Category: International relations

Xi Jinping meets with Vietnamese leadership

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s December 12-13 state visit to Vietnam was characterised by exceptional warmth, not only on the bilateral level but also, and perhaps most significantly, from the standpoint of two socialist countries jointly taking responsibility for the destiny and progress of socialism in the world.

Meeting the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, shortly after his arrival in Hanoi, Xi and his host announced a new characterisation of the relationship between their two parties and two countries, as working together for a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, on the basis of deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, which the two countries unveiled fifteen years previously. 

General Secretary and President Xi Jinping expressed his pleasure in coming to Vietnam as previously agreed, accomplishing three mutual visits with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He expressed the genuine happiness of China as a comrade and brother for the development achievements of Vietnam over the past nearly four decades of Doi Moi (reform), especially since the 13th CPV National Congress. Xi Jinping expressed China’s firm support for Vietnam in continuing advancing its socialist cause and the firm belief that under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the helm, the CPV and the Vietnamese government will surely accomplish all the tasks put forward at the 13th CPV National Congress, and lay a solid foundation for realising the goals and targets set for the centenaries of the CPV and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Xi Jinping further underlined that China and Vietnam have supported each other in their struggle for national independence and liberation, and learned from each other’s causes of reform and opening up and Doi Moi. The characterisation “camaraderie plus brotherhood” well captures the profound friendship between the two countries. China all along views its relations with Vietnam from a strategic height and long-term perspective. Changes of the world, of our times and of historical significance are unfolding like never before. The CPC and CPV are the two largest governing communist parties in the world. Both uphold and develop Marxism, both are committed to the path of socialism, and both are leading their countries in socialist development. It is therefore all the more important that the two parties grasp the special strategic significance of China-Vietnam relations and solidly advance the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future from the height of building the strengths of socialism in the world and ensuring the sound and sustained development of their respective socialist causes.  China and Vietnam will achieve more progress in their socialist causes, and make new contributions to stability, development and prosperity of the region and the entire world.

It is important, Xi continued, to keep to the right political direction. The two sides should follow the high-level strategic guidance, enhance exchanges and mutual learning on party and national governance experience, and work together to deepen the understanding of the laws of governance by communist parties, socialist development and the development of human society. The two sides should give each other firm support on issues concerning respective core interests and major concerns and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice. 

Both sides should give top priority to protecting national political security, keep to socialism without any deviation, so as to ensure that the red flag will not be changed, and forestall, diffuse and contain various political security risks with all-out efforts.

Modernisation of the over 1.4 billion Chinese people is a huge opportunity for the world. China would like to share opportunities and pursue common development with comrades in Vietnam. It is important to strengthen the popular and mass foundation for bilateral relations. China-Vietnam cooperation needs to be more weighted toward agriculture, education, medical care and other livelihood areas. The two sides should step up cooperation on youth, tourism and at subnational levels and forge closer bonds between young people.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong noted that under the strong leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era, China has made achievements on all fronts and steadily increased its international standing and influence. Vietnam is genuinely delighted for brotherly China. Vietnam firmly believes that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China will undoubtedly realise all the objectives outlined at the 20th CPC National Congress as scheduled, and make new and important contributions to human progress.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued to say that Xi Jinping is a beloved leader of the Chinese people, a prominent leader in the world, and a respected and revered comrade and friend of the Vietnamese people. He added that both the invitation extended to him for a visit to China immediately after the 20th CPC National Congress and this third visit as previously agreed speak volumes about the special friendship of Xi Jinping for Vietnam and the high-level nature of Vietnam-China relations. Vietnam and China have a profound friendship featuring camaraderie plus brotherhood. Not long ago, he had visited the Friendship Pass at the Vietnam-China border and planted a “friendship tree” there to demonstrate the special brotherhood and send a positive signal of the special friendship between Vietnam and China.

Maritime differences, the Vietnamese leader noted, are only part of the overall relationship between Vietnam and China. It is believed that the two sides will properly handle them in the spirit of mutual trust and mutual respect.

Following the talks, the two General Secretaries jointly witnessed the documents signed on bilateral cooperation in 30 plus areas, including Belt and Road cooperation, quarantine and inspection, development cooperation, digital economy, green development, transportation, subnational cooperation, defence, law enforcement and security cooperation, and maritime cooperation.

The next day, President Xi continued his talks with other Vietnamese leaders.

Meeting with President Vo Van Thuong, Xi said that yesterday he and General Secretary Trong had jointly announced the building of a China-Viet Nam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, raising the relations between the two parties and two countries up to a new stage. The Chinese and Vietnamese people have fought side by side in their struggles for national independence and liberation and supported each other in the cause of socialist revolution and construction. Such a commitment to each other through thick and thin has forged a friendship featuring “camaraderie plus brotherhood.” To build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance is to renew the shared will of the older generation of leaders of the two parties and countries, to pay tribute to the heroic past, and to carry forward the revolutionary friendship between the two countries. It is also a major historic decision made by the leadership of the two parties and countries, bearing in mind the larger interests of the long-term development of China-Vietnam relations and the strategic overall picture of solidarity of socialist forces in the world. It meets the common needs of China and Vietnam to advance their respective modernisation and serves the common interests of the two peoples.

President Xi Jinping stressed that the two sides need to fully appreciate the historical imperative, strategic significance, immediate necessity, and international responsibilities of building a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. 

He added that it is important to enhance solidarity and coordination to safeguard the China-Vietnam community with a shared future. China and Vietnam are both socialist countries under the leadership of a communist party. It is their shared responsibility and mission to safeguard the security of the political system and defend the cause of socialism. The two sides should strengthen solidarity, stay committed to openness and mutual benefits, jointly guard against external infiltration and sabotage attempts, and make due contributions to strengthening world socialist forces and promoting peace and progress of humanity.

President Vo Van Thuong said that the profound traditional friendship between Vietnam and China, forged by the older generation of the two sides, has stood the test of the evolving international dynamics and become a shared asset of the two peoples. Amid complex transformation of the international landscape, both Vietnam and China are at a critical development stage. It is therefore the shared aspiration of the Vietnamese and Chinese people to consolidate and strengthen the trust and cooperation between the two parties and two countries, and continuously advance the socialist cause of the two countries. Under the irreplaceable strategic guidance of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary Xi Jinping, the Vietnam-China relationship has never been so comprehensive, profound and friendly as it is today.

 And in words that did not name any third country, but which were clearly directed at the attempts by the United States, in particular, to drive a wedge between China and Vietnam, for example during US President Biden’s recent visit, and the insinuations and rumours spread by the imperialist mass media in that regard, the Vietnamese President very pointedly noted:

“The Vietnamese side hopes that President Xi Jinping’s visit will send a clear message to the world once again, that developing relations with China has always been a top priority and strategic choice for the Vietnamese party and government. The Vietnam-China relationship is as solid as rock. No external force can sow discord, disrupt or undermine this bilateral relationship.”

He added that the Vietnamese side will earnestly implement the important consensus of the General Secretaries of the two parties, fully leverage the unique advantage of the two countries in sharing the same social system and similar ideals and philosophies, strengthen experience exchange in party and state governance, comprehensively advance practical cooperation in various fields including politics, economy, trade, people-to-people exchanges and security, uphold national political security, and facilitate industrialisation and modernisation.

Vietnam is committed to the one-China policy, and sincerely supports China’s reunification. The Vietnamese side stands ready to properly address maritime differences under the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and push for steady progress of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future. The initiatives on global development, security and civilisation proposed by President Xi Jinping demonstrate the sense of responsibility of a major country and a major party, as well as China’s important role in leading international development and cooperation. Vietnam is ready to be actively involved, and will enhance international coordination with China to jointly make new contributions to world peace and stability and the progress and well-being of humanity.

Meeting Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, President Xi stressed the need for China and Vietnam to work in solidarity in their socialist cause. The two sides may increase exchanges on ideological work and party theories and share experience on party and state governance. It is also important that the two sides increase people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to deepen the friendship between the two peoples and prepare the younger generation for the task of taking over the baton of China-Vietnam friendship at an early date. While the remarkable achievements in China’s reform and opening up and in Viet Nam’s Doi Moi are the result of hard work by the two countries, they are also attributable to a peaceful and stable world in general and an open and inclusive Asia-Pacific in particular. The two sides must guard against and oppose any attempt to destabilise the Asia-Pacific, and at the same time strengthen coordination and collaboration on international affairs and jointly safeguard a sound external environment.

For his part, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Vietnam and China are two countries cherishing the same ideals and pursuing similar paths. All of President Xi’s visits to Vietnam and his important remarks have strengthened Vietnam’s recognition theoretically and emotionally, and deepened the friendship and mutual trust and enhanced the amity and affinity between the two countries.  The further strengthening of Vietnam’s relations with China is the top priority and a strategic choice of the party and government of Vietnam. It is also the strong desire of the Vietnamese people. Noting that the bilateral relationship has stood the test of time and history, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his conviction that the relationship will not be affected by any external force trying to sow discord or cause disruption and that the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future will benefit the two peoples and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

In his meeting with the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Vuong Dinh Hue, President Xi Jinping noted that China and Vietnam share the same political system, similar aspirations and philosophies and an intertwined future. Relations with each other hold a special place in their respective party-to-party and state-to-state relations. Over the past 73 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam has been further enriched through mutual support and assistance in the struggle for national independence and liberation, and further deepened as the two sides move forward comprehensive strategic cooperation to advance the socialist causes. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Yesterday, leaders of the two countries jointly announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. This sends a positive message of solidarity, friendship and common development between China and Vietnam as two socialist countries.

Xi added that it is important to take stock of the fine traditions and good practices in bilateral relations, step up high-level strategic communication, share experience on the governance of parties and countries, explore ways to enrich the theories and practices of socialist development, uphold common strategic interests, and keep the bilateral relationship on the right track. It is also important, the Chinese leader stressed, to properly manage problems and differences. It is important to translate the understandings and desires of the leadership of the two parties and countries into concrete actions, advance cooperation while managing differences, and steadily take forward maritime cooperation, especially joint development.

Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said that the agreements reached between General Secretaries Xi Jinping and Nguyen Phu Trong take forward the special friendship of camaraderie plus brotherhood forged by the older generation leaders, and will steer the relationship in the direction of steady development in the long run and toward a brighter future. The Vietnamese side identifies with the CPC on its governance philosophy, sincerely congratulates China on its remarkable achievements, and firmly believes that China will realise the goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects as scheduled.

Xi Jinping also delivered an important speech at a meeting of young Chinese and Vietnamese people who have contributed to the friendship between the two peoples. He said that:

“Yesterday, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and I jointly announced our decision to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, thus ushering in a new stage in the relations between our two parties and countries. This is a major strategic decision we have made to revitalise world socialism and ensure long-term stability and security of our two countries. It is rooted in our traditional friendship and represents the shared interests and aspirations of our two peoples.”

President Xi then outlined some key moments in the long history of mutual support and solidarity between the Chinese and Vietnamese revolutions:

“In the past, we stood by and reached out to each other as we pursued common goals together. In modern times, our two parties and peoples stayed true to our common ideals and supported each other in trying times as we fought for national independence and liberation. Chairman Ho Chi Minh was engaged in revolutionary activities in China for 12 years, during which he first established the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League in Guangzhou, and later founded the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hong Kong. For a long time, he also gave guidance to the Vietnamese revolution from Yunnan and Guangxi. Nong Qizhen, a villager in Guangxi’s Longzhou County, risked his life to protect Chairman Ho Chi Minh. It was in Guangxi where Chairman Ho Chi Minh wrote the resounding letter to all Vietnamese. He left Guangxi and returned to Vietnam in 1945, where he led the August Revolution to victory, and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In Vietnam’s War Against French Occupation and its War Against US Aggression to Save the Nation, more than 1,400 Chinese officers and men gave their lives, and they now rest in peace in Vietnam. More than 5,000 injured Vietnamese soldiers were treated in Nanxishan Hospital in Guilin, Guangxi, and over 10,000 Vietnamese students received education in Yucai School there. Vietnam also actively supported the Chinese Revolution. General Nguyen Son, who participated in the Guangzhou Uprising of 1927 and later joined the Long March of the Chinese Red Army, is well-known in China as a general of both countries. Today, when we read the famous poetic line by Chairman Ho Chi Minh that ‘So profound is the friendship between Vietnam and China, because we are both comrades and brothers’, the memory of those fiery and exciting years of our two peoples is kept alive.”

And he continued: “Today, we remain firmly committed to our shared aspiration forged in the early days and are pursuing win-win cooperation. Since we established the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership 15 years ago, we the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of Vietnam have pursued people-centred mutually beneficial cooperation, delivering true benefits to our two peoples… We are now striving to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernisation. What we are pursuing is not modernisation just for China itself. We will stay committed to peaceful development, the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with neighbours, and the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. And we are ready to share more of the benefits of Chinese modernisation with our neighbours. Vietnam, on its part, is vigorously advancing its industrialisation and modernisation drive to realise the goals set for the centenary of its Party and the centenary of the country… With remarkable economic and social advances, China and Vietnam demonstrate to the world that we have found the right development paths. And enhanced solidarity and cooperation will strengthen our socialist causes.”

