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Category: International relations

A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions

On 26 September 2023, the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China issued a white paper titled “A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions”, setting out China’s high level foreign policy and describing a bold vision for building a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for humanity.

The central theme of the document is succinctly stated in the preface:

To build a global community of shared future, all peoples, all countries, and all individuals – our destinies being interconnected – must stand together in adversity and through thick and thin, navigating towards greater harmony on this planet that we call home. We should endeavor to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity, turning people’s longing for a better life into reality.

The white paper describes the current division in geopolitics; the fork in the road, with one direction characterised by a “Cold War mentality that deepens division and antagonism and stokes confrontation between blocs” and the other aimed at developing common wellbeing of humanity, solidarity, cooperation, openness, equality and respect. “The tug of war between these two options will shape the future of humanity and our planet in a profound way.”

The paper can be considered as a modern reiteration of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence – mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; mutual non-aggression; non- interference in each other’s internal affairs; equality and mutual benefit; and peaceful coexistence – which have been the lodestar of Chinese foreign policy since their announcement in 1954. Core to these principles is the notion – embedded in the UN Charter – of the sovereign equality of all states. The white paper observes:

The world needs justice, not hegemonism. No country has the right to dominate global affairs, dictate the future of others, or monopolize development advantages. Countries should safeguard the international order based on international law, uphold the authority of the international rule of law, and ensure equal and unified application of international law. The practice of double standards or selective application of law should be rejected.

This stands in contrast with the much-vaunted ‘rules-based international order’, which is in fact a euphemism for the primacy of the US and its allies, and the imposition of their will on the rest of the world.

The document reiterates China’s commitment to environmental sustainability and to the highest level of international cooperation in preventing catastrophic climate change.

We should reconcile industrial development with nature, and pursue harmony between humanity and nature to achieve sustainable global development and all-round human development. We should respect nature, follow its ways, and protect it. We should firmly pursue green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable development… We should make our world clean and beautiful by pursuing green and low-carbon development… We must follow the philosophy of harmony between humanity and nature and observance of the laws of nature and pursue a path of sustainable development, so that everyone is able to enjoy a starry sky, lush mountains and fragrant flowers.

Recognising the potentially catastrophic consequences of war in the nuclear age, the white paper also re-states China’s commitment to the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapons, and to the goal of complete nuclear disarmament.

China actively advocates the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, and it is the only nuclear country that has publicly committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons, and not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon-free zones.

While “it is normal for countries to have differences”, there is always the possibility for these to be overcome through peaceful means and within a framework of international law. “No conflict is too big to resolve and no ice too thick to break.”

Quoting a number of powerful proverbs from around the world – including the Russian proverb “Together we can weather the storm”, the African proverb “One single pillar is not sufficient to build a house” and the Arabic proverb “If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk together” – the document notes that the concept of a global community of shared future is not unique to China but runs deep through the history of civilisation. It is a unifying dream of humanity, which can inspire this generation to work seriously towards its realisation.

If the peoples of the world can work together to build a global community of shared future, “emerging countries and established powers can avoid falling into the Thucydides trap” and can “find the right way to get along in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.” (Thucydides trap is a term popularised by US political scientist Graham Allison, describing a tendency towards war when an emerging power threatens to displace an existing great power).

The white paper describes the ways in which China, particularly over the last decade, has worked tirelessly towards building a global community of shared future. This includes the Belt and Road Initiative, which has already brought tremendous benefits to the people of Pakistan, Laos, Greece, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tajikistan and many other countries. The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative – proposed by China in 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively – provide an important framework for helping to meet humanity’s collective need for material prosperity, peace, and cultural progress and mutual learning.

The document concludes with a powerful call to joint action:

In the face of common challenges, no person or country can remain isolated. The only response is to work together in harmony and unity. Only by strengthening coordination and cooperation, and ensuring that the interests of the people of every country will be kept in line with those of all others, can all countries move forward towards a global community of shared future…

When all countries unite in pursuing the cause of common good, plan together, and act together day by day towards the right direction of building a global community of shared future, we can build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, and jointly create a better future for all of humanity.

We reprint the full text of the white paper below. It was originally published on the website of the State Council Information Office.

A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions

The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China
September 2023

Continue reading A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluding his arguments, Minister Liu notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China, Timor-Leste elevate ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China and Syria announce establishment of a strategic partnership

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xi, Assad jointly announce China-Syria strategic partnership

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading China and Syria announce establishment of a strategic partnership

China to deepen cooperation with Brazil

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading China to deepen cooperation with Brazil

Building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xi meets Cambodian king

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xi meets Nepalese prime minister

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chinese premier meets Vietnamese PM in Nanning

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

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

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

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

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

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

At both the G20 and in Vietnam, US hegemony looks ever more perilous

In this article, which was originally published by People’s World, Amiad Horowitz makes an assessment of US President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Asia, which saw him first attend the G20 summit meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi and then continue to Vietnam.

Horowitz notes that Biden used the G20 Summit to announce an international infrastructure development program which seeks to compete with China’s very successful Belt and Road Initiative, called the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). He adds:

“One cannot help but notice the irony that the Biden administration is so eager to invest in infrastructure abroad to counter China while repeatedly failing to invest in the crumbling US infrastructure at home. This is opposed to China, whose government has completed countless major infrastructure programs both at home and abroad.”

Turning to Biden’s visit to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Horowitz observes that the US has long sought to use the country to ‘encircle and contain’ its neighbour China:

“Leading up to this trip, many so-called experts claimed that the goal of this trip was to up the pressure on Vietnam to join the US anti-China coalition. If that was Biden’s goal, he failed.

“In the days leading up to his arrival, high-level Vietnamese officials met with their Chinese counterparts, and both sides assured each other about their continued friendship. China remains Vietnam’s biggest economic partner, and both countries cooperate in all fields—from defense, to culture, to their shared goals of building socialism in their respective countries.”

