Category: Asia

Pakistani PM: no force can stop China’s development or shake the iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif paid an official visit to China from June 4-8, visiting Beijing, Xi’an and Shenzhen.

The Prime Minister met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 7.

President Xi said that China and Pakistan are good neighbours linked by mountains and rivers, good friends who share faith and righteousness, good partners who help each other, and good brothers who share weal and woe. The China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership had continuously deepened and enjoyed solid public support with a strong internal driving force and broad prospects for development.

He added that China is ready to promote the alignment of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Pakistan’s development plans, carry out cooperation in agriculture, mining, and social livelihood in light of local conditions, make the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) go deeper and be more concrete, and help boost Pakistan’s economic and social development.

China is also willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Pakistan in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and other multilateral mechanisms, jointly promote an equal and orderly world multipolarisation and an economic globalisation that is inclusive and benefits all, focus on the development agenda, address security challenges, improve global governance, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice.

Shehbaz said that under the leadership of President Xi, China has made great achievements in poverty alleviation, anti-corruption and development, which have attracted worldwide attention.

He added that the CPEC has strongly promoted Pakistan’s national development and brought tangible benefits to the Pakistani people. Pakistan will learn from China’s experience in governance, continue to work with China on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields.

Shehbaz reiterated that no force can stop China’s development and growth or shake the iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China. Pakistan will continue to firmly support China’s position on all issues concerning its core interests without hesitation.

The Prime Minister also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee the same day.

Premier Li said that China has always prioritised Pakistan in its neighbourhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Pakistan to carry forward their traditional friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and accelerate the construction of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era to bring greater benefits to the two peoples. China is also willing to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in industry, agriculture, aerospace, information technology, ecology and environmental protection.

China will continue to support Pakistan in improving its people’s livelihoods and in its post-disaster reconstruction, and will carry out exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of culture, tourism, local governments and think tanks, so that the China-Pakistan friendship will enjoy greater support among the people.

In a detailed joint statement, covering a comprehensive range of issues, the two countries noted that they had reached extensive consensus on further strengthening the China-Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promoting practical cooperation in various areas, and on international and regional issues of mutual interest.

“The Chinese side reiterated that the China-Pakistan relationship is a priority in its foreign relations. The Pakistani side underscored that the Pakistan-China relationship is the cornerstone of its foreign policy.”

Pakistan believes that the Chinese path to modernisation provides a new option and practical solution for developing countries to achieve independent development.

Both countries recognised that CPEC has been a pioneering project of the Belt and Road Initiative. Since the launch of CPEC, the two sides have adhered to the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together,” which has changed the development landscape of Pakistan, benefited its people’s well-being, and promoted the integrated development of China and Pakistan.

They pledged to upgrade CPEC by jointly building a growth corridor, a livelihood-enhancing corridor, an innovation corridor, a green corridor and an open corridor, aligning with Pakistan’s 5Es Framework based on Exports, E-Pakistan, Environment, Energy, and Equity & Empowerment, to better benefit the two countries and their peoples, working together to build CPEC into an exemplary project of high-quality building of Belt and Road cooperation.

Recognising the significance of Gwadar Port as an important node in cross-regional connectivity, the two sides were satisfied that the New Gwadar International Airport will soon be finished, and reiterated the need to speed up the development of the auxiliary infrastructure of the Gwadar Port in order to fully realise the potential of the coastal city, especially as a transshipment hub. 

They also reiterated that CPEC is an open and inclusive platform for win-win cooperation, and welcomed third parties to actively participate in such CPEC cooperation priority areas as industry, agriculture, ICT, science and technology, and mining.

Both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia, the need for resolution of all outstanding disputes, and their opposition to any unilateral action. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

They jointly advocated an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation. Both sides opposed hegemony, domineering and bullying, exclusionist approaches, and opposed power politics, as well as unilateralism in all forms.

China reaffirmed that it always remains a firm member of the developing countries. China is willing to work together with Pakistan and other developing countries, following the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual trust, win-win cooperation, solidarity and coordination, to jointly embark on the path of fair, open, comprehensive and innovative development, promote development and prosperity of most developing countries, and strive to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations.

The two sides agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on the Afghanistan issue. They both called for concerted efforts of the international community to positively support Afghanistan in properly addressing challenges in such areas as humanitarianism and economic development, encourage the interim government of Afghanistan to build an inclusive political framework, adopt moderate policies, pursue good-neighbourliness, and firmly combat terrorism. They agreed to play a constructive role in helping Afghanistan to achieve stable development and integrate into the international community.

China and Pakistan reiterated that the fundamental way out of the current crisis in Gaza lies in the two state solution and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. The resolution adopted by the UN Security Council is legally binding, and should be enforced effectively to achieve an unconditional and lasting ceasefire immediately. They called on the international community to increase political input into the Palestinian question with a greater sense of urgency, stepping up efforts to facilitate the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and to strive for enduring peace.

On June 9, the Xinhua News Agency carried an interview with Mohammad Zubair Khan, a prominent Pakistani economist and former Minister of Commerce.

Describing BRI as a “game changer”, Khan noted that, as one of its flagships, CPEC is connecting the warm waters of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf with the entire Asia that lies to the north, through a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while the new phase expands to the fields of agriculture and livelihood, among others.

“It’s not just about trade with the big economy of China, but the Central Asian economies. They can all be connected through the links into CPEC,” he said. The development of Gwadar port under CPEC would play a major role in reducing the bottlenecks Pakistan had been facing in terms of trade, connectivity and access to international markets.

The former minister, who represented Pakistan at the first ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation, and has vast experience of working with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, rejected the West’s allegation that the BRI’s investment model is exploitative in nature and generates debt traps for the countries involved.

Most of Pakistan’s debt is owed to Western creditors, while China’s credit accounts for a very small portion of Pakistan’s total indebtedness, Khan said, adding that the government is indebted in the local currency to the domestic banks as well. The Chinese investment in CPEC, he added, has been initially in the infrastructure which the South Asian country was lacking. It was not driven by China’s own interests, but suited the development needs of Pakistan, he noted.

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

Continue reading Pakistani PM: no force can stop China’s development or shake the iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China

China and Türkiye will strengthen cooperation towards comprehensive, fair and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is considered a rising star in his country’s political scene, visited China from June 3-5.

The visit was treated as having a broader significance, while also representing an important advance in bilateral relations. The wider context was highlighted by Global Times, which wrote:

“China has been in close communication with Muslim countries in the Middle East recently amid the worsening situation in Gaza, as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan started his visit to China on Monday, just a few days after the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Chinese analysts said that apart from boosting bilateral cooperation, China will strengthen cooperation and coordination with Türkiye and other major powers in the region to jointly promote a sustainable ceasefire in the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.” 

It added: “With regard to bilateral relations, the visit will boost the China-Türkiye cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, as Türkiye is a key partner of China with an important location bridging Asia and Europe, and also a major power in the region.”

The newspaper further noted that “the ongoing crisis in Gaza further strengthens unity among Muslim countries.

“On Sunday, a day ahead of Fidan’s visit to China, Iranian Caretaker Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani and Türkiye’s top diplomat called on Muslim states to employ everything in their capacity to support Palestinians and stop the crimes by Israel in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

“On the topic of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the tragedy in Gaza, China and Muslim countries, including Arab states, Türkiye and Iran, share a similar stance calling for peace and an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to save Palestinian lives, and they all support the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and also to become a full member of the UN… [meanwhile] the Biden administration is now facing increasing internal and external pressures, and even NATO allies like Türkiye are dissatisfied with the role that the US is playing, which allows the bloodshed to continue in the Gaza Strip.”

This broader context likely accounts for the fact that Fidan’s first reported meeting in Beijing, on June 3, was with Politburo member Chen Wenqing, the head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Their talks focused on security matters. The Xinhua News Agency reported Chen as stating that, guided by the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, China is willing to work with Türkiye to continuously bring cooperation in the field of security to new heights, enrich and expand the connotations of bilateral ties, protect the security interests of both countries in an improved manner, and contribute actively to the peace and development of both countries, the region and the world.

In his meeting with his Turkish counterpart on June 4, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that building a comprehensive, deep and high-level China-Türkiye relationship is in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples.

He noted that China and Türkiye are both ancient civilisations and important members of the G20, and are facing profound challenges in the changing international situation, so they should strengthen communication and coordination to make positive contributions to promoting regional peace and global development.

China is willing to maintain multi-level exchanges with Türkiye, play a good role in mechanisms such as the China-Türkiye Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee, promote effective connections between the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and Türkiye’s Middle Corridor Initiative, expand cooperation areas, and explore their potential.

China is also willing to expand imports of high-quality agricultural products from Türkiye, support the continuous improvement of cooperation levels and technological content of enterprises in both countries, and strengthen cooperation in culture, education, tourism, aviation, and other fields.

