International relations Archives - Friends of Socialist China

BRICS Summit reaches consensus and affirms support for Palestine and Cuba

The 18th Summit of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, meeting in the Indian capital, New Delhi, over September 12-13 adopted a joint declaration at the conclusion of its first session held in the afternoon of September 12.

The detailed 140-point declaration addresses a huge range of issues. Considering the sharp differences presently existing among some BRICS member countries, most notably Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the unanimous adoption by all the full members of BRICS may be said to represent not least a considerable achievement on the part of Indian diplomacy, with, according to numerous media reports, its diplomats working intensively to secure consensus and agreement among all parties in the days leading up to the summit.

The Xinhua News Agency reports that the declaration, which is entitled, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflects a commitment to inclusive global governance and strengthening multilateralism, calling for international and regional peace and security, and underscoring sustainable and inclusive global economic growth as well as strengthening cultural and people-to-people cooperation.

Acknowledging the historical lineage of this key agency of Global South cooperation, the declaration notes: “We recall the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, Indonesia that proclaimed general principles, including equality, independence, non-intervention, and mutual benefit. We stress that the Bandung Spirit serves as a reference in the pursuit of a fairer, more inclusive, and representative multilateral system.”

Considering not least the positions and actions in the recent period of India and the United Arab Emirates, one positive and welcome development is the relatively principled stand taken by the declaration on the Palestinian and related issues. It states:

“We take note of the adoption of UNSC Resolution 2803. We call for the implementation of the relevant UNGA and UNSC Resolutions and urge all parties to ensure the maintenance of ceasefire and full and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip. In this context, we express deep concern on the continued violence in Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement of October 2025. We call for halting any policies aimed at forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza Strip and express concern regarding arrangements that may prejudice the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and legitimise or prolong occupation.

“We reaffirm that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved by peaceful means and depends on the fulfilment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the rights to self-determination and return. We affirm the need for adequate representation of Palestine in all relevant international organisations, including multilateral financial institutions, and access to their resources. We reaffirm our support for the State of Palestine’s full membership in the UN in the context of the unwavering commitment to the two-state solution, in accordance with international law, including relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative, that includes the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within the internationally recognised 1967 borders, which included the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in order to achieve the vision of two States living side by side, in peace and security.

“We express our firm opposition to the forced displacement, temporary or permanent, under any pretext, of any of the Palestinian population from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as any geographic or demographic changes to the territory of the Gaza Strip. We reiterate that international law and international judicial bodies demand the end of the illegal occupation and the immediate cessation of all practices that undermine legal norms and obstruct a just and lasting peace.

“We reiterate our grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We call for adherence to international law, in particular to international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and condemn all their violations, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects, including healthcare facilities and other civilian infrastructure, as well as the unlawful obstruction of humanitarian access. We also condemn attempts to politicise or militarise humanitarian assistance. We reassert our steadfast support for UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and stress the need to fully respect the mandate, bestowed on it by the UNGA, for the provision of basic services to Palestine refugees in its five fields of operations. We call on all relevant parties to respect their obligations under international law and act with utmost restraint and to avoid escalatory actions and provocative declarations. We note, in this regard, the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice in the legal proceedings instituted by South Africa against Israel, which, inter alia, reaffirmed Israel’s legal obligation to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza.

“We reject any unilateral measures that seek to alter the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem. We urge full respect for the sanctity of all religious sites and holy places in the city and for the rights of all to access and to observe their religious rites without hinderance.

“We welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon and call on all parties to strictly adhere to its terms and to fully implement UNSC Resolution 1701. We condemn the continued violations of the ceasefire and of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon. We call on Israel to respect the terms agreed with the Lebanese government and to withdraw its occupying forces from all of the Lebanese territories, in which they remain.

“We highlight the vital role played by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and agree it is imperative to ensure the safety, security, and freedom of movement of all UN personnel and equipment, as well as to respect the integrity of UN premises. We condemn all attacks against UNIFIL installations and personnel and emphasise that such attacks are a violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006). We also extend our deepest condolences for the loss of four Indonesian as well as other peacekeepers serving under UNIFIL and express solidarity with all Troop Contributing Countries affected. We express our condemnation of the incidents that led to these fatalities and reiterate that the safety and security of UN peacekeepers are non-negotiable. We underscore the importance of respecting the role and mandate of UNIFIL in supporting the Government of Lebanon and in creating space for a political solution. In this regard, we call for those responsible for these attacks to be held accountable and further call on all parties to guarantee the safety and freedom of movement of UNIFIL personnel and assets, as well as the inviolability of UN premises.”

The declaration also declares its support for Cuba, stating: “Underlining the character of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, built on mutual respect, peaceful settlement of disputes and non-intervention, we express deep concern on the situation relating to Cuba due to the tightening of unilateral blockade measures against the country, their adverse effects on the Cuban economy, energy supplies and the worrying humanitarian impact on the Cuban people. In this regard, we reiterate the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial measures against Cuba in accordance with UNGA Resolution A/RES/80/4.”

It concludes by extending full support to China for its BRICS Chairship in 2027 and the holding of the XIX BRICS Summit in China.

Kim Jong Un: we will always join hands with the Chinese comrades

Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un sent a reply letter on September 12 to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in response to his letter sent on the occasion of the 78th founding anniversary of the DPRK on September 9.

Kim Jong Un wrote: “Your warm congratulations and best wishes serve as great strength and encouragement to all the members of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the DPRK people who are making all-out efforts to usher in a new era of comprehensive national rejuvenation, regarding socialism as their faith.

“We will always join hands with the Chinese comrades in the course of firmly defending and advancing the common cause of socialism and better cultivating, strengthening and developing the traditional DPRK-China relations of friendship and cooperation in conformity with the requirements of the new era and the aspirations and wishes of the peoples of the two countries.”

On September 8, the DPRK embassy in Beijing hosted a reception to mark their national day. It was attended by Peng Qinghua, vice-chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC), along with representatives of numerous Chinese departments and organisations.

In his speech Ambassador Ri Ryong Nam said that the 78 year-long history of the DPRK is the proud course of victory in which it has dynamically advanced for building a powerful socialist country despite all trials and difficulties under the outstanding leadership of President Kim Il Sung, Chairman Kim Jong Il and respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

He said that the Workers’ Party of Korea and the DPRK government would as ever invariably and firmly support the Chinese people in their struggle for defending the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the country’s national sovereignty, security, development and interests under the leadership of the Communist Party of China with Comrade General Secretary Xi Jinping as its core.

Peng Qinghua extended warm congratulations on behalf of the Chinese party, government and people to the Korean party, government and people, saying that after the founding of the DPRK the Korean people embarked on the road of independent development and have dynamically advanced the socialist cause and changed the appearance of the state by waging a ceaseless struggle for 78 years.