Noting that the US and Vietnam agreed to upgrade their bilateral diplomatic relations from a comprehensive partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the author goes on to note that, in his speech in Hanoi, Biden made a number of errors in this regard, specifically he, “incorrectly claimed that a ‘comprehensive strategic partnership’ was the highest level of bilateral relations in Vietnam’s foreign policy. In actuality, ‘special strategic partnership’ is the highest level. Vietnam’s relationships with China, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are rated at this level.”

The author is a long-term resident of Vietnam.

President Joe Biden just finished a major trip to Asia for the G20 Summit in India, with an important stopover in Hanoi, Vietnam. The trip saw a mix of successes and setbacks for the Biden administration.

This year’s G20 Summit took place from September 9 to 10 in the Indian capital of New Delhi. It was the first G20 meeting since last month’s major expansion of BRICS and was seen by many watchers as a forum for the U.S. and its allies to maintain their current waning dominance over the global economy. Another goal of the meeting, of course, was to reaffirm the pro-NATO narrative that Russia is economically and politically isolated.

Some of the highlights of the gathering included the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the economic group and a push for greener economic initiatives, such as the Global Biofuel Alliance.

Biden also used the summit to announce an international infrastructure development program which seeks to compete with China’s very successful Belt and Road Initiative, called the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Biden repeated the often-debunked claim that China’s Belt and Road program uses economic coercion to get countries to sign on.

Meanwhile, his government claims that despite decades of U.S.-led predatory international trade and investment programs through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, that this new program would be better.

One cannot help but notice the irony that the Biden administration is so eager to invest in infrastructure abroad to counter China while repeatedly failing to invest in the crumbling U.S. infrastructure at home. This is opposed to China, whose government has completed countless major infrastructure programs both at home and abroad.

One major setback for Biden’s agenda at the G20 was the summit’s final statement. The U.S. failed to get the other participants to accept language condemning Putin and the war in Ukraine. After hundreds of hours of negotiations and many drafts, the final statement made no mention of Russia and simply called for all countries to settle their differences through negotiations. The final language is being seen as a Biden defeat and a victory for Indian President Narendra Modi, whose government maintains friendly relations with Russia.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Biden ally and French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that the G20 Summit somehow proves that the U.S.-led attempt to isolate Russia has succeeded.

After the summit concluded, Biden moved on to Hanoi. Vietnam has one of the quickest growing economies in the world and is a major leader in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The country also shares a border with China, and the U.S. has repeatedly sought to use Vietnam to further “encircle and contain” China.

Leading up to this trip, many so-called experts claimed that the goal of this trip was to up the pressure on Vietnam to join the U.S. anti-China coalition. If that was Biden’s goal, he failed.

In the days leading up to his arrival, high-level Vietnamese officials met with their Chinese counterparts, and both sides assured each other about their continued friendship. China remains Vietnam’s biggest economic partner, and both countries cooperate in all fields—from defense, to culture, to their shared goals of building socialism in their respective countries.

The highlight of Biden’s side trip was the signing of an agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam to raise the bilateral diplomatic relationship from a “comprehensive partnership” to that of a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” This upgrade in diplomatic ties offers a lot of potential economic and trade benefits for both countries and is generally seen as a win-win for Washington and Hanoi.

However, Biden’s speech in Vietnam featured a number of errors of fact. First, Biden incorrectly claimed that a “comprehensive strategic partnership” was the highest level of bilateral relations in Vietnam’s foreign policy. In actuality, “special strategic partnership” is the highest level. Vietnam’s relationships with China, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are rated at this level.

Later in his remarks to the media, Biden began to drift from the pre-press conference plan and had to be abruptly interrupted by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Even after she called an end to the press conference, however, the president continued to inaudibly answer another question that was shouted from the press pool.

After this trip, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the U.S.’ international influence is continuing to decline as the world speeds further toward a new multipolar reality. India was able to prevent the U.S. from forcing its anti-Russia language into the G20 summit’s final statement, and Vietnam was able to upgrade its bilateral relationship with the U.S. while avoiding having to join the U.S. led anti-China coalition, and in fact, maintaining its close and friendship relationship with Beijing.

Hun Manet visit consolidates China-Cambodia friendship

The new Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Manet paid an official visit to China from September 14-16. Hun Manet chose China for his first bilateral foreign visit since assuming office in a sign of the close relations between the two countries.

President Xi Jinping met with him on September 15. He noted that the Cambodian leader’s choice of China fully demonstrates the great importance the new Cambodian government attaches to consolidating and developing China-Cambodia friendship.

China and Cambodia are ironclad friends, Xi said, adding that over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides have always maintained a high degree of mutual trust, treated each other as equals, achieved win-win results, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports Cambodia in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions and stands ready to maintain regular strategic communication with Cambodia and deepen the exchange of governance experience.

The Chinese President pointed out that no matter how the international and regional situation may change, China is always Cambodia’s most reliable friend and staunch supporter, and that China stands ready to join hands with Cambodia to uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

Hun Manet said that he chose China as the destination for his first official visit to show that the new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy toward China and further carry forward the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China.

The prime minister added that Cambodia will abide by the one-China principle, firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests, and support the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative proposed by President Xi.

Cambodia appreciates China’s long-term strong support and assistance for Cambodia’s economic and social development and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen Belt and Road cooperation, and push for further development of bilateral cooperation in industry, agriculture, investment, culture and other fields.

When meeting his Cambodian counterpart on the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said that China and Cambodia have always stood together through thick and thin and helped each other since establishing diplomatic ties 65 years ago and the two countries have set an example of equality and mutual benefit between countries.

Li pointed out that China firmly supports the Cambodian side in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests and in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions.

Hun Manet hailed the ironclad friendship with China, stressing that the new Cambodian government maintains no change in promoting this friendship and intends to work with China to carry forward the traditional relationship between the two countries.

Cambodia abides by the one-China principle, resolutely opposes external forces interfering in China’s internal affairs, and supports the significant initiatives put forward by China, he added.