Wang added that both sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations (UN) and other multilateral frameworks, support the UN in playing a core role in the global governance system, oppose hegemonism and power politics, oppose a few countries monopolising international affairs, oppose building walls and barriers, “decoupling” and “cutting off supply chains,” maintain the stable operation of the global supply chain and industrial chain, and promote the establishment of a fair and reasonable global governance system.

Fidan said that Türkiye and China have important influence in their regions and globally. China’s development is crucial to world peace and prosperity. Türkiye opposes bloc confrontation, does not agree with or support erroneous actions that suppress China’s development, and does not allow any force to engage in activities on Turkish territory that harm China’s sovereignty and security.

The Middle Corridor Initiative is highly compatible with the Belt and Road Initiative, and Türkiye is willing to cooperate closely with China to achieve more substantive results in trade, investment, finance, agriculture, tourism, education, and other fields through mechanisms such as the China-Türkiye Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee.  Türkiye highly appreciates China’s fair and just position on issues concerning Ukraine and the Middle East and looks forward to working constructively with China to make greater contributions to the prosperity and stability of the region and the world.

Both sides also agreed that it is necessary to promote a ceasefire in Gaza and maintain peace and stability in the Middle East. The Palestinian issue is at the core of Middle Eastern issues. The Gaza conflict is currently the focus, and the priority is to achieve an immediate, comprehensive, and permanent ceasefire, improve humanitarian conditions, and release all detained individuals.

Both China and Türkiye support Palestine becoming a full member of the UN and support internal reconciliation in Palestine. China and Türkiye will strengthen cooperation to jointly promote the early and comprehensive, fair, and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue.

On the Ukraine issue, Wang said that China’s position is firm and consistent, and the aim is to promote peace and dialogue. Although the conditions for negotiations are not yet in place, China is committed to peace and will not stop its efforts. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, every effort must be made to strive for it.

Wang said China believes that the world needs to hear more objective, balanced, positive, and constructive voices on the Ukraine crisis. China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point consensus recently on promoting a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, emphasising adherence to the three principles of cooling the situation: no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of the conflict, and no provocation by any party. Within just one week, 45 countries from five continents have responded positively to the six-point consensus in different ways, with 26 countries already confirming their participation or seriously studying how to join.  China believes that the more people participate in the joint appeal, the greater the hope for cooling the situation and the smaller the risk of escalation of the conflict.

Fidan also met the same day with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

Earlier, on June 3, Fidan visited the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG) think tank and delivered a speech.

He discussed the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor Initiative, noting that this trade route will start from Türkiye and reach China via the Caucasus, Caspian Sea and Central Asia, parallel to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. He also emphasised its benefits in uninterrupted and rapid access to the Black Sea and Mediterranean basins as well as other regions of Europe and Africa.

He further cited Türkiye’s customs union agreement with the European Union (EU) and its pursuit of new opportunities for cooperation with different partners in such platforms as the BRICS cooperation mechanism. According to the South China Morning Post, he said that BRICS could offer “a good alternative” to the EU.  Nearly four decades ago, Türkiye applied to join what was then the European Economic Community (EEC), and in 1999 it was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership in the EU. However, Fidan said that due to “identity politics”, meaning the fact that Türkiye is a Muslim majority nation of over 86 million people, its membership has been consistently blocked by some major EU powers. “So, you have to look for other alternatives. Certainly, we would like to become a member of BRICS. So, we’ll see how it goes this year.”

Fidan added that he looked forward to attending the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting, to be held in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod the next week, preparatory to October’s summit in Kazan.

On May 31, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had said that the doors of BRICS were “open to representatives of the most diverse economic and political systems and macro-regions. The only condition is that you must agree to work on the basis of the key principle of the sovereign equality of states.” 

In his speech, Fidan also highlighted the rich historical and cultural interactions shaping ties between Türkiye and China, referring to them as two great civilisations. He emphasised that these interactions form the strong and lasting foundation of their partnership, citing significant cultural and commercial exchanges facilitated by the historical Silk Road. He noted that the Ottomans sent many envoys to China carrying Ottoman rifles, which could be considered a form of “technology transfer” during that period.

Referring to the designation of the two countries’ relationship as a “strategic partnership” in 2010, Fidan pointed out the intentions of both sides to expand this cooperation. He underscored President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to China in 2019 and emphasised this partnership, as displayed during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the Uzbek city of Samarkand in September 2022. Fidan further said that China is Türkiye’s largest trading partner in Asia and third largest in the world, with the bilateral trade volume surpassing $48 billion in 2023, a record high. He also acknowledged the trade imbalance between the two nations in favour of China and underlined the importance of exploring new areas to balance bilateral trade and ensure the sustainability of commercial relations. Fidan also highlighted the crucial role of China’s direct investments in economic ties, emphasising that Türkiye provides an investment-friendly environment for foreign companies.

“Türkiye’s geostrategic position, along with our extensive commercial ties, provides free and easy access to a market of approximately 1.5 billion people and a value of $28 trillion, extending from Europe to the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. All of these are within a flight distance of four hours.” 

He also stressed that while Palestinians have long been suffering, this reached an unprecedented level after October 7 last year. “Gaza was once referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison. Now, it has become the world’s largest open-air graveyard. There is currently no place in Gaza that could be considered safe. The humanitarian tragedy unfolding before our eyes has worsened with Israel’s attack on (the city of) Rafah.” He added that Türkiye has been striving to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, prevent the conflict from spilling over into other regions and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid since Israel’s attacks began in October last year. He further said that Ankara, like Beijing, has highlighted the necessity of an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous State of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem based on the 1967 borders within the framework of a two-state solution.

Another extremely significant aspect of the Turkish Foreign Minister’s trip was that he concluded it in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, visiting both the capital Urumqi as well as the city of Kashgar.

Welcoming his visit, regional party secretary Ma Xingrui said that under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two countries, friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields between China and Türkiye have made positive progress. And thanks to the development of China-Türkiye bilateral relations, exchanges between China’s Xinjiang region and areas in Türkiye have become increasingly close.

Fidan noted that during his visit to China’s Xinjiang region, he observed well-developed urban facilities, social prosperity, and good protection of various ethnic cultures and languages.

Türkiye’s stance on Xinjiang-related issues, he said, is clear and firm. It resolutely opposes terrorism, does not support or participate in anti-China activities using ethnic issues, and does not allow activities in Türkiye that harm China’s security or undermine China’s territorial integrity.

The Xinjiang region is a window for China to cooperate with Central Asia and countries such as Türkiye. Both sides should work together to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation, expand exchanges and interactions, and promote new progress in cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, and civil aviation.

The South China Morning Post reported that in Kashgar, which is widely seen as the “cradle of Uygur culture”, Fidan visited the Mausoleum of Yusuf Khass Hajib, a famous 11th century Turkic poet, and the Id Kah Mosque, the largest in Xinjiang. He tweeted of his visit to Urumqi and Kashgar: “Finally, I visited these two ancient cities thanks to my contacts in China.”

Regarding the economic significance of his visit to Xinjiang, the paper reported Li Lifan, a research fellow from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, as saying that Türkiye’s implementation of EU standards, due to their customs union, would be attractive to Chinese companies, while cultural and linguistic similarities could also appeal to Uygur entrepreneurs.

He also mentioned that Türkiye is a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation dialogue partner and seeks to become a full member of the organisation.

Earlier, at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Fidan had said that Urumqi and Kashgar play “a bridging role” between China and the Turkish as well as the Islamic world. “They are symbols of our historical friendship and neighbourhood.”

The South China Morning Post article further noted that two months ago, Xinjiang had also hosted a visit by Bassam Zakarneh, a member of the Revolutionary Council of Palestine’s Fatah party, leading a delegation that also included leaders of left-wing political parties from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Tunisia.

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

Continue reading China and Türkiye will strengthen cooperation towards comprehensive, fair and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue

CPC delegation visits Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen fraternal ties

A Communist Party of China delegation, headed by Zhao Shitong, Assistant Minister of the Central Committee’s International Department (IDCPC), recently visited Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia to strengthen fraternal ties, at the invitation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). 

On May 13, the delegation met in Hanoi with Le Hoai Trung, the head of the Vietnamese party’s international commission.

Trung highlighted the sound and practical development in the bilateral relationship and expressed his appreciation for the Chinese people’s assistance to Vietnam’s revolutionary cause, socialist construction and development process through various periods, including the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory, the 70th anniversary of which was recently widely celebrated in Vietnam. He added that the Vietnam-China relationship is a top priority of the Vietnamese party and state.

For his part, Zhao congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee, with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the helm.

Previously, the delegation visited Laos, from May 9-12, and both sides agreed to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, and work together to build a high-standard, high-quality, and high-level China-Laos community with a shared future.