No matter how the international situation may change, the Chinese party and government remains unchanged in its firm stand of attaching great importance to the China-DPRK friendship and also in its steadfast determination to firmly support the socialist cause of the DPRK led by General Secretary Kim Jong Un, defend the common interests of the two countries and preserve the excellent strategic environment, he stressed.

Meanwhile the General Association of Koreans in China (GAKC) and other organisations of the Korean community held celebrations on September 8 and 9 to mark their national day. They included placing flower baskets at the statue of President Kim Il Sung at Yuwen Middle School in Jilin and study tours of anti-Japanese revolutionary battle sites, where Chinese and Korean comrades fought shoulder-to-shoulder, in the three northeastern provinces of China. Kim Il Sung, the founder of the DPRK, studied at the Yuwen Middle School in his teenage years and his time there formed an important part of his early revolutionary activities. The school is also associated with a number of key figures in the Chinese revolution, including Guo Moro, Chu Tunan, and Shang Yue, who taught there, and Peng Huanwu and Ma Zongjin, who studied there.

India and China need to contribute more positive energy to world peace, stability, development and prosperity

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in the Indian capital New Delhi on September 12. The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views and reached an important consensus that China and India should be partners.

Xi said China has always viewed and developed its relations with India from a strategic height and with a long-term perspective. He noted that he has met with Modi twice over the past two years, which had guided bilateral relations from a new start to a further improvement. China and India have different national conditions, Xi said, adding that they can draw on each other’s strengths, support one another, help each other succeed and pursue common development. Amid a turbulent international landscape, China and India, as the world’s two most populous countries and important members of the Global South, shoulder important responsibilities. They need to keep in mind the future of humanity and the well-being of peoples, work together to promote high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, and contribute more positive energy to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Xi further called on China and India to draw on the political wisdom of mutual respect and understanding to overcome disruptions, urging both sides to pursue parallel progress in bilateral ties and border issues with the two tracks reinforcing each other, so as to maintain peace and tranquility in their border areas. He further said that the two countries should support each other as rotating chair of the BRICS, strengthen coordination within such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the G-20, stand together in addressing global challenges, and unequivocally uphold international fairness and justice.

Prime Minister Modi said that he has held several productive meetings with Xi, guiding India-China relations toward a positive direction, which serves the common interests of the more than 2.8 billion people of both countries. The two major civilisations of India and China have, over thousands of years, learned from each other through exchanges and moved forward hand in hand. India adheres to an independent foreign policy, and the development of its relations with China is not subject to the influence of any third party, he noted.

India thanked China for its support for its hosting of the BRICS summit and will fully support China in assuming the BRICS chairmanship next year. Modi added that India is ready to closely coordinate and cooperate with China to jointly strengthen cooperation among Global South countries, promote a more multipolar world and global economic growth, and serve as a force for stability and progress in a turbulent world.

China supports Mexico’s defence of its independence, sovereignty and security

Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico Roberto Velasco Álvarez visited China from September 6-7 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The two foreign ministers held talks in Beijing on September 7.

Wang Yi said that China has always viewed and advanced China-Mexico relations from the strategic perspective of unity and cooperation among countries in the Global South. China appreciates Mexico’s long-term and firm adherence to the one-China principle and supports Mexico in maintaining its independence and autonomy, safeguarding its sovereignty and security, and opposing external interference.

Noting that China and Mexico share similar positions on many international and regional issues, Wang said China is ready to strengthen strategic coordination with Mexico on the international and multilateral stages to safeguard the respective legitimate interests of the two countries.

Velasco said the Mexican side commends the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence proposed by China and firmly adheres to the one-China principle and upholds the authority of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, which restored China’s rightful seat in the world body.

The Mexican foreign minister further said that Mexico supports China in holding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which will be held in Shenzhen in November, and its playing a leading role, expressing willingness to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to jointly safeguard the international multilateral system.

The importance of Wang Yi’s strong statement in support of Mexico’s independence, security and sovereignty and in opposition to external interference has to be seen in the context of the steadily mounting bullying, aggression and threats emanating from the Trump administration in the US as part of its current hemispheric hegemonic rampage.

Three days later, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated her stance on national sovereignty and rejected US political pandering at Mexico’s expense ahead of the US midterm elections on November 3.

“As we have always said, Mexico is nobody’s piñata. Mexico must be respected. We do not interfere in their elections. They also should not use Mexico in their elections,” Sheinbaum said during her regular daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. (Typically associated with Mexico, a piñata is generally described as a container, often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth, that is decorated, filled with candy, and then broken as part of a celebration.)

The president was responding to recent comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed that drug trafficking groups control “vast territories” of Mexico and that they “pose an enormous threat right on our border”.

On the day of Velasco’s meeting in Beijing, Trump shared on social media a map appearing to depict Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Iceland, Cuba and some other Caribbean islands as part of an expanded United States, swathed in the stars and stripes. The day before Trump had referred to the US state of New Mexico as New America.

Earlier, in mid-August, Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, the son of immediate past president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a key ally of President Claudia Sheinbaum, revealed that the US government has revoked his visa.

Xi Jinping visiting New Delhi for BRICS summit

On September 10, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that President Xi Jinping will attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from September 12-13 at the invitation of Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi. It will also be Xi’s first visit to India since October 2019.

Previewing the summit, the Xinhua News Agency released two important feature articles on September 10 and 11 recapping Xi’s consistent support for the BRICS initiative and for the Global South and the reform of global governance more generally.

According to the first article: “Over the past two decades, BRICS has grown into a major platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, with an ever-expanding role in global affairs.

“At the upcoming summit, Xi will join other leaders in charting a new course for the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation, pooling the collective strength of the Global South and contributing stability and positive momentum to a world undergoing profound changes.”

Outlining Xi’s pivotal role in the development of BRICS, it recalls that when, in March 2013, Xi attended the fifth BRICS Summit in Durban, South Africa, it was his first international summit as Chinese president.

On that occasion, Xi called on BRICS countries to move toward the goal of integrated markets, a multi-tiered financial network, connectivity by land, air and sea, and greater cultural exchanges.

Two years later, at the seventh BRICS Summit held in Ufa, Russia, Xi called for building a partnership for world peace, common development, inter-civilisation dialogue and more effective global economic governance.

When China was the BRICS chair in 2017, Xi proposed the “BRICS Plus” cooperation model at the ninth BRICS Summit in Xiamen, calling for getting more emerging markets and developing countries involved in the group’s concerted endeavours for cooperation and mutual benefits.

In a further article published the next day, Xinhua notes that Xi Jinping is heading to New Delhi for this year’s BRICS gathering just over a week after he took part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

“The two back-to-back multilateral engagements converge on a single, defining theme: galvanising solidarity and cooperation across the Global South.

“This year,” the article continues, “marks the 25th founding anniversary of the SCO and the 20th anniversary of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, both milestone occasions.

“Riding the wave of the collective rise of the Global South, BRICS and the SCO have over the years expanded their membership and broadened their networks of partners. Their members jointly account for more than half of the world’s population and about 30 percent of the global economy. This illustrates the fact that the two groupings have evolved into major platforms for Global South cooperation.

