Category: Internationalism

Brits in revolution: Weaving the struggles of British and Chinese people into a community of shared future

The following is the text of a talk given by our co-editor Keith Bennett on September 23rd to a meeting organised by the Birmingham People’s History Archive and held at its offices housed in the Birmingham and Midland Institute.

With the title of Brits in Revolution, Keith introduces various British people whose lives became entwined with the Chinese revolution in various ways and in its different phases and stages and travels back and forth between Britain and China, between the Chinese revolution and progressive and working class movements in Britain, and between individuals in both countries, illustrating in this way how each influenced and reinforced the other, creating history in the process.

Starting with the first opium war waged by British imperialism against China and the Chartist movement in Britain, the first mass political expression of the modern proletariat, in the early 1840s, Keith takes us through the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the early collaboration between British and Chinese communists in the 1920s, the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, the early days of building New China and the more complicated period of the 1960s.

Inevitably these snapshots omit many great events and many individuals who richly deserve to be remembered, but Keith concludes:

“In this spirit, in going back and forth, I have tried to draw out how the role of British people in supporting and even participating in the Chinese revolution is not simply a matter of something that happened ‘over there’. Rather it represented two mutually reinforcing fronts of ultimately the same fight, a struggle whose commonality was forged through the interweaving of numerous threads in such a way that they could not actually be dissevered. And further that here we can perceive part of the makings of what Xi Jinping now calls a community of shared future for humanity.”

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From Norman Bethune and Dwarakanath Kotnis to Hussam Abu Safiya – medicine in the fight for national liberation

October 7, 2026 marked the third anniversary of the Al Aqsa Flood, when fighters of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas and other militant Palestinian resistance organisations broke out of Gaza, aptly described as the greatest concentration camp in the contemporary world, by air, land and sea, taking the war to the zionist enemy.

It also marks the third anniversary of an ongoing, relentless and pitiless genocide against the Palestinian people, distinguished from nazi barbarism only by its brazenness and boastfulness.

Amongst the myriad of statistics it could have chosen to cite on this occasion, Palestine Chronicle notes a report from Palestine’s education ministry that a total of 20,748 Palestinian students and 1,058 educational and administrative staff were killed in Gaza and the occupied West Bank during the last three years of genocide.

“The overwhelming majority of the deaths occurred in Gaza, where Israeli attacks killed 19,189 school students and 1,386 university students. Another 28,586 school students and 3,082 university students were injured.”

Another report from Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development highlights that 71,846 children have lost one or both parents during three years of Israeli genocide, while the number of widows has reached 64,413.

Hospitals, their patients and their heroic staff have been particular targets of the genocidal onslaught. In his Substack, Journal of International Solidarity, A. Shantha notes that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was first illegally captured and interned by the Israeli military on December 27, 2024.

He notes that the health of Dr. Abu Safiya, whose dignity, courage and heroism has moved and inspired the world, has severely declined since his internment. “His weight dropped by one-third of what it previously was as he continues to be underfed and is forced to sustain brutal and barbaric physical abuse and medical negligence [at the hands of] his Israeli captors. Dr. Abu Safiya remains in Israeli captivity alongside at least 160 other medical professionals, including 20 doctors.”

In solidarity with Dr. Abu Safiya, Shantha republished on August 19, an article he originally posted on February 12, 2025, just over a month after Dr. Abu Safiya was first illegally captured and interned by the Israeli military on December 27, 2024.

He writes: “I am republishing this article as a modest attempt to join this broader chorus drawing attention to the situation of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. In particular, this article attempts to situate the events of Dr. Abu Safiya’s abduction and internment within the broader context of a protracted anti-colonial national liberation struggle and seeks to address the role played by healthcare workers in resisting the colonial drive to de-develop and genocidally lay waste to indigenous societies. This article looks at the case of Palestine alongside the historical context of China’s national liberation struggle and two doctors – Dr. Norman Bethune (Canada) and Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis (India) – who were internationalists and sought to contribute to China’s struggle for sovereignty and, ultimately, the Chinese people’s collective right to life.”