It visited Cambodia from May 13-16 and the two parties agreed to deepen party-to-party exchanges, actively cooperate in economic, cultural, youth and other fields, and consolidate and carry forward the ironclad friendship between the two countries.

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

Vietnamese, Chinese Party officials pledge stronger cooperation

May 13 (Nhân Dân) — Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung received Assistant Minister of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s International Department Zhao Shitong in Hanoi on May 13.

The officials highly evaluated positive development steps in the bilateral relations since the two historic visits made by the top leaders of the two Parties.

They agreed that the two strategic advisory bodies on foreign affairs of the CPV and CPC will step up their coordination and will work with relevant agencies and localities in a bid to effectively implement the two countries’ high-level common perceptions, joint statements, and bilateral cooperation documents.

Trung highlighted the sound and practical development in the bilateral relations and expressed his appreciation for the Chinese people’s assistance to Vietnam’s revolutionary cause and socialist construction and development process through various periods, including the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory. He went on noting that the Vietnam-China relationship is a top priority of the Vietnamese Party and State.

For his part, Zhao congratulated Vietnam on its great achievements under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee, with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the helm.

Zhao led a delegation from the CPC Central Committee’s International Department to pay a working visit to Vietnam on May 12 and 13. Earlier, he held talks with Vice Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Ngo Le Van, during which the two sides discussed cooperation orientations between the the two agencies and the promotion of exchanges through the Party channel in the time to come.

CPC delegation visits Laos

VIENTIANE, May 12 (Xinhua) — Zhao Shitong, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation on a visit to Laos from May 9 to 12, at the invitation of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).

During the visit, Zhao met with Bounthong Chitmany, a politburo member of the LPRP Central Committee, a permanent member of the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee, and vice president of Laos.

The Chinese delegation held talks with Khamphanh Pheuyavong, a member of the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee and head of the Propaganda and Training Board of the LPRP Central Committee.

The delegation also met with Thongsavanh Phomvihane, head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and held talks with heads of the Lao party and government departments.

During the visit, the two sides exchanged views on China-Laos relations and issues of common concern.

Both sides agreed to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, and work together to build a high-standard, high-quality, and high-level China-Laos community with a shared future.

CPC delegation visits Cambodia on ties

PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) — Zhao Shitong, assistant minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Cambodia from May 13 to 16 at the invitation of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

During the visit, Zhao met with Prak Sokhonn, chairman of the Commission for International Relations of the CPP’s Central Committee and first vice president of the Senate, Hun Many, deputy prime minister, and Suos Yara, vice chairman of the Commission for International Relations of the CPP’s Central Committee, as well as representatives of the Youth House for Cambodia-China Friendship.

The two sides exchanged views on China-Cambodia relations and issues of common concern, and agreed to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries.

Both sides also agreed to deepen party-to-party exchanges, actively carry out exchanges and cooperation in economic, cultural, youth and other fields, and consolidate and carry forward the ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia.

Nepali Prime Minister: Nepal will continue to strengthen cooperation with China

China has moved to further develop its friendly relations with Nepal, particularly with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (CPNMC), which currently leads the country’s ruling coalition.

On April 27, Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also known as Prachanda and who is the leader of the CPNMC, said in his capital Kathmandu that Nepal will unswervingly support China on issues concerning her core interests and looks forward to continuing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields. He was meeting with Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, who was leading a delegation to the country.

With the exchange of high-level visits and the implementation of bilateral agreements between the two countries, Nepal-China relations have been elevated to a new height, stated the prime minister.

He said that the Nepali side sincerely thanks China for its support and assistance in Nepal’s economic and social development, poverty reduction and anti-epidemic efforts.

Prachanda voiced hope that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure connectivity, tourism, healthcare, education, agriculture and water conservancy, promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and implement the Global Development Initiative (GDI).

For his part, Luo noted that China and Nepal are good neighbours connected by mountains and rivers, good partners in mutually beneficial cooperation and good friends helping each other.

He added that the proposal of building a China-Nepal trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network in particular charts a strategic direction for the sustainable development of bilateral relations.

Earlier, on April 18, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), met with a delegation of senior cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) led by Dev Prasad Gurung, General Secretary of the party.

Liu said that the Chinese side supports the Nepali side in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions and is willing to help Nepal prosper and develop. The CPC attaches great importance to its friendly relations with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre). Under the new situation, it is willing to expand exchanges between the two parties, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, and promote practical cooperation between the two sides in agriculture, investment, infrastructure, border trade and tourism.

Gurung said, the Nepali side thanks the Chinese side for its long-term support and assistance in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence and achieving economic and social development and hopes to work with the Chinese side to jointly promote Belt and Road cooperation, as well as enhance the level of connectivity between the two countries.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the website of the IDCPC.

Nepali PM voices firm support for China in safeguarding core interests

KATHMANDU, April 27 (Xinhua) — Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Friday that Nepal will unswervingly support China on issues concerning China’s core interests and looks forward to continuing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields.

Dahal, also known as Prachanda, made the remarks while meeting in Kathmandu with Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

With the exchange of high-level visits and the implementation of bilateral agreements between the two countries, Nepal-China relations have been elevated to a new height, stated the prime minister.

He said that the Nepali side sincerely thanks China for its support and assistance in Nepal’s economic and social development, poverty reduction and anti-epidemic efforts.

Dahal voiced hope that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure connectivity, tourism, healthcare, education, agriculture and water conservancy, promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and implement the Global Development Initiative.

For his part, Luo noted that China and Nepal are good neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, good partners in mutually beneficial cooperation and good friends helping each other.

Luo said the proposal of building a China-Nepal trans-Himalayan multi-dimensional connectivity network in particular charts a strategic direction for the sustainable development of bilateral relations.

He suggested that both sides should implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen the alignment of strategic plans, deepen practical cooperation and push bilateral relations to a new level.

During his stay in Nepal, Luo also met respectively with Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of the Nepali Congress party and former prime minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and former prime minister, and held talks with Nepal’s Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun and signed related cooperation documents.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song was present at the meetings.

Liu Jianchao Meets with a Delegation of Senior Cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center)

BEIJING, April 18 (IDCPC) — Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of senior cadres of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) led by Dev Prasad Gurung, General Secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center).

Liu said, in recent years, under the joint leadership of President Xi Jinping and Nepali leaders, relations between the two countries have continued to develop. The Chinese side supports the Nepali side in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions, and is willing to help Nepal prosper and develop. The CPC attaches great importance to its friendly relations with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center). Under the new situation, it is willing to expand exchanges between the two Parties, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in state governance and administration, and promote practical cooperation between the two sides in agriculture, investment, infrastructure, border trade and tourism through “political party +” and other channels, so as to push China-Nepal relations to a new level.  

Gurung said, the Nepali side thanks the Chinese side for the long-term support and assistance in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence and achieving economic and social development, and hopes to work with the Chinese side to jointly promote Belt and Road cooperation, as well as enhance the level of connectivity between the two countries. The Nepali side firmly adheres to the one-China principle and does not allow any force to use Nepal’s territory for anti-China activities. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) highly admires the CPC’s governance achievements and governance concepts, and is willing to further strengthen exchanges between the two Parties, deepen theoretical exchanges, promote Nepal-China relations for healthy development, and promote regional peace, development and stability.  

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

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers’ meeting promotes regional cooperation

A meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, on May 20-21.

The meeting was preparatory to the Astana SCO Summit, which is scheduled to be held on July 3-4. 

Presiding over the meeting, Murat Nurtleu, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, welcomed participants and called for a moment of silence to honour Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and others who died in the helicopter crash on May 19.

The meeting agreed to enhance cooperation in ensuring regional security and combating terrorism, extremism, separatism, drug trafficking, and cybercrime, among other areas. A special focus was placed on the organisation’s growth, with Belarus expected to complete all necessary procedures for admission to full membership at the July summit.

Addressing the ministers, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his deep condolences to the people and leadership of Iran following the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian. He also acknowledged the participation of Iranian representatives despite their nation’s difficult time and welcomed Belarus to its first Foreign Ministers’ Council in Astana.

Amid global strategic uncertainty, Tokayev stressed the importance of an integrated approach that considers all parties’ interests and the constant search for compromises. He voiced his belief that the time has come to collectively promote the ideals and values of peaceful and harmonious development for the sake of all humanity.

Addressing the situation in Afghanistan, he stressed the need to prevent a humanitarian crisis and create conditions for long-term stabilisation. He reiterated the importance of Kazakhstan’s initiative to establish the United Nations’ Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.

In his speech to the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that SCO member countries have been important partners for China in high-level opening-up and high-quality development.

Valuing the SCO’s role, Wang said the Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilisations and pursuit of common development, has become the fundamental principle of the SCO’s continuous growth and a banner for promoting new types of international relations.

He put forward four suggestions during the meeting: to maintain strategic autonomy and strengthen unity and cooperation; to share security responsibilities and lift cooperation to higher levels; to pursue inclusive and win-win cooperation and empower joint development; and to embrace openness and inclusiveness and deepen exchanges and mutual learning.

