’s always bear in mind his internationalist spirit.”

In meeting with Dr. Kotnis’s relatives, Qin Gang carried on a tradition of senior Chinese leaders visiting India, beginning with Premier Zhou Enlai in the 1950s through to President Xi Jinping in recent times.

Qin Gang said that Dr. Kotnis was a great friend of the Chinese people and an outstanding fighter in the anti-fascist war, who devoted his precious youth and life to the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression. His spirit, Qin continued, is a humanitarian one of saving lives, a heroic one of daring to struggle and not being afraid of sacrifice, and an internationalist one of advocating peace, friendship, and a shared future.

One distinct feature of Qin’s meeting, consistent with the change of generations, as well as the fact that May 4 is celebrated as Youth Day in China, in honour of the anti-imperialist May 4 Movement of youth and students in 1919 that contributed significantly to the founding of the Communist Party of China two years later, was the emphasis placed on the need for young people to inherit and carry forward the spirit of Dr. Kotnis so as to firmly safeguard peace and friendship between China and India.

Noting that the young people of both China and India are full of vitality and are the main force for development in their respective countries, Qin Gang called on them to promote people-to-people exchanges and to explore a path for the two major neighbors to coexist in peace, get along in amity and seek rejuvenation together.

He also urged the youths to promote bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit and to boost mutual trust, so as to jointly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and uphold international fairness and justice.

The following articles were originally published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Xinhua News Agency.

Qin Gang Meets with Relatives of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis and Representatives of Chinese and Indian Young People

On May 4, 2023 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with relatives of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis and representatives of China-India friendship organizations and Chinese and Indian young people in Goa, India.

Qin Gang and relatives of Dr. Kotnis visited the photo exhibition of Dr. Kotnis’ life. Qin Gang said that Dr. Kotnis, a great friend of the Chinese people and an outstanding fighter in the anti-fascist war, devoted his precious youth and life to the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression. The spirit of Dr. Kotnis is a humanitarian one of saving lives, a heroic one of daring to struggle and not being afraid of sacrifice, and an internationalist one of advocating peace, friendship and a shared future.

Qin Gang trip consolidates China’s ties with South Asian countries

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang spent the first week of May on an important visit to South Asian countries.

On May 1, he met in Beijing with Noeleen Heyzer, the Special Envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General on Myanmar. Qin Gang said that China and Myanmar are close neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, and China hopes more than any other country that Myanmar will realize stability and development. With internal and external factors intertwined, the Myanmar issue is complex and has no “quick fix”. The international community should respect Myanmar’s sovereignty, and support all parties and factions in Myanmar in bridging differences and resuming the political transition process through political dialogue within the constitutional and legal frameworks. He further noted that the international community should respect the mediation efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and promote the implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar.

The following day, Qin Gang arrived in China’s Yunnan province for an inspection tour, in which he stressed the need to maintain stability at the China-Myanmar border, advance the friendship and cooperation between China and Myanmar, and open up new prospects of border-related and Myanmar-related work. Visiting various places and projects, including ‘One Village, Two Countries’ border communities, he took opinions and suggestions from those working at primary-level units and on the front line. He stressed the importance of pushing forward the building of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor with a focus on industrial capacity cooperation and industrial park construction, to help boost the economic and social development of the two countries, as well as maintaining peace and tranquility in the border area and safeguarding the overall situation of China-Myanmar friendship.

This somewhat unusual public engagement by a Chinese foreign minister reflects the special position of the southwestern province regarding Myanmar, with, for example, the same and closely related ethnic groups and nationalities living on both sides of the border. It might also be considered as an extension of whole process people’s democracy on the diplomatic front.

The same day, Qin Gang began his visit to Myanmar, meeting with Than Shwe, the former Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, in the country’s new capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

Qin Gang said that China respects Myanmar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, supports Myanmar in advancing its domestic peace process, and stands ready to continue actively providing assistance for Myanmar in safeguarding independence, maintaining political stability and realizing sustainable development. Than Shwe said that the “pauk-phaw” [brotherly] friendship between Myanmar and China was forged by the leaders of the elder generations of the two countries, has been promoted by every generation of their leaders, and is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples.

Also on May 2, Qin Gang met with Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing. The Chinese Foreign Minister pointed out that China sincerely hopes for a stable situation and national development in Myanmar, supports Myanmar in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions and with Myanmar’s characteristics, supports Myanmar in continuously advancing its political transition process, and supports all parties in Myanmar to properly handle differences and achieve reconciliation under the constitutional and legal framework. China will continue to provide assistance within its capability for Myanmar’s development, accelerate key cooperation projects of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, and carry out projects on agriculture, education and health care, among others, for the benefit of Myanmar people.

China reiterates support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty and independence

Some 12 years after it was unjustly excluded, Syria was readmitted to the Arab League on May 7. An emergency meeting of the League’s Foreign Ministers, held in the Egyptian capital Cairo, resolved to restore Syria’s membership with immediate effect. This clears the way for Syria to attend the League’s Summit, which is due to convene in the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh on May 19. The Wall Street Journal described the move as, “complicating American efforts to isolate President Bashar al-Assad and signalling a waning of US influence in the Middle East.” The paper added: “The decision to readmit Syria to the Arab League represents a rejection of US interests in the region and shows that Middle Eastern countries are forging policies independent of Western concerns.”

Syria’s diplomatic victory is part of a broad and dramatic redrawing of the geopolitical map of West Asia particularly following the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, mediated by China, to restore bilateral relations.

Reporting on the summit meeting between China and the Arab League, held during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia last December, and noting that the Chinese leader’s proposals to his Arab counterparts included a pledge to provide humanitarian support and reconstruction efforts for a number of countries, including Syria, this website commented, on December 12 2022, that: “This is particularly significant in that Syria is still unjustly excluded from the League of Arab States, although considerable progress is being made to rectify this.”

Consistent with these trends, on April 29, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received the visiting Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East, Zhai Jun in his capital, Damascus.

At their meeting, President Assad noted that the most significant positive change in the world has been the Chinese role, which is increasing in a calm and balanced manner, and that this role has become a new model in politics, economy, and culture. He went on to observe that the entire world today needs the Chinese presence politically and economically to rebalance the global situation and praised the Chinese mediation that culminated in the rapprochement and improvement of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which, he said, will have a positive impact on the stability of the entire Middle East region.

Underlining the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Syrian leader said that the confrontation with imperialism has become economic in the first place, which makes it increasingly necessary to reduce the use of the US dollar in transactions, and that BRICS countries can play a leading role in this area, along with the option of adopting the Chinese yuan for trade payments between countries.

Assad said that Syria does not forget that Beijing has been by its side during the war years to defend its sovereignty, adding that all the assistance provided by Beijing during the earthquake catastrophe was appreciated.

For his part, Zhai Jun expressed China’s satisfaction with the victory achieved by the Syrian people in their battle against terrorism, considering it a victory for all countries that defend their sovereignty and dignity. He added that Beijing will support Syria with words and deeds in international forums in defense of truth and justice, and support its battle against hegemony, terrorism and external interference. He also expressed his country’s support for the positive developments taking place in the rapprochement between Syria and the Arab countries.

Shortly before his meeting with the head of state, Zhai Jun met with Fayssal Mikdad, Syria’s Foreign and Expatriates Minister, who renewed his country’s support for the territorial integrity of China and the one-China principle, while, for his part, Zhai expressed his appreciation for the achievements made by Syria, a country friendly to China, and China’s rejection of all attempts to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs, reiterating his country’s support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty and independence.

The following reports were originally carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

President al-Assad receives Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East

President Bashar al-Assad received Saturday Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Zhai Jun.

The central topic between the President al-Assad and Zhai Jun was the common perceptions of the bilateral relationship between Syria and China within the larger landscape of China’s relationship with the countries of the Middle East and its vital role throughout this region.

President al-Assad pointed out that the most significant positive change in the world has been the Chinese role, which is increasing in a calm and balanced manner, and that this role has become a new model in politics, economy and culture, especially as it is based on the principle of achieving stability, peace and profit for all.