Expressing his expectations of the young people present, Xi Jinping said in conclusion:

“I hope that you will be pioneers in promoting human progress and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. Our two Parties are both Marxist parties that bear in mind the overall interests of the world, and our two countries are both responsible members of the international community. And both of us should play a major role in advancing human progress. To build a community with a shared future for humanity is an inspiring goal, a goal that requires generations of efforts to achieve. We should be visionary, look beyond the horizon and shoulder responsibilities entrusted upon us by the times, stand up for international fairness and justice, and contribute our share to global development… Keeping in mind the journey we have traversed will enable us to advance along the right path. The challenging paths China and Vietnam have travelled and the remarkable achievements we have made in developing socialism fully demonstrate that enhanced solidarity and cooperation between our two countries has enabled us to overcome all risks and challenges and to move from one victory to another. Going forward, we need to remain true to our commitment and strive to fulfil our mission. And we should pursue our respective paths to socialism and deliver the gains of industrialisation and modernisation to more people of our two countries. Let us join hands and make even greater contribution to the advancement of humanity.”

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

Continue reading Xi Jinping meets with Vietnamese leadership

Xi Jinping: Building a China-Vietnam Community with a Shared Future

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s December 12-13 state visit to Vietnam has been an historic one, not only in terms of promoting good neighbourly and friendly bilateral relations, but especially in stressing the two countries’ common adherence to socialism, strengthening the unity and solidarity of the socialist countries and hence the position of socialism in the world.

To coincide with his arrival in Vietnam, President Xi contributed an article to Nhan Dan, the daily newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In opening, the Chinese leader notes:

“It will be my third visit to this beautiful country since I became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People’s Republic of China. I feel that I am already immersed in the warmth that people would only have when visiting relatives and neighbours.”

He continues: “China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers. We enjoy cultural proximity, cherish the same ideals, and have a shared future ahead of us. Inspired by common visions, convictions and empathy, Comrade Mao Zedong, Comrade Ho Chi Minh and other older-generation leaders of our two parties and countries jointly cultivated the China-Vietnam traditional friendship featuring ‘camaraderie plus brotherhood.’ We stood together wholeheartedly and supported each other in pursuing national independence and liberation. In advancing socialism, we shared our experience and expanded our cooperation, writing together a historic chapter of China-Vietnam friendship.”

Noting that 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, Xi writes: “No matter how the global environment has changed, our two parties and countries have worked together to uphold peace and tranquility, pursue development and cooperation, and promote prosperity and progress. We have found a promising path of jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity.” He adds that “leaders of our two parties and countries have visited each other frequently like relatives.”

Drawing attention to their common interests and mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi points out that: “China has long been Vietnam’s largest trading partner, and Vietnam is China’s biggest trading partner in ASEAN and the fourth largest globally.” Giving a specific example, he writes: “Vietnam’s first urban light rail project, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, which was built by a Chinese company, has served nearly 20 million passenger trips so far, making travels in Hanoi more convenient.”

Having observed that “building a community with a shared future for humanity should start from Asia,”, Xi continues: “Vietnam’s friendship with China featuring ‘camaraderie plus brotherhood’ is profound indeed. The CPC and the Chinese government always take it as a priority in our neighbourhood diplomacy to develop relations with Vietnam. We sincerely hope that our two nations will always hold dear to the hearts our traditional friendship, always keep in mind our shared visions and missions, advance together along the socialist path, and steadily promote the building of a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance… It is important that we keep strategic communication at high levels to ensure that the ship of China-Vietnam relations can break waves and keep making steady progress. We should firmly support each other in pursuing the socialist path suited to our respective national realities… We need to deepen exchanges on the theory and practices of socialist development, fend off external risks and challenges together, and ensure steady and sustained progress in our socialist endeavours.”

Stressing the need to properly manage differences, Xi writes that: “Both sides need to act on the common understandings reached by the leaders of our two parties and countries, properly manage differences on maritime issues, and jointly look for mutually acceptable solutions. Both should bear in mind the long-term well-being of our peoples, and stay committed to striving for mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.”

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

I will soon pay a state visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong. It will be my third visit to this beautiful country since I became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People’s Republic of China. I feel that I am already immersed in the warmth that people would only have when visiting relatives and neighbors.

China and Viet Nam are connected by mountains and rivers. We enjoy cultural proximity, cherish the same ideals, and have a shared future ahead of us. Inspired by common visions, convictions and empathy, Comrade Mao Zedong, Comrade Ho Chi Minh and other older-generation leaders of our two parties and countries jointly cultivated the China-Viet Nam traditional friendship featuring “camaraderie plus brotherhood.” We stood together wholeheartedly and supported each other in pursuing national independence and liberation. In advancing socialism, we shared our experience and expanded our cooperation, writing together a historic chapter of China-Viet Nam friendship.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Viet Nam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. No matter how the global environment has changed, our two parties and countries have worked together to uphold peace and tranquility, pursue development and cooperation, and promote prosperity and progress. We have found a promising path of jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

We have conducted exchanges with mutual trust. Leaders of our two parties and countries have visited each other frequently like relatives. I had close interactions with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong through the year. We jointly drew up a blueprint for China-Viet Nam relations in the new era from a strategic and long-term perspective, adding new dimensions to the relationship and raising it up to a new stage. I met with President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPV Truong Thi Mai, who came to China for bilateral visits or international conferences. The two sides held the session of the steering committee for bilateral cooperation, the party-to-party theoretical symposium, the conference on crime control between the two public security ministries, and other meetings under bilateral mechanisms. Interagency and subnational cooperation was getting ever closer.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: Building a China-Vietnam Community with a Shared Future

British and US hypocrisy over Chagos Islands exposes the true nature of their ‘values-based alliance’

The following article, which originally appeared in the Global Times on 9 December 2023, exposes the utter hypocrisy of the US and Britain in relation to their supposed ‘values-based alliance’ and its role in upholding a ‘rules-based international order’.

The article discusses the recent press conference by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, at which Cameron refused to say whether Britain would return its Chagos Islands colony to Mauritius – as required by international law – and Blinken said that Washington “recognises UK sovereignty” over the territory. As the author points out: “The Chagos Islands do not belong to the UK; they belong to Mauritius. This has been formally determined by a UN resolution and a ruling of the International Court of Justice. It is also the general consensus of the international community and there is no dispute about it.”

Britain split the Chagos archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 in advance of the latter’s independence, essentially so that it could fulfil a promise to lease Diego Garcia – the largest of the islands – to the US as an airbase. Incidentally, this thoroughly unscrupulous act was carried out by Harold Wilson’s Labour government. The approximately 2,000 indigenous inhabitants of the islands were forcibly relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Mauritius has long fought for the return of Chagos to its sovereignty, and the Chagossian people have long fought for the right to return to their homeland. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that Britain’s separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius was illegal, and ordered the UK to return the territory to Mauritius as soon as possible. The UN General Assembly passed a resolution by large majority calling for the same (the only six countries to vote against the resolution were Britain, the US, Australia, Israel, Hungary, and the Maldives).

The author notes that Diego Garcia has become an “‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ for the US military in the Indian Ocean. It has been used for bombing missions in Afghanistan and Iraq and plays a crucial role in the later-introduced ‘Indo-Pacific strategy'”. Meanwhile, bizarrely, Britain and the US “argue that the island is crucial for the US, so it cannot be returned, and are even suggesting that returning it might benefit China.”

It is clear that these upholders of ‘democratic values’ are only too happy to flout international law in the pursuit of hegemony. As the article rightly concludes, “these new and old Anglo-Saxon empires still persist in attempting to apply imperialistic practices in many international affairs in 2023, treating their self-interest as international norms.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and visiting British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Thursday local time in a joint press conference that they had discussed the “vital” US-UK Indian Ocean air base at Diego Garcia. Cameron did not give a specific response when asked if the UK was dropping plans to return the Chagos Islands, of which Diego Garcia is the largest member, to Mauritius, while Blinken said that Washington “recognizes UK sovereignty over British Indian Ocean Territory.”

The word “recognize” here is full of darkness, injustice and irony. This immediately makes people think of the past and ongoing political deals between the UK and the US on the issue of the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. The deals are extremely dirty and shameful. This is why Blinken and Cameron dare not speak clearly or elaborate.

The Chagos Islands do not belong to the UK; they belong to Mauritius. This has been formally determined by a UN resolution and a ruling of the International Court of Justice. It is also the general consensus of the international community and there is no dispute about it. As early as 2019, a UN resolution required the UK to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius within six months, but the UK has delayed it until today, and it obviously wants to delay it further. In November last year, the UK and Mauritius decided to start negotiations, giving Mauritius some hope, but now various signs indicate that the UK is likely to change its mind again, and the negotiations are turning into a deception.

The Chagos Islands were Britain’s last colony in Africa and seen as the final “holdout” of colonialism. Britain occupied the Chagos Islands for over 200 years, during which illegal and inhumane acts of violence, plundering, and deception against the indigenous Chagossians were rampant. As the outcome of a war between colonial empires, the islands first came under British rule in 1814 after a British-led coalition defeated Napoleon, taking possession of Mauritius, including the Chagos Islands, as colonies. When Mauritius gained independence, Britain attempted to deceive Mauritius into relinquishing its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, but this ploy was unsuccessful. It was at this point that the US entered the picture.

In 1965, the UK forcefully “acquired” the Chagos Islands. The following year, it transferred the largest island in the Chagos, Diego Garcia, as a “gift” to the US, leading to a grave humanitarian tragedy. In order to meet US military demands to “clear” the islands, the British authorities created an artificial famine by cutting off water and food supplies, prohibiting ships carrying food from reaching the island, and other measures. This forced over 2,000 indigenous people on the island to leave their ancestral homes, fleeing to Mauritius and Seychelles thousands of miles away. Many islanders resorted to suicide. Over the years, the Chagos Islanders and the Mauritius government have continuously sought justice through various avenues, including the British High Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and relevant courts and institutions in United Nations. They have achieved almost every legal victory, including the 2019 UN resolution, but remained limited to this.

After the US established the military base, the situation became even more complex. Diego Garcia Island became an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” for the US military in the Indian Ocean. It has been used for bombing missions in Afghanistan and Iraq and plays a crucial role in the later-introduced “Indo-Pacific strategy.” Some US media outlets even refer to Diego Garcia Island as “one of the most strategically important and secretive US military installations outside the US,” a description that may not be an exaggeration.

Therefore, whether the UK will return the Chagos Islands depends on the US attitude. If the US does not agree, the UK, even if willing, may not dare to return them. However, the reasons given by the UK and the US for refusing to return the islands are peculiar. They argue that the island is crucial for the US, so it cannot be returned, and are even suggesting that returning it might benefit China. This is akin to stealing someone’s belongings and then claiming it’s essential, so the stolen objects cannot be returned. What logic and reasoning is that? In the Chagos Islands issue, both the UK and the US have trampled on human rights, international norms, morality, and international law, subjects that they always talk about.

The US and the UK have one foot in the 21st century while the other remains planted in the 19th century, revealing the true nature of their “values alliance.” These new and old Anglo-Saxon empires still persist in attempting to apply imperialistic practices in many international affairs in 2023, treating their self-interest as international norms. However, they are not dealing with a “weak” Mauritius, but countless awakening developing nations. Fairness and justice are no longer dictated solely by powers like the US and the UK.

South Korean president visits Europe to promote US-led war drive against China

South Korea’s hard right President Yoon Suk-yeol toured a number of European countries, including Britain and France, in late November. 

Following talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the two issued the Downing Street Accord, which stated in part: “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an indispensable element in the security and prosperity of the international community. Given the serious nature of the situation in the East and South China Seas, we strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the region.”

This drew a sharp reaction from China. At a November 24 regular press conference, spokesperson Mao Ning urged the two countries to stop making irresponsible comments on issues bearing on China’s core and major concerns.

Noting that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, Mao emphasised that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair and brooks no interference by any external forces.

She added: “China urges relevant parties to stop making irresponsible comments on issues bearing on China’s core and major concerns and be very prudent about what they say or do.”

In a November 28 article published by the World Socialist Website (WSWS), Ben McGrath writes that the Downing Street Accord “specifically denounces North Korea and Russia as well as Hamas, while all but ignoring the genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza. However, as with all such agreements being adopted today, whether with the US or between Washington’s allies, the chief target is China.

“The ‘international order’ is that established by Washington in the post-World War II period and which is threatened by China’s economic growth. Yoon and Sunak’s claims that they are defending ‘stability’ or the ‘rule of law’ is to uphold an international order dominated by the US in which it set the rules and under which London and Seoul have pursued their own national interests.”