China is willing to work with SCO partners to actively advocate for a multipolar world with equality and order and inclusive economic globalisation, and to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, he added.

In a meeting with the Kazakh President on May 20, Tokayev asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping, noting that China’s international status continues to rise and its role in the world is increasingly significant. The country is making greater contributions to global peace and stability, and the international community is paying more attention to China’s voice. He looked forward to the Chinese President’s state visit in July. 

He also highly evaluated Kazakh-Chinese relations within the framework of international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

“Kazakhstan has been and remains a reliable partner of China. We are doing everything possible to implement the agreements that were reached earlier. We are working together and advancing our relationship into the future,” he added.

Wang responded that China would continue to firmly support Kazakhstan in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, support President Tokayev’s series of development strategies and important measures, and resolutely oppose any external forces interfering in Kazakhstan’s internal affairs.

During the country’s historical process of building a New Kazakhstan, China is willing to be a reliable and long-term partner, supporting the diversification of Kazakhstan’s economic development and promoting cooperation in emerging industries such as e-commerce, new energy and artificial intelligence.

The same day, Wang Yi met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, with the two men jointly meeting the press following their talks.

Wang said that, as Kazakhstan recently suffered from severe floods, China is willing to continue providing as much help as possible to assist in the reconstruction work.

He further noted that both sides spoke highly of the fruitful outcomes of their cooperation. According to Chinese statistics, bilateral trade reached 41 billion US dollars last year, achieving the target set by the two heads of state seven years ahead of schedule. To date, 26 out of the 45 capacity cooperation projects have been completed, in such sectors as mining and metals, energy resources, machinery manufacturing, building materials, chemicals and infrastructure construction. Cooperation in oil and gas and in nuclear energy is also accelerating.

Both sides praised the success of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, held in May 2023, which has ushered in a new phase of enhanced cooperation between China and Central Asia.

The Chinese side is eager to work alongside the Central Asian nations to strengthen and optimise the China-Central Asia cooperation mechanism, aiming to build a stable, prosperous, harmonious, and interconnected Central Asia, thereby injecting strong vitality into the building of a China-Central Asia community of shared future, Wang said.

Both sides will work to advance the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilisation Initiative, unequivocally oppose unilateralism and hegemonic behaviours, and promote the development of global governance towards a more just and reasonable direction.

Continue reading Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers’ meeting promotes regional cooperation

Forging the broadest solidarity against US imperialist intervention in the South China Sea

Communist media in North America have spoken out against the latest moves by US imperialism to strengthen its web of alliances in the Pacific region, targeted principally on the People’s Republic of China. 

On April 19, Otis Grotewohl, reporting on the April 11 meeting of US President Biden with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishima and President of the Philippines, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wrote in Workers’ World that:

“While the White House claimed the meeting focused on ‘peace and security,’ Biden’s own ‘tough-talk’ description of the gathering could be perceived as a threatening gesture towards China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as all working-class and indigenous peoples residing near the Indo-Pacific and South China Seas.”

He added:

“The summit was met by a militant protest from a Philippine-led coalition that includes BAYAN USA, Malaya Movement USA and the Tuloy Ang Laban Coalition. Organisers of the event said they were particularly appalled by the showing of Marcos Jr., son of the former right-wing dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

“The elder Marcos was president from 1965-86 and ruled the Philippine islands under martial law from 1972 until 1981, with the full blessing of US and European imperialists. Many labour unionists and leftists disappeared and were gruesomely slain during Marcos’ ‘ironclad’ rule.”

He also outlined the history of the RIMPAC naval exercises, which have been held since 1971 and are the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. A final planning conference for the 2024 exercise was held at the Point Loma Annex Naval Base in San Diego on March 25-28. According to Grotewohl:

“Washington claims it is not using the event as a forum for provocations against the governments of China, DPRK or Russia, but its actions tell a different story. That China, DPRK and Russia are not allowed to attend RIMPAC exercises, but Israel is, exposes the hypocrisy of US leaders.”

Meanwhile, the April edition of TML Monthly, published online by the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) (CPCML) detailed the protests of national democratic organisations in the Philippines against the 39th US-Philippines Balikatan Joint Military Exercise, which began on April 22 and will end on May 18. These are the largest such war games to date, involving more than 17,000 US and Philippines soldiers, almost twice as many as last year.

This year, the Australian Defence Force and French navy are also joining the war games. Eighteen other countries, including Canada, are participating as “observers.”

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), a broad alliance of progressive and patriotic Filipino organisations, called the military war games “a shameful proof of the subservient foreign policy of the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by allowing the increased presence and intervention of genocide-enabling and imperialist foreign military forces.”

The Philippine human rights organisation Karapatan also condemned Balikatan 2024, pointing out that the heavy presence of US troops on the Philippines islands is a violation of the sovereignty of the Filipino people and a provocation against China which could lead to a military conflict between the two countries with people of the Philippines in the middle. Karapatan pointedly denounced the recent first-time deployment of the US mid-range Typhon missile system which is capable of reaching the Chinese mainland. The missiles were introduced in the context of the Balikatan war games, Karapatan noted, further signalling the US intention “to use Philippine territory as a launching pad for hostile acts against China.”

Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment also underscored that the US plans to use the Philippines as cannon fodder in confronting China.  “History has also shown that US intervention has always led to war and tragedy – and widespread, long-term environmental destruction, as well. These have been seen in the US-led wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, and Palestine,” the organisation said.

Bayan called on the Filipino people to resist the Balikatan war drills, oppose the US provocations in the region and expel US military facilities and other foreign troops in the country. 

For its part, Karapatan called on the freedom-loving people of the Philippines and the world to “forge the broadest solidarity front against US imperialist intervention and war-mongering in the South China Sea and in other areas of the world.”

The following articles were originally published by Workers World and TML Monthly.

U.S.-led ‘Trilateral Summit’ promotes militarism in the Pacific

President Joe Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishima and the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., on April 11. Dubbed as the “Philippines-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Summit,” the event was held in Washington, D.C.

While the White House claimed the meeting focused on “peace and security,” Biden’s own “tough-talk” description of the gathering could be perceived as a threatening gesture towards China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as all working-class and Indigenous peoples residing near the Indo-Pacific and South China Seas.

Continue reading Forging the broadest solidarity against US imperialist intervention in the South China Sea

DPRK exposes US military strategy in the Pacific

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the official news agency of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), published two important commentaries in April concerning US strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, noting that its principal target is China.

Writing on April 12, Jong Min, an international security analyst, focused on the US attempt to deploy intermediate-range missiles in the region.

He said that not long ago, the US army Pacific commander claimed that the Chinese army is taking an irresponsible way in the use of military means, adding that the US forces are planning to deploy new intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region later this year to restrain China.

Jong adds: “Not content with persistently escalating the situation and inciting constant war fever through frequent dispatch of strategic assets to the Asia-Pacific region, the US is scheming to deploy even ground-launched intermediate-range missiles capable of directly aiming at specific countries in the region and promptly striking them at any moment. This clearly shows what phase the US ambition for military supremacy has reached.”

He notes that the US started to develop and modernise intermediate-range missiles, as soon as it unilaterally withdraw from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles between Russia and US in August 2019 and completed the development of an intermediate-range missile system by the end of 2022.

“This fact goes to prove that the US attempt to deploy intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region is not a defensive step to cope with ‘threat’ from someone but a product of the offensive and hegemonic military strategy which has been steadily pushed forward in a sequential and planned way for a long time.

“The US attempt to deploy intermediate-range missiles is dangerous enough to explosively aggravate the political and military situation in the Asia-Pacific region, trigger off strong rebuff and counteraction of China and other regional countries and spark off a fierce arms race in the region.

“In view of the range of those missiles, their deployment in Guam, Hawaii and other territories of the US has no military significance. Accordingly, they will have to be deployed in such allies of the US in the Asia-Pacific region as Japan and the puppet Republic of Korea (ROK).

“The US arms buildup to check China’s peaceful development and growth and restrain it militarily will inevitably invoke strong countermeasures. And Japan and the puppet ROK or any third country might be well aware of the fact that they would be the first target of military retaliation if the US intermediate-range missiles were deployed in their territories.

“After all, the US deployment of intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region is not for protecting its junior allies. On the contrary, it will lead them to the fate of being victims and sacrifices of the US strategy for hegemony.”

Then, on April 25, international affairs analyst Kang Jin Song commented on the US attempt to expand the AUKUS military alliance, presently consisting of Australia, Britain and the United States, to other countries, starting with Japan.

He notes that since its founding, AUKUS has been called a nuclear mine planted in the waters of the Asia-Pacific as ‘the Anglo-Saxon nuclear submarine alliance’ for seeking nuclear supremacy in the Asia-Pacific region by detouring the international nuclear non-proliferation system.