President al-Assad noted that the entire world today needs the Chinese presence politically and economically to rebalance the global situation, taking into account the Russian-Chinese relations and the BRICS alliance in terms of constituting a strong international space capable of creating a multipolar international order.

President al-Assad praised the Chinese mediation that culminated in the rapprochement and improvement of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which will have a positive impact on the stability of the entire Middle East region.

His excellency underlined the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative aimed at achieving development and economic cooperation.

President al-Assad stressed that the confrontation has been economic in the first place, which makes it increasingly necessary to release the US dollar in transactions, and that BRICS countries can play a leading role in this area, as well as the option of adopting the Chinese yuan for trade transactions between countries.

President al-Assad said that Syria does not forget that Beijing has been by its side during the war years to defend its sovereignty in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, and we appreciate all the assistance provided by Beijing during the earthquake catastrophe.

President al-Assad conveyed his greetings to the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people.

For his part, the special envoy Zhai Jun conveyed to President al-Assad the greetings of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and his keenness to achieve greater results at the level of bilateral relations.

He stressed that China views relations with Syria from a strategic perspective and within the framework of a comprehensive vision for the region.

Zhai Jun expressed his country’s satisfaction with the victory achieved by the Syrian people in their battle against terrorism and considered that it is a victory for all countries that defend their sovereignty and dignity.

He said that Beijing will support Syria with words and deeds in international forums in defense of truth and justice, and support its battle against hegemony, terrorism and external interference

He expressed his country’s support for the positive developments taking place in the rapprochement between Syria and the Arab countries.

Mikdad: Syria supports the One-China principle

Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Fayssal Mikdad, met on Saturday the Special representative of the Chinese Government for the Middle East affairs Zhai Jun and the accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, Minister Mikdad renewed Syria’s support for the territorial integrity of China and the one-China principle , rejecting in this regard the attempts of some countries to interfere in China’s domestic affairs.

In turn, the Chinese envoy expressed his appreciation for the achievements made by Syria, a country friendly to China, and China’s rejection of all attempts to interfere in its internal affairs, reiterating his country’s support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty and independence.

China’s report on US cyber attacks only scratches surface of Washington’s impunity

In this article, first published in CGTN, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Danny Haiphong analyzes a report released by China’s cyber security investigators detailing US interference in China’s internal affairs. The report concluded that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is conducting a cyber warfare campaign on key Chinese economic sectors and that this behavior is emblematic of the CIA’s role in overthrowing governments that challenge US hegemony.

U.S. political leaders and media analysts often hype “threats” from abroad in order to justify an increasingly aggressive foreign policy. China is now considered a top “threat” from significant elements of the U.S. political establishment and is regularly accused of conducting cyber espionage and other forms of snooping. Often, these accusations reflect the actual policies carried out by the U.S. government regardless of which political party holds majority power. On May 4, China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (NCVERC) and internet security company 360 offered verifiable proof of this in a joint report detailing the cyber weapons used by the U.S.’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on other countries.

The report builds on earlier findings in 2020 that an unknown cyber organization hacked into China’s major petroleum, infrastructure, aviation, and several other industries using methods related to WikiLeaks’ “Vault 7” documents. These documents revealed that the CIA was able to infiltrate cyber technology and use it to spy on other countries as well as U.S. citizens.

Grenadian PM: We support China’s efforts towards peace and global development

We are pleased to republish the speech given by Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Prime Minister of Grenada, at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, which was organized by the Communist Party of China on 15 March. It was originally carried on the website of the CPC’s International Department. Mitchell became Prime Minister of Grenada in June 2022, after his party was victorious in the general election, winning 9 out of 15 seats.

Noting that humanity was at a crossroads, the Prime Minister referred to “unprecedented cross-border challenges of recent years”, such as climate change and Covid-19. Such challenges highlighted the need for leaders to “work together to ensure the wellbeing of all.”

He went on to state that: “Political parties also have a responsibility to promote social and economic justice, ensuring that all citizens have access to fundamental human rights, such as housing, and healthcare, as well as promoting economic policies that support job creation, sustainable development, and the reduction of economic inequality.”

This statement is very important to note, as the Grenada Prime Minister here advocates a concept as to what are the really fundamental human rights which is far closer to the position advanced by the socialist countries rather than the capitalist powers.

Dickon Mitchell went on to state: “My own party, the National Democratic Congress, came to power on a mandate of transformation. We, too, understood the urgent need to adopt an inclusive and sustainable approach to the development of people and our region. To this end, I place on record Grenada’s support for China’s Global Development Initiative.”

I extend respectful greetings to the President, His Excellency Xi Jinping, and the distinguished Members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), fellow Leaders of Political Parties, as well as the esteemed audience today.

On behalf of the Government and people of Grenada, and as leader of the National Democratic Congress, it is my honour to deliver brief remarks on the theme for this Dialogue: “The Path Towards Modernisation: The Responsibility of Political Parties”

Colleagues, in the current global construct, we are at a crossroads. The unprecedented cross border challenges of recent years, such as climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, among others, continue to highlight the need for leaders to work together to ensure the wellbeing of all.

Collective decision-making and inclusiveness, therefore, will play a crucial role if we are to maintain the quality of our co-existence on this planet. The path towards modernisation must encourage increased people-to-people dialogue, cultural exchanges, and cooperation for the common good. Political parties play a vital role in shaping the direction of a country. Through the promotion of democratic values and principles, and championing respect for the diversity of all civilizations, parties can contribute to the creation of a more inclusive society.

Political parties also have a responsibility to promote social and economic justice, ensuring that all citizens have access to fundamental human rights, such as housing, and healthcare, as well as promoting economic policies that support job creation, sustainable development, and the reduction of economic inequality.

The interlocking crises of the past few years have underscored the importance of effective leadership in political parties, as many nations are still grappling with a post-pandemic reality of exacerbated poverty, supply chain challenges and rising energy costs due to ongoing armed conflicts.

I must emphasise here that, as political parties, we have a cardinal responsibility to promote peace and security, both within our own countries and internationally.

Fellow leaders, our shared path towards modernisation will require a transformation in our modus operandi as political parties and as nations, but it will prove essential to our longevity as a civilization. My own party, the National Democratic Congress, came to power on a mandate of transformation. We, too, understood the urgent need to adopt an inclusive and sustainable approach to the development of people and our region.

To this end, I place on record Grenada’s support for China’s Global Development Initiative, which seeks to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated, and inclusive growth in the face of the severe shocks.

Let me also take this opportunity to commend you, President Xi, and the CPC leadership for your continued efforts towards a peaceful coexistence with all states, and to provide opportunities of upliftment and common development for all.

I thank you.

Keith Bennett: Conditions are maturing for the final defeat of neo-colonialism

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett spoke at the Global Conference on Multipolarity, held online on Saturday April 29. The conference, which was jointly convened by organizations from China, Türkiye, Russia, Brazil and elsewhere, and coordinated from Moscow, was addressed by more than 120 speakers from over 60 countries.

Addressing the theme of neo-colonialism, Keith said that the founding of the People’s Republic of China was among the great historic events which made the persistence of the old colonial empires untenable.

The collapse of the Soviet Union temporarily gave colonialism and imperialism a new lease of life, but a number of factors had served to make the moment of imperialist triumphalism a fleeting one. In particular, the People’s Republic of China, far from changing its class character, had deepened its socialist orientation and has continued its steady rise, remaining on course to overtake the United States as the world’s single largest economy, a change unseen in well over a century. Keith recalled that President Xi Jinping first said in 2017 that socialism with Chinese characteristics, “offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence.”

We reproduce below the text and video of Keith’s speech.

Dear Friends and Comrades

First, I would like to thank Nova Resistência of Brazil, the New International Order Initiative of Türkiye, the International Eurasian Movement of Russia, the Thinker’s Forum of China, and the International Russophile Movement for organizing today’s Global Multipolarity Conference and for inviting me to share some thoughts on the sub-theme of the Struggle Against Neo-Colonialism in a Multipolar World.

The themes you have chosen for today’s deliberations are the central questions of contemporary global politics. Indeed, I would argue, they are among the most vital issues facing humanity for centuries.