This year also marks the 90th anniversary of the victorious conclusion of the Long March and Shantha writes:

“The 1930s were a tumultuous decade in recent Chinese history. The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the movement it led suffered a major strategic setback in the civil war against the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang – KMT), resulting in the need for the Communists to retreat from a base area in the south to another base area up in the north. This retreat became known as the Long March. Freedom fighters literally walked approximately 10,000 km from Jiangxi to Shaanxi while continuing to fend off attacks from the KMT. This year-long… journey started with 100,000 people while only around 8,000 reached Shaanxi – many perished as a result of war, exhaustion, and hunger, while many others discontinued and stayed in villages along the route. The sacrifices made during this year-long ordeal for national liberation are unimaginable.”

He further notes: “One could argue that both Dr. Bethune and Dr. Kotnis would be much less known (if at all) in Canada and India respectively, if it were not for China’s commitment to keeping their memory alive domestically as well as diplomatically. This commitment on the part of the Chinese people indicates an understanding of the immense hardship and sacrifice required to achieve national liberation. There is an understanding that these two individuals – by virtue of their medical expertise – contributed significantly to the Chinese people’s collective struggle for the right to life, in opposition to imperial Japan’s desire to deprive them of that right.

“One would wish that the unfathomable sacrifices made in the Chinese national liberation struggle, and those of the South Asian, West Asian, African, and Caribbean liberation struggles of the mid-20th century remained relegated to that era. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The imperialist force from which these liberation struggles attempted to break has – though weakened – transformed its mechanisms of domination in order to continue its hegemony. [These] kinds of unfathomable sacrifices… continue to be made at the hands of imperialism, most acutely in Palestine today.”

And despite three years of genocide, supported by the most powerful imperialist states, the heroic Palestinian people, of whom Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is an outstanding symbol and representative, remain unbroken, undefeated and unbowed. The zionist entity is unable to secure control over Gaza. And the Israeli regime and its backers have never been more isolated and more hated across an entire world whose peoples stand with Palestine. As the Irish hunger strike martyr Bobby Sands, himself much loved in Palestine, wrote in his Prison Diary:

“If they aren’t able to destroy the desire for freedom, they won’t break you. They won’t break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is in my heart.”

Continue reading From Norman Bethune and Dwarakanath Kotnis to Hussam Abu Safiya – medicine in the fight for national liberation

Ma Haide – a bridge of friendship between China and Lebanon

Marking the 90th anniversary of the successful conclusion of the Long March, we recently republished an article from China Today introducing the contributions made at that time by two young Americans, Edgar Snow and George Hatem (Ma Haide).

The below article, which was originally published in The Beiruter, introduces Hatem’s connection to his ancestral home country of Lebanon, with the help of exclusive interviews with his family, unpublished letters, rare photographs and original reporting, and outlines how this connection still helps to form a bridge of friendship between the Chinese and Lebanese peoples.

It recounts how, in an October 1983 letter to family members, Hatem thanks his relatives for the olives they had sent from Lebanon. He asks about Hammana, his family’s hometown. He worries about the civil war then consuming his ancestral homeland. And he sends warm wishes to every member of the family.

“Thousands of kilometers away, the physician revered across China as Ma Haide, the man who helped transform the country’s fight against leprosy and sexually transmitted diseases, and [one of] the first foreigner[s] to become a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, was writing not as a revolutionary or a national hero, but as George, a relative who had never stopped thinking about home.”

Like thousands of Lebanese emigrants at the turn of the twentieth century, Ma Haide’s father, Nahoum Salameh Hatem, left Mount Lebanon in search of opportunity in the United States. Although raised in America, George spent summers in Hammana with relatives, forging a connection to Lebanon that distance would never erase.

After studying at the University of North Carolina, the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the University of Geneva, the newly graduated physician boarded a ship to Shanghai in 1933 with two fellow American doctors. The plan was simple: gain experience, practice medicine and eventually return to the United States.