It is the sinister intention of the US to make Japan a crewmember of a confrontation ship called AUKUS and put it at the outpost line of the anti-China pressure and push the nuclear minefield in the Asia-Pacific region closer to China.

He goes on to outline how the Biden administration recently held a tripartite summit of the US, Japan and the Philippines in the wake of a US-Japan summit to call for strengthened security cooperation between Manila and Tokyo, as well as Canberra and Seoul.

“This is mainly aimed at building double and triple infrastructure for implementing the ‘integrated deterrence strategy’ against China by ultimately putting together tools designed for achieving supremacy existing in the Asia-Pacific region in a ‘latticed’ way.

“The reality goes to prove once again that the ‘competition accompanied by dialogue’ with China and the ‘installation of a guard rail’ in bilateral relations, heard from US public officials, are nothing but deceptive slogans and their thinking and practice are oriented to anti-China confrontation from A to Z.

“Owing to the establishment of a ‘small group’ of the US whose arch enemy is China and its ceaseless attempt to expand the group, the Asia-Pacific region, where opportunities and potentials for development are richer than any other region of the world, is turning into a theatre of muscle-flexing and a touch-and-go nuclear minefield.”

The following articles were originally published by KCNA.

Continue reading DPRK exposes US military strategy in the Pacific

Asian ‘Nato’ encircles China

Writing in the Morning Star, Fiona Edwards provides a useful and detailed analysis of recent developments in the US-led campaign of China encirclement.

Fiona describes a number of alarming steps taken by the US in the month of April: the announcement of a proposal for Japan to join AUKUS; a trilateral agreement between the US, Japan and the Philippines; and the first joint naval and air drills between the US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Fiona observes that “these new initiatives aim to bolster the US’s already substantial military encirclement of China, threatening to destabilise the region and lay the foundations for a US-led hot war against China.”

The US has appointed itself “the world’s policeman”, and uses this role to justify its increasing militarisation of the South China Sea, claiming a responsibility to preserve freedom of navigation. One small detail is that there is not a single case of China having impeded freedom of navigation. Meanwhile, as Fiona points out, “the South China Sea is 12,000 kilometres away from the US … Beijing is not conducting naval exercises off the coast of California and has no military bases surrounding the US.”

Recent foreign policy shifts by the Philippines and Japan are particularly dangerous. As the article points out, the previous Filipino administration pursued a policy of neutrality which served to facilitate win-win cooperation between the Philippines and China and contributed to the cause of peace in the region. Meanwhile, “the plan to invite Japan into Aukus threatens to escalate Japanese militarism and encourage Japan to move even further away from its post-War World II pacifist constitution.”

The article correctly concludes: “The US’s increasing militarisation of the Asia-Pacific is a key component of Washington’s global war drive. It should be vigorously opposed by all those who want to stop the US dragging everyone into another world war.”

Major new announcements this month indicate that the US is intent on escalating its military interference in the Asia-Pacific and the seas around China.

The first announcement by the defence ministers of the US, Britain and Australia on the April 8 2024, revealed that the Aukus military alliance is seeking to expand with plans to invite Japan into the anti-China pact.

This was followed by another announcement, three days later, at a summit in Washington between the US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida and the President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, where a new trilateral agreement between the countries was unveiled, including plans to conduct joint naval exercises in the South China Sea this year.

Days before this announcement, on April 7, the first joint naval and air drills between the US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines took place in the South China Sea.

These new initiatives aim to bolster the US’s already substantial military encirclement of China, threatening to destabilise the region and lay the foundations for a US-led hot war against China.

Continue reading Asian ‘Nato’ encircles China

Year of DPRK-China Friendship strengthens mutual support and cooperation for the socialist cause

The Friendship Year, marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), was formally inaugurated with an April 11-13 visit to the Korean capital Pyongyang by a Chinese party and government delegation led by Zhao Leji, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC). 

Zhao Leji met with DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, towards the end of his visit.

Zhao extended to Kim the kind regards and good wishes of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the DPRK, and the journey of the past 75 years epitomised good neighbourliness and friendship as the two countries stood side by side, fighting together and sharing a common destiny and common development, he said.

Zhao pointed out that the China-DPRK friendship, established and cultivated meticulously by the elder generations of revolutionists of both parties and both countries, has withstood various tests of the changing international situation and is an invaluable asset of the two countries.

The CPC and the Chinese government have always treated the China-DPRK relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, and it is China’s unwavering policy to maintain, consolidate and develop the China-DPRK traditional friendly and cooperative relations.

Kim Jong Un extended his warm congratulations over the development achievements that China has made in the pursuit of its socialist cause under the strong leadership of General Secretary Xi and the CPC. He stressed that the DPRK-China relations have boasted a profound historical tradition, having withstood various tests and been passed on from generation to generation.

It is the unwavering policy of the WPK and the DPRK government to consolidate and develop the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries. The relationship is continuously developing to new and higher stages in line with the demands of the new era.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) added that Kim Jong Un affirmed that it is his consistent stand and the invariable and steadfast policy of the WPK and the government of the DPRK to develop the long-standing DPRK-China friendship decade after decade and century after century, expressing his expectation that the common will of the two parties and the two countries to dynamically promote the socialist cause and provide their peoples with substantial well-being by steadily carrying forward and developing these durable traditions of friendship would lead to responsible progress and successful fruition of the Year of DPRK-China Friendship.

Offering sincere congratulations to the Chinese party, government and people for registering remarkable successes in the struggle for implementing the tasks set forth at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, he expressed his hope that the fraternal Chinese people would make a more brilliant step forward in carrying out the historic task of building a modern and powerful socialist country this year marking the 75th founding anniversary of the PRC under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping.

Following the talks, at a luncheon he hosted, Kim Jong Un proposed a toast to the eternal development of socialism in the two countries, longevity, and good health of General Secretary Xi Jinping and to the successful DPRK visit of the party and government delegation of the PRC led by Zhao Leji.

On April 11, in talks with his DPRK counterpart Choe Ryong Hae, Member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the DPRK’s Supreme People’s Assembly, Zhao said that the China-DPRK traditional friendship was established and cultivated meticulously by the elder generations of leaders of both parties and both countries.

General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that the CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, and that it is China’s unwavering strategy to maintain, consolidate and develop bilateral relations.

China is ready to work with the DPRK to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of both parties and both countries and take the “China-DPRK Friendship Year” as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote people-to-people exchanges and strengthen strategic coordination, so as to further promote and advance China-DPRK relations to continue to move forward.

Choe said the blood-cemented friendship between the two countries has a long history and profound foundation and is the common precious heritage and wealth of the two countries.

The opening ceremony for the China-DPRK Friendship Year was held on April 12. In his speech, Zhao Leji said that it has always been the steadfast strategic policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to safeguard, solidify and develop China-DPRK traditional friendly cooperation. 

Continue reading Year of DPRK-China Friendship strengthens mutual support and cooperation for the socialist cause

Xi Jinping: China and Vietnam are a like-minded pair bound by a common destiny

Following the recent China visit by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, paid an April 7-12 visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

In his first official engagement, Hue met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 8.  While asking Vuong Dinh Hue to convey cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Xi also said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Nguyen Phu Trong had jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, thereby opening a new chapter in bilateral ties.

Under the joint efforts by the two sides, the consensus reached by him and Nguyen Phu Trong is being implemented, Xi added.

He said the most distinctive feature of China-Vietnam relations is that the two sides are a like-minded pair bound by a common destiny, and “comrades-plus-brothers” is the most vivid portrayal of the traditional friendship between the two parties and two countries.

He urged joint efforts by the two sides to promote more achievements in building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, better serve their respective modernisation, further benefit the two peoples, and make greater contributions to the global socialist cause.

Amid the profound and complex changes in the international and regional landscape, it serves the common interest of China and Vietnam to safeguard the socialist system and maintain national stability and development.

He urged the two sides to foster a strong sense of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future based on a high level of mutual trust, consolidate the foundation for the vision with high-quality cooperation, and promote this vision with a high degree of political wisdom.

This emphasis on the importance of good China-Vietnam relations not only from the bilateral point of view but also for the global cause of socialism overall, which was stressed throughout Hue’s visit, has acquired particular importance since President Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam last December.

Vuong Dinh Hue conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes from Nguyen Phu Trong to Xi, noting that the CPV and the Vietnamese government highly appreciate China’s development and progress. China’s two parliamentary sessions held this year set the goals of developing new quality productive forces, among others, which are innovative moves of socialism and provide useful references for Vietnam, he added.