What is most significant about the present conjuncture is that the conditions are maturing for the final resolution of this historical problem, through the creation of a truly multipolar, or pluripolar, world, with independence as its foundation and at its core.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the great African-American scholar and revolutionary, Dr. WEB DuBois said that the defining issue of that coming century would be what he termed the ‘colour line’. He spoke just a few short years after the European colonial powers had met in Berlin to carve the continent of Africa between themselves like so many slices of cake.

John Pilger: The coming war – time to speak up

This powerful and wide-ranging essay by the Australian journalist John Pilger, originally published in Consortium News, decries mainstream journalists’ role in building support for the US-led Cold War against China and NATO’s proxy war against Russia.

The author notes that leading Australian newspapers have been hyping up “the looming threat” of China and calling on the Australian government to bolster the country’s military defences. Essentially this is a thinly-concealed marketing campaign for the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal. Pilger states bluntly – and correctly: “There is no threat to Australia, none.” However, “China-bashing draws on Australia’s long history of racism towards Asia,” and much of the Australian public finds it all too easy to accept an anti-China narrative, no matter how transparently idiotic.

Turning to the United States, and the Obama-Clinton Pivot to Asia that initiated the now-escalating New Cold War, Pilger assesses the claims that this ‘pivot’ was a response to a serious threat:

There was no threat from China; there was a threat to China from the United States; some 400 American military bases formed an arc along the rim of China’s industrial heartlands, which a Pentagon official described approvingly as a “noose.”

The article compares today’s war by media with the techniques used by the Nazis, as described by a Nuremberg prosecutor in 1945:

Before each major aggression, with some few exceptions based on expediency, they initiated a press campaign calculated to weaken their victims and to prepare the German people psychologically… In the propaganda system… it was the daily press and the radio that were the most important weapons.

Pilger concludes by demanding that journalists report the truth; that they expose – rather than amplify – the cynical lies that are used to justify the military murder of millions.

In 1935, the Congress of American Writers was held in New York City, followed by another two years later. They called on “the hundreds of poets, novelists, dramatists, critics, short story writers and journalists” to discuss the “rapid crumbling of capitalism” and the beckoning of another war. They were electric events which, according to one account, were attended by 3,500 members of the public with more than a thousand turned away.

Arthur Miller, Myra Page, Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett warned that fascism was rising, often disguised, and the responsibility lay with writers and journalists to speak out. Telegrams of support from Thomas Mann, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, C Day Lewis, Upton Sinclair and Albert Einstein were read out.

The journalist and novelist Martha Gellhorn spoke up for the homeless and unemployed, and “all of us under the shadow of violent great power.”

Martha, who became a close friend, told me later over her customary glass of Famous Grouse and soda:

“The responsibility I felt as a journalist was immense. I had witnessed the injustices and suffering delivered by the Depression, and I knew, we all knew, what was coming if silences were not broken.”

Her words echo across the silences today: they are silences filled with a consensus of propaganda that contaminates almost everything we read, see and hear. Let me give you one example:

Aleksandar Vučić: The world looks to China for innovative solutions that help tackle the challenges of the future

We are pleased to republish the speech given by Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Republic of Serbia, at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, which was organized by the Communist Party of China on 15 March. It was originally carried on the website of the CPC’s International Department.

Congratulating Xi Jinping on his re-election as Chinese President, Vučić stressed that: “Your leadership is more critical than ever, as the world faces unprecedented challenges that demand bold and visionary solutions.”

Reviewing relations between the two countries, President Vučić noted that both China and Serbia advocate, “strict compliance with the basic principles of international law. The UN Charter does not distinguish the big and the small, the strong and the weak, but it rather establishes rules of conduct amongst equals… China and Serbia insist on the fact that all states must have equal rights and equal voice in the highest political forums.”

Referring to the status of Kosovo, Vučić said that China has, “always provided Serbia with diplomatic support for our territorial integrity, and our attempts to defend the international legal order. We are grateful to the People’s Republic of China for its down to the letter respect of the United Nations Resolution 1244, which guarantees peace and integrity to our country.” Equally, he added, Serbia fully supports the one-China policy.

Surveying the economic aspects of bilateral relations, Vučić noted that, “Chinese involvement in infrastructure, energy and mining sectors in Serbia has significantly boosted our economy, creating jobs and opportunities for our citizens, and has helped promote cooperation and exchange between our two nations.” Especially, China has helped Serbia’s important infrastructure projects, including the modernization and construction of roads, bridges and railways. China has also invested in Serbia’s energy, technology, agriculture and tourism.

Honorable friends,
Presidents from political parties and countries from all over the world,
Members of Central Committee,
Most honorable Friend President Xi Jinping,

Congratulations on your historic third term as President of your Great country. This remarkable achievement is a testament to your unwavering dedication to serving the Chinese people and advancing the prosperity and stability of your nation. Under your leadership, China has achieved continuous economic growth and has become a leading global power. Your visionary approach to development, your commitment to innovation, and your steadfast focus on building a better future for all of the Mankind.

Dear Friend,

As you embark on this new term as President, I have no doubt that you will continue to lead China with wisdom, strength, and compassion. Your leadership is more critical than ever, as the world faces unprecedented challenges that demand bold and visionary solutions.

My dear Friends,

A great leader and guarantor of security, China, has the privilege of being led by a visionary like President Xi. I would like to start my speech by quoting my friend, architect of peace, President Xi Jinping. He once observed that “peace is like air and sun. We hardly notice him. None of us can live without peace.” The entirety of my public service and my diplomatic discourse is based on my ambition to promote Peace, Solidarity and Cooperation amongst the peoples and nations that comprise the Humanity. What a difficult task that is! Specially today in this ever-changing world full of disparity, inequality and hatred.

Radhika Desai’s book ‘Capitalism, Coronavirus and War’ launched in London

London’s Marx Memorial Library hosted a hybrid launch for Capitalism, Coronavirus and War – A Geopolitical Economy, the latest book by Professor Radhika Desai, on Thursday April 27.

Professor Desai’s book investigates the decay of neoliberal financialized capitalism as revealed in the crisis that Covid-19 triggered but did not cause, a crisis that has been deepened by the conflict over Ukraine and its repercussions across the globe.

The author argues that the pandemic accelerated the imperial decline of the US-led capitalist world’s power, intensifying the tendency to lash out with aggression and militarism, as seen in the US-led West’s New Cold War against China and the proxy war against Russia over Ukraine. The geopolitical economy of the decay and crisis of this form of capitalism suggests that the struggle with socialism that has long shaped the fate of capitalism has reached a tipping point. She further argues that mainstream and even many progressive forces take capitalism’s longevity for granted, misunderstand its historical dynamics and deny its formative bond with imperialism. It contends that only by appreciating the seriousness of the crisis and rectifying our understanding of capitalism can progressive forces thwart a future of chaos and/or authoritarianism and begin the long task of building socialism.

Following an introduction by Radhika, who is a Professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba in Canada, the Convenor of the International Manifesto Group (IMG), and a member of the Friends of Socialist China (FOSC) advisory group, contributions were made by FOSC co-editors Keith Bennett and Carlos Martinez.

Noting that Xi Jinping always reminds us that we are currently seeing changes unseen in a century, Keith outlined Radhika’s conception of the unfolding of multipolarity, or pluripolarity, emphasizing the qualitative and fundamental change represented by the emergence of actually existing socialism following the 1917 October Revolution. He added that:

“Those socialist countries that survived – China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Cuba – are precisely those that proceeded to the building of socialism via the anti-imperialist struggle for national liberation. And who see socialism, of course, as the universal cause and aspiration of working and oppressed people everywhere, but equally as being actually synonymous with their very national identity and existence.”

Carlos refuted the thesis of Francis Fukuyama that the setback experienced by socialism some three decades ago somehow represented the ‘end of history’. He counterposed this to the materialist approach of the Chinese communist leader Deng Xiaoping, who around the same time advised his comrades:

“Feudal society replaced slave society, capitalism supplanted feudalism, and, after a long time, socialism will necessarily supersede capitalism. This is an irreversible general trend of historical development, but the road has many twists and turns. Over the several centuries that it took for capitalism to replace feudalism, how many times were monarchies restored! So, in a sense, temporary restorations are usual and can hardly be avoided. So don’t panic, don’t think that Marxism has disappeared, that it’s not useful any more and that it has been defeated. Nothing of the sort!”