The two countries released a joint communiqué in which they speak highly of the substantial development of the China-Cambodia relationship, which has been carefully nurtured by generations of leaders of both countries and has been constantly growing from strength to strength in the last 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Both sides emphasise that no matter how the international situation changes, they will unswervingly develop their ever-lasting friendship and deepen cooperation for mutual benefits, with a view to promoting the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the new era as a showcase for a community with a shared future for humanity.

Both sides reaffirm their respect and support for each other’s choice of development path that suits their respective national conditions. The Cambodian side speaks highly of China’s great achievements in the decade of the new era and of Chinese modernisation that offers an alternative modernisation for humanity and fresh opportunities for Cambodia. It trusts that China will achieve its second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all aspects towards great national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation. The Chinese side speaks highly of Cambodia’s economic and social achievements.

The Chinese side reaffirms resolute support to Cambodia’s endeavours to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests while expressing firm opposition to any foreign interference in Cambodia’s internal affairs. And both express firm opposition to politicisation of human rights, double standards and interference in other countries’ internal affairs under the guise of human rights or democracy. Both sides agree to strengthen cooperation against interference and ‘Colour Revolutions’.

In recent years, Cambodia has experienced increasing external pressure in this regard due to its maintaining an independent and non-aligned posture regionally and internationally and its rejection of outside interference in its internal affairs. For example, the US House of Representatives passed a Cambodia Sanctions Bill in September 2021 and the US government tightened export controls to the country in December of the same year.

Surveying economic cooperation, the communiqué laid stress on the development of Cambodia’s Special Economic Zone along with the areas of agro-industries, transportation infrastructure, electricity, energy and manufacturing, in particular.

They further agreed to enhance cooperation in hydropower, photovoltaics, and other clean energy sources, to explore green, stable and reliable energy cooperation solutions, promote establishment of a China-Cambodia Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone Project of South-South Cooperation on Climate Change in Preah Sihanouk Province, and to carry out cooperation in policy dialogue, joint research and capacity building, with a focus on climate change, pollution management and circular economy; as well as to conduct cooperation in such areas of shared interests as comprehensive water resources management, flood and drought disaster prevention, and drinking water safety in rural areas.

As noted, this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China under the guidance of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. The anniversary has been marked by diverse exchanges and reciprocal visits. China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Cambodia in August and Minister Liu Jianchao of the Communist Party of China’s International Department visited in September.

Hun Manet succeeded his father, the long-serving Hun Sen, as Prime Minister on August 22, following general elections on July 23, when their Cambodian People’s Party again won a decisive victory.

The following reports were originally carried by the Xinhua News Agency.

Xi meets Cambodian prime minister

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People on Friday.

Xi pointed out that Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as the destination for his first bilateral visit after taking office, which fully demonstrates the great importance the new Cambodian government attaches to consolidating and developing China-Cambodia friendship.

China and Cambodia are ironclad friends, Xi said, adding that over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides have always maintained a high degree of mutual trust, treated each other as equals, achieved win-win results, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports Cambodia in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, and stands ready to maintain regular strategic communication with Cambodia and deepen the exchange of governance experience.

He said the two sides should make good use of the mechanism of the intergovernmental coordinating committee and implement the new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Continue reading Hun Manet visit consolidates China-Cambodia friendship

The New Cold War is failing

On 6 September 2023, Carlos Martinez and Dr Ken Hammond joined Danny Haiphong live on his YouTube channel to discuss the latest developments regarding the US’s hybrid war on China and the multipolar world.

They have a detailed discussion on the US attempts to prevent China from developing advanced semiconductors; the recent advances made by Huawei and SMIC in precisely the field of advanced semiconductors; the contradiction between the requirements of the US business community and the strategic designs of the New Cold War; the state of the Chinese economy; the successes of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg; the significance of BRICS; China’s prioritisation of relations with the countries of the Global South and those countries outside the US imperialist orbit; and more.

The three pay tribute to the recently-deceased comrade and veteran friend of China Isabel Crook, and also discuss Carlos’s and Ken’s books on China, both of which have been published in 2023.

China and Zambia announce comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership

President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema paid a state visit to China from September 10-16 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Meeting for talks in Beijing on September 15, the two heads of state announced the elevation of their countries’ bilateral relationship to that of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi Jinping said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries’ older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA) has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship.

The friendship between Zambia and China was forged and carefully nurtured by the founding father of independent Zambia Dr Kenneth Kaunda along with Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. China’s largest foreign aid project at the time, the TAZARA railway was opened in 1975, when China itself was still a poor country, and enabled landlocked Zambia to break the isolation and blockade imposed on it by countries to its south then still under white racist and colonial rule.

Xi said China has always viewed and developed China-Zambia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective and stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level.

He added that China supports Zambia in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. He expressed China’s willingness to strengthen inter-party exchanges and exchanges of state governance experience with Zambia. The two countries should support each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns.

The success of Chinese modernisation shows the diversity of modernisation models in the world, and China’s high-quality development and modernisation process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia, Xi said.

He called on the two sides to make a success of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year and step up exchanges and cooperation in education and training, health care, culture, tourism and other fields.

Noting that the collective rise of developing countries and their increasing international influence have become an irreversible trend of the times, Xi said China and Zambia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, strive to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries.

Hichilema said Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries. China’s development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction, he added. Zambia thanks China for supporting the African Union’s entry into the G20 and China’s positive role in resolving the Zambian debt issue.

The establishment of a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between the two countries was announced in a 32-point joint statement.

Among the myriad of issues it addressed, the two sides agreed that climate change is a challenge facing humanity and that the international community needs to collectively respond. The developed countries shoulder inescapable historical responsibilities over climate change, and should, therefore, take the lead in undertaking emission reductions obligations by a large margin and faithfully honour their commitment to the developing countries regarding financial, technical and capacity-building support.

China and Zambia will establish a green development strategic partnership and enhance cooperation on environmental protection, combating climate change, green economy, and emergency risk response mechanism, among others. The two sides will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on renewable energy, such as photovoltaic power, and electric vehicle industries to promote energy transition and ensure energy security. The Zambian side applauded the Chinese efforts, determination and actions to pursue green and low-carbon development and to participate actively in international cooperation against climate change and will take them as an opportunity to advance relevant cooperation between the two sides.