Vietnam regards China as its top strategic priority in its foreign relations, Hue said, adding that the Vietnamese side will follow relevant goals set by Nguyen Phu Trong and Xi to maintain close communications and cooperation with China at various levels and continue to consolidate a high level of political mutual trust.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: China and Vietnam are a like-minded pair bound by a common destiny

Xi Jinping holds talks with Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto

Prabowo Subianto, President-elect of the Republic of Indonesia and Great Indonesia Movement Party General Chairman, paid a visit to China at the beginning of April. Prabowo was elected in February but will not assume office until October. Signifying his commitment to continue the friendly relations carefully nurtured by his outgoing predecessor President Joko Widodo, China was his first overseas destination since his election victory.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Prabowo on April 1. He congratulated Prabowo on winning the election and asked him to relay sincere greetings and best wishes to President Joko Widodo.

Recalling the rapidly developing and fruitful bilateral ties over the past decade under the guidance of the two heads of state, Xi said both sides have made the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway an exemplar of high-quality bilateral cooperation and entered a new stage of building a community with a shared future.

Xi said China and Indonesia are both representatives of major developing countries and emerging markets. In the past, the two countries have supported each other in the cause of national independence and development, while in the future, the two countries should also unite in good faith to set an example of win-win cooperation and shared development and become a pacesetter for South-South cooperation.

He added that China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Indonesia on poverty reduction and eradication and provide support in this regard.

Noting that at present, momentous changes not seen in a century are accelerating across the world, Xi said the two sides should actively practice the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, vigorously promote the Bandung spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalisation that benefits all, strengthen multilateral coordination, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. (The 1955 Bandung Afro-Asian Conference was hosted by Indonesia’s first President Sukarno and inspired the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement six years later.)

Prabowo conveyed President Joko Widodo’s sincere greetings to Xi, and said he is delighted to make China the first country he visits after being elected. China, he added, is a major influential country and the two countries always respect each other and treat each other as equals.

Prabowo noted that China is a strong partner of Indonesia and Chinese enterprises have participated in-depth in Indonesia’s economic growth and contributed to Indonesia’s national development in recent years.

He said that he supports the development of a closer relationship with China and will continue his country’s friendly policy toward China, adhere to independence and stick to the one-China policy that is always pursued by the Indonesian government.

He appreciated that China has always upheld fairness and justice in international affairs, especially on the Palestinian question, adding that Indonesia is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on international and regional affairs and make a greater contribution to South-South cooperation.

Continue reading Xi Jinping holds talks with Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto

Foreign ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Timor-Leste visit China

As part of an ongoing intensive diplomatic effort by China to consolidate and develop friendly relations with the member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries in the region, China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted separate visits from the foreign ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Timor-Leste in the first week of April. The visits all took place in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, bordering Vietnam, serving also to highlight the growing importance attached to subnational ties by China in its foreign policy.

Wang Yi met with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son on April 4. He noted that China-Vietnam relations achieved rapid development last year since the top leaders of the two parties jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. Quoting a line of poetry from the Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, he said that this gave new meaning to the verse, “so profound is the friendship between Vietnam and China, because we are both comrades and brothers.”

Since the beginning of this year, he added, the top leaders of the two parties have exchanged new year greetings and maintained the momentum of high-level visits, while border provinces have pursued close cooperation and two-way personnel exchanges have achieved new breakthroughs.

China always regards Vietnam as a priority in neighbourhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Vietnam to implement the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, make solid plans for bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and jointly push forward the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future to a new level.

He suggested that the two sides should focus on such areas as strengthening high-level strategic communication, accelerating the alignment of development strategies, and continuing to expand cooperation in the economic and trade investment, digital economy, green development, new energy and key minerals.

Calling on both sides to jointly safeguard international equity and justice and continue to support each other on issues concerning major common interests, Wang said that it is necessary to be vigilant against engaging in camp confrontations in the region and cobbling together various “small circles” to undermine regional peace and stability.

Bui Thanh Son said that as a neighbour, comrade and brother, Vietnam supports China’s development and always regards China as the top priority and strategic choice of Vietnam’s foreign relations.

Vietnam is willing to maintain close coordination with China, promote economic and trade investment, deepen subnational cooperation, actively promote Vietnam-China friendship, build a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that bears strategic significance, and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Vietnam adheres to the one-China principle, firmly supports China’s position on Taiwan and issues related to Xinjiang and Xizang [Tibet], opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs under the pretext of human rights and democracy, and will strengthen multilateral coordination with China to safeguard common interests, he added.

The previous day, Bui Thanh Son had discussed regional cooperation with the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China Liu Ning. He affirmed that the Vietnamese party and state always support and facilitate cooperation between Vietnamese localities and their Chinese counterparts, including Guangxi.

Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities, and Guangxi should maintain and raise the efficiency of their existing cooperation mechanisms, step up friendship, conduct theory exchanges and share experience in Party building, social management and economic development.

Continue reading Foreign ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Timor-Leste visit China

China condemns Israel’s attack on Iranian consulate in Damascus

On April 1, the Zionist regime in Israel, out of its malign and desperate attempt to extend its genocidal war in Gaza into a fullscale regional conflagration, which it doubtlessly believes would secure the overt participation of US imperialism, flagrantly attacked the Iranian consulate, adjacent to the country’s embassy, in the Syrian capital Damascus. Some sixteen deaths were reported.

The next day, Chinese Ambassador Geng Shuang addressed a United Nations Security Council briefing on the attack. He stated:

“Yesterday, the Iranian diplomatic premises in Damascus, Syria were attacked by airstrikes, resulting in loss of several Iranian personnel and severe destruction to the premises. This is a grave violation of the UN Charter and international law and a breach of the sovereignty of both Syria and Iran. The attack is of an extremely vicious nature. China strongly condemns this attack.”

Ambassador Geng continued: “Twenty-five years ago, China’s Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was bombed by US-led NATO airstrikes, resulting in personnel casualties and the destruction of the Chinese diplomatic premises. We feel the grief and pain of the Iranian government and people and express to them our deepest sympathy and condolences.”

On May 7, 1999, during the imperialist war of aggression against Yugoslavia, US-led NATO forces bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Three journalists from the Xinhua News Agency and the Guangming Daily were martyred and many more Chinese comrades were injured.

Relating the Damascus attack to Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza, Geng Shuang continued:

“Since the Gaza conflict broke out in October last year, we have witnessed attacks on homes, attacks on schools, attacks on hospitals, attacks on humanitarian facilities, attacks on UN agencies, and today, attacks on diplomatic premises. The red line of international law and the fundamental principles of international relations has been breached time and again. And the moral bottom line of human conscience has been crushed time and again. Such a tragedy must stop immediately. Last week, the Council adopted Resolution 2728 calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We strongly call on the international community to work together to ensure this resolution is implemented so that the Muslim community will not have to celebrate the month of Ramadan in the midst of gunfire.”

He added that “the situation in the Middle East has become ever more precarious. Israel’s frequent cross-border strikes against targets in Syria and Lebanon are a serious violation of the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the countries concerned, and have aggravated tensions throughout the region. Such provocative actions might trigger greater turmoils and jeopardise the security of the entire region. Such actions must stop immediately.”

In its letter to the UN Security Council, Iran stated that it, “reserves its legitimate and inherent right to respond decisively” to Israel’s murderous aggression.

We reprint below the full text of Ambassador Geng Shuang’s remarks. They were originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN. 

Madam President, 

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Malta for assuming the Presidency of the Council for this month. The Chinese delegation will fully cooperate with you and your colleagues. I also commend Japan for all its efforts serving as the President of the Council last month. 

Yesterday, the Iranian diplomatic premises in Damascus, Syria were attacked by airstrikes, resulting in loss of several Iranian personnel and severe destruction to the premises. This is a grave violation of the UN Charter and international law and a breach of the sovereignty of both Syria and Iran. The attack is of an extremely vicious nature. China strongly condemns this attack. 25 years ago, China’s Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was bombed by US-led NATO airstrikes, resulting in personnel casualties and the destruction of the Chinese diplomatic premises. We feel the grief and pain of the Iranian Government and people and express to them our deepest sympathy and condolences. 

In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the universally recognized fundamental principles governing international relations, the safety and security of diplomatic missions shall be inviolable. To allow impunity for such reckless acts that lack any baseline would sent a seriously wrong signal and would encourage even more risky acts. We take note of the solemn protests and condemnation against Israel raised by Iran, Syria, and other Arab countries. We hope that Israel will respond to them. 

Madam President, 

Since the Gaza conflict broke out in October last year, we have witnessed attacks on homes, attacks on schools, attacks on hospitals, attacks on humanitarian facilities, attacks on UN agencies, and today, attacks on diplomatic premises. The red line of international law and the fundamental principles of international relations has been breached time and again. And the moral bottom line of human conscience has been crushed time and again. Such a tragedy must stop immediately. Last week, the Council adopted Resolution 2728 calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We strongly call on the international community to work together to ensure this resolution is implemented so that the Muslim community will not have to celebrate the month of Ramadan in the midst of gunfire. 