He further notes:

“Over the last decade, the US has responded to China’s economic rise by drastically ramping up the militarisation of the Indo-Pacific to encircle and undermine the world’s second-largest economy. British imperialism has signed up to this war drive as a means of reestablishing a military presence and expand their own influence in Asia…  

“For all their talk of the ‘rule of law’ and ‘human rights,’ both London and Seoul have demonstrated they have no concern for either in their defence of Israel and its genocidal war against the oppressed Palestinian people.”

Noting the reference to Taiwan, McGrath explains that it “is not an innocent remark, but specifically meant to challenge the ‘One China’ policy under which the vast majority of countries including the US recognise Beijing as the legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan.”

“The focus on Taiwan represents the most open and provocative attempt by Washington and its allies to goad China into a war, given that Beijing will not allow Taiwan to become a military base for imperialism or to set a precedent for carving up Chinese territory.”

He adds that: “Specific measures in the accord call for London and Seoul to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding on closer military cooperation, increasing bilateral military exercises between the two and conducting joint patrols, supposedly targeting North Korea’s attempts to avoid sanctions. This can only raise tensions in the Indo-Pacific, where patrols and military exercises on Beijing’s doorstep have become an almost daily occurrence and heighten the danger of military conflict…

“South Korea’s increased cooperation with Britain also means increased cooperation with AUKUS, the military pact that includes Australia and the US. Notably, a UK [parliamentary] Foreign Affairs Committee recommended in August that South Korea as well as Japan be invited to join parts of AUKUS, specifically the technological defence cooperation agreement, or Pillar Two of the pact. US military officials and those close to the military have similarly argued for an ‘AUKUS+2’ deal. The inclusion of South Korea or Japan in any aspect of AUKUS would be highly provocative.”

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and the World Socialist Website.

China tells ROK, Britain to stop making irresponsible comments on issues concerning China’s core interests

BEIJING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) — China on Friday urged the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Britain to stop making irresponsible comments on issues bearing on China’s core and major concerns.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on contents in the Downing Street Accord signed by ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak concerning China’s Taiwan region and the South and East China Seas.

Noting Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, Mao emphasized that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair and brooks no interference by any external forces.

As for issues related to the South and East China Seas, neither the ROK nor the UK is a party concerned, and there has never been any problem with regard to the “freedom of navigation and overflight,” she said.

“China urges relevant parties to stop making irresponsible comments on issues bearing on China’s core and major concerns and be very prudent about what they say or do,” Mao said. 

South Korean president visits Europe to promote US-led war drive against China

Nov. 28 (wsws.org) — South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol completed a trip to Europe last Sunday with stops in the United Kingdom and France. The tour was closely bound up with the development of military alliances throughout the Indo-Pacific region and with European powers as part of the US-led war drive aimed at China.

Continue reading South Korean president visits Europe to promote US-led war drive against China

Wang Yi: The tree of China-Vietnam friendship will surely flourish

Chinese President Xi Jinping is to pay a state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, December 12-13, at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterparts, Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Vo Van Thuong. This will be Xi’s third state visit to China’s socialist neighbour, his previous trips being in 2015 and 2017.

Preparatory to the state visit, China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the Vietnamese capital Hanoi at the beginning of December, where he co-chaired the 15th meeting of the China-Vietnam Steering Committee for Bilateral Cooperation together with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on December 1. 

Wang Yi said, this year is of special significance to both China and Vietnam. The socialist causes of both countries have entered a crucial stage and the two sides have reached important common understandings on upgrading the positioning of bilateral relations, which will usher in a new stage of bilateral relations. 

Facing a world with changes and turmoil and the complicated situation, China and Vietnam should stay true to their original aspirations, remain united, firmly follow the path of peace, cooperation and development, and view the relations between the two parties and between the two countries from the strategic perspective of promoting human progress and boosting the strength of socialism.

Wang Yi further said that the two countries should manage differences through friendly consultation, actively advance maritime cooperation, and safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Tran Luu Quang said as a “comrade and brother”, Vietnam supports China’s development and strength and supports China in playing an increasingly important role in safeguarding regional and world peace and stability.

Also, on December 1, Wang Yi met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong. 

The Chinese Foreign Minister first conveyed General Secretary Xi Jinping’s most sincere greetings to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Wang Yi said that under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has achieved political and social harmony and stability, vigorous economic development and the continuous improvement of its international status, expressing confidence in Vietnam to achieve its set strategic goals. The top leaders of the two parties of China and Vietnam have established solid political mutual trust and profound comradeship, steering the course of bilateral relations and providing important strategic guidance. He added that sharing the same ideals and a shared future are the most salient features of China-Vietnam relations.

Nguyen Phu Trong asked Wang Yi to convey his warmest greetings to General Secretary Xi Jinping. He said that Vietnam and China are linked by mountains and rivers. The “comradely and brotherly” friendship between Vietnam and China is particularly unique in the world. The Vietnamese leader said that after he took office as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee for the third time, the first country he paid a visit to was China, and he had very good exchanges with General Secretary Xi Jinping, of which he has a fresh memory. Nguyen Phu Trong said that not long ago, he travelled to the Youyi Pass, or Friendship Pass, on the Vietnam-China border to plant a friendship tree. The border port between Vietnam and China, which is the only one named after friendship among neighbours, fully highlighted the traditional friendship between the two countries cherished by Vietnam.

Wang Yi responded that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s deep feelings toward China are very touching, and expressed the belief that the tree of China-Vietnam friendship will surely flourish and be fruitful.

On the same day, Wang Yi also met with President of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong. He said that Comrade President attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October upon invitation, making important contributions to the success of the Forum. General Secretary Xi Jinping and President Vo Van Thuong reached important common understandings on consolidating China-Vietnam friendship and advancing high-quality cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and the “Two Corridors and One Economic Circle” plan, charting the course for deepening China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation. 

Vo Van Thuong said that both Vietnam and China are at a critical stage of development, and strengthening cooperation is conducive to their respective revitalisation. Vietnam is ready to make joint efforts with China to continuously consolidate and deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The two sides should make thoughtful preparations for the important political agenda in the next stage and put into real action the common understandings reached by the top leaders of the two parties. 

Meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, also on December 1,Wang Yi said that sharing the same ideals and a shared future are the salient features of China-Vietnam relations. The two parties and two countries have seen close high-level exchanges and frequent contacts like visiting relatives, which fully demonstrates the high level and special nature of China-Vietnam relations. China and Vietnam have the same social system and shared ideals and beliefs, and bilateral relations should be at the forefront compared to other countries. Defining a new positioning and setting new goals for bilateral relations will not only open up new prospects for the development of the relations between the two parties and the two countries, but also make new contributions of China and Viet Nam to the cause of peace and progress of humanity. 

Bui Thanh Son said the party, state and people of Vietnam have special feelings for China, and the friendship between Vietnam and China is deeply rooted in people’s hearts. Vietnam regards the development of relations with China as a strategic choice and top priority, and hopes to promote the sound, stable and lasting development of relations between the two parties and between the two countries, and elevate bilateral relations to new heights.

Finally, on December 2, Wang Yi met with Member of the CPV Central Committee Secretariat and Head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.

Wang Yi said that sharing the same ideals and a shared future are the most salient features of China-Vietnam relations, and the “comradely and brotherly” friendship between China and Vietnam is the most vivid illustration of their relations. The top leaders of the two parties have established solid mutual trust and deep friendship, which is the most important political safeguard for the steady development of relations between the two countries. China regards Vietnam as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy, and stands ready to work with Vietnam to follow through on the high-level common understandings, make good preparations for the important political agenda between the two countries, and join hands in advancing the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. 

Le Hoai Trung said that Vietnam, the CPV and the Vietnamese people have deep feelings toward China, and developing Vietnam-China relations is a strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam’s foreign policy. The Vietnamese side is satisfied with the sound and positive development momentum of bilateral relations. Vietnam and China are both socialist countries at the crucial stage of national development. Facing the complex and changing world situation, the Vietnamese side looks forward to closer high-level exchanges between the two sides to bring bilateral relations to a new stage of more in-depth, more solid, more comprehensive and more effective development, so as to lay a more sound and solid foundation for the future of Vietnam-China relations.

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

Xi to pay state visit to Vietnam

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, will pay a state visit to Vietnam from Dec. 12 to 13, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Thursday.

Xi’s visit is at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and State President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong, Hua said.

Continue reading Wang Yi: The tree of China-Vietnam friendship will surely flourish

The BRICS and China: towards an International New Democracy

We are very pleased to publish this important discussion article by Dr Jenny Clegg on the interrelationship between the development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism and multipolarity, anti-imperialism and socialism. 

Jenny looks carefully at the contrasting positions of those she dubs BRICS optimists and BRICS pessimists, as well as those occupying a political and analytical space between these two poles. Whilst there is a certain consensus that multipolarity is on the rise, there is a wide divergence of views as to how this relates to anti-imperialism let alone socialism. However, for Jenny, “the challenge for the left is to understand the interconnections: to fail to grasp the threats and opportunities at this momentous international juncture would be to fail spectacularly.”

Having discussed the political standpoint of the BRICS, assessed the prospects for their replacing dollar hegemony, and outlined the anti-imperialist framework of President Xi Jinping’s various global initiatives, Jenny draws attention to Mao Zedong’s and the Communist Party of China’s development of the concept of new democracy during the war of resistance to Japanese aggression, arguing forcefully for its applicability to the international terrain in the current period:

“As China now directs its efforts towards encouraging an international anti-imperialist movement among states of the Global South, with the BRICS as a significant group, the concept of New Democracy can shed light on the thinking behind this. There are three key points to highlight: an understanding that world revolution develops through stages; an analysis of the national bourgeoisie which recognises their potential to resist imperialist subordination and take part in independent development; and the assessment of the overall international situation given the existence of a major socialist state.”

In her conclusion, Jenny writes that: 

“Anti-imperialism and socialism are… not the same but they are inter-related: in the ebb and flow of the international situation the BRICS may swing this way and that, but what does make a difference to the anti-imperialist struggle in its international dimension is the solidity of China’s socialism.

“As a socialist country China is the most firm in its anti-imperialist stance: it has the strength, unity and manoeuvrability to stand up to and resist US pressure; it has its past experience to draw lessons from, failures as well as successes; it can stabilise the vacillations of the BRICS members to foster the group’s collective focus; it has the commitment and the sense of direction for the future to open the way ahead for the wider Global South in its struggle against imperialism.

“Through its own development, China is able to offer an enabling environment for other developing countries to remove those obstacles still constraining their national development.” 

Jenny’s article, which is based on her presentation to a conference hosted by the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in September, represents a profound and original contribution to a vital debate and deserves the widest possible readership and discussion.

A member of our advisory group, Jenny is a retired academic and an activist in the anti-nuclear, peace and friendship movements. She is the author of China’s Global Strategy Towards a Multipolar World, published by Pluto Press.

Introduction

Over the last year or so the world has undergone a transition: from the all out drive by the US to assert its dominance through the New Cold War on China and Russia, it is now agreed across the international political spectrum – and widely acknowledged in the mainstream press – that a multipolar era has arrived.

When Biden, visiting Latin America, the Middle East, and then Southeast Asia through the summer months of 2022, failed to rally support for Ukraine and for isolating Russia economically, it became clear that the multipolar surge was cresting.  2023 then brought numbers of proposals for peace and offers of mediation from across the Global South – China, Brazil, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the African peace delegation.  Meanwhile, squeezed ever further as Western banks jacked up interest rates, developing countries began to come forward with their own proposals to change the system of debt financing.[1]

The BRICS summit in August was seen to mark the watershed moment with its expanded membership now looking to eclipse the G7 as leaders agreed to explore ways to sidestep the dollar.

With US hegemony fraying and numbers of countries starting to break free from its dominance, what is the left to make of this? What kind of a group is the BRICS with its mix of capitalist countries together with socialist China? 