The two sides will also enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in mineral exploration and mining and industries aimed at value addition. The Zambian side invited Chinese mining businesses to continue active participation in the mining sector. The Chinese side encourages Chinese businesses to invest in Zambia’s new-energy battery value chain development so as to support Zambia’s efforts to upscale industrial chains and boost its capability for independent development.

At the request of the Zambian side, the Chinese side is ready to support the upgrade and renovation of the TAZARA Railway in line with market and commercial principles.

Once again congratulating the Communist Party of China on its 20th National Congress, held last year, the Zambian side commended China for the great achievements made in the past 10 years of the new era, and recognised that Chinese modernisation has created a new model of human advancement which has provided a new option for other developing countries to independently pursue modernisation and explore diverse paths towards modernisation.

The two sides noted that the year 2024 marks Zambia’s 60th anniversary of independence as well as the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. The commemoration should be an opportunity to bring into full play the political leading role of the head-of-state diplomacy, keep the momentum of high-level exchanges and dialogue, enhance political mutual trust and consolidate the political foundation for the bilateral relationship. The two sides stressed that mutual respect, equality and common development are important principles of China-Zambia relations.

They encourage greater use of national currencies in trade and investment and will help businesses of both countries reduce costs of currency exchange and lower exchange rate risks. The two sides will also create a favourable policy environment for promoting settlements in local currencies and support a greater role of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) settlement bank in Zambia.

The Zambian side appreciates China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis. The Chinese side appreciates that President Hichilema and other African leaders formed a peace mission to visit Russia and Ukraine and put forward the African Peace Initiative. The two sides agreed that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable solution and that all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be encouraged and supported. The two sides call on the international community to jointly address the spillover effects in food, energy, finance, transportation, and other fields, and to reduce the negative impact of the crisis on the developing world, especially on African countries. They call on more countries to play a constructive role in the peaceful settlement of the crisis.

The two sides will strengthen health cooperation. The Chinese side will continue to support Zambian public health system building and dispatch medical teams to Zambia. The Zambian side expressed gratitude for China’s continued support to Zambia’s health sector, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Hichilema sincerely thanked President Xi and the Chinese government and people for their warm hospitality. President Hichilema invited President Xi to visit Zambia in 2024 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

President Hichilema also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji on September 15.

Premier Li said that China and Zambia share a profound tradition of friendship and have extensive common interests. Despite the changing international situation, they have strengthened their political mutual trust and their practical cooperation has become closer, setting a good example of solidarity and coordination between developing countries.

China and Zambia should not only expand and strengthen cooperation in established areas such as mining and infrastructure construction, but they should also create new cooperation growth areas such as green development, the digital economy, and industrial and agricultural modernisation, he said. By doing so, they can embark on a path of modernisation featuring mutual assistance and common revitalisation among developing countries.

Hichilema said that Zambia and China enjoy an all-weather friendship, and that bilateral relations are as firm as a rock. Zambia opposes the ‘China debt trap’ and ‘economic decoupling’ narratives, and is willing to work with China to promote common development, he added.

Zhao Leji commended the important and unique role that China-Zambia relations had played in the history of China-Africa friendly exchanges. The profound historical heritage and solid political foundation of the bilateral relationship have withstood the vicissitudes of the international landscape and remain rock-solid.

Noting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Zhao said China is ready to work with the Zambian side, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to further deepen political mutual trust, enhance the synergy of development strategies and jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road, and to achieve new and greater development of bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

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

Xi, Hichilema announce elevation of China-Zambia ties

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Continue reading China and Zambia announce comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership

Liu Jianchao visits Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

In the first week of September, Minister Liu Jianchao of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), paid visits to the southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Vietnam and Laos are fraternal socialist countries of China and the contemporary relations between all four countries are deeply rooted in their common struggle against the US imperialist war of aggression for national independence and salvation.

Minister Liu travelled first to Cambodia and on September 3 met with Hun Manet, who assumed office as his country’s new Prime Minister on August 23, shortly after a general election saw another resounding victory for the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP). Hun Manet asked Liu to convey his sincere greetings to General Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. He said, the victory of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in Cambodia’s seventh general election reflects the Cambodian people’s high recognition of the CPP’s governance and their expectations for the new government. The new government will continue to firmly adhere to the CPP’s friendly policies towards China and make the relationship between Cambodia and China even better. I will choose China as my first official outbound visit after taking office as Prime Minister, he said. On September 11 it was announced that that visit will take place, September 14-16.

The following day, Minister Liu met with Hun Sen, President of the CPP, who served as Prime Minister from November 1998 to August 2023. Hun Sen said that his party’s victory in the July 23 general elections also reflects the satisfaction and support of the Cambodian people for the achievements in the development of China-Cambodia relations. The Cambodian side appreciates the Chinese side’s long-standing support and assistance to Cambodia’s national development and is willing to strengthen strategic alignment with the Chinese side, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, closely coordinate and cooperate in multilateral affairs, and jointly safeguard regional and global stability and development.

Liu also met with Norodom Chakravuth, President of the FUNCINPEC party, which is generally described as Cambodia’s royalist party. Chakravuth affirmed that FUNCINPEC has long upheld King Father Norodom Sihanouk’s friendly policy towards China, always considering the CPC as a good and true friend. FUNCINPEC is ready to contribute to the building of the Cambodia-China community with a shared future. His party expressed gratitude for the long-term support from the CPC and the Chinese government to the Cambodian royal family, and its commitment to deepening friendly exchanges and cooperation with the CPC. Since the time of Norodom Sihanouk, the Cambodian royal family has maintained a close relationship with the Asian socialist countries and their ruling communist parties.