He never did. Arriving in Shanghai, he opened a dermatology and venereal disease practice. Beyond the city’s modern façade, he soon discovered a different China. Patients suffered from illnesses driven as much by poverty, overcrowding and exploitation as by disease itself, leading him to question not only how to treat illness, but the conditions that created it.

He also met people who would shape his future. Through American journalist Agnes Smedley, he was introduced to Soong Ching-ling, widow of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, and later to Zhou Enlai, who would become the first premier of the People’s Republic of China.

In 1936, Hatem left Shanghai for the communist base area of Yan’an together with American journalist Edgar Snow, convinced he was going not where life would be easiest, but where a doctor was needed most.

Unlike the many foreigners who passed briefly through Yan’an, Hatem chose to stay. In 1937 he became a member of the Communist Party of China. According to family accounts, Mao Zedong waived the usual probationary period, telling colleagues that Ma Haide had already proven his commitment through his work rather than words. And in 1950, he was one of the first foreigners to become a citizen of the newly-founded People’s Republic of China.

He would serve as Chairman Mao’s personal physician while helping establish medical services for the Red Army, training healthcare workers and building the foundations of a modern military health system and then leading the country’s post-liberation fight to eliminate leprosy. He later described his time in Yan’an as “the happiest, most meaningful and most extraordinary years” of his life.

After decades apart, he finally met his father again in 1962, in the Syrian capital, Damascus, it not being possible for him to visit Lebanon as a Chinese citizen at that time. He was finally able to visit the country in 1974.

The article adds: “His connection to Lebanon did not end with those visits. Decades after his death, it continues to bring China back to the mountain village where his family’s story began.

“‘I was working when two young women approached me speaking English,’ [his cousin Joseph] Rached said. ‘“Is your mother Mary Hatem? Is this Dr. Hatem’s family home?” I said yes. Then they told me, “The Chinese ambassador wants to meet you.”’

“According to Rached, that visit marked the beginning of a tradition that continues today. Every Chinese ambassador appointed to Lebanon has visited the Hatem family in Hammana to pay tribute to Ma Haide… The Chinese Embassy later erected a bronze statue honoring Hatem in the village where his family’s story began, a lasting symbol of the bond between China and Hammana.”

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From organising in the US to teaching in China: the Long March spirit lives on

In the following article, which was originally published by China Today, Mark Levine, a veteran US socialist living and working in China, reflects on the enduring legacy and relevance of the Long March spirit, both in China and universally.

He recalls that: “I first heard of the Long March in the 1960s, as a college student in the United States… By 1976, I had earned my Ph.D. in sociology. Yet instead of pursuing an academic career, I spent the next three decades as a full-time volunteer labour organiser in impoverished American communities. It was during that period that I read Snow’s vivid account of the Long March [‘Red Star over China’ by Edgar Snow], which left a lasting impression on me… Today, after more than two decades living in China, observing the country’s dramatic transformations, speaking with people from remote villages to modern cities, and visiting revolutionary sites such as Zunyi in Guizhou Province and Xibaipo in Hebei Province, I have developed a far richer and more personal understanding of that Long March spirit.”

Mark recalls: “The original Long March (1934-1936), undertaken by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), was a journey of survival and hope. Facing harsh natural environments, rugged terrain, and constant military suppression, China’s revolutionary leaders chose faith over despair, unity over division, and the common good over personal gain. As Chairman Mao Zedong wrote in his 1938 treatise On Protracted War, victory would not come quickly, but it would surely come.”

He invokes the contemporary Long March spirit by detailing how villages, “once isolated by treacherous terrain and entrenched poverty are being rejuvenated, not by dramatic interventions, but by the persistent, grinding work of local people. Village teachers crossing rivers to reach a handful of students. Engineers building roads through mountains one metre at a time. Healthcare workers carrying medicine to communities that have never seen a doctor. There are no grand battles or dramatic heroics here, but there is the same perseverance and selflessness that carried the Red Army across China 90 years ago.