Reactions to the summit exposed divisions amongst the left.  On the one hand, there are those who welcome unequivocally the rise of BRICS in the multipolar terrain as an advance for anti-imperialism.  Hailing the summit as a ‘giant step for multipolarity’, Pepe Escobar, well-known leftist geopolitical analyst and contributor to the Asia Times, reported its calling to ‘abandon the US dollar,’ whilst Fiona Edwards of No Cold War offered unalloyed support with the summit presenting a new high in the rise of the Global South and the priorities of economic co-operation and peace.[2]  Meanwhile, Ben Norton of the Geopolitical Economy Report website is constantly positive about the BRICS as, with the financial architecture of the world fracturing, the group works ‘to develop a fairer system of monetary exchange’.[3]

At the other end of the spectrum, political economist Patrick Bond has emphasised the ‘sub-imperialist and neo-imperialist tendencies of powerful BRICS members’, claiming this renders them ‘helpless to enact any substantive changes’.[4]  In similar vein, in a recent piece entitled Multipolarity: false hope for the Left, Zoltan Zigedy, a US-based communist, launches an uncompromising critique of left-wing intellectuals and academics who ‘cheer any force that attempts to diminish US power’: warning against the confusion of multipolarisation with anti-imperialism, he claims these analysts have just ‘become observers of a chess game between capitalist governments’.  What he asks, has this got to do with socialism?[5]

Between these BRICS pessimists and BRICS optimists are numbers who bridge both sides of the argument, including Vijay Prashad of the Tricontinental Institute who, seeing the development of the BRICS as part of a long history of struggle against colonialism and imperialism, hails the summit ‘for peace and development’ whilst pointing to a certain neo-liberal influence, as well as Andrew Murray and the editors of the Morning Star for whom BRICS is necessary but ultimately, lacking political cohesion, not enough.[6]

Continue reading The BRICS and China: towards an International New Democracy

China’s vision of jointly building a community with a shared future among neighbouring countries

On October 24, the Chinese government published an important policy paper on its foreign policy regarding neighbouring countries. Clearly, policy towards one’s neighbours forms a significant part of any country’s foreign policy, but recently China has been attaching ever greater significance to this and theorising it as a specific area of diplomacy in its own right.

The document is “based on the assessment and overview of the current situation and future trends in Asia, comprehensively outlines the achievements, policies, visions and objectives of China’s neighbourhood diplomacy, and declares China’s commitment to the path of peaceful development, to promoting development of the neighbourhood through its own development, to working with regional countries to advance modernisation, to jointly building a community with a shared future among neighbouring countries and to realising the vision of a peaceful, secure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious Asia in the new era.”

It notes that Asia has doubled its share of the world economy, made the leap from a region of low income to one of middle income, and formed a momentum of cooperation, development and rapid rise, in a short span of 40 years. In recent years, it adds, Asia, as an important engine driving global economic recovery, has contributed more than 50 percent to global growth.

However, at the same time, “global governance is in dysfunction; Cold War mentality is resurfacing; unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism run rampant; multiple risks in such fields as energy, food, finance, industrial and supply chains, and climate change are having greater impact on Asia.”

Hence:

“There are two opposite propositions and trends concerning the future of Asia. One advocates open regionalism, true multilateralism, a development-first approach, mutually beneficial cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, integrated development, and pursuit of common development in harmony. The other represents a relapse into the Cold War mentality and exclusive clubs, and attempts to draw lines based on values, politicise economic issues, divide the region into different security blocs, and stoke division and confrontation. Good principles keep abreast of the times. The right choice for Asia should be openness, solidarity, cooperation, justice and harmony rather than isolation, division, confrontation, hegemony and zero-sum approach.”

In terms of historical background, the paper recalls that China and fellow Asian countries jointly advanced the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and have carried forward the Bandung Spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, continously advancing good-neighbourliness and mutually beneficial cooperation.

In the present period, political mutual trust has been growing. Among the various examples it cites are that China has established diverse and substantive partnerships, cooperative relations and strategic relations of mutual benefit with 28 neighbouring countries as well as with ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations). And the country has resolved historical boundary issues with 12 neighbours on land through negotiations and signed treaties of good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation with nine neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, on the economic front, China is the largest trading partner of 18 neighbouring countries.

“The remarkable progress made in Asia is attributable to the joint efforts of China and neighbouring countries and needs to be cherished. China’s development would not be possible without a peaceful and stable neighbouring environment.”

In terms of the principles underlining its policy positions, the document reaffirms that China upholds equality between countries regardless of their size, promotes the unity and cooperation of the Global South, upholds the common interests of developing countries, and works to raise the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in global affairs. 

“China rejects the Cold War mentality, unilateralism, group politics and bloc confrontation. China attaches importance to the legitimate security concerns of all countries, upholds the principle of indivisible security, seeks to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and follows a new path to security that features dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win over zero-sum together with regional countries.”

It underlines the importance of common but differentiated responsibilities in the fight against climate change and for green development, stating:

“China stands ready to work with regional countries to pursue green development and a green growth model, drive economic growth with innovation, transform and upgrade economic, energy and industrial structures, and strike a fine balance between emission reduction and economic growth, in a bid to build an Asian home enjoying the concerted progress of economic growth and environmental progress.”

The document also deals with a wide range of other topics and policies connected to neighbourhood diplomacy. We reprint the full text below. It was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Preface

China and its neighboring countries enjoy geographical proximity, cultural affinity and integrated interests with a shared future. The millennium-old friendly exchanges between the two sides are a vivid history of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Such friendly bonds are best captured by the Chinese saying: “true friendship weathers the changing seasons without fading away and is made even stronger by hardships.”

The neighborhood is where China survives and thrives and the foundation of its development and prosperity. As a member of the Asian family and a responsible major country, China attaches great importance to neighborhood diplomacy, always prioritizes the neighborhood on its diplomatic agenda, and remains committed to promoting regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Outlook on China’s Foreign Policy on Its Neighborhood in the New Era, based on the assessment and overview of the current situation and future trends in Asia, comprehensively outlines the achievements, policies, visions and objectives of China’s neighborhood diplomacy, and declares China’s commitment to the path of peaceful development, to promoting development of the neighborhood through its own development, to working with regional countries to advance modernization, to jointly building a community with a shared future among neighboring countries and to realizing the vision of a peaceful, secure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious Asia in the new era.

I. Asia Faces New Opportunities and Challenges

In the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President, pointed out that changes of our world, our times, and of historical significance are unfolding in ways like never before. The world has once again reached a crossroads in history. Asia, amidst the changes unseen in a century, stands at a new starting point towards development and revitalization and faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges.

Asia, with its vast land and abundant resources, is home to a large population with diverse cultures and development. It has remained generally stable in the past few decades. Regional countries have enjoyed growing political mutual trust and ever deepening cooperation and exchanges. As a result, Asia has doubled its share of the world economy, made the leap from a region of low income to one of middle income, and formed a momentum of cooperation, development and rapid rise in a short span of 40 years. In recent years, Asia, as an important engine driving global economic recovery and growth, has contributed more than 50 percent to global growth. Asia is the most dynamic region with the biggest development potential in the world and will remain a promising land for global development and prosperity.

Meanwhile, global governance is in dysfunction; Cold War mentality is resurfacing; unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism run rampant; multiple risks in such fields as energy, food, finance, industrial and supply chains and climate change are having greater impact on Asia. Asia also faces challenges such as uneven economic growth, and pronounced security and governance issues. Some countries have intensified efforts to build regional military alliances; the Korean Peninsula issue remains complicated and intractable; Afghanistan faces numerous challenges in its reconstruction; terrorism, natural disasters and other non-traditional security threats persist.

There are two opposite propositions and trends concerning the future of Asia. One advocates open regionalism, true multilateralism, a development-first approach, mutually beneficial cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, integrated development, and pursuit of common development in harmony. The other represents a relapse into the Cold War mentality and exclusive clubs, and attempts to draw lines based on values, politicize economic issues, divide the region into different security blocs, and stoke division and confrontation.

Good principles keep abreast of the times. The right choice for Asia should be openness, solidarity, cooperation, justice and harmony rather than isolation, division, confrontation, hegemony and zero-sum approach. This not only hinges on the future prospects of countries in the region, but will also have a fundamental and far-reaching bearing on the future of Asia and the world. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the sure path to a prosperous and better Asia and the world.

Continue reading China’s vision of jointly building a community with a shared future among neighbouring countries

China and the US: who’s really in a ‘vulnerable negotiating position’?

In the following article, originally published in the Morning Star, Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett argues that, contrary to the Western media consensus that China is in a “vulnerable negotiating position” vis-a-vis the US-China relationship, it’s actually the US which is struggling economically and which is increasingly isolated on the global stage.

Keith observes that the deterioration in the relationship over the last decade was not instigated or encouraged by China. “As a socialist country still engaged in a quest for modernisation and development, China is committed to peace and has no interest in war.” The US has been steadily undermining the One China Principle, surrounding China with military bases, and “rigged up a string of alliances aimed at containing China, be it the Quad with India, Japan and Australia, Aukus with Australia and Britain, or this summer’s Camp David deal with Japan and South Korea.”

However, while the US has continued to escalate its aggression towards China, it has comprehensively failed to achieve its objectives, and China’s weight in the global economy and standing in the international community have been steadily rising. Keith points out that, for example, more than 40 countries have now expressed interest in joining BRICS.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the recent Belt and Road Forum – which included representatives from more than 150 countries, including some 23 heads of state and government and the secretary-general of the UN – Xi Jinping set out in simple but powerful terms China’s vision of development and peaceful cooperation:

We have learned that humankind is a community with a shared future. China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better.

This is a message that resonates with people around the world, and which stands in stark contrast to the US’s increasingly aggressive and belligerent stance. As Keith notes, “it is little wonder that this is a more appealing message to the majority of countries in the world, that wish to develop their economies while maintaining their independence.”

Meanwhile the US finds itself increasingly isolated on the world stage, for example with the vast majority of countries opposing its brutal embargo against Cuba and its pro-genocide stance in relation to the Gaza war.

The recent Apec summit in San Francisco was largely overshadowed by the meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that immediately preceded it.

The two men met for four hours on November 16, in a mansion once better known for the US soap opera Dallas having been filmed there. For what was almost certainly the most important diplomatic encounter of 2023 its actual results appear rather modest.

They featured an agreement on Artificial Intelligence, counternarcotics co-operation, the resumption of military-to-military communications, the expansion of direct flights, and the promotion of a range of bilateral exchanges, including a high-level dialogue on tourism and streamlining visa application procedures.

An agreement to co-operate on climate change was announced just before the summit. US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry has been one of just a handful of US politicians to have retained a rational approach to China.

But what was actually significant about the meeting was that it took place at all — and in so doing, as a number of commentators have noted, established a floor under bilateral relations.

That this should rightly be regarded as a not inconsiderable achievement is in itself testimony to just how far the world’s most important diplomatic relationship has deteriorated in the last decade under the successive presidencies of Obama, Trump and Biden.

From the Chinese point of view, Xi’s visit was above all a voyage for peace. As the Chinese leader told a subsequent business dinner: “I often say that what the Chinese people oppose is war, what they want is stability, and what they hope for is enduring world peace.”

Continue reading China and the US: who’s really in a ‘vulnerable negotiating position’?

China’s position paper calls for comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza

On Thursday 30 November, China released a position paper on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The paper reiterates China’s longstanding position of support for the national rights of the Palestinian people, and sets out realistic proposals for a peaceful and durable solution to the crisis in Gaza and its underlying factors.

In sharp contrast to the statements made by the Western powers, which have largely given a carte blanche to Israel in its brutal assault on Gaza, China’s position paper calls for a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire, and for an end to the forced transfer of Palestinians – which by any reasonable definition must be considered as ethnic cleansing.

The position paper states that there will be no lasting peace without the “restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders and with east Jerusalem as its capital.”

It is worth noting that China is a longstanding friend of the Palestinian people and supporter of Palestinian national rights. In a letter to Ahmad al-Shukeiri, president of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), dated 6 June 1967, Premier Zhou Enlai wrote: “The Chinese people will forever remain comrades-in-arms of the Palestinian people and the people of the Arab countries in the struggle against imperialism.”

This was four years before the People’s Republic of China’s rightful seat at the United Nations was restored. Since taking up its position in the UN General Assembly and Security Council, China has been a loud and consistent voice on the international stage in favour of justice for the Palestinian people.

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

In May 2013, just two months after his election as president, Xi Jinping put forward a four-point proposal for the settlement of the Palestinian question, highlighting his personal commitment to the cause. This proposal was pragmatic and realistic, and centred around the demand for an independent, viable Palestinian state enjoying full sovereignty on the basis of the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. Xi reiterated this demand in a new three-point proposal for settlement of the Palestinian question, put forward during discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Beijing in June this year.

In response to the current crisis raging in Gaza, Xi has commented that “the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence, and their right of return have long been ignored.” China’s often-repeated demand – for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and with the right of return for Palestinian refugees – reflects the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, and is consistent with the position of the PLO and the Arab League, and furthermore with UN General Assembly Resolution 3236, adopted in 1974, which affirms the Palestinians’ right to national independence and sovereignty.

With Israel committing war crimes on a vast scale in Gaza – targeting hospitals, schools, residential buildings, refugee camps and mosques, and killing civilians in their thousands – China has persistently called for a ceasefire, a position supported by the vast majority of the world’s countries, although unfortunately not the US and Britain.

Addressing an extraordinary joint meeting of the leaders of the BRICS countries last week, President Xi called for the convening of an international peace conference to build international consensus and to create a path towards Palestinian statehood. He stated: “The only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.”

With its facilitation of a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year, China has shown that it has a valuable role to play in helping to resolve conflicts in the Middle East region. This is why, earlier this month, a delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries seeking to find a solution to the Gaza crisis chose China as the first destination of their ministerial tour.