Continuing to Vietnam, on September 5, Minister Liu met with Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Nguyen Phu Trong asked Liu to convey his warm greetings and best wishes to General Secretary Xi Jinping. He said, as the first foreign leader to visit China after the 20th CPC National Congress, held in October 2022, I received a warm and friendly reception from the CPC and the Chinese people. In particular, General Secretary Xi Jinping had in-depth and friendly exchanges with me. I sincerely welcome and look forward to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam again at an early date to discuss plans for the development of relations between the two Parties and the two countries under the new situation, and to lead Vietnam-China relations for new and greater development.

The Vietnamese leader added that the Vietnam-China relationship has a long history and has become stronger over time. Just as President Ho Chi Minh remarked, China and Vietnam enjoy comradely and brotherly friendship. The Vietnamese side will always remember the great support and assistance provided by the CPC and the Chinese people for the Vietnamese side in all historical periods, and always regard developing relations with the CPC, the Chinese government and people as a top priority.

Liu said, in the face of complex and volatile international and regional situations, China and Vietnam should further strengthen unity and cooperation, implement the important consensus reached by the general secretaries of the two parties, work together to deal with various risks and challenges on the way forward, effectively promote the respective national development and socialist causes, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. If the two Parties, countries and peoples stay united, the friendship between China and Vietnam will grow deeper.

He also held talks with Le Hoai Trung, Head of the Commission for External Relations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Speaking highly of China’s great achievements in the past ten years since it entered the new era, Le Hoai Trung believed that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, Chinese comrades will certainly achieve the second centenary goal. The Vietnamese side firmly supports socialist China in growing stronger and making greater contributions to the development of the world and the region. The Vietnamese side insists on giving top priority to developing its relations with China.

While meeting with representatives of all walks of life of Vietnam including think tanks, media, and friendly organisations, Vietnamese comrades told Liu that, as socialist countries led by communist parties, the two sides should take the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen exchanges and mutual learning in state governance and administration, firmly establish a common direction of progress, solve the problems of the times, and promote the causes of socialism of our two countries for continuous development.

Liu also led a CPC delegation to pay respect to the leader of the Vietnamese revolution, Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum.

The final stop of Minister Liu’s regional tour was in Laos, where, on September 8, he met with Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Lao President.

Thongloun asked Liu to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to General Secretary Xi Jinping. Thongloun said, at the end of last year, I paid a successful state visit to China upon invitation, during which General Secretary Xi Jinping and I reached important consensus on the relations between the two parties and the two countries, and vigorously led and promoted the construction of the Laos-China community with a shared future.

He added that the Lao side sincerely thanks the Chinese side for its long-term and huge support to Laos’ socialist cause, and is willing to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with the Chinese side to better promote the development of Laos’ socialist construction.

Among his other engagements in the country, Minister Liu gave a briefing to some 300 Lao cadres and also visited the museum built in honour of the founding leader of the Lao socialist state, Kaysone Phomvihane and presented a floral tribute there. The museum was built with fraternal aid from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The following reports were originally published on the website of the IDCPC.

Hun Manet, Cambodian Prime Minister, Meets with Liu Jianchao

Phnom Penh, September 3rd— Hun Manet, Cambodian Prime Minister, met here today with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Hun Manet asked Liu to convey his sincere greetings to General Secretary Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. He said, the victory of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in Cambodia’s 7th general election reflects the Cambodian people’s high recognition of the CPP’s governance and their expectations for the new government. Political parties are the source of the country’s formulation of domestic and foreign policies. The new government will continue to firmly adhere to the CPP’s friendly policies towards China and make the relationship between Cambodia and China even better. I will choose China as my first official outbound visit after taking office as Prime Minister. The Cambodian side is willing to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote the construction of the “diamond hexagon” cooperation framework, effectively promote the construction of the “Industrial Development Corridor” and the “Fish and Rice Corridor”, and promote the construction of a Cambodia-China community of shared future in the new era. As the head of the CPP’s Youth Wing, I will support the good use of the Youth House for Cambodia-China Friendship, and efforts to strengthen friendly exchanges between the youth of the two Parties. Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong affairs are all China’s internal affairs. The Cambodian side will continue to firmly adhere to the One-China principle, firmly supports and actively participates in the Belt and Road Initiative and the three major global initiatives proposed by the Chinese side, and is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Chinese side in international and regional affairs to jointly maintain regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Continue reading Liu Jianchao visits Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

Comorian President Azali Assoumani: Africa can rely on China

In this episode of the CGTN series, Leaders Talk, Wang Guan interviews Azali Assoumani, President of the Union of the Comoros, who is also this year’s rotating Chair of the African Union (AU). The president of the Indian Ocean island country was interviewed in South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, where he was attending the BRICS Summit in late August, alongside the related China/Africa Leaders Dialogue.

President Assoumani was very positive both about the role in international affairs currently being played by the BRICS cooperation mechanism as well as for the prospects of an expanded BRICS Plus, which was first proposed by China. Citing the two examples of the disproportionate control exercised by the western powers over the traditional international financial institutions, as well as the allocation of Covid vaccines, he notes that he had discussed the latter issue with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa several times. Africa, he points out, has the ability to produce its own vaccines, an area where South Africa, Senegal, Morocco and Egypt, among other countries, have already taken a continental lead.

The Comorian leader was also emphatic on the need for industrialisation, so that Africa can export finished goods and not just raw materials. While the era of political colonialism may be largely over, that of economic colonialism is not. Often Africa exports raw materials and then imports finished goods made from them at ten, twenty or even thirty times the original export price. He therefore endorses the priorities China has set for its economic cooperation with Africa, namely industrialisation, agricultural modernisation and upscaling of the African workforce.

On agricultural modernisation, he highlights the centrality of both food processing and storage, the latter being of particular importance given the propensity of many African countries to drought and to resultant famine.

The president is also an advocate of the growing trend towards dedollarisation. Noting the successful development of the BRICS-initiated New Development Bank (NDB), he says this shows that BRICS countries could also find their way towards a common currency.