At present, the ground situation in Gaza is deteriorating with rising spillover risks. And the situation in the Middle East has become ever more precarious. Israel’s frequent cross-border strikes against targets in Syria and Lebanon are a serious violation of the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the countries concerned, and have aggravated tensions throughout the region. Such provocative actions might trigger greater turmoils and jeopardize the security of the entire region. Such actions must stop immediately. China calls on all parties, especially countries with important influence on Israel, to play a constructive role and to make concrete efforts to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, ease tensions, and restore peace and stability in the Middle East at an early date. 

Thank you, President.

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs meets with Chinese leaders

Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Nepal’s newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, paid an official visit to China from March 25-April 1 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 

On the first day of his visit, Shrestha met with Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Noting that the leaders of China and Nepal reached an important consensus on developing bilateral ties in their meeting last year, Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on the two sides to intensify political support, promote the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and enhance people-to-people connectivity.

China is ready to work with Nepal to faithfully implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, advance the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity, and push for an even closer community of shared future between China and Nepal, Wang said.

The same day, Shrestha, who is also the Senior Vice-Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), met with Sun Haiyan, Vice-Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC).

She said that the CPC is ready to, together with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), strengthen inter-party exchanges, deepen mutual learning in state governance and administration, and boost China-Nepal relations and cooperation for in depth development.  

Shrestha spoke highly of the relations between the two countries and the two parties. He said, the Nepali left-wing coalition government regards the Chinese side as an important partner, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and will never allow any force to use Nepal’s territory to engage in any anti-China activities.

The following day, he met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said that China has always placed Nepal in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy.

China is ready to work with Nepal to promote the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and advance the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity to a new and higher level, he added.

In response to an invitation, Wang reportedly said that he would visit Nepal within this year.

Shrestha said that the new government of Nepal attaches great importance to relations with China. Nepal is willing to work with China to advance the Belt and Road cooperation and has decided to join the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative.

Shrestha’s visit comes in the wake of some important political changes in Nepal. On March 4, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (more commonly known as Prachanda), who leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), broke his coalition agreement with the Nepali Congress party, in favour of establishing a five-party left-wing coalition government, primarily with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPNUML), along with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) and two non-communist parties, the Janata Samajbadi Party and the Rastriya Swantra Party. The new government won a vote of confidence in the Nepalese parliament on March 13. 

In his new post as Foreign Minister, Shrestha chose China for his first international visit, just three weeks after taking office. Besides Beijing, he visited the municipality of Chongqing, Sichuan province and the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region. These areas in the west of the country play the main role in China’s relations with Nepal at the subnational level.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the IDCPC website.

China’s top political advisor meets Nepal’s FM

BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) — Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), met on Monday with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Nepal’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Noting that the leaders of China and Nepal reached important consensus on developing bilateral ties in their meeting last year, Wang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on the two sides to intensify political support, promote the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and enhance people-to-people connectivity.

China is ready to work with Nepal to faithfully implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, advance the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity, and push for an even closer community of shared future between China and Nepal, Wang said.

“The CPPCC is willing to make positive contributions to the above-mentioned endeavors,” said Wang.

Shrestha said Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle, adding that Nepal expects enhanced communication and cooperation with China in various fields to better benefit the two peoples.

Sun Haiyan Meets with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Senior Vice Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), Deputy Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal

Beijing, March 25th (IDCPC) — Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today on the afternoon with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Senior Vice Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), Deputy Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal. 

Sun congratulated Shrestha on his assumption of the new post. She said, the Chinese side is willing to work with the Nepali side to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on the development of China-Nepal relations, accelerate practical cooperation, and support each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concerns. The CPC is ready to, together with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), strengthen inter-party exchanges, deepen mutual learning in state governance and administration, and boost China-Nepal relations and cooperation for in depth development.  

Shrestha spoke highly of the relations between the two countries and the two Parties. He said, the Nepali left-wing coalition government regards the Chinese side as an important partner, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and will never allow any force to use Nepal’s territory to engage in any anti-China activities. The Nepali side expects to work with the Chinese side to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, learn governance experience from the CPC, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and elevate Nepal-China relations to a new height. 

Continue reading Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs meets with Chinese leaders

China and Sri Lanka reaffirm longstanding friendship and refute imperialist slanders

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena visited China from March 25-30 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang. The visit and the agreements reached were a powerful reaffirmation of the long-standing friendship between the two countries and a clear refutation of the slanders spread in the imperialist countries, in particular, regarding their bilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China’s supposed ‘debt trap diplomacy’. 

Gunawardena met with President Xi Jinping on March 27. Noting that the friendship between China and Sri Lanka enjoys a long history and the two peoples share a natural affinity, Xi said that consolidating and promoting China-Sri Lanka relations serves the fundamental interests and reflects the common expectations of the two peoples.

China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to carry forward the spirit of the Rubber-Rice Pact, which is characterised by “independence, self-reliance, unity and mutual support,” to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance exchanges of experience in governance, expand practical cooperation, and advance the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

The reference to the Rubber-Rice Pact carries great significance. The root of the two countries’ special friendship, it was concluded in December 1952, at a time when Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) had not long won its national independence from British colonial rule and the Chinese revolution had recently triumphed. More particularly, by this pact Sri Lanka courageously defied and broke the US-led blockade that had been imposed on New China at a time when the Chinese Volunteer Army was fighting on the Korean front. The agreement, which met the crucial needs of both countries at that time, lasted for 30 years, and led to the United States imposing sanctions, including those aimed at crippling its rubber production, and cutting off aid to Sri Lanka. 

Xi added that both sides should make joint efforts to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, especially that of the two flagship projects, the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port. China and Sri Lanka should also work together to enhance logistics, energy, and industrial cooperation, and promote exchanges and cooperation in digital economy, green economy, clean energy, culture-oriented tourism and marine economy. China, he said, is willing to advance cooperation with Sri Lanka on rural poverty reduction, to help the country with economic transformation and upgrading, and with sustainable development.

The two sides, he added, should continue to maintain the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, enhance coordination on international and regional affairs, safeguard the common interests of both sides, uphold international fairness and justice, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Gunawardena expressed appreciation for China’s assistance to Sri Lanka in times of difficulty, saying that projects such as the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port have boosted Sri Lanka’s economic and social development, as well as the overall development of the region.

The previous day Gunawardena held meetings with Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Li said China and Sri Lanka are strategic partners of cooperation characterised by sincere mutual assistance and enduring friendship spanning generations. The two countries have always respected each other and enjoyed equality and reciprocal cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations 67 years ago.

Gunawardena thanked China for providing long-term support to Sri Lanka’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and helping the country realise economic and social development and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and financial crisis.

Hailing the Belt and Road Initiative and the global initiatives proposed by China, he said that Sri Lanka has always adhered to the one-China principle and will continue to firmly pursue policies to strengthen friendly cooperation with China.

Zhao said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1957, China and Sri Lanka have always enjoyed a sound and steady relationship despite changes in the international landscape.

The two sides released a joint statement on March 29. Noting that the Sri Lankan leader had also attended the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2024, held on the southern island of Hainan, during his visit, the statement said that:

“The two sides share the view that the peoples of China and Sri Lanka enjoy long-standing friendship, and have engaged in mutual learning, mutual assistance and seeking strength through unity. In the 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have strengthened traditional friendship, enhanced political mutual trust, achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation, and engaged in close coordination on regional and international issues, setting a fine example of friendly interactions and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of different sizes. The two sides agree to carry forward the spirit of independence, self-reliance, solidarity and mutual assistance enshrined in the Agreement on Rice for Rubber, jointly tackle challenges, share opportunities and seek common development, thereby cementing and expanding the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship to bring greater benefits to the two countries and peoples.”

Sri Lanka expressed its appreciation to China for “the support that helped its financial difficulties, and, in particular, the pioneering step taken by the Chinese financial institutions last year to propose a bilateral debts settlement plan and the preliminary agreement reached with Sri Lanka on the settlement of China-related debts on the basis of friendly consultation.”

Sri Lanka also expressed thanks and appreciation for “the assistance on its economic and social development, and speaks highly of the important role played by Belt and Road cooperation in boosting the economic development and livelihood improvement in Sri Lanka and other Belt and Road partner countries. The two sides agree to work together to deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, accelerate the formulation of a Belt and Road cooperation plan, and make all-out efforts to advance the Colombo Port City project and the integrated development project of Hambantota Port as signature projects of Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries.

“Sri Lanka welcomes the investment of more Chinese enterprises, and stands ready to provide a favourable investment and business environment for them and roll out at a faster pace preferential policies to facilitate the implementation of the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port integrated development projects. China will continue to encourage competent Chinese enterprises to invest in Sri Lanka and assist Sri Lanka in achieving economic transformation and sustainable development.”