“As the Global South rises, it deserves a bigger say in global affairs. Last year’s SCO Tianjin summit witnessed Xi’s proposal of the Global Governance Initiative, a major proposition of China to advance a more just and equitable global governance system.

“At the heart of this vision is the conviction that every country has a place and an equal role to play in global governance.

“Xi has long argued that international affairs should not be dictated by those with more muscles. ‘World affairs should be discussed by all, and international norms should be set by all,’ he said in Bishkek last week. ‘The domination of international affairs by a few is an injustice left over from history, and global governance dictated by one, a few or a bloc of countries is not true multilateralism.’

“‘As an important part of a multipolar world and a key driving force behind it, the Global South countries ought to have greater representation and voice in international affairs,’ Xi said.”

The article concludes by pointing out: “Beyond the SCO and BRICS, China has also promoted cooperation and greater representation for the Global South through frameworks such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the China-ASEAN summit.

“Xi has said on many occasions that China has always been a member of the Global South and will always belong to the developing world.

“‘No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South,’” he once said.

Xi Jinping greets DPRK national day

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) celebrated its 78th national day on September 9.

Marking the occasion, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, extended congratulations to his DPRK counterpart Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.

Xi pointed out that over the past 78 years, under the leadership of the WPK, the DPRK people have achieved vigorous development in various fields of socialist construction through self-reliance, unity and hard work. In recent years in particular, under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the WPK and the DPRK people have made every effort to advance economic and social development, scoring a series of development achievements to China’s heartfelt delight.

China and the DPRK are friendly socialist neighbours who stand by each other and share weal and woe, Xi said, stressing that it is an unswerving policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to preserve, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

Xi said that he stands ready to work together with Kim to continue strengthening the strategic guidance of relations between the two parties and the two countries, jointly promote the development of their respective party and state causes, continuously improve the well-being of the two peoples and deepen their friendship, so as to make greater contributions to promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

Andy Burnham: Britain is prepared to restore relations with China to their historic high

Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone talks with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on September 8.

Congratulating Burnham on assuming office, Xi noted that China and Britain are comprehensive strategic partners. He urged the two sides to respect and trust each other, overcome differences, seek common ground and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, adding that both governments are committed to developing their economies and improving people’s well-being, and the two countries can complement each other’s strengths and facilitate each other’s development.

China and Britain are both major countries in science and technology with rich resources in education, culture, sports and other fields, Xi said, and called on the two sides to adopt an open and forward-looking approach and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

More pointedly, considering the recent issues faced by British Steel and Chinese wind turbine maker Ming Yang, Xi expressed the hope that the British side will fully protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese investors.

Prime Minister Burnham told Xi that he had served as mayor of Manchester for many years and maintained friendly exchanges with China for years. President Xi’s visit to Manchester during his state visit to Britain in 2015 had a significant impact on promoting local exchanges and cooperation with China, he noted. Britain is ready to conduct high-level exchanges with China, advance bilateral cooperation in various fields, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and restore bilateral relations to their historic high, so as to better benefit the peoples of both countries.

He added that amidst the current turbulent and complex international landscape undergoing changes, Britain and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should promote the resolution of international hotspot issues through dialogue, jointly address global challenges such as climate change, and work together to safeguard world stability and prosperity.

Burnham also spoke highly of China’s efficient and effective response to the mudslide disaster that struck Gyirong Port in southwest China’s Xizang [Tibet] Autonomous Region on the country’s border with Nepal and expressed his appreciation for China’s assistance to affected British citizens.

Xi Jinping pays state visit to Egypt: “The people in the Middle East should be the masters of their own affairs”

Following his state visit to Kyrgyzstan and attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Egypt, arriving in Cairo on the evening of September 1.

On that day, Xi published a signed article in Egypt’s three main newspapers, writing that he was, “Setting foot for the second time on this land nourished by the Nile. Just as an Egyptian proverb reads, ‘Once you drink from the Nile, you are destined to return’… Known for their age-old civilisations, China and Egypt have each contributed an invaluable intellectual legacy and splendid cultural heritage to the progress of humanity. The Yangtze River and the Yellow River gave birth to the Chinese civilisation, and the Nile was the cradle of the ancient Egyptian civilisation.”

Against this background: “Seventy years ago, China and Egypt officially established diplomatic relations, marking the start of New China’s friendly cooperation with Arab and African countries. For seven decades, the China-Egypt relationship has braved wind and rain and withstood the test of the changing international landscape. It has stayed on the right course, remained robust as ever, and sustained a strong momentum. It is a fine example for China’s cooperation with Arab states and Africa as a whole, and for friendship, solidarity and collaboration between developing countries.

“China and Egypt have always been close brothers standing by each other. In the struggle for national independence and against imperialism and colonialism, the people of our two countries forged profound friendship. China firmly supported Egypt’s sovereignty over the Suez Canal, and Egypt, alongside the majority of Asian, African, and Latin American and Caribbean countries, voted unequivocally in favour of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations.”

Now, “Egypt is China’s major trading and investment partner in the Arab world and Africa, and one of the first countries to participate in Belt and Road cooperation. As early as ten years ago, President El-Sisi and I jointly unveiled the China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone.”

Xi pointed out that: “China and Egypt have always been sincere friends committed to equality and mutual trust. At the Bandung Conference in 1955, our two countries actively supported the anti-imperial and anti-colonial struggle, and jointly advanced Asian-African solidarity. Today, China and Egypt have shared goals and a common aspiration in upholding international order, championing fairness and justice, and practicing multilateralism. Both sides firmly support the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, and both are committed to facilitating the political settlement of hotspot issues and realising peace and stability in the region. This demonstrates our commitment, as Global South countries, to seeking strength through unity and upholding fairness and justice…

“We need to enhance mutual trust and serve as a model in carrying forward friendship. The friendship between our two countries was forged by the elder generations of our leaders. It is our honour and responsibility to carry forward, develop and promote this friendship. Our two sides should continue supporting each other on core interests and major concerns and deepen exchanges and cooperation at various levels and across all sectors to ensure that the baton of friendship is passed on from generation to generation.”

SCO adopts Bishkek Declaration: “More countries can now be expected to explore this alternative path”

The website of the President of Russia carried the text of the speech delivered by President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2026 recently held in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Vladimir Putin noted that: “The SCO has covered a really long path during these 25 years. I would like to remind you that the organisation, which was established in 2001 at the initiative of six states – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – has grown to become stronger, turning into an independent and influential centre of the emerging multipolar world. It has, de facto, become the largest regional association not only on our shared Eurasian continent but in the world as a whole. Nearly half of the global population lives in its countries, which account for over one-third of global GDP.”

Referring to the draft protocol on amending the fundamental SCO Charter, he explained that “all current observer states and dialogue partners will receive the newly-introduced SCO partner status. This decision will help streamline and expand mutually beneficial cooperation between the SCO and countries and international organisations which are interested in this cooperation.”