Assoumani praises China’s long standing commitment to Africa and notes that the Asian country has been fuelling Comoros’ deveopment. China was one of the first countries to recognise Comoros when it finally won independence from French colonial rule in 1975. China has always supported and stood by Comoros, he says. Therefore Comoros must also do everything it can to support China. Drawing on a popular Comorian saying, he asserts that China is now becoming a wall on which not just his country, but Africa and indeed the whole world can rely.

Africa and China, he notes, have a bond of brothers. Some other countries may be jealous of this relationship, but they, too, could enjoy a similar relationship if they treated their African counterparts as friends and brothers.

Located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, Comoros consists of four main islands and numerous smaller islands. However, France remains in colonial occupation of Mayotte, one of the major islands, making this issue part of the unfinished business of African decolonisation. France has even vetoed UN Security Council resolutions that would affirm Comorian sovereignty over the island. The CGTN commentary correctly refers to Mayotte as part of the sovereign territory of the Union of the Comoros.

The full interview with President Assoumani is embedded below.

China and Venezuela establish all-weather strategic partnership

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, paid his third state visit to China from 8 to 14 September at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. His last visit was in September 2018. With a special focus on economic cooperation, development and diversification, the visit was highly successful and saw the bilateral relationship upgraded to an all-weather strategic partnership, a category that China has so far only agreed with a handful of countries.

Meeting President Maduro in Beijing on September 13, Xi Jinping said that “the establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership between China and Venezuela meets the common expectations of the two peoples and conforms to the general trend of historical development.”

Xi spoke about China’s reform and opening up, especially the development of special economic zones, and noted that these are important instruments for China to catch up with the times in great strides and a crucial move in making China what it is today.

He added that China stands ready to work with Venezuela to firmly support each other in exploring a development path suited to their national conditions and to strengthen party and national governance exchanges. He said China supports Venezuela in setting up special economic zones and will share relevant experience to help its national development.

Maduro said Venezuela’s national development and Venezuela-China relations are at a significant stage. “The establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership is of historic significance and will surely usher in a new era of bilateral relations.”

He added that Venezuela is willing to learn from China’s experience in building special economic zones and to deepen practical cooperation in agriculture, investment, education, and tourism.

The two heads of state agreed a detailed joint statement. It noted that China and Venezuela are good friends with mutual trust, good partners for common development and good comrades-in-arms in strategic cooperation. China firmly supports Venezuela in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, national dignity, socio-economic stability, and the right to self-determination under the guidance of the legacy of liberator Simón Bolívar.

The two sides agreed that at present, the changes in the world, the times and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. China and Venezuela are both developing countries and share extensive common interests and similar positions in international affairs. The two sides spoke positively of the strategic cooperation between the two countries in international organisations and multilateral mechanisms and will continue to firmly support each other in international affairs.

The Venezuelan side reaffirms its interest in joining the BRICS countries, which, as a reliable energy supplier, with the world’s largest oil and fourth largest natural gas reserves, can make an important contribution to the mechanism’s energy agenda. China welcomes Venezuela’s positive willingness to join BRICS and supports Venezuela’s efforts to achieve this goal.

The statement notes that illegal imposition of unilateral sanctions seriously violates the basic principles of international law, such as the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in internal affairs, and seriously damages the Venezuelan people’s rights to subsistence, development and peace. China firmly supports the Venezuelan people’s just struggle to defend national sovereignty and oppose external sanctions, opposes the imposition of illegal and compulsory unilateral sanctions and so-called “long-arm jurisdiction” by certain countries against Venezuela under any pretext, opposes any acts of political bullying, and opposes military intervention or the threat of force.

The two sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis, and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be encouraged and supported. The Venezuelan side highly appreciates and firmly supports China’s relevant proposals. The two sides called on more countries to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Having noted the two countries’ previous cooperation in satellite launches, the Chinese side welcomed Venezuela to join the cooperation of the International Lunar Scientific Research Station, highly appreciated the signing of the framework agreement on cooperation in the field of space, and is willing to work together to jointly promote the progress of cooperation projects in the fields of communications and remote sensing satellites, lunar and deep space exploration, and promote the improvement of space capabilities and the national economic development of the two countries. Venezuela thus becomes the first Latin American country to whom China has extended such an invitation.

The Venezuelan side sincerely thanked China for its anti-epidemic support to Venezuela during the coronavirus epidemic. Chinese vaccines, medical supplies and Chinese medical teams have played a key role in Venezuela’s fight against the epidemic and made important contributions to saving the lives of millions of Venezuelans. The two sides agreed to promote health cooperation between the two countries by sharing experience and technology.

The two sides spoke highly of the important role of the China-Latin America Forum (CELAC) in promoting China-Latin America relations. They are willing to strengthen communication and coordination on China-CELAC Forum affairs and promote stable and far-reaching China-Latin America relations in the new era of equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and benefiting the people. China highly appreciates the positive role played by Venezuela in Latin American and Caribbean affairs and in promoting the sustainable development of China-Latin America cooperation.

President Maduro sincerely thanked President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government and people for their warm and friendly reception during his visit and welcomed President Xi Jinping’s timely state visit to Venezuela.

Maduro had begun his visit on Friday September 8 in Shenzhen, the home of China’s reform and opening up, where a spectacular welcoming ceremony was arranged in the city’s Talents Park, with a light show featuring hundreds of drones, culminating in them spelling out, ‘May the Friendship between China and Venezuela be Eternal’ across the night sky.

President Maduro’s itinerary then took him to China’s financial capital Shanghai and to Shandong Province. Visiting China’s International Poverty Reduction Centre, the Venezuelan leader noted that despite the hardships imposed by the US’ economic war against his country, 77.1% of Venezuela’s budget is devoted to social investment, strengthening programs in food production and distribution, social housing, education, health and social security.

Further underlining the great importance that Venezuela attaches to its relations with China, Maduro’s visit was immediately preceded by, and overlapped with, one by his Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who arrived in China on September 5, primarily to attend the 17th Meeting of the Mixed Venezuela-China High Level Committee and to review and confirm bilateral agreements prior to the state visit.