Carlos contrasted the sorry state of contemporary imperialism, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, lack of preparation for recent or future pandemics, inadequate and antiquated infrastructure, failure in the face of climate change, and the pursuit of war and sanctions, with the example set by China, which has ended absolute poverty, is developing green energy systems and protecting biodiversity, and promoting multipolarity, peace and equality in international relations.

Additional contributions were made by Marxist scholars and friends of China, Jenny Clegg, John Foster and John Ross, and the event was chaired by Marjorie Mayo.

We reprint below the remarks delivered by Keith and Carlos. The video of the proceedings is also embedded below.

As well as in printed format, the book is available in PDF format free from the publishers at their website.

Keith Bennett: Socialism is the universal cause and aspiration of working and oppressed people everywhere

Thank you, Radhika, and comrades.

It’s a pleasure for me to say a few words on this occasion.

To my mind, Radhika Desai is one of the most important, profound, innovative, and principled Marxist scholars and theoreticians presently writing in the English language.

And integral to why I say this is that she is also someone who is never afraid to put herself on the frontline. Never afraid of engaging with the really difficult issues. Her two recent visits to Russia alone attest to this. In a word, she passes Marx’s “the point is to change it” test with flying colours.

China deepens its friendship with Central Asian countries

China and the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to hold the China-Central Asia Summit this month. It is expected to be one of the two key multilateral diplomatic events hosted by China this year, the other being a Belt and Road cooperation forum, and will be held in the city of Xi’an, appropriately the starting point of the ancient silk road.

To prepare well for this meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang hosted his counterparts from the four countries in the same city, April 26-27.

The first day was given over to bilateral meetings. Qin Gang said that:

China and Kazakhstan have agreed to a shared future defined by lasting friendship, a high degree of mutual trust and sharing weal and woe.
China and Kyrgyzstan have achieved leapfrog development in their relationship and become comprehensive strategic partners true to the name.
China and Tajikistan are ironclad friends.
China-Uzbekistan relations have reached an unprecedented height.
China and Turkmenistan have jointly announced the decision to elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and to practice the vision of a community with a shared future at the bilateral level.

He stressed that China will, as always, firmly support the Central Asian countries in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence, security, and territorial integrity. China also firmly supports the development paths independently chosen by the Central Asian countries in line with their national conditions. China resolutely opposes any external forces interfering in the internal affairs of the Central Asian countries.

The following day, Qin Gang chaired the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. He said that China and Central Asian countries are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers sharing weal and woe and went on to note that the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation. Unity is strength. The more chaotic the world is and the more complex the situation is, the more we need to stay focused, strengthen unity and enhance cooperation. The two sides should step up the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, and jointly strengthen the regional security net. The two sides should firmly oppose interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region by any forces under any pretext, and make Central Asia a clean land for win-win cooperation rather than a battlefield for geopolitical games.

Following the meeting, Qin Gang briefed the press, explaining that the foreign ministers had reached consensus on five key points:

Adhering to good-neighborliness and friendship, and working together to ensure the success of the Xi’an Summit.
Adhering to solidarity and mutual assistance, and enhancing mutual support.
Adhering to mutual benefit and win-win results, and advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Adhering to sharing weal and woe, and expanding security cooperation.
Adhering to fairness and justice, and resolutely safeguarding the international order.

The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Qin Gang Holds Talks Respectively with Foreign Ministers of Five Central Asian Countries

On April 26, 2023, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks in Xi’an respectively with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovich, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Vepa Hajiyev. The ministers were in China for the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Qin Gang said that President Xi Jinping and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have agreed to build a China-Kazakhstan community with a shared future defined by lasting friendship, a high degree of mutual trust and sharing weal and woe. Both sides should take this as fundamental guidance to enable the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.

Qin Gang said that China and Kyrgyzstan have achieved leapfrog development in their relationship and become comprehensive strategic partners true to the name. The two sides should harness the role of the China- Kyrgyzstan Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation. China supports Kyrgyzstan in hosting a successful meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) this year.

Xi Jinping sends greetings on International Workers’ Day

While facing a range of serious challenges – most notably the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapid escalation in the US’s campaign to encircle, contain and suppress China – the working people of China have continued to enjoy sustained improvement in their living standards. Income, life expectancy, average years of education, access to healthcare, pension coverage, dignified housing, access to culture – life is improving in all of these measures, thanks to China’s socialist democracy, the hard work of the Chinese people, and the dedicated leadership of the Communist Party of China.

The article below, originally published in Xinhua, reports President Xi Jinping’s May Day greetings to China’s working people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday extended festive greetings and best wishes to the country’s working people ahead of International Workers’ Day, which falls on May 1.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent the greetings and wishes on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi called on the working people to foster an ethos of work, foster respect for model workers, and promote quality workmanship.

He asked them to work diligently and boldly engage in innovation to make solid progress in advancing Chinese modernization, encouraging them to play a leading role on the new journey to build China into a stronger country and realize national rejuvenation.

Xi urged Party committees and governments at all levels to protect workers’ legitimate rights and interests, earnestly help them solve their problems and difficulties, and promote a social atmosphere in which work and working people are treated with reverence and great respect.

Happy May Day!

"Long live the great unity of the workers of the world."

1957 May Day poster by Ha Qiongwen. pic.twitter.com/o74PTDD00K
— Friends of Socialist China (@socialist_china) May 1, 2023

South African president: cooperating toward a peaceful, prosperous and equitable world order

We are pleased to republish the speech given by Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, as well as of the Republic of South Africa, at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, which was organized by the Communist Party of China on 15 March. It was originally carried on the website of the CPC’s International Department.

Speaking directly after the keynote address by President Xi Jinping, President Ramaphosa congratulated his Chinese counterpart on his re-election and looked forward, “as the ANC , to deepening the bonds of cooperation that you yourself have always championed.”

Echoing Xi’s call for a Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), first made on this occasion, Ramaphosa said that, as a “liberation movement steeped in the traditions of revolutionary progress”, the ANC seeks to advance the best in human civilization and believes that dialogue is always to be preferred to violence.

Supporting Xi’s call for dialogue and cooperation, Ramaphosa drew attention to such global problems as climate change, pandemics, terrorism, conflict, rising geopolitical tension, poverty, hunger, unemployment, illiteracy, and inequality within and between nations. He expressed gratitude for China’s support to the countries of Africa in dealing with Covid-19.

Stressing his opposition to a unipolar world, and his support for a multipolar global order, the South African leader called for the, “forging of a progressive global movement”, underlining that, “progressive internationalism requires building alliances and solidarity amongst like-minded parties in both the South and North.”

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping, Members of the Central Committee of the CPC,
Leaders from political parties,
Comrades and friends,

It is indeed an honour and privilege to represent the African National Congress of South Africa in this dialogue with world political parties.

President Xi, allow me to extend congratulations and best wishes to you on your unanimous election as President by the National People’s Congress. We look forward, as the ANC, to deepening the bonds of cooperation that you yourself have always championed.

The African National Congress is a liberation movement that is steeped in the traditions of revolutionary progress. Central to our mission is to defend humanity against all social and economic ills.

We therefore seek to advance the best in human civilisation.

We negotiated an end to apartheid as South Africans and forged a democratic consensus through dialogue with our enemies. From this experience, we learned the profound lesson that continues to inform our principled position on many global issues: that dialogue is always to be preferred to violence.

Our history of conflict has instilled in our people a great appreciation of the value of social cohesion, of unity in diversity, and of tolerance and respect.

We therefore readily align ourselves with the Four Calling-ons articulated by President Xi, which call on all countries to respect the diversity of human civilisations and perspectives while advancing the common values of humanity.

We support the call by President Xi for dialogue and cooperation; that all peoples should join hands in advancing the development and progress of human civilisation.