President Putin went on to note that: “Reciprocal trade and investment exchanges continue to expand each year. For example, Russia’s trade with the SCO member states exceeded US$400 billion last year. Our states use national currencies in mutual settlements more actively. Their share exceeds 98 percent in Russia’s operations with the organisation’s members.

“The SCO Business Council and the SCO Interbank Consortium make a major contribution to implementing joint mutually beneficial economic projects. The Development Bank, being established within the framework of our organisation, could take part in this work in the future. In my opinion, this bank should receive maximum independence from the financial systems of the states which weaponise economic tools in order to obtain unilateral advantages in international affairs.”

“Yesterday”, he continued, “we attended the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games, which are currently taking place in the Kyrgyz Republic and in which representatives of many SCO member states, including Russia, are participating. Our country stands ready to host the next games in 2028 in Kazan, Russia. We will be pleased to welcome teams from all interested states.”

Concluding he noted: “I would like to remind you that today is September 1 – the day on which the Second World War began. We must do everything in our power to prevent a return to the global practice of instigating armed conflicts. I am convinced that our efforts are directed precisely towards this objective.”

The official website of the Russian head of state also reported that: “In conclusion of the meeting, the leaders signed and adopted the final documents, including the Bishkek Declaration, decisions of the SCO Heads of State Council on joint initiatives on combatting drug addiction and on countering the spread of synthetic drugs and their precursors for the period until 2030; initiatives for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity and a joint action plan for their implementation for 2026–2031; as well as scientific and technological cooperation programmes for creating the SCO Green Technology Corridor for 2026–2030.

“The SCO leaders also adopted decisions on declaring the city of Lahore (Pakistan) as the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026–2027, and on signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the African Union Commission.

“The following documents were adopted without signing: the Declaration of the SCO Heads of State Council on Strengthening Multilateral Partnership for Nuclear and Physical Nuclear Security, statements of the SCO Heads of State Council on expanding interaction in energy conservation and energy efficiency, energy systems, on supporting and strengthening the institution of the family, and on assistance to states affected by disasters.”

The Morning Star newspaper carried a feature article by Kenny Coyle analysing the significance of the Bishkek Declaration.

According to Kenny: “If you wondered where world leaders were this past week, you certainly wouldn’t have found them in London, Brussels or Washington, not even Kiev. In fact, many of the most significant leaders were in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, from August 31 to September 1 at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

“Despite disagreements on many critical issues, a joint statement, the ‘Bishkek Declaration’, was signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as other leaders of SCO member nations.”

Also underlining the growing economic significance and focus of the SCO, he writes: “This central concern, over the past quarter century, has been to break the US stranglehold over international finance and trade. The Bishkek Declaration strongly promotes the transformation of existing structures. ‘Member states support reform of the international financial architecture aimed at increasing the representation and strengthening the role of developing countries in the governing bodies of international financial institutions, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund’.”

The declaration also states that: “Member states, reaffirming their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, call for the conflict to be resolved exclusively through political and diplomatic means. In this regard, they welcome all efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region.”

“On Afghanistan, which is a neighbour to several SCO members, it was stated that: ‘Member states reiterate that only an inclusive government with broad representation from all ethnic and political groups can bring lasting peace,’ and support ‘establishing Afghanistan as an independent, neutral and peaceful state free from terrorism, war and drugs.’ [Afghanistan also has observer status in the SCO. However, since the return to power of the Taliban its participation has largely been dormant.]

“On nuclear weapons and disarmament, the declaration reaffirmed support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by SCO ‘signatory members’. This is an important caveat, since neither India nor Pakistan are NPT signatories.”

[A more striking caveat is to be found in the part of the declaration dealing with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It reads: “The Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support for the People’s Republic of China’s joint construction of the Belt and Road initiative, affirming the efforts of all parties to jointly implement the initiative, including promoting the alignment of the Belt and Road with the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union.” In other words, BRI is endorsed by all SCO members with the sole exception of India.]

At just over 4,200 words, the declaration also deals with a huge range of other issues.

Kenny concludes: “While far from perfect, the Bishkek Declaration is an example of what used to be understood in the West as ‘diplomacy’, the focus on multilateral discussions and agreements, however limited, stands in stark contrast to what is currently on offer from Washington. More countries can now be expected to explore this alternative path.”

SCO summit: Xi Jinping meets with Russian, Mongolian and Uzbek presidents

China’s President Xi Jinping met bilaterally with his counterparts from Russia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan on the afternoon of August 31 on the sidelines of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

In his meeting with the Russian president, Xi Jinping recalled Vladimir Putin’s successful state visit to China in May this year. During the visit, the two presidents mapped out plans from a strategic height and with a long-term perspective to steer the bilateral relations toward higher quality and higher levels and reached consensus on deepening cooperation in various fields under the new circumstances. The competent authorities of both countries are actively implementing those understandings. Many results have been achieved, and bilateral exchanges and cooperation have maintained a robust momentum of development.

President Xi emphasised that while uncertainties and unpredictable factors in the international landscape have significantly increased amid the accelerating global transformation unseen in a century, the aspiration of people around the world for peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit remains unchanged. The SCO has the important mission of safeguarding regional stability and promoting regional development. China is ready to work with Russia and all other parties to jointly draw up the blueprint for the organisation’s development, help it pursue steady and long-term progress, and boost the forces that steer global governance reform and advance an equal and orderly multipolar world.

President Vladimir Putin noted that despite the turbulent and complex international situation, Russia and China have steadily deepened their comprehensive strategic coordination, upheld equality, mutual trust, and mutual support, and enjoyed rapidly growing cooperation across different areas. Russia-China relations have become a model for state-to-state relations. With joint efforts of all parties, the SCO has become a dynamic and efficient regional cooperation platform with important international influence. Russia and China should continue to strengthen solidarity and cooperation within the organisation and play a lead role.

Meeting with President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia, President Xi Jinping noted that China and Mongolia are close neighbours connected by mountains and rivers, and that living peacefully together, supporting each other and pursuing win-win cooperation have always been the mainstream and defining features of their bilateral relations. China will continue to put China-Mongolia relations at an important position in its diplomacy with neighbouring countries.

China stands ready to work with Mongolia to foster greater synergy between their development strategies, advance cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, connectivity, energy, and minerals, explore cooperation potential in emerging areas such as green minerals, AI, and the digital economy, foster more sources of growth for mutually beneficial cooperation, and stride forward together on their paths toward modernisation.

President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa said that Mongolia and China are friendly neighbours and, in an ever-changing world, have consistently respected and trusted each other and remained a good neighbour to each other. China’s development offers great opportunities to its neighbouring countries and adds impetus to development in Asia and around the world. Deepening friendship and cooperation with China is a key priority in Mongolia’s diplomacy. The four major global initiatives and the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity set out by President Xi Jinping bear great significance to upholding world peace and security, promoting sustainable development, and tackling global challenges. Mongolia will join efforts with China in their implementation.