On the day prior to Maduro’s arrival, she met with China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said that their two countries had forged an unbreakable, iron-clad friendship. On the day of Maduro’s arrival in Shenzhen, she met with her counterpart, Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing.

The following reports originally appeared on the websites of the Xinhua News Agency, the People’s Daily and Telesur. The full text of the joint statement was machine translated from Chinese and lightly edited by us.

Xi, Maduro announce elevation of China-Venezuela ties

BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro Moros, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday.

The two presidents announced the elevation of the China-Venezuela relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership.

“The establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership between China and Venezuela meets the common expectations of the two peoples and conforms to the general trend of historical development,” Xi said, calling on the two sides to push for more fruitful China-Venezuela strategic cooperation, bring more benefits to the two peoples and inject more positive energy into world peace and development.

Xi spoke about China’s reform and opening up, especially the development of special economic zones, and noted that reform and opening up is an important instrument for China to catch up with the times in great strides and a crucial move in making China what it is today.

Continue reading China and Venezuela establish all-weather strategic partnership

China congratulates DPRK on the 75th anniversary of its founding

China’s socialist neighbour, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) celebrated its 75th founding anniversary on September 9.

Greeting the occasion, China’s leader Xi Jinping sent a warm message to his DPRK counterpart, Kim Jong Un.

Xi said that, thanks to the steadfast leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the tireless efforts of the Korean people, the cause of socialist construction in the DPRK has achieved steady and new successes for 75 years.

China and the DPRK are friendly neighbours sharing mountains and rivers, the message said, adding that the traditional China-DPRK friendship, personally provided and cultivated by the leaders of the elder generation of the two parties and two countries, has struck roots deep in the mind of the two peoples and is growing stronger with the passage of time.

It is the steadfast stand of the Chinese party and government to defend, consolidate and develop the traditional China-DPRK friendly and cooperative relations with credit, no matter how the international and regional situation may change, under the great changes unprecedented in a hundred years taking place rapidly.

A Chinese party and government delegation, led by Liu Guozheng, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of China, visited the DPRK from September 8 to 11 to participate in the celebrations.

Kim Jong Un met with the Chinese guests on the day of their arrival. He noted that the Chinese comrades’ participation in the celebrations of the founding anniversary of the DPRK added glory to the events for marking its national day. Saying that he deeply realised through the Chinese party and government delegation’s visit to the DPRK that Comrade Xi Jinping and the Chinese party and government attach great importance to the special nature of the DPRK-China relations, he expressed thanks and high appreciation for it.

Conveying the cordial greetings of Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to Kim, Liu Guozheng extended warm congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the DPRK’s founding, made positive comments on the DPRK’s construction achievements, and wished the DPRK a prosperous future and its people a happy life with the country’s socialist cause flourishing and its development path getting wider.

China prizes the traditional China-DPRK friendship and is willing to push for the continuous consolidation and development of bilateral relations, he said.

Liu is in charge of the agriculture and health care sectors in China, and he noted that they are important undertakings for people’s livelihood, adding that China is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the DPRK in these areas so as to benefit their people.

During their visit, the Chinese delegation also met with Premier Kim Tok Hun; attended a parade of paramilitary forces; visited the Friendship Tower, which honours the fallen fighters of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War; visited the DPRK-China Friendship Thaekam Farm, which DPRK President Kim Il Sung and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai visited together in 1958; attended a grand musical performance as well as a reception and banquet; and paid respects to the statues of late DPRK leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Pyongyang’s Mansu Hill, as well as at the Chinese People’s Volunteers Martyrs Cemetery in Anju City.

The following reports were originally published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Xinhua News Agency.

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Receives Greetings from President Xi Jinping

KCNA, 9 September 2023

Pyongyang, September 9 (KCNA) — Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, received a message of greeting from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and president of the People’s Republic of China, on Sept. 9.

In the message, Xi Jinping extended heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the CPC and the Chinese government and people and on his own behalf to Kim Jong Un and to the WPK and the government and people of DPRK on the 75th birthday of the DPRK.

Thanks to the steadfast leadership of the WPK and the tireless efforts of the Korean people, the cause of socialist construction in the DPRK has achieved steady and new successes for 75 years, the message said.

Noting that in recent years General Secretary Kim Jong Un has made important achievements by guiding the Korean party and people to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Eighth WPK Congress and the plenary meetings of the Party Central Committee and channeling big efforts into the economic development and the improvement of people’s living, it expressed belief that under the leadership of the General Secretary and the WPK, the fraternal Korean people would surely accelerate the socialist cause of the DPRK and thus steadily achieve new development and put it on a new stage.

Continue reading China congratulates DPRK on the 75th anniversary of its founding

Nicolás Maduro: Between China and Venezuela there is a model relationship

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros began a week long state visit to China on September 8.

Prior to leaving his capital Caracas, the leader of the Bolivarian revolution gave an exclusive interview to China’s Xinhua News Agency. According to Maduro:

“Between China and Venezuela there is a model relationship, it is a model of what should be the relationship between a superpower like China, the great superpower of the 21st century, and an emerging, heroic, revolutionary and socialist country like Venezuela… China has inaugurated a new era of the emergence of non-colonialist, non-imperialist, non-hegemonic superpowers.”

Referring to President Xi Jinping’s concept of building a shared future for humanity, Maduro said: “I believe that the route that President Xi Jinping has proposed is uniting the peoples in all aspects of the economy, trade, culture and is laying the foundations to leave behind the old world of colonialism and imperialism.”

Noting that China provided vaccines to more than 160 countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Venezuelan President continued:

“We have to thank China very much. At the time of the pandemic, if it had not been for China, with the blockade of US imperialism in Venezuela, neither medicines nor sanitary supplies would have arrived, nor the vaccines. Thanks to China, vaccines and medicines arrived, not only to Venezuela, but to more than 160 countries in the world.”

He also expressed Venezuela’s willingness to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism, adding: “The BRICS countries are accelerating the de-dollarisation of the world and the emergence of a new international financial system and a new just economic order, for which humanity has been fighting for years, decades and centuries.”