This approach is becoming ever more important as the world confronts challenges that have the potential for great devastation. Today we are faced with the effects of climate change, global pandemics, terrorism, conflict and rising geopolitical tension.

At the same time, we are called upon to end poverty, hunger, unemployment, illiteracy and the inequality that exists within and between nations.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated both the extent of global inequality and the power of solidarity and cooperation. As countries of Africa, we are grateful for China’s support for our continental response to COVID-19 and for those within the international community that stood by the countries of the Global South as they confronted this devastating disease and its consequences.

Our commitment to the best values and practices in human civilisation necessarily places us on the side of the oppressed and poor of the world.

South Africa applauds China’s principled foreign policy posture as it is based on the principles of non-interference and mutual benefit. We are keen that these principles are strengthened and directed at developmental initiatives that are critical for our collective success as nations of the South.

The ANC continues to respect the United Nations and its Charter as the basis for international law. We continue to call for the reform of international institutions, including the UN Security Council and global financial institutions, to foster peace, stability, inclusive economic growth and a development path that leaves no one behind.

We are opposed to a unipolar world order driven by unilateralism and continue to strive for a multipolar global order based on mutual respect and the creation of win- win partnerships.

The idea that there should be harmony between humanity and nature is an ancient value that we need as we reverse the effects of climate change threats while building a human community with a shared future.

Comrades and friends, we live in difficult times.

The global economy is under pressure, multilateralism is severely challenged, and there are great threats to the peaceful world order. As nations of the South, we cannot accept the increasing burden of global inequality and poverty.

Yet, we are not powerless in the face of such difficulties.

Progressive internationalism requires building alliances and solidarity amongst like- minded parties in both the South and North. It requires bold advocacy for the fundamental transformation of the global balance of forces, a radical restructuring of global governance and the forging of a progressive global movement

Through engagements of this nature, I believe that we can continue our cooperation toward a peaceful, prosperous and equitable world order.

I thank you for this opportunity. The ANC of South Africa is pleased to participate in this Dialogue.

Daniel Ortega: Nicaragua stands in full solidarity with China against imperialism

We are pleased to publish our English translation of the speech by Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting held on 15 March.

Ortega passionately denounces the prevailing Western model of neoliberal, imperialist capitalism, which never ceases attempting to impose subjugation, oppression, injustice and insecurity on the peoples of the Global South. What the world needs, he says, is an international order based on “peace, understanding, solidarity, cooperation and coexistence as a human community.”

He warmly commends China for its initiatives towards developing such an international order, and states Nicaragua’s whole-hearted commitment to the multipolar project.

Brother President of the People’s Republic of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China
Comrade and companion Xi Jinping
Presidents and General Secretaries and delegates of the political parties of Our America-Caribbean
Brothers, sisters and comrades all:

The neoliberal model of attempted domination and submission of the peoples of the world has run its course.

So say our people, and so says the intelligence that mobilises our political parties and social movements: that we struggle, everywhere, demanding a world free of absurd attempts of subjugation, oppression, injustice and discord, with which they sow terror, insecurity and chaos, to prolong division and the consequent fragility in the face of their obsessions of power and its terrible and inhuman consequences.

In the face of the abominable panorama of insecurity that generates wars, and of imperialist, colonialist and neocolonial stubbornness, the unstoppable rebellion and heroism of our peoples – who struggle to assert our rights, freedoms, sovereignties, cultures, and social and political models – continues to emerge.

The world we want to create must be for peace, understanding, solidarity, cooperation and coexistence as a human community, which shares the advances of science and technology and is on the road to delivering justice and equitable development, that is to say, the good of all.

The commitment and responsibility of the People’s Republic of China and the Communist Party of China, of you, Comrade Xi Jinping – who approaches our countries and peoples with respect, seeking the indispensable communication and constructive coordination to continue building cooperation for the work, wellbing, prosperity and security of all – has been admirable.

The Sandinista National Liberation Front, after decades of guerrilla struggle with implacable struggles against the imperialist enemy that intervened, occupied and assassinated thousands in Nicaragua, we achieved the triumph of the Popular Sandinista Revolution on July 19, 1979.

Our Revolution represents the courage and dignity of so many brothers and sisters who, with heroism and determination, have learnt how to expel imperialist and colonialist invaders, and today, confronted with the same interventionist policies, with forms both different and similar, we continue to fight all the necessary battles to defend peace and the right to live as we deserve, with respectful, fraternal, sincere and solidary relations, with all the peoples of the world and in particular with the countries and governments with whom we share ideals and values in relation to our independences, sovereignties and the right to security and peace.

In that sense, our Nicaragua, which continues to fight against imperial domination, is in full solidarity with all the efforts of the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party of China, the heroic Chinese people, in every initiative that promotes civilisational growth and joint learning to continue to assume our rights and full freedoms, participating in all just causes and in everything that defines us as what we are: hardworking, courageous, noble peoples, and firm and consistent defenders of peace, justice and development, in a multipolar, respectful world of recognised and considered cultures, in the advances towards an ever greater integration of thoughts and ways of life that strengthen our commitment to unity, civilisation and prosperity.

The Sandinista National Liberation Front proudly participates in this important event and is grateful for the initiative and the announcement by Brother President and Secretary General Xi Jinping, of a permanent project to promote forms of communication and efforts like this, to oppose domination, unipolarity, injustice, and to continue sharing languages and actions that affirm these paths of encounter, fraternity and unity for the common good.

We support and endorse the proposals that you’ve presented, and with full conviction of continuing to work together for life, justice and peace, we congratulate ourselves on our relations, on the harmony and identification of our parties and peoples in all the international forums and meetings where we prioritise light, life and truth.

To conclude, comrade and friend Xi Jinping, allow us to congratulate you – with admiration and affection – on your re-election as President of the People’s Republic of China.

Donald Ramotar: the US is waging a massive propaganda campaign against China

We are pleased to republish this article by the veteran Guyanese politician Donald Ramotar, which was originally carried by China Daily.

Noting that Washington is leading a propaganda campaign aimed at undermining China’s bonds with other developing countries, Ramotar states that the expressed fear of China is not because it is threatening any country militarily, but because of its success in developing its economy and the goodwill it has generated by assisting poorer countries.

Outlining China’s external economic relations, Ramotar points out that, on the one hand, the country became one of the main destinations for investment from the developed countries as well as the largest holder of US government bonds. On the other hand, China’s assistance to developing countries started with an emphasis on the least developed ones, who were generally unable to secure loans from the international financial institutions.

“It was the selfless assistance it provided that raised China’s reputation as a true friend to peoples in the developing world, Africa in particular,” Ramotar notes.

US hostility increased after the 2008 global financial crisis, he explains, when, “China’s economic importance to the world economy became manifest.”

Turning his attention to the myth of ‘Chinese debt trap diplomacy’, the author writes: “When countries got into difficulties repaying loans, they were supported by China, which renegotiated the loans and gave the borrowing countries more time to repay. That allowed the repayments to be made on much easier terms. It also allowed countries to pay their debts with produce that they have in abundance, thereby reducing the pressure to repay in hard currency.”

He outlines how the imperialist countries have announced various initiatives in response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), observing that, “on the face of it this seems laudable.” But as their main purpose is simply to counter the BRI, “it is clear that development of poor countries is not a priority for G7 countries.”

China’s reputation as a reliable partner and a real friend to the developing countries continues to grow, but as it does, US hostility, including the imposition of sanctions aimed at slowing the country’s progress, is also increasing.

Concluding, Ramotar states: “Clearly the US is very scared of China. Not because it believes that China wants to dominate the world militarily. The main reason is the example that China has become for many countries in the world. It shows that another road to freedom is possible and very viable.”

Donald Ramotar was President of Guyana, 2011-2015, as well as General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), 1997-2013, to which post he succeeded the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

The United States’ attitude toward China has always been complex.

It is apposite to note that the expressed fear of China by the US is not because China is threatening any country militarily, nor because it has attacked any state. It is because of China’s success in developing its economy and the goodwill China has garnered by helping poor countries to improve their productive capacity, that the US has been leading the West in waging a massive propaganda campaign against China. The aim of which is to create a false image of China as an exploitative state.