In his meeting with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Xi Jinping stressed that no matter how the world changes, China will never waver in its position of deepening China-Uzbekistan friendship and will always support Uzbekistan in following a development path suited to its national conditions. The two sides should join hands to strive for more successes in bilateral cooperation. The two countries should promote the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, expand cooperation in such areas as artificial intelligence and desertification control, and stay committed to pursuing mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. The two countries should maintain robust exchanges at subnational levels, accelerate the establishment of cultural centres in each other’s countries, expand cooperation in areas such as education and poverty reduction, and promote people-to-people connectivity.

President Sadyr Zhaparov: China is Kyrgyzstan’s closest friend and most reliable partner

From August 30 to September 3, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan and paid a state visit to the country followed by one to Egypt.

Prior to his arrival in Bishkek, Xi published a signed article entitled “Jointly Opening up New Prospects for the High-Quality Development of China-Kyrgyzstan Relations” in the Kyrgyz media.

Invoking history, he wrote: “The ancient Silk Road is a testimony to the long-standing friendship between the two peoples. In both countries, the stories of historical figures such as Zhang Qian, Xuanzang and Li Bai — who had contributed to civilisational exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan — are still widely told.”

Having surveyed a broad range of contemporary China-Kyrgyzstan relations, the Chinese leader noted: “With justice on our side, we have jointly navigated risks and challenges. Linked by mountains and rivers and bound by shared security, China and Kyrgyzstan are staunch defenders of regional security and stability. As founding members of the SCO as well as Global South countries, we share similar positions on upholding international fairness and justice and promoting open, inclusive development. Amid changing and volatile international and regional landscapes, we coordinate closely in multilateral frameworks, actively support each other’s major initiatives, and jointly advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.”

He added: “We should take a long-term view, focus on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and continuously upgrade practical cooperation. While strengthening existing cooperation in trade and investment, connectivity, and green mining, we should also cooperate in the digital economy, clean energy, artificial intelligence, and other emerging fields. We need to move forward with building the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, accelerate the revamping of land ports, and advance institutional connectivity alongside physical connectivity to facilitate the smooth flow of people and goods.

“We need to carry forward the traditional friendship. Our long-standing friendship is an invaluable asset. We should step up exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, art, media, think tank, youth, archaeology, and health to forge closer bonds. We should encourage our young people to study in each other’s countries and support more substantive outcomes from subnational exchanges. We need to spread the stories of our friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation to cement the foundation of people-to-people goodwill.

“We need to practice multilateralism. Kyrgyzstan’s historic election as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council is a cause for celebration. It presents us with an opportunity to enhance coordination across the UN, firmly uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, act on the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and China’s four global initiatives, unequivocally oppose hegemonism, unilateralism, and bloc confrontation, jointly combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism, and bring into play a more just and equitable global governance system.

“Over the past 25 years, the SCO has fostered and followed the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilisations, and pursuit of common development. It has pioneered a new model of regional cooperation that features partnership instead of alliance, safeguards shared security and stability, and promotes common development and prosperity. It has become a comprehensive regional organisation with the widest geographical coverage, the largest population, and enormous potential. Since taking over the SCO presidency, Kyrgyzstan has carried out a great deal of productive work. China commends Kyrgyzstan’s efforts in building consensus among member states and advancing practical cooperation under the theme ‘Together Toward Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity’.”

Xi held talks with President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan on the morning of August 31.

President Xi Jinping stressed that the steady and sustained development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations is underpinned by high-level political mutual trust and unwavering mutual support. China firmly supports Kyrgyzstan in safeguarding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and supports Kyrgyzstan in following a development path suited to its national conditions. China will work with Kyrgyzstan to continue rendering each other unwavering support on issues concerning each side’s core interests.

China supports Kyrgyzstan in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs and will work with Kyrgyzstan to further enhance coordination under the UN framework, jointly implement China’s four global initiatives, oppose hegemonism and power politics, stay committed to true multilateralism, uphold international fairness and justice, and make the global governance system more just and equitable. As founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, China and Kyrgyzstan should work for the implementation of the outcomes of the Tianjin Summit, promote the shared development of this region, and take the SCO to new heights.

President Sadyr Zhaparov said that it is a great honour to receive President Xi Jinping on the 35th anniversary of the independence of Kyrgyzstan. This visit further demonstrates the profound friendship and high-level political mutual trust between Kyrgyzstan and China and marks an important milestone in the development of bilateral relations.

As neighbours, the two countries have been bound together by the ancient Silk Road. In recent years, with the rapid growth of the Kyrgyzstan-China comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, the bilateral relationship has entered a golden period and reached the highest level in history. Kyrgyzstan is grateful for China’s selfless support and assistance at every critical moment in Kyrgyzstan’s development. Kyrgyzstan warmly congratulates the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the start of the implementation of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, admires China’s remarkable development achievements under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and is keen to learn from China’s governance experience, in particular President Xi Jinping’s resolve to serve the people selflessly and live up to their expectations. China has always been a high priority in Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy and is Kyrgyzstan’s closest friend and most reliable partner. Kyrgyzstan firmly upholds the one-China principle and is ready to deepen good-neighbourliness and friendship with China on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Kyrgyzstan will enhance cooperation with China in such areas as trade, investment, connectivity, sci-tech innovation, energy, mining and green economy, step up exchanges in areas including education, health, culture and youth, and jointly combat terrorism, separatism and extremism to uphold regional security. Kyrgyzstan is ready to actively advance the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, to make it a “steel and iron Silk Road” of the new era and a new bond of Kyrgyzstan-China friendship. The four global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping can help countries jointly address common challenges and make the international order more just and stable. Kyrgyzstan will enhance coordination with China in multilateral platforms including the UN, the SCO, the China-Central Asia mechanism, and the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, to jointly uphold world peace and stability.

President Sadyr Zhaparov also extended condolences, on behalf of the government and people of Kyrgyzstan, over the devastating mudslide in Gyirong County, Xizang [Tibet] Autonomous Region. President Xi Jinping expressed his appreciation and noted that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government are making every effort to conduct search-and-rescue operations for missing Chinese and foreign nationals, relocate disaster-affected people, treat the injured and guard against secondary disasters. Meanwhile, China has provided urgent assistance to Nepal. China has the capability and confidence to overcome the difficulties posed by the disaster and rebuild the devastated communities.

After their talks, the two heads of state signed the joint declaration between the People’s Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic on the high-quality development of the comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era and the treaty between the People’s Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic on permanent good-neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation, and witnessed the exchange of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including investment, transport, customs and sister-city relationships. During the visit, the two sides also signed more than 20 cooperation documents in areas such as science and technology, education, people-to-people exchanges and media.

Xi Jinping at SCO summit: “The trend toward a multipolar world is irreversible”

On the morning of September 1, President Xi attended the 26th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

The meeting was chaired by President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, the current holder of the rotating presidency of the SCO, and attended by leaders of SCO member states, including President Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev of the SCO.