It is increasingly clear to the peoples of the world that while the imperialist powers cling on to their old habits of war, aggression, unilateralism and coercion, China is working determinedly and resolutely for peace, development, multipolarity and common prosperity.

The full text of the position paper is republished below, along with a report from the Chinese Foreign Ministry of President Xi Jinping’s message of congratulations to the 30 November UN meeting marking the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People.

Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China on Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has caused heavy civilian casualties and a serious humanitarian disaster. It is a grave concern of the international community. President Xi Jinping stated China’s principled position on the current Palestinian-Israeli situation on a number of occasions. He stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and ending the fighting, ensuring that the humanitarian corridors are safe and unimpeded, and preventing the expansion of the conflict. He pointed out that the fundamental way out of this lies in the two-state solution, building international consensus for peace, and working toward a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.

Pursuant to the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council shoulders primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and should thus play an active and constructive role on the question of Palestine. In this connection, China offers the following proposals:

Continue reading China’s position paper calls for comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza

UK white paper smears China’s growing role in world development

In the following article, which was originally published by Global Times, Deng Xiaoci responds to the British government’s latest White Paper on overseas aid, which said that the UK would resist the alleged risks China “poses to open societies and good governments.” The article notes that Chinese analysts see the report as an example of “blunt smearing and desperate effort by the former colonial power to maintain its global influence and tackle its own internal social and political divisions.”

According to Li Guanjie, a research fellow at Shanghai International Studies University, the hostile tone is, “not surprising at all, as it marks simply a continuation of the China policy that the current Conservative government of the UK adopts.” He added that such hostile remarks against China are desperate attempts to tackle its own crisis, showing that the previous colonial empire is deeply troubled by its waning global influence and has met problems in positioning itself in the current world, especially after the turmoil of Brexit. 

Despite the recent appointment of David Cameron, “famous for his pragmatic China approach”, as Foreign Secretary, Britain still lacks the will to return its relations with China to the right track. The government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Li notes, is in dire need of “establishing an external stimulus to unite…  the Conservative Party, which is riven by internal divisions, as well as create headlines to boost public support in order to win the next general election.”

Polling in early November showed the Conservatives trailing the Labour Party by 23% to 47%, the paper notes.

According to Li Haidong, Professor at the China Foreign Affairs University: “The goal of this white paper from the British government is to ensure that Anglo-Saxon nations continue to play a dominant role in the global development pattern, with intolerance toward any non-Anglo-Saxon nation assuming a leading position in the development pattern.”

Asked to what extent Britain’s White Paper could impact third parties around the world, Chinese experts said that most would keep their distance from such a malicious defamation of China’s role in global development, especially those who have participated in and benefit from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The British government’s latest white paper on aid has explicitly raised the so-called concerns over China’s growing role in international development, while promising that the UK will resist the risks China “poses to open societies and good governments.” Such a move to characterize China as a “challenge” with profound prejudice is a blunt smearing and desperate effort by the former colonial power to maintain its global influence and tackle its own internal social and political divisions, Chinese analysts said on Tuesday. 

The white paper smeared the Chinese development model with accusations on its drawbacks including “lower standards and limited transparency,” while underscoring the necessity for the UK to robustly challenge China, especially when British interests are endangered by China’s significant financial role, according to the Guardian’s report on the white paper, a brainchild of British development minister Andrew Mitchell,. 

The white paper, published on Monday UK local time, claims that “between 2008 and 2021, China made $498 billion in loan commitments, equivalent to 83 percent of World Bank sovereign lending during the same period,” adding that “its increased assertiveness in seeking to shape the international order makes it essential for us to navigate the challenges that come with its evolving development role.”

Li Guanjie, a research fellow with the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies under the Shanghai International Studies University, found the hostile tone in the text “not surprising at all, as it marks simply a continuation of the China policy that the current conservative government of the UK adopts.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described China as the “biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity,” after the Group of Seven (G7) summit in May. And before that, Sunak made similar remarks, calling China “the biggest state threat” and “a systemic challenge for the world order,” during an NBC Interview in March.

Li Guangjie told the Global Times on Tuesday that such hostile remarks against China are desperate attempts to tackle its own crisis, showing that the previous colonial empire is deeply troubled by its waning global influence and has met problems in positioning itself in the current world, especially after the turmoil of Brexit. 

The white paper indicates that the Sunak administration, with the recent appointment as foreign secretary of former British prime minister David Cameron, famous for his pragmatic China approach, still lacks determination to drive China-UK relations on the right track and dig them out of the current low tide, observers said.

It also suggested that the Sunak administration is in dire need of establishing an external stimulus to unite domestic forces and the Conservative Party, which is riven by internal divisions, as well as create headlines to boost public support in order to win the next general election, Li Guangjie noted. 

Recent polling showed that as of early November, 47 percent of British adults would vote for the Labour Party in a general election, compared with 23 percent who would vote for the ruling Conservative Party.

“The goal of this white paper from the British government is to ensure that Anglo-Saxon nations continue to play a dominant role in the global development pattern, with intolerance toward any non-Anglo-Saxon nation assuming a leading position in the development pattern. Fundamentally, it’s a matter of leadership in world affairs. The UK finds itself unable to accept China playing a leading role in world affairs,” Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Opposing such an obsolete imperialist mentality, Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the UN, called on Monday for expanding the voice of developing countries in global governance, at an open debate on promoting sustainable peace through common development at the UN headquarters in New York City. 

Peace, development and human rights are the three pillars of the United Nations, among which development is the master key to solving all problems and the foundation for promoting peace and safeguarding human rights, the Chinese envoy said. 

Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said in his address to the 2023 Tongzhou Global Development Forum on Saturday that “I can proudly say that China is the developing country that has implemented the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the fastest. We have eliminated absolute poverty, achieved the SDG’s poverty reduction target 10 years ahead of schedule, and fully built a moderately prosperous society.” 

“As the world’s largest developing country, China’s rapid economic development is in itself a major contribution to global development. At the same time, it has accumulated valuable experience for other countries in implementing the SDGs, providing a feasible and replicable practical reference for the world to achieve modernization,” Luo remarked.

The UK might also intend to use the white paper as a reminder for the US, as relations between China and the US have significantly warmed after the leaders of two countries held a summit in San Francisco last week, observers said. 

As the UK considers that its foreign policy and views on global landscape are more advanced that those of the US, the UK may tend to release a white paper like this to remind the US that Beijing is still a threat or competitor, so as to lead or mislead the US, amid warming ties between Washington and Beijing, Li Guanjie said.

Also the “limited coordination through the multilateral system, especially of bilateral instruments like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” is also mentioned in the white paper among listed drawbacks of China’s growing role in global development. 

When asked to what extent the white paper could impact third parties around the globe, Chinese observers noted that most would keep their distance from such a malicious defamation of China’s role in global development, especially those who have participated in and benefit from the China-proposed BRI.

Vladimir Putin: US exceptionalism is an extension of the colonial mindset

In this edition of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, Wang Guan travels to Moscow to interview Vladimir Putin, shortly before the Russian President left for Beijing to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. 

President Putin notes that, in building their relations, Russia and China have “always tried to reach a compromise, even on complicated issues inherited from the old days. Our relations have always been driven by goodwill. It helped us solve the border delimitation issues that had remained outstanding for 40 years.”

Wang Guan gives his impression of the thriving economic relations between the two countries, saying that on this visit to Moscow, he “saw that the streets and stores, including online trading platforms, were increasingly filled with Chinese brands. At the same time, Russian gas is supplied to the homes of Chinese consumers and Russian meat and dairy products, for example, are becoming more and more common in Chinese stores.”

President Putin agrees that his country and China are well on the way to meeting their joint target for two-way trade to reach 200 billion US dollars by 2024.

Turning to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Russian leader commented that: “Yes, we see that some people consider it an attempt by the People’s Republic of China to put someone under its thumb, but we see otherwise, we just see desire for cooperation. Our own ideas on the development of the Eurasian Economic Union, for example, on the construction of a Greater Eurasia, fully coincide with the Chinese ideas proposed within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.”

Thanks to the BRI, the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have already secured $24 billion dollars’ worth of investments, Putin says, and continues:

“It seems to me that the main advantage of the concept of cooperation proposed by the Chinese side is that nobody imposes anything on anybody in the framework of this work. Everything is done within the framework of finding not only acceptable solutions, but such projects and such ways of achieving a common goal that are acceptable to all. This is what makes China today, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, unique in building relations with others: no one imposes anything on anyone; no one forces anything on anyone, but only gives them opportunity. And, as I said, if there are difficulties, compromises are sought and always found. In my view, this is what distinguishes the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese President from many others that countries with a heavy colonial legacy are trying to implement in the world.”

Reflecting his well-known interest, President Putin refers several times to sports, especially the martial arts and ice hockey, and to his hope to increase cooperation with China in this field, and, citing the importance of sports in his own life, states:

“Everyone knows and it’s not a secret that I come from a simple working-class family, and in the past, I had a lot of time to spend in the yard. I don’t know how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t taken an interest in sports. It doesn’t really matter what kind of sports I did, it’s important that I paid a lot of attention to it.”

Following up on what he said recently at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, President Putin excoriated the Western verbiage about a “rules-based order”:

“Have you ever seen those rules? No, you haven’t, because no one has agreed on them with anyone. So how can one talk about order based on rules that no one has ever seen? In terms of common sense, it’s nonsense. But it is beneficial to those who promote this approach. Because if no one has seen the rules, it only means that those who talk about them are making them up themselves from time to time to their own advantage. That is the colonial approach.

“Because colonial countries have always believed that they are first-rated people. After all, they have always talked about bringing enlightenment to their colonies, that they are civilized people who bring the benefits of civilization to other nations, whom they consider second-rate people. No surprise today’s political elite, say, in the United States, talks about its exceptionalism. This is the extension of this colonial mindset, meaning that when they consider themselves exceptional in the United States, it means that other people, all the people in fact, are just some second-rate people. How else could one understand it? Those are mere vestiges of colonial thinking, nothing else.

“Our approach is quite different. We proceed from the fact that all people are equal, all people have the same rights; the rights and freedoms of one country and one nation end where the rights and freedoms of another person, of an entire state, appear. This is the way in which a multipolar world should be evolving gradually. This is exactly what we are striving for, and this is the basis of our interaction with China on the international stage.”

He also speaks about the BRICS cooperation mechanism and its recent expansion from five to 11 members, saying that “all those who have joined BRICS support the idea and concept of forming a multipolar world. No one wants to play second fiddle to some sovereign, everyone wants equal rights. And when they join BRICS, they see that we can achieve this goal by joining efforts within the framework of expansion and strengthening of such a format.”

President Putin also discusses the conflict in Ukraine and the Chinese proposal for a political solution:

“We are thankful to our Chinese friends for trying to think about ways to end this crisis. However, I would like to remind you that hostilities in Ukraine did not start with our special military operation, but way before – in 2014, when the Western countries, after having volunteered as guarantors of the agreements between President Yanukovich and the opposition, forgot about those guarantees in a matter of days and – worse still – supported a coup d’état. United States Administration officials even acknowledged spending big money on it…

“Therefore, the start of the special military operation was not the start of a war, but an attempt to end it.”

Referring to the negotiations held in the Turkish city of Istanbul, shortly after the start of the special military operation, Putin notes that agreement was almost reached, however, “as soon as we pulled our troops back from the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the Ukrainian side committed all the arrangements to flames.” Therefore:

“Of course, we know the proposals of our Chinese friends. We highly value those proposals. I think they are absolutely realistic and could lay the foundation for peace arrangements. But, unfortunately, the opposing side does not want to enter into any negotiations. In fact, the President of Ukraine has even issued a decree prohibiting everyone – including himself – to conduct any negotiations with us. How can we conduct negotiations if they are not willing to and even issued a regulation prohibiting such negotiations?”

Asked if there is any possibility to make progress based on the Chinese standpoint of building shared, common, and indivisible security, Putin says:

“Yes, we have always said that, too… In this context, it is extremely important for us that Ukraine stays outside any blocs. We were told as far back as 1991 – by the then US Administration – that NATO would not expand further east. Since then, there have been five waves of NATO expansion, and every time we expressed our concerns. Every time we were told: yes, we promised you not to expand NATO eastwards, but those were verbal promises – is there any paper with our signature on it? No paper? Good-bye.

“You see, it is very difficult to engage in a dialogue with people like that. I have already cited the example of the Iranian nuclear programme. The negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme were very, very lengthy. An agreement was reached, a compromise found, and documents signed. Then came a new Administration and threw everything in the trash, as if those arrangements never existed. How can we agree on anything if every new Administration starts from scratch – begin each time from the centre of the playing field?”

The CGTN interview with President Putin is embedded below. We also reproduce the full text of the interview as published by the Russian President’s website. The quotations above are taken from the latter version.