The reality is vastly different to their smears.

After China’s economy began to grow rapidly, it very soon surpassed that of Europe and Japan to become the second-largest economy in the world. At the same time, in keeping with its internationalist philosophy and its commitment to opening up to the world, China began to create links with the rest of the world, both developed and developing countries.

For the developed countries, China became one of the main destinations for investment. Meanwhile, the economy of China and those of Western countries became very much linked. Indeed China has become the largest holder of the US government’s bonds. It was an example of real mutual economic benefits for all concerned.

China’s assistance to developing countries started with the least developed ones, which were unable to get any loans from international financial organizations. They were considered high risk countries and practically ignored by Western governments.

It was the selfless assistance it provided that raised China’s reputation as a true friend to peoples in the developing world, Africa in particular, which had the greatest need.

During those times the US, from time to time made some criticism of China. But those criticisms grew in hostility particularly after the 2008 global financial crisis.

In this period China’s economic importance to the world economy became manifest. China became the greatest driver of the international economy and a key trading partner for most countries in the world.

From this time, relations with the US and China began to encounter choppy waters.

The main reason for this was an unreasonable fear by the US of China’s growing economic strength and the friendships China was forging by providing assistance to many developing countries.

British Foreign Secretary indicates willingness to improve relations with China

In this brief article, based on comments given to the Morning Star, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez analyses the speech about UK-China relations given by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on 25 April 2023. Carlos states that the speech indicates “a partial – limited but nonetheless important – move by the British government to return to a more sane policy with regard to China.”

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s speech on UK-China relations represents a partial – limited but nonetheless important – move by the British government to return to a more sane policy with regard to China.

Cleverly issues a reasonably stern rebuke to the China hawks in his own party (and indeed the opposition) by stating clearly that he doesn’t want a New Cold War; that the West and China are not compelled to fall into a Thucydides Trap; that Britain’s membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has been beneficial; and that cooperation with China on the issues of climate change, pandemics and nuclear proliferation is indispensable. He makes a point of congratulating China on its extraordinary achievement of lifting 800 million people out of poverty.

Needless to say, these useful comments are couched in the usual red-scare tropes about China’s “ruthless authoritarianism”, human rights in Xinjiang, and so on. On the one hand, Cleverly claims not to want a Cold War; on the other hand, he stupidly parrots all the propaganda that supports and justifies that Cold War. This should be seen as a loyalty pledge to Washington, and as a concession to the deluded hard-right China hawks in the British government.

The geopolitical context for Cleverly’s speech is obviously the developing trend of European countries seeking to distance themselves from the US’s anti-China strategy. The highest point of this trend so far has been Macron’s trip to Beijing earlier this month and the remarks he made about the need to develop a sovereign French foreign policy. Certainly Macron went much further than Cleverly – saying (consistent with international law) that the Taiwan question is an issue for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. Nevertheless, it’s noteworthy and welcome that Britain sees the need to shift in the direction of a more independent and sensible policy.

A Global Times editorial fairly characterised Cleverly’s speech as “a correction of the UK’s aggressive line involving China in the past, and an attempt to return to British balanced diplomatic tradition.” However, the editorial sensibly calls for realistic assessment: “We welcome Cleverly’s positive remarks, at least it can be seen a little possibility of a turnaround in China-UK relations, but we remain cautious about how much it will be implemented in the UK’s China policy.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning echoed this sentiment, calling on Britain to “be prudent in its words and actions” and to “do more things that are conducive to the development of China-UK relations and world peace and stability.” She further warned that “bloc politics and the Cold War mentality are against the trend of history and do not serve the interests of the UK or any other party in the world.”

The Post-Brexit political consensus has for several years been that Britain’s fundamental interests lie in appeasing the US on foreign policy matters, in the hope that this will help bring forth a comprehensive US-UK trade deal. Cleverly’s speech – and Sunak’s refusal to define China as a ‘strategic threat’ – indicate a growing understanding that Britain needs investment from, and trade with, China, and that ‘decoupling’ is a dead end. The British people will benefit greatly if this understanding can blossom into a strategy of cooperation and mutually-beneficial relations.

Tongue incident a reminder the Dalai Lama is a pawn of US imperialism

The recent disturbing incident in which the Dalai Lama, the self-exiled leader of the former feudal ruling elite in China’s Tibet region, invited a young boy to suck his tongue, has understandably been greatly downplayed by the imperialist media – understandable in that they have been party to a decades-long campaign of deception and psychological warfare aimed at presenting this feudal relic as some kind of saint-like figure. This, in turn, is aimed at dismembering China by fostering secessionism in a strategic region facing India across the Himalayas.

In the following article, which originally appeared on her website, Caitlin Johnstone – Daily Writings About The End Of Illusions, the independent, anti-imperialist Australian journalist Caitlin Johnstone, not only describes the recent incident, which took place at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, India, but also provides some crucial background, including her own voyage of discovery regarding this supposed spiritual leader’s true nature.

Noting his approval of the US-led wars of aggression in Afghanistan and previously in Korea, along with his studied equivocation regarding that in Iraq, Caitlin observes:

“But I guess that’s about the best anyone could expect from a literal CIA asset. His administration received $1.7 million a year from the Central Intelligence Agency through the 1960s, and it’s reported that he himself personally received $180,000 a year from the CIA for decades.”

We should just note that this article refers (albeit approvingly) to Tibet having been “forcibly annexed” by China in the 1950s. In fact, Tibet, which has been an integral part of China for centuries, was peacefully liberated by the People’s Liberation Army in 1951. The Dalai Lama, together with a number of his followers, fled Tibet in March 1959, after their attempt to stage an armed uprising aimed at preventing the introduction of democratic reforms to abolish serfdom was foiled. This doubtless inadvertent error in no way detracts from the central thrust of the article.

There’s a really gross video going around of the Dalai Lama kissing a young boy on the lips and telling him to suck his tongue while an adult audience looks on approvingly. A tweet from Tibet.net last month shows a video clip of the Tibetan spiritual leader with the child and says the encounter took place during his “meeting with students and members of M3M Foundation,” though Tibet.net’s clip cuts out the sexually inappropriate part of the encounter.

Nicolás Maduro: Work together to build an alternative to savage capitalism

We are pleased to publish our English translation of the speech by Nicolás Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting held on 15 March, at which Xi Jinping announced the Global Civilisation Initiative.

President Maduro explained that Venezuela is emerging from a period of intense and difficult struggle against the machinations of US-led imperialism, which has never let up in its attempt to impose domination on Venezuela, by means of sanctions, economic coercion and destabilisation. Venezuela is now in a period of recovery and growth, and Maduro reiterated the commitment of his government, his party and the Venezuelan people to the project of multipolarity, of building a global alternative to neoliberalism and imperialism.

Further, President Maduro expressed his full support for the Global Civilisation Initiative as a framework “that allows the beautiful diversity of culture and the strength of the peoples of the planet to shine.”

This inspiring speech constitutes a strong statement of militant unity of the socialist, progressive and anti-imperialist forces of the world.

I would like to reiterate our greetings to President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China. I greet the leadership of the CPC, all the people of China, our fraternal Chinese people, and at the same time greet all the presidents taking part in this world political dialogue, and all the parties and organisations and political forces of the world.

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) is a young party which emerged in the heat of the Bolivarian Revolution, founded by our comandante Hugo Chávez Frías; a party that was born under the banners of the construction of socialism from our liberatory roots, from our deep Latin American and Caribbean roots; a party that was born with a social and political force in the heat of the struggle against North American imperialism and its obsession with hegemonising and dominating our America; that was born in the heat of the struggle to build, dear brother President Xi Jinping, to build in our homeland our own economic, social and political model of socialism in the 21st century, of Bolivarian socialism in the 21st century.

On behalf of the rank and file, the grassroots leaders of the PSUV, I offer you our commitment to the work, to the daily struggle to build, as we are building, an alternative to savage capitalism, to neoliberal capitalism, to imperialist hegemonism; an independent, sovereign alternative.