Xi Jinping delivered a speech on the theme, “Toward Higher Quality Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.”

He pointed out that this year is the 25th anniversary of the SCO: “Twenty-five years ago, reckoning with the hard lessons of the Cold War, confronting the real threats from terrorist, separatist and extremist forces, and heeding the earnest aspirations of the world for peace and development, countries in our region came to a prevailing consensus on upholding sovereignty, security, and development interests. The SCO was founded in this context, and it has shown increasingly stronger vigour and vitality. Over the past 25 years, the SCO has travelled an extraordinary journey. Its biggest achievement is that it has steadily grown into a new type of regional cooperation organisation with the largest land area and population and enormous development potential. Its most valuable spiritual asset is that it pioneered, and has since followed invariably, the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilisations, and pursuit of common development. Its most important experience for cooperation is that it has found the right way of coexistence featuring non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party, enabling regional countries to build a common home together. Twenty-five years later today, transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe. The rivalry is intensifying between dialogue and confrontation, win-win and zero-sum, and multilateralism and unilateralism. The shadow of war continues to haunt the world. At such a crossroads with humanity’s future at stake, the SCO should step forward to shoulder its historical responsibility and steer the course for the future.”

In this regard, President Xi put forward four points:

Staying committed to putting development first and opening up the prospects for shared prosperity.
Staying committed to taking security as a key goal and fostering an environment of common security.
Staying committed to a people-centred approach, and cementing the foundation for everlasting friendship.
Staying committed to dialogue and consultation, and striving for more equitable and orderly governance. “We should always advocate that all countries, regardless of their size, are equal, and that regional affairs should be discussed by all countries to bridge differences and build consensus, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and meet common challenges through multilateral collaboration.”

Leaders of the SCO member states signed and issued the Bishkek Declaration on the 25th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and approved a large number of other agreements and documents.

In the afternoon of September 1, President Xi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Plus Meeting and delivered an important statement entitled “Jointly Advocating an Equal and Orderly Multipolar World and Making Global Governance More Just and Equitable”.

He pointed out that the meeting focuses on strengthening the role of the United Nations and building a multipolar world, and it demonstrates SCO’s commitment to reforming and improving global governance as required by our times. “Currently, major changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the globe. Hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism are resurging against historical trends. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of the world do not condone power politics, conflict and confrontation, or isolation and backwardness. What they want instead is to hold a place on the world stage through national development and international cooperation. In recent years, the rise of the Global South is driving a profound shift in the international balance of power. The trend toward a multipolar world is irreversible.”

Xi stressed that as a responsible major country, China advocates for an equal and orderly multipolar world. Sovereign equality and mutual respect are fundamental principles. “Mutual benefit, win-win, and inclusiveness are the way forward for development. We should ensure equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules for all countries, regardless of their size, strength and wealth. As an important part of a multipolar world and a key driving force behind it, the Global South countries ought to have greater representation and voice in international affairs. We should promote the common values of humanity, reject double standards, exceptionalism, foreign interference, bullying and the law of the jungle, and advance the rule of law in international relations. Major countries in particular should take the lead in observing international norms and honouring the rule of law, and work together to tackle global challenges. We need to uphold the principle that world affairs should be discussed by all, and international norms should be set by all. The authority and vitality of the UN need to be restored.”

Xi pointed out that after a 25-year journey, the SCO has successfully set a stellar example in conducting relations among big countries, among neighbours, and among countries of different sizes. It has successfully brought together half of the world’s population and a quarter of the global economy, generating strong driving forces for development. A more united and vibrant SCO is fully capable of making greater contributions to a multipolar world.

To this end he put forward three points:

We should advance common prosperity in the vast continent straddling Asia and Europe with the SCO Strength.
We should promote the development and rise of the Global South through the SCO Wisdom.
We should guide the reform and improvement of global governance through the SCO Action.

He concluded: “Let us take the people-centred and action-oriented approach, jointly advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world, make global governance more just and equitable, and build a community with a shared future for humanity.”

The meeting was chaired by President Sadyr Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, the current holder of the rotating presidency of the SCO, and attended by leaders of SCO member states, along with leaders of other countries invited, including Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Laos, Türkiye, Vietnam, and Togo, and heads of international and regional organisations including UN Secretary General António Guterres.

New book: China’s Foreign Policy and the Making of a Multipolar World

Friends of Socialist China is delighted to announce the publication of China’s Foreign Policy and the Making of a Multipolar World: Changes unseen in a century, edited by Keith Bennett and Carlos Martinez and published by Praxis Press. The book is available now in paperback and as an ePub.

The volume aims to set out the broad contours, historical background and theoretical underpinnings that shape and guide China’s practice on the global stage. What are the historical roots of China’s foreign policy? What are its theoretical foundations? How has it been applied in practice, across radically different historical circumstances? Is China an imperialist power? Is its foreign policy “good enough”? And what does China’s rise mean for the rest of humanity – for the Global South, for peace, and for the struggle to build a just world order?

The ten essays collected here approach these questions from a range of angles, but they share a common premise: that China’s emergence as a global power, far from being a threat to humanity, offers the best hope for a peaceful, multipolar and ultimately socialist future.

Alongside the editors, the contributors are Ken Hammond, Andrew Murray, Jenny Clegg, Danny Haiphong, Cheng Enfu, Torkil Lauesen and Michael Dunford, with a foreword by João Pedro Stédile, founding member of the national leadership of Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST).

Buy the paperback

buy the ebook

China at UN: Resolution of Palestine question is long overdue

Speaking at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Palestine-Israel Issue held on August 26, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said that: “Recently, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has continued to escalate, with a sharp increase in violence, repeated trampling of fairness and justice, and repeated breaches of the moral bottom line, casting an even darker shadow over the prospects for resolving the Palestinian question. The Palestinian people have endured immense suffering, with generations waiting for historical injustices to be redressed.”

He made three points:

No effort should be spared to uphold the ceasefire in Gaza and restore peace and stability at an early date. Recently, the Board of Peace announced progress on the arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel not only openly rejected them but went even further by escalating its deadly attacks on Gaza, undermining the fragile situation there. The facts have made it abundantly clear that the fundamental reason why lasting peace has yet to be achieved in Gaza is the lack of political will for peace, and that the biggest obstacle is the dangerous attempt to deliberately prolong the hostilities.
Acts of violence and annexation must be stopped and tensions in the West Bank eased. The security situation in the West Bank is becoming increasingly precarious and acts of violence against Palestinian civilians are appalling. In recent days, settlers in the West Bank have besieged Palestinian residents for days in an attempt to drive them out and seize their homes. China strongly condemns such acts. Any attempt at the de facto annexation of the West Bank is unacceptable. All settlement activities violate international law and Security Council resolutions and must cease immediately.
International fairness and justice must be upheld and the implementation of the two-State solution advanced. Palestine is the homeland of all Palestinians. Governance of the West Bank and post-war reconstruction in Gaza should be advanced in accordance with the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine. The international community should act on the basis of international law, with the aim of addressing both the symptoms and root causes and through practical actions, support the just cause of the Palestinian people in pursuing their legitimate national rights… The legitimate right of Palestinian leaders to attend the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly should be safeguarded.