Continue reading Vladimir Putin: US exceptionalism is an extension of the colonial mindset

On the strategic relationship between Venezuela and China

During a state visit to the People’s Republic of China in September 2023, Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro met president Xi Jinping and both agreed to strengthen the relationship of their countries by establishing seven sub commissions to elevate it to the level of ‘all-weather strategic partnership’. This is the culmination of a relationship that began with president Hugo Chavez’s first visit to Beijing in 1999, the very first year of his presidency.

Chavez’s first visit went well beyond friendly diplomacy since Venezuela’s president and the then president of China, Jiang Zemin, signed fifteen cooperation and commercial agreements. This was followed by President Jiang’s visit to Venezuela in 2001. Trade between the two countries in 1998 amounted to a paltry US$182.8 million, which would grow hundred-fold by the 21st century’s second decade.

In his 1999 visit Chavez described the People’s Republic as “a true model and example of mutual respect”, adding “we [in Venezuela] have developed an autonomous foreign policy, independent from any world power and on that, we resemble China.” After that, high officials from both governments would visit each other’s country to develop a commercial and political relationship, which has grown stronger ever since.

Whilst Hugo Chavez was president of Venezuela, he visited China in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. President Maduro did so in 2013, 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2023. For their part, Chinese leaders also visited Venezuela: after Jiang Zemin’s 2001 visit, Xi Jinping (then vice-president) visited in 2009 and in 2013, president Hu Jintao planned a visit in 2010 (interrupted due an earthquake in China), and Xi Jinping, as president, visited in 2014.

This detailed article by Francisco Dominguez – an expert on Latin American politics, National Secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, and Friends of Socialist China advisory group member – endeavours to chart the evolution of the relationship between Bolivarian Venezuela and the People’s Republic of China and its significance for Latin America as a whole.

Introduction

Being a consummate strategist, Hugo Chavez understood earlier than other Latin American left-wing leaders, the significance and weight of China in world politics and economics, especially, the rising Asian power’s commitment to build a multipolar world. Chavez, an avid reader, endowed with a formidable intellect, was also aware not only of the significance of the 1949 Chinese revolution and the leading role played by Mao Zedong, but also of Deng Xiaoping’s economic reform in bringing about China’s extraordinary economic development. He knew that given the affinities between the Bolivarian and Chinese revolutions, the People’s Republic was a friendly ally.

Chavez communicated as much to his host, China’s president Jiang Zemin, and to the people of China in his first visit to the People’s Republic in October 1999. During the visit he went to Mao’s Mausoleum and declared, “I have been a Maoist all my life”. The 1999 visit to China was part of a tour for markets for Venezuelan and potential commercial partners to help break the overwhelming economic dominance of the United States over Venezuela. The tour included visits to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Though the tour produced positive results in all the other Asian countries, the outcome of his visit to China went well beyond all expectations: to the already existing eight cooperation agreements between Venezuela and China signed since Chavez coming to office in February 1999, his visit in October produced seven more covering the fields of energy, oil, credits to purchase agricultural machinery, investment, diplomacy and academia.

Chavez combined his strategic political audacity in promulgating an anti-neoliberal constitution in 1999, with a vigorously independent foreign policy seeking to establish strong links of every kind with the People’s Republic of China, as an alternative to Venezuela’s heavy dependence on the US. The Comandante knew Washington had activated all its resources aimed at ousting him and eliminating his government – perceived by the US as an abhorrent anomaly. Chavez’s political courage is even more impressive considering that in 1999, Latin America, with the exception of Cuba, was a sea of neoliberalism.

Washington’s relations with the People’s Republic had begun to sour because in 1996 Clinton had authorised a visit by Taiwan president, Lee Teng-hui, reversing a fifteen-year-old policy against granting visas to Taiwan’s leaders. Worse, in May 1999, NATO, during its war against Yugoslavia, had “accidentally” bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade killing three Chinese journalists. Though for Venezuela and China, the United States was an important trading partner, they both agreed to comprehensive levels of cooperation knowing that over time it would be viewed with hostility in Washington.

Hugo Chavez opened the gates and was a pioneer in the relations with the Peoples’ Republic of China for the rest of Latin America. Chavez was elected in 1999; the second left wing government in this ‘Pink Tide’ to be elected was Lula in 2002 in Brazil, who would be inaugurated in 2003. That is, four years later. Between 1999 and 2003, Chavez’s government faced intense US-led destabilization, which included right wing street violence, a worldwide media demonization campaign, national protests, economic sabotage, a short-lived coup d’état and a 64-day oil lockout that nearly brought about the country’s economic collapse. Though fully aware of this context, president Jiang Zemin paid a formal visit to Venezuela in 2001, occasion in which both countries decided to establish a “Strategic Association for Shared Development” and set up a High Level Chinese-Venezuelan Commission.

Continue reading On the strategic relationship between Venezuela and China

Amlo: At the height of the pandemic, China was the first to offer assistance

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a number of bilateral meetings with other national leaders during his recent visit to San Francisco to attend the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit and to meet with US President Joe Biden.

On November 16, Xi met with his Mexican counterpart, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Popularly known as Amlo, Obrador is generally considered to be Mexico’s first left-wing president since Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, who nationalised the country’s oil industry and mineral resources in 1938. It was the first occasion for the two leaders to meet.

At the meeting, Xi Jinping said that the friendship between China and Mexico has grown stronger over time, noting that last year the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership. Mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns have become firmer, he added.

The Chinese president stressed that China supports Mexico’s independent development path in line with its national conditions and is willing to strengthen exchanges with Mexico in country governance.

Bilateral trade volume between China and Mexico has increased by more than 7,000 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and highlights of cooperation in fields including railways, automobiles and new energy are abundant. 

The two sides should strengthen multilateral coordination, firmly uphold multilateralism and democracy in international relations, and safeguard international fairness and justice as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, Xi said.

Noting that next year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, he said that China is ready to work with Mexico to promote the steady and long-term development of China-Latin America relations in the new era.

For his part, Obrador said both Mexico and China have splendid civilisations and the two peoples know each other well and treat each other like brothers.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the first to offer assistance, providing a large amount of precious anti-pandemic supplies to Mexico and helping the country tide over the difficulties, he said.

He added that after Mexico was hit by a recent severe hurricane in the Pacific Ocean, China immediately expressed sympathy and support, for which Mexico is grateful.

Both Mexico and China safeguard their own independence and firmly oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs, he noted, adding that Mexico will, as always, adhere to its friendly policy towards China.

Obrador added that Mexico is willing to closely coordinate with China in multilateral affairs, and actively promote Latin America-China relations.

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

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for expanding China-Mexico cooperation in finance, electric vehicles and other emerging industries.

Xi made the remarks when meeting his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. He also said that the two sides should make good use of the inter-governmental cooperation mechanism and deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as infrastructure construction.

The friendship between China and Mexico has grown stronger over time, Xi said, noting that last year the two countries celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi said that at present, the strategic, complementary and mutually beneficial nature of China-Mexico relations has become increasingly prominent, and mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns have become firmer.

China attaches great importance to China-Mexico relations and is willing to work with Mexico to enhance strategic alignment, tap cooperation potential and leverage complementary advantages to push bilateral relations to a new level, he added.

The Chinese president stressed that China supports Mexico’s independent development path in line with its national conditions and is willing to strengthen exchanges with Mexico in country governance.

Bilateral trade volume between China and Mexico has increased by more than 7,000 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and highlights of cooperation in fields including railways, automobiles and new energy are abundant, he said.

Xi said the two sides should deepen counternarcotics law enforcement cooperation, and actively support each other in organizing events for people-to-people exchanges such as cultural performances and exhibitions.

Continue reading Amlo: At the height of the pandemic, China was the first to offer assistance

Xi-Biden summit offers hope for a de-escalation in the New Cold War

On Wednesday 15 November 2023, Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden held what was described in Xinhua as “a positive, comprehensive and constructive summit, charting the course for improving and developing bilateral ties” during a four hour meeting in which “the two heads of state had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic and overarching issues critical to the direction of China-US relations and on major issues affecting world peace and development.”

The summit hopefully represents an important step forward in terms of reducing tensions – tensions which, it must be said, have been generated exclusively by the US side as part of its New Cold War and its strategy of containing and encircling China and suppressing its rise. The Xinhua report cites Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett on President Xi’s agreeing to the summit in spite of a long series of US provocations:

“It is a journey of a peacemaker and of a responsible leader and statesman with a sense of great responsibility to his people, the times, history and humanity as a whole.”

Of particular and urgent importance is the agreement signed between the two countries to step up their cooperation on tackling climate change and protecting the environment. The Global Times article we republish below notes that “China and the US agreed to jointly tackle global warming and operationalize a working group focused on areas including energy transition, methane, the circular economy and resource efficiency, low-carbon development and deforestation.”

However, the article correctly warns that “Washington should also take concrete actions and not walk back its own promises on climate cooperation.” At a time when the US is imposing sanctions and tariffs on Chinese renewable energy materials, and when China has emerged as the world’s leading renewable energy power, the US needs to demonstrate its seriousness when it comes to preventing climate breakdown.

We also republish below an interesting article by John Wojcik in People’s World, written shortly before the Xi-Biden summit, summarising the state of US-China relations and detailing how “those relations have been made unstable by continued U.S. attacks on and propaganda against China’s economic and political interests.” Wojcik calls on the US to work urgently and intensively with China on the pressing issues facing all humanity:

“At home in the US, Biden has to do battle with powerful fossil fuel capitalist interests to realize any of his environmental goals. In China, he could have a great friend with whom to cooperate on these matters.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping trying to repair damage done by Biden

People’s World, 15 November 2023

Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are meeting near San Francisco Wednesday, a get-together at which Biden claims he hopes to “stabilize” relations with China. He doesn’t mention, of course, that those relations have been made unstable by continued U.S. attacks on and propaganda against China’s economic and political interests.

The Biden administration has consistently tried to dictate to China that it end its friendly relations with Russia and numerous other countries, and it has levied all kinds of sanctions against countries that China deals with and against China itself.

Biden continues to hypocritically express concern about human rights in China even as his administration funds and fuels Israeli-propagated genocide in Gaza.

The two leaders, who are meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum summit, reportedly haven’t even spoken to one another in over a year. The U.S. hasn’t been silent during that period when it comes to China, though, having used every excuse to mount major propaganda campaigns against the Asian nation.

The two countries, for example, have long surveyed the military and other activities of one another, but the U.S. blew into major proportions the issue of a harmless balloon that had wandered off course over U.S. territory.

The U.S. flies armed airplanes over and near Chinese waters and has, on occasion, almost collided into Chinese planes over the South China Sea.

Also, during the year that the two leaders have not spoken, the U.S. has, without any proof, campaigned against what it says are Chinese intentions to “take over” Taiwan, an island off the coast of China that actually does belong to China—a reality even the U.S. recognizes.

Biden has used as justification for his war against Russia in Ukraine the excuse that “winning” in Ukraine is an essential first step in halting Chinese aggression against Taiwan. There has been, needless to say, no such aggression against Taiwan by China.

At the San Francisco meeting, according to the White House PR people, Biden is seeking to show the world that while the U.S. and China are economic competitors, they are not locked in a major battle for supremacy with global implications.

That flies in the face of reality, though, since his administration and hosts of top U.S. lawmakers constantly identify China as the “main security threat” facing the U.S.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The main security threat facing the U.S. is the threat of fascism and right-wing domestic terror coming from within our own borders.

China, unlike the U.S., is not involved in any military conflict anywhere in the world. It is the U.S., not China, that has 800 military bases scattered all around the world. A good chunk of these U.S. bases encircle China, and U.S. nuclear subs constantly patrol waters off China’s east coast. The Chinese have no such equivalent, so the reasonable question to ask is: “Who is a security threat to whom?”

The U.S., determined to be the world’s top gun, has also sought to control what nations China deals with around the world. The U.S. has tried to force China to end its neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia War, and it has condemned Chinese attempts to offer a peace plan to end that war. There, too, the U.S. backed what has now proven to be the blowing up of the Nordstream Pipeline by Ukraine. Imagine how the U.S. would react if China did anything like this.

The Biden administration also sees China, a big buyer of Iranian oil, as having considerable leverage with Tehran, and despite the economic relations between those two countries, it tries to get China to cut all ties with Iran and join its campaign against that country.

Again, imagine how the U.S. would react if China patrolled U.S. waters with nuclear missile submarines, flew its warplanes over Long Island or San Francisco Bay, and told the U.S. to stop backing the countries responsible for genocide in Gaza and the blowing up of international energy infrastructure.

Even as Biden claims he wants improved relations, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden was “not going to be afraid to confront where confrontation is needed on issues where we don’t see eye to eye.”

Continue reading Xi-Biden summit offers hope for a de-escalation in the New Cold War

Friendly Ireland-China relations reinforced with visit by Tánaiste Micheál Martin

Friendly relations between Ireland and China have been reinforced with a visit by Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Defence. Martin is also the leader of the Fianna Fáil party, one of the three parties in Ireland’s coalition government.