As you know, Venezuela has been the victim in recent years of bullying, of a permanent aggression; more than 900 unilateral coercive measures and criminal sanctions have been imposed on our country, and our people have resisted these aggressions with a great conscience, and we have passed from an intense stage of resistance, sometimes a painful resistance, to a stage of recovery, to a stage of growth that must lead us towards higher stages of development and social and economic prosperity for our people.

We observe the world, how they try to put to the test the marvellous energy of those peoples who seek independence, peace, equality, development; how they try to impose a hegemonic unipolar model, ignoring the diversity of human civilisation, ignoring the diversity of the cultural, spiritual and political power of the peoples. But this is impossible in the 21st century. The age of empires is over, the age of the peoples has arrived for now and forever, let no one doubt that, comrades of the world, presidents, political leaders of the world, let no one doubt that the time has come for the articulation of a new world, which we call a multipolar world, a polycentric world, a world of independence and the articulation and integration of the peoples.

Such a world merits a great deal of awareness, of unity, of political capacity and leadership, and it also merits a great deal of dialogue, of coordination; it merits a lot of effort, a lot of perseverance on the correct path of building a civilisation – as comrade Xi Jinping has said – a civilisation that allows the beautiful diversity of culture and the strength of the peoples of the planet to shine. A community of shared destiny; we fully share this concept, the community of shared destiny, and we believe that the historic moment has arrived, the moment of the peoples. Now the hour of the peoples has arrived, to build alternative models to savage capitalism, to neoliberal capitalism; an alternative model to hegemonism, to economic blackmail, to the attempt to impose domination on our peoples through coercion, blackmail and aggression.

Venezuela has resisted. I can say to you, comrades of the world, Venezuela is here, our country is moving, victorious and advancing on the paths of independence, of peace. Our time has come, President Xi Jinping, you can count on the full support of Venezuela, of our people and of the PSUV in the project of building a civilisation where we all belong, where we take the path of development, of equality, of ‘living by living’, as our indigenous people say; a new civilisation of peace, of harmony, of union, of shared development. We give our full support to this global initiative and I am sure that the years to come, with the efforts of all the peoples of the world, will be splendid years of achievements and progress. Of this we in Venezuela are sure.

Many thanks President Xi Jinping, many thanks presidents and companions of the world.

Chinese ‘police stations’ and war propaganda

This article by Margaret Kimberley in Black Agenda Report discusses how the ‘Chinese police stations’ story currently doing the rounds in the West is nothing more than “laughable war propaganda”, designed to “incite fear and hatred of China and to normalize the idea of armed conflict”. It is yet another Cold War scare story to occupy people’s minds now that the ‘Chinese spy balloons’ hype has well and truly deflated.

Margaret points out that the putative ‘Chinese police stations’ are in fact “offices where Chinese citizens can get licenses renewed”. They “don’t have lock-ups or armed officers and are definitely not police stations.” Thanks to centuries of white supremacy and systematic repression of African-origin people, the Black community in the US is only too capable of distinguishing police stations from administrative offices.

The article highlights the fact that China’s stature is rising globally, especially in the light of its recent diplomatic activity, which has helped to bring about a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia (which is creating conditions for a prospective end to the horrific war in Yemen). Meanwhile the US’s insistence on desperately protecting its hegemony is only deepening its own isolation. “The US should be engaging in peaceful co-existence with the rest of the world. But that isn’t what the oligarchs and plutocrats here want.” Ultimately, it’s the working class and oppressed communities of the US and its allies that suffer from this New Cold War.

President Lula da Silva of Brazil recently visited China’s President Xi Jinping. French President Emmanuel Macron, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez have all made the journey in recent months. Even Germany’s amateurish Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock went, but her goal was to make sure that double talking Macron didn’t stray far from the EU’s pro-U.S. orthodoxy.

The frequency of high level meetings is interesting when one considers Joe Biden’s bizarre rant in his State of the Union Speech. He blurted out, “Name me a world leader who would trade places with Xi Jinping! Name me one!” Apparently the answer is all of them because they are making a collective beeline to Beijing. Because of his odd screed and shooting down a weather balloon, Biden can’t get Xi to take his phone call. Nor can Secretary of State Blinken schedule a meeting with his Chinese counterparts that was planned before the balloon fiasco. China is “ghosting” the U.S., which responds in typical fashion.

Like every small child does when frustrated about not getting their way, the U.S. ups the ante with a brand new tantrum. Balloons are so two months ago, as are demented questions about Tik Tok. Now the courts are tools of the futile effort to subjugate China. In New York City prosecutors charged two Chinese-Americans with failing to register as agents of a foreign government by setting up a “police station” under the control of China’s government.

The trope of the Chinese police station has gone from a laughable war propaganda theory to war by other means. Federal prosecutors are charging the two men with obstruction, not espionage, and it appears they may not have been charged at all had they exercised their right not to talk to the FBI.

The charges are a prosecutor’s dream complete with press conferences where they can make outrageous claims against defendants. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace waxed particularly eloquently, “Today’s charges are a crystal clear response to the P.R.C. that we are onto you, we know what you’re doing and we will stop it from happening in the United States of America. We don’t need or want a secret police station in our great city.”

Of course the office was not a secret as it had been opened publicly. Nor is it anything resembling a police station. The term is a fiction, a creation of the state and their friends in the media meant to incite fear and hatred of China and to normalize the idea of armed conflict. These offices where Chinese citizens can get licenses renewed don’t have lock-ups or armed officers and are definitely not police stations.

The charges filed against the two men are purely political and will not lead to any advantage for the United States. While camera-loving prosecutors make nonsensical statements, China’s Defense Minister was in Moscow meeting with Vladimir Putin. China and Russia are now inextricably linked and are preparing to face the U.S. in whatever way it may choose to confront them.

In addition to the two New York men, the Justice Department indicted 34 people in China and charged them with conspiracy to transmit foreign threats but the complaint is a rehash of the old Russian troll farm stories. What was their crime? Among other things, “…an account controlled by the Group made numerous posts about George Floyd’s death and accusing U.S. law enforcement institutions of racism.” Any accusation of racism in law enforcement is a fact and not a reason for an indictment of any kind, but facts are never the issue when the U.S. declares another nation an enemy.

In attempting to diminish China’s economic prowess the U.S. has elevated its stature around the world. The ceasefire between Yemen and Saudi Arabia is the result of Chinese diplomacy as is the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Ukraine obsession and failure to harm Russia with sanctions has instead demonstrated the need to minimize relations with the U.S. and move away from the use of the dollar as the world reserve currency. China is leading in this regard and the more the U.S. amateurishly tries to isolate Beijing, the more it isolates itself.

China’s diplomatic success proves that the U.S. cannot be a peacemaker in the world. Its system depends upon domination and making what passes for friends through threats of force and interference. When another nation was able to bring persuasion to bear, the U.S. role as a hegemon and international aggressor was exposed for all to see.

The U.S. can call names, create hysteria about Tik Tok, claim that China uses “spy balloons” and “police stations” or make up anything else it wants. One quote in the Department of Justice press release is particularly revealing. “This case serves as a powerful reminder that the People’s Republic of China will stop at nothing to bend people to their will and silence messages they don’t want anyone to hear.” That statement is more accurately directed at the U.S.

The people of this country are the ultimate losers. Thanks to the corporate media repeating state talking points, they have no idea that China is moving up in the world and the U.S. is more and more isolated. They don’t know that the long predicted process of dedollarization is beginning to take shape.

The U.S. should be engaging in peaceful co-existence with the rest of the world. But that isn’t what the oligarchs and plutocrats here want. There would be no need for a military industrial complex if the U.S. wasn’t constantly creating new enemies and undermining other countries. All it has is aggression and the spectacle of name calling and incompetent diplomacy. The descent is obvious to anyone paying attention.

Qin Gang: Chinese Modernization and the World

Several hundred people from some 80 countries attended the Lanting Forum on China’s Modernization and the World, which opened in Shanghai on April 21, and was jointly organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association and the Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs, with support from the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and others.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the conference in which he pointed out that China, “will provide new opportunities for global development with new accomplishments in Chinese modernization, lend new impetus to humanity’s search for paths toward modernization and better social systems, and work with all countries to advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.”