In his conclusion, Fu Cong noted: “The Palestine question has been on the United Nations agenda for more than 70 years. Its resolution is long overdue.”

China and India make progress on boundary issue

The 25th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question was held in Beijing on August 25, making significant progress towards resolving the key outstanding issue between Asia’s two biggest developing countries.

The talks were headed by China’s Special Representative, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India’s Special Representative and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. They were described as comprehensive, in-depth, friendly and candid, and besides the boundary question included bilateral relations as well as other issues.

Wang Yi noted that China and India are important neighbours to each other, and both are major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies. A sound and steady development of China-India relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples, meets the common aspiration of Global South countries, and conforms to the trend of the times. The China-India relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and bears global and strategic significance. In recent years, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held two meetings in Kazan and Tianjin [at the 2024 and 2025 summit meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) respectively], reaching a series of important common understandings that charted the course for the improvement and development of bilateral relations. The two sides should draw lessons from history, place the boundary question in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, keep moving forward without stagnation, regression or deviation, and gradually foster a positive narrative on China-India boundary affairs, making dialogue, peace, consultation and cooperation the mainstream, so as to inject positive factors into the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.

Ajit Doval said that India and China are both ancient civilisations, populous countries and major economies, and are cooperative partners rather than competitors. A stable, predictable and forward-looking India-China relationship serves the common interests of the two peoples and is of great significance to Asia and the world at large. India is ready to work with China to further intensify strategic communication, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, deepen multilateral coordination, effectively manage the border areas, explore solutions to the boundary question, and promote faster improvement and development of India-China relations.

The two sides agreed the Eight Points of Outcomes and Consensus for the 25th Round of Talks Between Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question.

Ajit Doval also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on the same day.

Han said that China and India should view and handle bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and work together to implement the important consensus reached by their leaders. The two sides should enhance strategic mutual trust, tap the potential for cooperation, maintain close multilateral coordination, properly manage differences, and promote the sustained and stable development of China-India relations.

Doval said that as the world’s two most populous and fastest-growing major economies, India and China have a historic opportunity for cooperation, adding that India stands ready to work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly address the boundary question and make new progress in bilateral relations.

Xi Jinping puts forward four-point proposal to help resolve Palestinian issue

King Abdullah II of Jordan paid a state visit to China from August 18 to 24 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

Xi met with the Jordanian monarch on the afternoon of August 24. During the meeting, the Chinese president said that the Palestinian question is the core of the Middle East issue, and efforts to resolve it should be guided by four principles:

We must uphold political settlement, adhere to the two-State solution as the right direction, work for the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and realise the early establishment of an independent State of Palestine.

We must uphold the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine. Palestine is the homeland of all Palestinians. The principle of Palestinians governing Palestine should be followed in advancing the governance of the West Bank and postwar reconstruction of Gaza.

We must uphold humanitarianism. The international community, particularly the UN Security Council, should truly take up the responsibility to keep civilians safe, ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and put an end to humanitarian disasters.

We must uphold fairness and justice. We should act on the basis of international rule of law, aim at addressing both the symptoms and root causes, and take practical actions to realise a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question at an early date.

Meanwhile, it has been announced that Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Egypt, his first in ten years. Between August 30 to September 3, Xi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2026 in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek and pay a state visit to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. His visit to Egypt will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. Under the leadership of Gamal Abdul Nasser, Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with China. This followed the meeting between Nasser and Chinese premier Zhou Enlai at the Africa Asia Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia the previous year.

Responding to left criticisms of China’s foreign policy

In this discussion with Radhika Desai, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez confronts the charge, common even on parts of the left, that Beijing does far too little for Palestine, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

The conversation traces China’s foreign policy from the internationalism of Bandung and the Non-Aligned Movement, through its rapprochement with Washington and entry into the world economy, to its pursuit of a Global Community of Shared Future. Carlos argues that the criticisms rest on a misreading of what China is and what it can do – that a country still in the primary stage of socialism, subject to sanctions, encirclement and technology blockade, is being held to a standard never applied to any other state, and judged against an imagined capacity it does not possess.

He also addresses what China actually does: its consistent votes and vetoes at the United Nations, its material and diplomatic support for Cuba and Venezuela under blockade, its position on Palestinian statehood and the Beijing Declaration on Palestinian unity, and its insistence that unilateral sanctions have no basis in international law.

The video is embedded below, followed by a full transcript.

Transcript

Radhika Desai: Hello, viewers and listeners. Welcome to the Geopolitical Economy interview, a series in which I speak with prominent intellectuals, scholars, politicians, journalists, activists and public figures to illuminate the fast-changing political economy and geopolitical economy of our times.

I’m Radhika Desai and you’re watching Radhika Desai, Geopolitical Economist. Today’s topic is China’s foreign policy towards the United States and the West on the one hand, and the oppressed — and I should say oppressed and embattled — nations such as Palestine, Cuba, Venezuela and Iran on the other, in the broader context of rising multipolarity. How should the left make sense of it, particularly given that sections of the left have criticised China for not doing enough for precisely these countries?

I can think of few people better qualified to address this question than Carlos Martinez, who joins me today. Welcome, Carlos.

Carlos Martinez: Hi, Radhika. Lovely to see you. Good to be with you.

Radhika Desai: It’s really great to have you today, Carlos. Let me tell our audience that you are an independent scholar and researcher, co-editor of the increasingly important and influential Friends of Socialist China website, and author and editor of many books on China and on socialism — including the one on China, which is called The East Is Still Red, and the wonderfully titled book on the demise of the USSR, The End of the Beginning. You meant, of course, that this was just the end of the beginning of world socialism.

CPC International Department in solidarity with Laos, Cuba, Brazil and Mexico

Laos

Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), went to the Lao Embassy in China on August 11 to mourn the passing of Xaysomphone Phomvihane, Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of the Lao National Assembly.

Sun conveyed the profound condolences of IDCPC Minister Liu Haixing on the passing of Comrade Xaysomphone Phomvihane to Somphone Sichaleune, Lao Ambassador to China. She said that Comrade Xaysomphone was an outstanding leader of the LPRP and Laos, having made important contributions to the cause of reform and socialist construction in Laos, and having long been actively promoting the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries.

Somphone expressed sincere gratitude to Sun for coming to pay condolences, stressing that the Lao side is ready to work with the Chinese side to carry forward and promote the traditional friendship between Laos and China.

Cuba

On August 13, Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, attended and addressed an event held by the Cuban Embassy in China to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the leader of the Cuban revolution Fidel Castro.