The interview was originally published by Xinhua in Spanish. We reprint below an English-language translation published by Internationalist 360°.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared that the peoples of China and Venezuela are friends who share “a common destiny in the world to come”, while stressing that both nations are committed to peace, development and cooperation.

“Between China and Venezuela there is a model relationship, it is a model of what should be the relationship between a superpower like China, the great superpower of the 21st century and an emerging, heroic, revolutionary and socialist country like Venezuela,” Maduro emphasized in an exclusive interview with Xinhua before beginning his state visit to China.

Regarding the role played by China in the emergence of a fairer world, the President affirmed that the Asian country “has inaugurated a new era of the emergence of non-colonialist, non-imperialist, non-hegemonic superpowers”.

He also stressed that China, “today, points the way to economic and technological development, social stability  and strengthened independence”.

“I believe that the relations between the governments and peoples of China and Venezuela are relations of intimate mutual trust, of true brotherhood, of cooperation for shared development”, said the President.

He also described the bilateral ties as fruitful and stressed that “we mutually nourish each other with great ideas, with great projects”.

The Venezuelan president also expressed his country’s firm support for China’s proposal to build a community of shared destiny for humanity that advances towards “respect for our diversity in the union of a different world, (made up of) all the regions of the world”.

Continue reading Nicolás Maduro: Between China and Venezuela there is a model relationship

Grenadian FM: China upholds justice in international affairs

The good relations between China and the Caribbean island nation of Grenada have been underlined by a visit to the Chinese capital by the Grenadian Foreign Minister Joseph Andall.

Meeting his Grenadian counterpart in Beijing on September 6, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Grenada is an important country in the Caribbean and a friendly partner of China and both sides have always respected each other and treated each other as equals.

Andall said that China, a great ancient civilisation with great achievements in development today, has always fully respected and treated Grenada on an equal footing and provided valuable support for Grenada’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood. Grenada highly appreciates China’s role as a responsible major country in upholding justice in international affairs, sharing development achievements with countries in the Global South, and is willing to actively participate in the series of important global initiatives proposed by China.

As an ex-officio member of the Global South, Wang said that China will continue to stand on the side of developing countries, safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, especially those of small and medium-sized countries, and defend international fairness and justice.

In an interview with the Chinese newspaper Global Times during his visit, Andall said that an increasing number of regional countries support the one-China principle, which is in “keeping with the inevitable march of history.”

“As I said in my remarks in my meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, resisting the one-China principle is like trying to push back a tsunami with your hands. This is an irreversible trend,” he added.

When it comes to the China-Grenada cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Andall said his country has benefited from cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure development, expansion and modernization of the national airport and the road network.

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

Chinese FM meets Grenada’s minister for foreign affairs

Xinhua, 6 September 2023

BEIJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Grenada’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Joseph Andall on Wednesday in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that Grenada is an important country in the Caribbean and a friendly partner of China, and both sides have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, and their bilateral relations have become more mature since the resumption of diplomatic ties.

Wang noted that China highly appreciates Grenada’s adherence to the one-China principle, respects Grenada’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, supports Grenada in exploring a development path suited to its own national conditions, and stands ready to work with Grenada to open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation.

Andall said that China, a great ancient civilization with great achievements in development today, has always fully respected and treated Grenada on an equal footing, and provided valuable support for Grenada’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood.

Continue reading Grenadian FM: China upholds justice in international affairs

CGTN interview with Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye

In this episode of the CGTN series Leaders Talk, Wang Guan interviews Évariste Ndayishimiye, the President of Burundi. The interview was filmed in Shanghai during the Burundian leader’s recent state visit to China.

Burundi is a small, landlocked country in east central Africa, sharing land borders with Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. It was colonised by Germany during the imperialist “scramble for Africa”. Following World War I, it was handed to Belgium under a League of Nations mandate and after World War II was made a so-called United Nations Trust Territory, finally winning national independence in 1962.

Burundi established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China the year after it obtained independence, making this year the 60th anniversary of their bilateral ties. 

They have been 60 years of fruitful cooperation, leading President Xi Jinping, in his meeting with his Burundian counterpart, to describe the relationship of one of all-weather friendship. For his part, President Ndayishimiye, who was making his first visit to China as president, but who has previously visited the country on a number of occasions, describes the relationship as one of friendship, solidarity and brotherhood. If there is one country, he says, that always stands with Burundi, whether in good times or bad, it’s China, which is always the first to come to his country’s support in times of difficulty.

Whenever he visits China, Ndayishimiye is keen to delve deeply into the lessons provided by China’s development. His ambition is for Burundi to become an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060. China, he notes, has become a global power in a very short time, so it is possible. He seeks to learn from China by reorganising his own country to work for the people’s well-being.

Ninety per cent of Burundi’s population currently works in agriculture, so this sector is also the foundation of its collaboration with China. Since 2009, under the auspices of FOCAC (the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation), agricultural experts from China have introduced various hybrid rice strains to Burundi, leading to a huge increase in the country’s food production. President Ndayishimiye praises the role of Chinese experts, who “work with our people shoulder-to-shoulder on the ground.”

However, China’s assistance to Burundi does not stop at agriculture, but also embraces such sectors as healthcare, education and infrastructure, including energy, roads and the expansion of the international airport in the country’s largest city and former capital, Bujumbura. 

Burundi’s president is scathing about the record and legacy of European colonialism in his country. “Burundi is like a big family, but the colonisers’ strategy was to divide in order to rule over the resistant people.” He contrasts this to China and utterly refutes any suggestion of “Chinese colonialism” in Africa. He has studied Chinese history and the country was itself once a victim of colonialism. A devout Christian, the president invokes words from the Bible when he insists that China does not believe in doing unto others what has been done unto itself. Interestingly, almost the identical words can be found in the sayings of the Chinese sage Confucius. According to Ndayishimiye, the colonial powers are simply judging China by their own standards.

The full interview with President Évariste Ndayishimiye is embedded below.