Martin met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on November 6, who said that, under the strategic guidance and promotion of the leaders of the two countries, China and Ireland have become a good example of friendly coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different histories, cultures, and political systems. Han added that to develop China-Ireland relations, the foundation is solid and the conditions are sound.

Next year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Ireland. The two sides should consolidate political mutual trust, tap the potential of practical cooperation, strengthen public support for friendship, and work together to push for new achievements in China-Ireland mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.

For his part, Martin said that Ireland and China enjoy profound friendship, and cooperation in various fields has expanded in recent years. Ireland is willing to take next year’s 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Ireland and China as an opportunity to strengthen exchanges with China in various fields.

The following day, at the request of the Irish side, Martin, who also met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay, met with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) International Department (IDCPC). 

Martin said, Ireland-China friendship has a long history. The Irish side attaches importance to developing relations with China, regards China as an important partner, and hopes to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in economy, trade, people-to-people exchanges, agriculture and other fields. As an EU member state, the Irish side is committed to developing robust EU-China relations, adheres to free and open economic policies, opposes “decoupling” from China, and hopes to promote closer cooperation between the EU and China in areas such as climate change and sustainable development. 

Liu said that the CPC attaches importance to maintaining various forms of exchanges with major political parties such as the Fianna Fáil and is willing to enhance understanding and mutual trust and promote the further development of China-Ireland strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation. 

In a fascinating article by its China correspondent Denis Staunton, published on November 8, the Irish Times, Ireland’s most prestigious daily newspaper, reported on the Tánaiste’s visit to the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), home to an Irish Studies Centre, which is China’s comprehensive, multi-disciplinary institute in this field.

Reflecting China’s great interest in Ireland and Irish studies, and the country’s great respect for small nations and the great diversity of human civilisations, BFSU, which is one of China’s most prestigious universities, teaches 101 languages and has educated generations of the country’s diplomats, including three former ambassadors to Ireland. The Irish Studies Centre’s programmes cover Irish language, literature, culture, history, politics, and international relations and one of its senior figures, Wang Zhanpeng, is an expert on Brexit.

Staunton reported Zhang Junhan, one of the centres’s lecturers in the Irish language as saying: “Some of the students [who had turned out to greet Martin] are postgraduates from the Irish Studies Centre and the Gaeilge [the Irish language] is one of the modules they must take because we think it’s a source for them to understand Irish culture and society more deeply. There’s another bunch of graduate students from all over the university, from the law school, the business school, other language faculties. They study Irish as an optional module only because they are interested in this language and this country.”

Staunton’s report added: “Last December, Wang [Zhanpeng] and the centre’s director Chen Li went to Dublin to receive the Presidential Distinguished Service Award. Chen has done more to promote Irish writing in China than any other individual, introducing writers such as Anne Enright and Colin Barrett who are now translated into Chinese, alongside many others including John Banville, Colm Tóibín and Sally Rooney.”

He also noted that Martin had been greeted with the performance on the whistle, flute and bodhrán of a number of famous Irish songs and musical pieces. They included The Foggy Dew, one of Ireland’s most famous rebel songs. It can be seen here performed by The Wolfe Tones, the legendary Irish rebel group who this year celebrate their 60th anniversary.

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

Chinese VP meets Irish deputy PM

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Micheal Martin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, in Beijing on Monday.

Under the strategic guidance and promotion of the leaders of the two countries, China and Ireland have become a good example of friendly coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different histories, cultures, and political systems, Han said, adding that to develop China-Ireland relations, the foundation is solid and conditions sound.

Next year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Ireland. The two sides should consolidate political mutual trust, tap the potential of practical cooperation, strengthen public support for friendship, and work together to push for new achievements in China-Ireland mutually beneficial strategic partnerships, said Han.

Continue reading Friendly Ireland-China relations reinforced with visit by Tánaiste Micheál Martin

Xi Jinping meets South African deputy president

The close friendly relations between China and South Africa were recently underlined by a visit from Deputy President Paul Mashatile. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Mashatile on November 6. He said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa, with their bilateral relationship entering a “golden era.” 

During his fourth state visit to South Africa in August, he and President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed that China and South Africa should be strategic partners with high-level mutual trust, development partners that progress together, friendly partners that enjoy mutual understanding, and global partners with a commitment to justice.

President Xi expressed China’s willingness to work with South Africa and other African countries to implement China’s three initiatives on supporting Africa’s industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development, as well as the eight major steps to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, create a number of high-standard, sustainable cooperation projects that benefit people’s livelihood, work for a more strategic and sustainable China-Africa cooperation, and promote the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

He called on the two sides to continue to cooperate closely within the BRICS mechanism, strengthen solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, and promote the development of the global governance system in a direction conducive to developing countries.

Mashatile said President Xi’s successful state visit to South Africa in August further consolidated the traditional friendship between South Africa and China, and injected strong impetus into the future development of relations. President Ramaphosa awarded the country’s highest honor to President Xi, which showed that the South African people highly affirm and appreciate President Xi’s great contribution to promoting South Africa-China friendship.

On the same day, on his request, Mashatile, who is also the Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, also met with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC). 

Mashatile said that the ANC attaches great importance to its relations with the CPC and thanks the CPC for the long-term support and assistance to the ANC. Currently, the African continent, including South Africa, is facing many new challenges. The ANC is willing to strengthen exchanges on state governance and administration with the CPC, learn experience and practices in strengthening party building from the CPC, be more people-oriented, listen to the people, and understand and serve the people’s needs, so as to better realize the Party’s purposes and goals. The ANC is willing to work with the CPC to help the two countries strengthen cooperation in energy and other fields, reinforce coordination in international affairs, and promote the stronger development of relations between the two countries.

Liu said, currently the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, with increasing uncertainties, instability, and unpredictable factors. The CPC and the ANC, as the ruling parties of their respective countries, should strengthen unity and cooperation and work together to deal with risks and challenges on the way forward. The CPC and the ANC have always supported and helped each other.

A few days previously, on November 3, IDCPC Vice-Minister Li Mingxiang met with a delegation led by Bonginkosi Emmanuel “Blade” Nzimande, Chairperson (and formerly General Secretary) of the South African Communist Party (SACP), and South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology.

Li said the Chinese side is willing to work with the South African side to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries, further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in all fields, deepen inter-party exchanges and mutual learning, and jointly promote the continuous development of the comradely and brotherly relationship between China and South Africa.

Nzimande thanked the CPC for its long-term and selfless support to the SACP and expected to continuously deepen friendly cooperation with the CPC in various fields.

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

Xi meets South African deputy president

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile in Beijing on Monday.

Xi said this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa, with the bilateral relationship entering a “golden era.”

During his fourth state visit to South Africa in August, President Xi and President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed that China and South Africa should be strategic partners with high-level mutual trust, development partners that progress together, friendly partners that enjoy mutual understanding, and global partners with a commitment to justice.

Continue reading Xi Jinping meets South African deputy president

Xi Jinping meets with Cuban and Serbian PMs

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently met with a number of foreign leaders who came to China to attend the Sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE), held in Shanghai.

On November 6, President Xi met with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz. Noting that China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades, and good brothers, Xi said that under the guidance and cultivation of the two countries’ leaders, China and Cuba have worked hand in hand on the path of building socialism with their own characteristics, supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and cooperated closely on international and regional issues, thus forging an unbreakable bond of trust and friendship.

Xi added that China viewed and developed the special friendly relations between the two parties and countries from a strategic and overall perspective, adhered to the policy of long-term friendship between China and Cuba, and was willing to continue to deepen political mutual trust and strategic coordination with Cuba and carry out theoretical discussions and experience exchanges on party and state governance.

“China will continue to firmly support the Cuban people in opposing foreign interference and blockades and safeguarding national sovereignty and dignity,” he said, and went on to note that Cuba successfully hosted the summit of the Group of 77 and China in September this year, making important contributions to promoting solidarity and cooperation among developing countries. China is willing to work with Cuba to continue to jointly safeguard the sovereignty, security, and development interests of developing countries.

While conveying cordial greetings from Comrade Raul Castro and Cuban President and Communist Party leader Miguel Diaz-Canel, Marrero expressed his pleasure to attend the 6th CIIE in China. He said through this visit, he had learned more deeply about the great achievements China had made in its development, adding that President Xi’s important thoughts on governance are of great inspiration and reference to Cuba and the world.

On the same day, President Xi also met with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. The Chinese leader said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s attendance at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China and Brnabic’s attendance at the sixth China International Import Expo demonstrated Serbia’s sincere friendship with the Chinese people and firm belief in developing relations with China.

China and Serbia are “iron friends” who have stood together through thick and thin, Xi said, underscoring the profound historical foundation, solid public support, extensive common interests and strong impetus for cooperation of their bilateral relations.

He called on the two sides to make joint efforts to build and operate major cooperation projects, promote the early entry into force of the China-Serbia free trade agreement, strengthen cooperation in science and technology innovation, deepen cooperation in education, sports, and tourism, expand personnel exchanges, and inherit and carry forward China-Serbia friendship.

Brnabic said that China had become Serbia’s largest investment partner, and bilateral cooperation projects had changed the face of Serbia’s national development. The conclusion of the free trade agreement between the two countries in half a year fully demonstrates the firm determination of both sides to further deepen relations. China has always supported Serbia in safeguarding national sovereignty and dignity, for which the Serbian people are deeply grateful.

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

Xi meets Cuban prime minister, calling for further strategic coordination

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Noting China and Cuba are good friends, good comrades, and good brothers, Xi said under the guidance and cultivation of the two countries’ leaders, China and Cuba had worked hand in hand on the path of building socialism with their own characteristics, supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and cooperated closely on international and regional issues, thus forging an unbreakable bond of trust and friendship.

Continue reading Xi Jinping meets with Cuban and Serbian PMs

China-Australia relations take major step towards a return to normality

Relations between China and Australia took a major step towards a return to normality with a November 4-7 visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang. The visit ended the effective freeze on high-level exchanges between the two countries, as a result of the adoption of anti-China policies by right-wing governments in Canberra, and follows the return to office of the Australian Labor Party, led by Albanese, in the May 2022 general election.

Meeting Prime Minister Albanese on November 6, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China and Australia have embarked on the right path of improving relations. He noted:

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the visit by Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Your visit is a journey to retrace history and plan for the future. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, China and Australia have resumed exchanges in various fields and embarked on the right path of improving relations.”

Xi said China and Australia are both Asia-Pacific countries and important members of the G20, with no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest, but every reason to be partners of mutual trust and mutual achievement, calling on the two sides to keep to the right direction of bilateral relations amid the profound changes in the world.

In the stormy waters of the global crisis, countries are not riding on more than 190 small boats, but instead on a big boat with a common destiny, he added.

China and Australia should follow the trend of the times, proceed from the common interests of the two countries, pursue a bilateral relationship that features treating each other on an equal footing, seeking common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation.

In remarks that might be taken as an oblique reference to Australia’s participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, along with the United States, Japan and India, and the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal with the United States and Britain, Xi said that in the Asia-Pacific region, China does not engage in exclusive cliques, bloc politics, or camp confrontation. Small cliques can neither solve the major challenges facing the world nor adapt to the drastic changes in today’s world. He urged vigilance against and opposition to those attempts to throw the region into chaos.

Prime Minister Albanese said it was a great honor to pay an official visit to China on this historic occasion of the 50th anniversary of Mr. Whitlam’s visit to China. In recent years, China has made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation and development. Australia and the world have benefited significantly from China’s long-term, stable, and sustained development.

Albanese said the two sides should respect each other, be equal and benefit each other, stay in communication, enhance understanding and cooperation, and achieve win-win results. He said the Chinese people have the right to development, and he is always optimistic about China’s economy.

As Australia and China have different political systems, it is normal for differences to occur, but they should not be allowed to define the relationship. Australia and China share extensive common interests, and dialogue and cooperation is the right choice, he said.

He added that Australia adheres to the one-China policy and stands ready to work with China to promote the steady development of bilateral relations.

A joint statement agreed by the two nations likewise noted that Albanese had undertaken an “official visit to China from November 4 to 7, 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of the first visit to China by an Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Edward Gough Whitlam.”

Both sides welcomed the successful recommencement of the Annual Leaders’ Meeting between Premier Li and Prime Minister Albanese.

They reaffirmed their support for their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and reiterated the importance of a stable, constructive bilateral relationship. The two sides reiterated the importance of the 1972 Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People’s Republic of China and Australia and restated their commitment to their respective national policies and positions contained therein, including mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, stable development, and Australia’s commitment to its one-China Policy. They agreed that both nations could grow the bilateral relationship and uphold their respective national interests if they navigated their differences wisely.