Ma highly praised Fidel Castro’s historic contributions to the Cuban revolution and socialist construction, as well as to the friendship between China and Cuba. He emphasised that General Secretary Xi Jinping sent a letter to Cuban leaders on the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth, and IDCPC Minister Liu Haixing recently led a CPC delegation to visit Cuba and attend the International Colloquium “Fidel, Legacy and Future.” These demonstrate the profound friendship between China and Cuba who stand together through thick and thin and jointly overcome difficulties. China is willing to work with the international community, including Cuba, to jointly uphold international fairness and justice and oppose hegemony and power politics.

Alberto Blanco Silva, Cuban Ambassador to China, offered a comprehensive review of Fidel Castro’s glorious and revolutionary life, particularly his profound friendship towards China and the CPC. The Cuban side will carry forward Fidel Castro’s legacy and actively advance the building of a Cuba-China community with a shared future.

Brazil

Earlier, on August 6, Ma Hui met with a delegation led by Monica Valente, Member of the National Executive Committee of Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT) and Executive Secretary of the São Paulo Forum. The São Paulo Forum groups most of the major left and progressive political parties and organisations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ma said the Chinese side looks forward to working hand in hand with the Brazilian side to further deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two Parties, boost party building, national development and progress of each side, and contribute to building a China-Brazil community with a shared future.

Valente said, the PT has long followed closely the theoretical and practical development of the CPC. The PT is ready to strengthen exchanges on the CPC’s experience in party governance and state administration, and push Brazil-China relations towards greater progress through inter-party channels.

Mexico

Meanwhile, on July 10 Minister Liu Haixing met with a delegation of the Labour Party (PT) of Mexico led by party president Alberto Anaya.

Liu noted that in 2024, President Xi Jinping and President Claudia Sheinbaum held a meeting and reached important consensus, charting the course for the development of China-Mexico relations. The CPC and the PT of Mexico share similar ideas and have maintained friendly exchanges ever since the establishment of inter-party relations. The Chinese side is ready to further strengthen institutionalised exchanges between the two Parties, deepen the exchange and mutual learning of experience on such topics as party building and social governance, and use the “political party+” channel to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, people-to-people and cultural engagement, science and technology, youth, and sub-national exchanges, so as to promote the sustained and steady development of China-Mexico relations.

Anaya said that under the leadership of the CPC, China has achieved great accomplishments in economic and social development, notably in poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and scientific and technological innovation, and has become an advanced country and an important force in the world, providing tremendous encouragement to developing countries including Mexico. The PT of Mexico and the CPC share a profound friendship and similar ideas.

Vietnam mourns former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has expressed condolences to China on the death on August 12 of former Premier Zhu Rongji, acclaiming his contributions to China’s socialist cause and to the friendship between the two countries.

The top Vietnamese leaders sent messages of condolence to their Chinese counterparts on August 14.

The messages described Zhu as an outstanding leader who made important contributions to China’s reform and opening up and its integration into the global economy. The Party, State and people of Vietnam always value the former Chinese leader’s significant contributions to the development of Vietnam–China relations in the early years of the 21st century, the messages added.

The key Vietnamese leaders further expressed their belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping at its core, the Chinese people will turn grief into strength and continue to score even greater accomplishments in building China into a modern, strong, prosperous, democratic, civilised, harmonious and beautiful socialist country.

On the morning of August 18, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung led a delegation representing the Party and State as well as the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) to the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi to sign the book of condolences.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man and Permanent member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu sent condolence wreaths.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Hung conveyed deep condolences from Party General Secretary and President Lam, National Assembly President Man, Permanent member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat Tu, and other high-ranking Vietnamese officials to General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President Xi Jinping, other Chinese leaders and Zhu’s family. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people highly value Zhu’s dedication and remarkable contributions to ties between the two countries’ Parties, States and peoples.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei said the Chinese Party, State and people attach great importance and give priority to relations with Vietnam and stand ready to further deepen the two countries’ friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and the Vietnam-China Community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Affirming Vietnam’s consistent policy of attaching importance and giving top priority to relations with China, Hung stressed that the attention and practical contributions of generations of leaders from both sides have laid an important foundation for Vietnam and China to continue preserving and advancing their ties towards stable, sustainable development.

Meanwhile, on August 20, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra met with the Chinese Ambassador and said that Vietnam considers strengthening relations with China a top priority in its overall foreign policy.

Highlighting the long-standing friendship between the two countries’ Parties, States and people, she noted that amid complex, rapid and unpredictable developments in the regional and international situation, the two sides should effectively implement important common perceptions reached by their top leaders, and continuously consolidate and develop bilateral ties, especially in areas of substantive cooperation.

Congratulating China on its development achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with General Secretary and President Xi Jinping at its core, the Deputy Prime Minister spoke highly of the country’s development experience. She expressed her hope that the two sides will increase exchanges and share experience in areas such as apparatus organisation, high-quality human resources development, talent attraction and utilisation, tourism, cultural industries, health care, particularly traditional medicine, and other social fields.

For his part, He affirmed that relations between the two Parties and countries are enjoying a period of strong development. He congratulated Vietnam on its development achievements, especially its strong reforms in numerous fields under the leadership of the CPV Central Committee headed by General Secretary and President To Lam. He affirmed that China stands ready to work with Vietnam to strengthen exchanges and share experience, jointly advance the cause of socialist development in each country, and deliver tangible benefits to their peoples.

China at UN: “The lives of the Palestinian people are as precious as those of all other peoples”

China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong has once again spoken out strongly in defence of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Addressing a UN Security Council Emergency Briefing on the Palestine-Israel Issue on August 11, having expressed China’s concern over the situation, he said that: “Against the backdrop of growing instability in the region, the Palestinian question must not be ignored or marginalised,” and went on to make three points:

We must get to the root of the problem and truly respect the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people. For some time now, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza has deteriorated sharply, and the Palestinian people have endured ever greater suffering. At its root, this is because the basic principles of international law have not been upheld, while the Palestinian people’s rights to survival and development have long been disregarded. The lives of the Palestinian people are as precious as those of all other peoples.
We must take decisive and effective action to stop conflict and violence. The situation in the West Bank is escalating dangerously. The occupying Power is advancing settlement expansion plans, desecrating and vandalising religious sites, blockading refugee camps and carrying out mass arrests, while settler violence is intensifying. The protection of civilians is not an empty slogan, but an obligation under international law that the occupying Power must fulfil. The situation in Gaza is equally concerning. Even after the Board of Peace announced progress on the arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued to refuse to halt its military operations. More than 300 days have passed since the ceasefire agreement was reached, yet a lasting ceasefire has still not been achieved. The fundamental problem is not a lack of ceasefire proposals, but a lack of political will to implement them.
We must stay the course and make every effort to revive the political prospects of the two-State solution. Both Gaza and the West Bank are integral parts of the State of Palestine. Israel must end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories as soon as possible and cease undermining the foundations of governance of the Palestinian National Authority. The international community should fully respect the will of the Palestinian people, [and] advance post-war reconstruction in Gaza in accordance with the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine”.