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang delivered a keynote address at the opening session.

Stating that Shanghai was the right place to hold this meeting, he observed that: “A little over a century ago, the Communist Party of China (CPC) started its journey from here. Since then, Shanghai has witnessed not only the vicissitudes of the Chinese nation, but also the profound transformation across the country. The old Shanghai, dominated by foreign powers, is a forerunner today in China’s reform and opening-up. A bustling and prosperous metropolis has risen from devastation since 1949.”

He went on to note that, “our success in Chinese modernization was not handed down from heaven or just emerged by itself. It has been attained step by step through determined, painstaking efforts of the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC always staying true to its founding mission… It was not until the birth of the CPC in 1921 that China found the pillar and guidance for its modernization. It is under the CPC’s strong leadership that we have embarked on the great journey of independently building a modern country. We have turned China from an impoverished and backward land into the world’s second largest economy, top trader in goods, biggest holder of foreign exchange reserves, and biggest manufacturer. We have put in place the world’s largest compulsory education system, social security system, and medical and health system. China has realized, in a short span of several decades, industrialization that had taken developed countries several centuries.”

Pointing out that, when Comrade Xi Jinping assumed the leadership of the CPC a little over 10 years ago, at the 18th Party Congress, the “acceleration button” was pressed on China’s modernization drive, Qin Gang continued: “Absolute poverty was eradicated. A moderately prosperous society in all respects became a reality. With this, the First Centenary Goal was realized. The Chinese nation has achieved a great transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. National rejuvenation is now on an irreversible course…With the conviction and responsibility of ‘serving the people selflessly’, President Xi Jinping is steering Chinese modernization forward and leading us in marching on the right path toward a better future.”

Explaining that Chinese modernization is a natural outcome of the laws governing human development, Qin Gang said: “Modernization is a common cause of all humanity. Although the West enjoyed the fruits of modernization ahead of others, history will not end there. As early as 140 years ago, Karl Marx envisioned crossing the Caudine Forks of capitalism, providing a solid theoretical basis for a path of modernization different from that of the West.”

(This refers in particular to some of Marx’s later works, notably studying the Russian commune system, and exploring the potential it held for societies to transition to socialism without passing through all the horrors of the capitalist system. For a detailed consideration of Marx’s views on this matter by a prominent Chinese Marxist scholar, see ‘Leaping Over the Caudine Forks of Capitalism’ by Zhao Jiaxiang, published by Routledge.)

Qin further noted: “Ample facts have proved that there is no fixed model of, or single solution to, modernization. Any country can achieve modernization, as long as the path suits its conditions and answers the need of its people for development. On the contrary, mechanically copying ill-fitted foreign models is counter-productive, and may even lead to catastrophic consequences.”

Turning to the international ramifications of China’s modernization drive, the Foreign Minister said that, “as a Chinese saying goes, ‘A just cause should be pursued for the common good.’ As the biggest developing country, China always keeps in mind the greater good of the whole world.”

He illustrated this with seven points, arguing that:

The modernization of China with such a huge population will be a stronger boost for global economic recovery.
The modernization of China with common prosperity for all will open up a broader path to the common development of all countries.
The Global Development Initiative (GDI) is widely welcomed by the international community: “As an African leader put it, the Chinese path inspires all developing countries to believe that every country is able to achieve development even from scratch.”
The modernization of China with material and cultural-ethical advancement will open up bright prospects for human progress.
The modernization of China with harmony between humanity and nature will provide a more viable pathway to a clean and beautiful world.
The modernization of China on the path of peaceful development will bring more certainty to world peace and stability.
The Global Security Initiative (GSI) has pointed out the right direction of pursuing common and universal security.

Qin Gang then outlined five key tasks for Chinese diplomacy following last October’s 20th Party Congress, namely:

China will defend the right to development of all countries with greater determination.
China will advance high-standard opening-up with more proactive efforts.
China will promote exchanges among civilizations more actively.
China will work more vigorously for a community of all life on earth.
China will safeguard the international order with greater resolve.

Finally, Qin Gang used his speech to clearly reiterate China’s firm and principled position on the question of Taiwan, noting:

“It is right and proper for China to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We would like to make it clear to those who seek to sabotage international justice in the name of international order: The Taiwan question is the core of the core interests of China, and there will be no vagueness at all in our response to any one who attempts to distort the one-China principle; we will never back down in face of any act that undermines China’s sovereignty and security. Those who play with fire on Taiwan will eventually get themselves burned.”

On the margins of the forum, Qin Gang also met with the Foreign Minister of Gambia, Mamadou Tangara, who had just visited Xinjiang, and with Dilma Rousseff, former President of Brazil and newly appointed President of the New Development Bank, which is headquartered in Shanghai.

We reprint below a report on the message from President Xi Jinping and the full text of Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s keynote address. Both were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

President Xi Jinping Sends Congratulatory Message to Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World

On 21 April, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World held at the Meet-the-World Lounge in Shanghai.

President Xi pointed out that realizing modernization is a relentless pursuit of the Chinese people since modern times began. It is also the common aspiration of people of all countries. In pursuing modernization, a country needs to follow certain general patterns. More importantly, it should proceed from its own realities and develop its own features. After a long and arduous quest, the Communist Party of China has led the entire Chinese nation in finding a development path that suits China’s conditions. We are now building a strong country and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. China will provide new opportunities for global development with new accomplishments in Chinese modernization, lend new impetus to humanity’s search for paths toward modernization and better social systems, and work with all countries to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Bilateral meeting strengthens comradeship between CPC and the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB)

The recent visit to China by Brazilian President Lula was also an occasion to reaffirm and further strengthen the close friendship and comradeship between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). Brazil’s main communist party has been a consistent ally of Lula and his Workers’ Party (PT) as well as a long-term friend of China.

On April 14, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met with Luciana Santos, President of the PCdoB. Santos, who is also Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, was accompanying President Lula on his state visit.

Welcoming the Brazilian comrades, Comrade Liu said that both the CPC and the PCdoB are Marxist political parties with a century-long struggle and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their relations. The CPC is willing to deepen traditional friendship with the PCdoB, strengthen experience exchanges in party building and state governance and join hands to deal with common challenges.

Comrade Santos said that the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC over the past century are a precious wealth for promoting the development and progress of humanity. The PCdoB cherishes its traditional friendship with the CPC and hopes to further strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between the two parties. She added that President Lula also attaches great importance to Brazil-China relations.

The following report was originally carried on the IDCPC website.

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Luciana Santos, President of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCB) and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil.

Liu welcomed Santos, who accompanied President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on his visit to China, saying that both the CPC and the PCB are Marxist political parties with a century-long struggle, and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the two Parties. The CPC is willing to deepen traditional friendship with the PCB, strengthen experience exchanges in party building and state governance, join hands to deal with common challenges, promote the development and progress of each country, and jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting this time, so as to continuously push the relationship between the two countries to a new level.

Liu said, China and Brazil are major developing countries and important emerging economies, and play an important role in international and regional affairs. Today’s world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation with various global challenges on the rise. China is willing to, together with Brazil, strengthen the integration of development strategies with Brazil, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, looks forward to Brazil’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil’s active role in cooperation under the BRICS mechanism and in other fields, and is ready to closely coordinate and cooperate in international and regional affairs. It is believed that under the strategic guidance and personal promotion of the two heads of state, China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership will usher in a brighter prospect.

Santos said, the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC over the past century are the precious wealth for promoting the development and progress of mankind. The PCB cherishes the traditional friendship with the CPC and hopes to further strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between the two Parties. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attaches great importance to Brazil-China relations. This visit to China with many political and business leaders shows his strong willingness to deepen cooperation with China, and will also send a positive signal to the international community that Brazil and China are jointly committed to promoting world peace and development. Brazilian Ministry of Science and, Technology and Innovation will take this visit as an opportunity to actively promote scientific and technological cooperation between Brazil and China in the field of earth resources satellites, and continue to forge new highlights in practical cooperation between the two countries.