While Prime Minister Albanese’s visit does not resolve all the issues complicating the relations between Australia and China, and does not represent a fundamental shift on the part of Canberra, it nevertheless represents a noteworthy step forward and a not insignificant breach in the united front of the Anglo-Saxon imperialist powers (or ‘Five Eyes’) against China. This finds symbolic reflection in Australia’s agreement to China’s preferred choice of framing the visit around the 50th anniversary of the first ever visit of an Australian Prime Minister.

Gough Whitlam, who remains a highly respected figure in China, was the longest-serving leader of the Australian Labor Party and served as Australia’s Prime Minister from December 1972 to November 1975. Whitlam established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China within three weeks of his becoming Prime Minister. He also withdrew Australian troops from the Vietnam War and ended military conscription, established diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, ended Australian colonial rule in Papua New Guinea, began the process of land reform for the First Nations (granting the first set of title deeds to lands to the Gurindji people), and introduced universal health care and free university education.

His policies earned him the ire not only of the Australian right wing but also of the British and US imperialists, with the latter especially fearing for the future of their Pine Gap spy base and surveillance centre, after Whitlam learned that he had been deceived as to its true purpose. As a result, he was removed from office in a constitutional coup fronted by Governor-General Sir John Kerr, but with the active involvement of the Nixon-Kissinger administration in the US, the CIA, Britain’s MI6, and key figures in Buckingham Palace, including the present monarch, Charles III.

And whilst it is the anniversary of Whitlam’s China visit as Prime Minister that is presently being marked, one reason why he was able to move towards the establishment of diplomatic relations with China with such rapidity is that, previously, in July 1971, he had already visited the country at the head of an Australian Labor Party delegation, which was also joined by political advisers, China specialists and journalists. This trip, during which he met with Premier Zhou Enlai (he was also to meet with Chairman Mao Zedong on his 1973 visit), was also criticised in some quarters for its potential negative impact on Australia’s relations with the United States. However, it later became known that just as Whitlam’s delegation was leaving Beijing, US National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger, was arriving to arrange President Nixon’s own visit to China, which took place in February 1972.

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and by the Whitlam Institute, which is housed within Western Sydney University.

China, Australia embark on right path of improving ties: Xi

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing on Monday, saying China and Australia have embarked on the right path of improving relations.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the visit by Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Your visit is a journey to retrace history and plan for the future. Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, China and Australia have resumed exchanges in various fields and embarked on the right path of improving relations,” Xi told Albanese.

Xi said China and Australia are both Asia-Pacific countries and important members of the G20, with no historical grievances or fundamental conflicts of interest, but every reason to be partners of mutual trust and mutual achievement, calling on the two sides to keep to the right direction of bilateral relations amid the profound changes in the world.

From the perspective of self-interest, the world is small and crowded, with risks and competition all the time. From the perspective of shared destiny, the world is vast and broad, with opportunities and cooperation everywhere. In the stormy waters of the global crisis, countries are not riding on more than 190 small boats, but instead on a big boat with a common destiny, Xi said.

China and Australia should follow the trend of the times, proceed from the common interests of the two countries, pursue a bilateral relationship that features treating each other on an equal footing, seeking common ground while shelving differences and mutually beneficial cooperation, and push forward the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said.

This serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, meets the common expectations of countries in the region, and helps the international community better respond to the risks and challenges brought about by the changes unseen in a century, Xi said.

Xi stressed that at present, the global economy is facing increasingly destabilizing, uncertain, and unpredictable factors, and the economies of all countries are facing considerable challenges. In the face of a complex external environment, the Chinese economy has withstood pressure, stabilized its size, and improved its quality.

“China’s development still has a sound foundation and many favorable conditions. With its steady development, China will bring valuable certainty to the uncertain world economy. China cannot develop in isolation from the world, and the world needs China for its development,” Xi said.

Continue reading China-Australia relations take major step towards a return to normality

The US has its own BRI: the Bomb and Ruin Initiative

The following article by Carlos Martinez, originally published in Global Times, compares the records of China and the US in terms of their engagement with the Global South. Specifically, Carlos summarises the impact of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) over the course of its first decade, and contrasts this with the effect of the US’s equivalent projects.

While several US-led global infrastructure projects have been announced (such as the Build Back Better World and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor), none of these have made any meaningful progress as yet. However, “if we look at the actual history and reality of US foreign policy, it becomes clear that the US does actually have its own BRI: the Bomb and Ruin Initiative.”

From Iraq to Palestine to Venezuela to Syria to Ukraine to Zimbabwe and beyond, the US uses war, proxy war, destabilisation, sanctions and coercion, “spreading death and destruction in pursuit of its own selfish economic and political interests,” while China cooperates with the countries of the world on the basis of respect, equality and common interest in pursuit of a global community of shared future.

The article is based on a speech given at a webinar themed Third Belt and Road Forum: Together for Common Development and Shared Prosperity, organised by the Pakistan-based Friends of the Belt and Road Forum, the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies and the Centre for BRI and China Studies, which took place on Tuesday 7 November.

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has attracted a great deal of attention recently, particularly with the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation having taken place in Beijing last month.

Since it was announced a decade ago, the BRI has already become the world’s largest platform for international cooperation, with more than 150 countries and 30 international organizations participating across five continents. A trillion dollars have been spent or committed on projects that are increasingly transforming the development prospects for dozens of countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Pacific. 

A number of these projects have already been delivered. The Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, for example, is the largest infrastructure project carried out in Kenya since its independence. The China-Laos Railway, completed in 2021, has turned Laos from a land-locked country into a land-linked country, thereby stimulating trade, employment, economic opportunities and living standards. The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway – the first high-speed rail system in Indonesia – has reduced the journey time from 3.5 hours to 45 minutes.

The BRI is becoming green. The prominent Norwegian environmentalist Erik Solheim, former minister of the environment, stated at a webinar hosted by Friends of Socialist China on November 4 that the BRI has become the most important global project in terms of green, sustainable development. 

Does the US – the world’s largest economy in nominal GDP terms – have an equivalent to the China-proposed BRI? A few such projects have been announced, to much fanfare. The Build Back Better World (B3W) was unveiled in 2021. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was announced in September this year. But these initiatives are yet to experience any manifestation in reality – and it’s tempting to wonder if they ever will.

But if we look at the actual history and reality of US foreign policy, it becomes clear that the US does actually have its own BRI: the Bomb and Ruin Initiative.

The Bomb and Ruin Initiative started in earnest in 1950 with the launch of the Korean War, in which an estimated four million people were killed. The initiative continued with the Vietnam War, the brutal 1965 coup in Indonesia, the coups and proxy wars in Guatemala, Angola, Brazil, Chile, Mozambique, Argentina, Nicaragua, Grenada, just to name a few.

The flagship Bomb and Ruin Initiative project this century so far has been the illegal war on Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed. The country was flattened and its development set back by decades. 

China has taken a significantly different approach with respect to Iraq. Indeed Iraq is one of the major recipients of infrastructure investment under the BRI, with a vast array of bridges, roads and railways being constructed, alongside energy and telecommunications infrastructure. China is committed to building some 7,000 schools in Iraq. 

Iraq of course is best known for its abundance of oil – certainly that has been a central motivating factor for a century of British and American interference – but these days China is leading the investment in Iraq’s growing solar energy industry. The world can look forward to the day when Iraq is an advanced, prosperous country, and a green energy superpower.

In Iraq, the contrast between the BRI and the Bomb and Ruin Initiative is quite stark. So much so that there’s a popular saying: “America bombs, China builds.”

This contrast is emblematic of the US’ and China’s role in the world in general.

The US has brought misery and destruction to Afghanistan, that long-suffering country, with a 20-year war and occupation, and now cruel sanctions put in place to prevent the country from getting back on its feet.

The US and its allies bombed Libya into the Stone Age, turning it from a relatively prosperous country – with the highest Human Development Index in Africa – into a failed state.

The US has been a key player in fomenting and perpetuating the devastating war in Syria, supporting the emergence of terrorist groups in a strategy of regime change, and then using the presence of those same groups as a justification for its own uninvited and unwanted military presence in the country.

About two weeks ago, the US responded to attacks on its illegal Syrian facilities not by dismantling the facilities but by carrying out air strikes against Syrian government sites. 

It’s no secret that the US is the driving force behind the war in Ukraine. The essential character of this conflict is a proxy war to weaken Russia.

With the sponsorship and total support of the US, Israel is showing no regard at all for the people of Gaza. Already more than 10,000 people have been killed. The UN has called it a “children’s graveyard.” The people of the world want a ceasefire; China, Russia, Brazil and many others have called for a ceasefire. But the US – along with its most dependable ally, Britain – is standing in the way.

The US gets criticized for not building enough infrastructure. However, the US is building plenty of infrastructure of war and aggression: 800 overseas military bases; the stationing of nuclear-enabled missiles and warplanes in Japan, Guam and South Korea, along with tens of thousands of US troops; the placement of the THAAD so-called missile defence system in Guam and South Korea; the AUKUS trilateral nuclear pact between the US, UK and Australia. When it comes to the project of containing and encircling China, the US has no problem with building infrastructure.

The stark difference between China’s BRI and the US’ BRI is clear for all to see.

The US is pursuing a hegemonic, imperialist project; a Project for a New American Century. It is spreading death and destruction in pursuit of its own selfish economic and political interests. 

Meanwhile, China is pursuing what it calls a global community of shared future – described by President Xi Jinping as “an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity, charting a bright future for human development.”

This is an inspiring, democratic and inclusive vision that is rapidly gaining broad support around the globe.

Pakistani, Kazakh and Nepalese leaders conclude successful China visits

Pakistan Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev concluded their recent visits to China, to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, with visits to Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, prior to their returning home. Both leaders met with Ma Xingrui, a Political Bureau member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee as well as party secretary for the autonomous region.

The Pakistan Prime Minister offered the Friday prayers at the historic Hang Yang Grand Bazaar Mosque in Urumqi and prayed for the progress and prosperity of the country as well as the Muslim Ummah. He specially prayed for the oppressed people of Gaza and for their deliverance from suffering. Kakar also addressed students and faculty at Xinjiang University in Urumqi, saying:

“In Pakistan, we say a good neighbour is a treasure. In this regard, we are very fortunate to have China as a good brother, good neighbour, good partner, and good friend.”

In his discussions, Kazakh President Tokayev focused on the economic ties between the four border regions of Kazakhstan and Xinjiang. The share of Xinjiang exceeds 40% of the total trade volume between Kazakhstan and China. In six months this year, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang increased by 87%, reaching US$8.5 billion, he noted.

“We will encourage Kazakh tourists to travel to China to explore natural beauty and your achievements in socio-economic development,” he said, adding:

“Since ancient times, Xinjiang has been famous for its substantial cultural development. Local creative teams deservedly enjoy international recognition. We support the full development of creative exchanges and mutual tours, which will undoubtedly help strengthen the ties of good neighbourliness and friendship.”

These visits underscore the growing importance attached by China to both neighbourhood and subnational diplomacy. They also highlight the fact that the leaders of neighbouring countries reject the western propaganda falsely alleging religious persecution and denial of national rights in China’s border regions.

In similar vein, Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda concluded his eight-day official visit to China in September, which began with attending the opening of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, with a visit to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, also known as Xizang. After visits to the ancient Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple in the capital Lhasa, Prachanda visited visited Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake, which are considered holy by Hindus. He told the Nepali national news agency RSS that provisions would be made for pilgrims and tourists from Nepal, India and other countries to visit Kailash and Manasarovar through the Nepali route. 

The following articles were originally published by the Pakistani newspaper The News, Kazakhstan’s Astana Times and the Press Trust of India (PTI, reprinted by various Indian newspapers).

PM in rare visit to Xinjiang in China

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Friday departed for Pakistan on the completion of his five-day visit to China. At the Urumqi International Airport, the prime minister was seen off by the Standing Member of Communist Party of China Illizat Ahmetjan, and senior officers of the Chinese government and Pakistan’s Embassy. On the last leg of the visit, the prime minister visited Urumqi and met Member Politburo of CPC’s Central Committee Ma Xingrui, besides addressing the students at Xinjiang University.

The prime minister offered the Friday prayers at the historic Hang Yang Grand Bazaar Mosque in Urumqi and prayed for the progress and prosperity of the country as well as the Muslim Ummah. He specially prayed for the oppressed people of Gaza and for their deliverance from suffering. Kakar also addressed students and faculty at Xinjiang University in Urumqi.

“In Pakistan, we say a good neighbor is a treasure. In this regard, we are very fortunate to have China as a good brother, good neighbor, good partner, and good friend.

Meanwhile, President Xi Jinping has extended support to Pakistan and urged a secure environment for Chinese institutions and personnel.

During a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on the sidelines of the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Thursday, Xi said, “It is hoped that Pakistan will ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan.” The longtime allies reaffirmed their “unwavering” partnership, vowing to further strengthen strategic communication and bilateral cooperation, reports the international media.

Continue reading Pakistani, Kazakh and Nepalese leaders conclude successful China visits