After detailing concrete steps in a range of areas, including trade, emergency humanitarian assistance, economic development, people’s livelihood, agriculture, education, cultural heritage, tourism, sister city and people-to-people exchanges, and medical aid, the joint statement continued:

“The two sides will jointly champion the building of an equal and orderly multipolar world, practice true multilateralism, promote greater democracy in international relations, and call on all countries to jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, jointly defend the universally recognised basic norms of international relations, and jointly contribute to the reform and development of the global governance system.”

They also “hold the view that in marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, it is important to further carry forward these five principles, i.e. respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence, and commit to building a community with a shared future for Asia and for humanity.”

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

Xi meets Sri Lankan PM in Beijing

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Beijing on Wednesday.

Noting that the friendship between China and Sri Lanka enjoys a long history and the two peoples share a natural affinity, Xi said consolidating and promoting China-Sri Lanka relations serves the fundamental interests and reflects the common expectations of the two peoples.

China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to carry forward the spirit of the Rubber-Rice Pact, which is characterized by “independence, self-reliance, unity and mutual support,” to consolidate political mutual trust, enhance exchanges of experience in governance, expand practical cooperation, and advance the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.

He noted that China and Sri Lanka should join hands to advance their strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship.

China firmly supports Sri Lanka in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and national dignity, and in exploring a modernization path suited to its national conditions, Xi said, adding that China will continue to provide due assistance within its capacity for Sri Lanka’s economic and social development.

He said that both sides should make joint efforts to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, especially that of the two flagship projects, the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port. China and Sri Lanka should also work together to enhance logistics, energy and industrial cooperation, and promote exchanges and cooperation in digital economy, green economy, clean energy, culture-oriented tourism and marine economy.

China will continue to import more high-quality specialty products from Sri Lanka, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country, and hopes that the business environment in Sri Lanka will be fair and transparent, Xi said.

He added that China is willing to advance cooperation with Sri Lanka on rural poverty reduction, to help the country with economic transformation and upgrading, and with sustainable development.

The two sides should continue to maintain the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, enhance coordination on international and regional affairs, safeguard the common interests of both sides, uphold international fairness and justice, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi stressed.

Noting that Sri Lanka and China enjoy a traditional friendship, Gunawardena said that Sri Lanka adheres unswervingly to the one-China principle, unequivocally follows the policy of friendly cooperation with China, and gives China priority on its diplomatic agenda.

He expressed appreciation for China’s assistance to Sri Lanka in times of difficulty, saying that projects such as the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port have boosted Sri Lanka’s economic and social development, as well as the overall development of the region.

Sri Lanka will take part in the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, said Gunawardena, adding that the country will work with China to promote bilateral friendship, expand cooperation on trade and economy, education, tourism, poverty reduction and other fields, and improve international and multilateral communication and coordination.

Continue reading China and Sri Lanka reaffirm longstanding friendship and refute imperialist slanders

Further consolidation of comradely relations between China and Vietnam

In a further consolidation of the comradely relations between China and its socialist neighbour, Vietnam, following his annual meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Minister Liu Jianchao of the Communist Party of China’s International Department (IDCPC), held in Jilin, north-east China on March 18, Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, continued his working visit with high-level meetings in Beijing.

On March 22, he met separately with Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee as well as of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, who is also Foreign Minister.

Cai said that China stands ready to work with Vietnam to implement the important results of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam in December 2023, maintain high-level exchanges, and strengthen mutual learning in state governance theories and experience.

China is also ready to work with Vietnam to promote the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Two Corridors and One Economic Circle strategy, consolidate the friendship between the two peoples, strengthen international and regional coordination and cooperation, and boost the modernisation of the two countries, he added.

He affirmed that China supports Vietnam in playing a bigger role in the region and on the international stage, raising the voice of developing countries in addressing international issues.

Le Hoai Trung said that Vietnam will adhere to the consensus reached by the two leaders, commit firmly to building a strategically significant Vietnam-China community with a shared future, and push forward exchanges and cooperation between the two parties and two countries to continuously achieve important results.

He expressed to the Chinese leaders that the two sides should continue increasing high-level meetings and exchanges, especially among the top leaders; and step-up exchanges between departments of their Party Central Committees and local Party committees, while also boosting coordination in economy, trade, and transport connectivity, and coordinating efforts to reinforce a solid social foundation for the bilateral ties.

Wang Yi said that China is ready to intensify high-level exchanges with Vietnam, deepen exchanges and mutual learning on theories and experiences of party and state governance, effectively advance exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and jointly advance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Underlining the cooperative relationship between the two socialist countries, the Vietnamese newspaper Nhân Dân also reported that on the same day, border guards stationed in Vietnam’s northern province of Ha Giang coordinated with their counterparts in China’s Yunnan province to hold a joint patrol along the two provinces’ shared border, aimingto detect violations of border regulations, resolve any and protect security and safety.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency, the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Nhân Dân.

Senior CPC official meets CPV delegation

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) — Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Cai Qi met with a delegation led by Le Hoai Trung, secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, in Beijing on Friday.

Cai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said that General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam in December last year and, together with General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, announced the construction of a strategically significant China-Vietnam community with a shared future — an epoch-making milestone in the history of bilateral relations.

Continue reading Further consolidation of comradely relations between China and Vietnam

Le Hoai Trung: Vietnam regards developing relations with China as the top priority of its foreign policy

The heads of the international departments of the communist parties of China and Vietnam held an important meeting on March 18, in Jilin, north-east China, to further consolidate and develop the new stage in China-Vietnam friendly relations initiated with the respective visits of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary Xi Jinping in 2022 and 2023.

Meeting his Vietnamese counterpart, Le Hoai Trung, Member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Head of the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee, Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), said that General Secretary Xi Jinping successfully paid a state visit to Vietnam last December, during which he and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong established a new positioning of relations between the two parties and the two countries, and made strategic plans for China-Vietnam relations at the new historical juncture, which have become an epoch-making milestone in the history of China-Vietnam relations. This year is the start for both sides to fully implement the results of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam and promote the construction of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Liu added that as the world is currently in a new period of turbulence and change, China and Vietnam are facing both important development opportunities and many severe challenges. Both sides should grasp the distinctive characteristics of China-Vietnam relations, highlight the political nature of exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, and give full play to mechanisms such as the high-level meeting between the two parties. Both sides should focus on the future and destiny of socialism, promote the upgrading of theoretical discussions and strengthen cadre training cooperation.

Centring around the common concept of putting people first, both sides need to deepen exchanges and cooperation between publicity departments, media outlets, trade union, youth, women, and other mass organisations. Besides, Liu called on both sides to keep pace with the development of the international landscape, well implement the political consensus of the leaders of the two parties and the two countries on maritime issues, strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral political party activities in the world and the region, and make the international order and global governance system more just and equitable. The Chinese side, Liu said, speaks highly of Vietnam’s achievements made since the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and is happy to see Vietnam increasingly playing an important and positive role in the international community.

Le Hoai Trung said, the Vietnamese side has been paying close attention to and is sincerely happy for the great development achievements of brotherly China. He believed that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will continue to make new development achievements and new contributions to regional and international development. Vietnam regards developing relations with China as the top priority of its foreign policy. It firmly adheres to the one-China principle, supports China’s great cause of national reunification, and rejects external forces’ intervention in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of the question of Taiwan, and issues of Xinjiang, Xizang [Tibet], and Hong Kong, etc. It actively supports the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative proposed by the Chinese side, and is ready to work together to promote their implementation.

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) further reported that they agreed to maintain frequent high-level exchanges and meetings, further promote the effectiveness of party-to-party relations in setting strategic orientations for the countries’ ties, and to step up exchanges and cooperation between the two governments, parliaments, and fatherland front organisations. They agreed to strengthen ties in defence and security as well as between the two countries’ localities, foster people-to-people interaction, and increase communications regarding the traditional friendship between the two parties, countries, and peoples.

The following articles were originally published on the website of the IDCPC and by the Vietnamese newspaper Nhân Dân. 

Liu Jianchao Meets with Le Hoai Trung, Member of the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee and Head of the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee

Jilin, March 18th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), held here today a meeting between the foreign departments of the two Parties with Le Hoai Trung, Member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and Head of the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee. 

Liu said, General Secretary Xi Jinping successfully paid a state visit to Vietnam last December, during which he and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong announced the establishment of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. They established a new positioning of relations between the two Parties and the two countries, and made strategic plans for China-Vietnam relations at the new historical juncture, which have become an epoch-making milestone in the history of China-Vietnam relations. This year is the start for both sides to fully implement the results of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam and promote the construction of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. As the departments responsible for the external affairs of the two Parties, the IDCPC and the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee must play a role in overall coordination, follow-up, supervision, and service, to help all departments and localities of the two sides implement the important consensus of the top leaders of the two Parties. 

Continue reading Le Hoai Trung: Vietnam regards developing relations with China as the top priority of its foreign policy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Asian NATO under a new guise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading Asian NATO under a new guise

Building a China-Vietnam community with shared future

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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