“I have also seen this spirit in China’s response to difficult times: the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the devastating winter storms of that same year, and the COVID-19 pandemic. I wrote songs about each of these events because I was watching a society respond to catastrophes not with panic, but with coordinated resolve.”

This spirit has relevance, too, to China’s ethnic policies: “For nearly two decades, I have taught at Minzu [Nationalities] University of China in Beijing, an institution dedicated to ethnic unity and educational equity. My students mainly come from the high plateau, deep mountains, and borderlands of western and southwestern China. Many are from ethnic minority communities in regions that were, not long ago, as isolated and underdeveloped as the terrain the Long March once crossed… They study not merely to escape their circumstances, but to return home as teachers, doctors, engineers, and cultural stewards. They talk about revitalising their villages, preserving their languages, and building bridges between their traditions and the modern world…

“My own work has been shaped by this same ethos. As a songwriter, author, and chief expert of the ‘Telling China Stories’ Workshop, I have worked to break Western stereotypes that often reduce China’s development to superficial headlines and biased political narratives.”

The Long March spirit, Mark concludes, “is not China’s alone. It belongs to anyone who has ever faced an impossible journey and kept moving forward.”

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The Cypriot struggle and the Long March spirit

With the impending 90th anniversary of the victorious conclusion of the Long March undertaken by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, the magazine China Today has been publishing a series of articles by international friends.

In the following article, Nikos Ioannou, a member of the Central Committee of the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) of Cyprus, writes that:

“For a Cypriot communist, and a member of the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), the Long March (1934-1936), a strategic military relocation undertaken by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, speaks not only of military endurance or strategic relocation. It speaks of the capacity of a people’s movement to survive under conditions of extreme danger, to reorganise its forces, to keep faith with its ideals, and to transform hardship into a source of moral and political strength.”

He adds: “This is why the Long March can be understood as a universal revolutionary metaphor. It represents the refusal to surrender when the balance of forces appears overwhelming. It represents discipline, collective courage, unity, sacrifice, and the belief that history is not made only by the powerful, but also by those who organise, endure, and struggle for justice.

“Mao Zedong captured this meaning in December 1935, in ‘On Tactics Against Japanese Imperialism’, when he wrote that: ‘The Long March is a manifesto.’ He described it also as ‘a propaganda force’ and ‘a seeding-machine’, because it had proclaimed the heroism of the Red Army and carried to millions the message that the road of the Red Army was the road to liberation. This is a crucial point.”

According to Ioannou, “From Cyprus, this symbolism has a particular resonance. Cyprus is a small island in the Eastern Mediterranean, but its modern history has been shaped by great international struggles. Colonial domination, the anti-fascism and anti-colonial movement, the fight for workers’ rights, the struggle for peace, and the continuing demand for freedom and reunification. AKEL was born and developed under these conditions. Its roots go back to the Communist Party of Cyprus, which emerged from the historical need of the Cypriot working class to organise itself politically and socially, to acquire consciousness of its role, and to connect the struggle for social justice with the struggle for national and democratic rights.”

He argues that the party’s internationalist tradition “was expressed with particular clarity during the years of the Second World War. Cyprus was then a British colony. The Cypriot people lived under colonial rule, without national freedom and with severe restrictions on political and civil rights. For the communists, repression was even harsher. Organisations were banned, leaders were exiled, and censorship and persecution were widespread. Yet when fascism threatened humanity, AKEL did not treat the struggle as someone else’s war.

“On June 16, 1943, the Central Committee of AKEL took one of the most important decisions in the history of the Party and of the Cypriot people. It called on its members and supporters to voluntarily enlist in the Allied forces, under the Cyprus Regiment, in order to fight Nazism and fascism. This was a conscious anti-fascist and internationalist act. AKEL understood that the defeat of Hitler-led fascism was necessary not only for the liberation of Europe, but also for the future of all oppressed peoples, including the people of Cyprus.”

As a result: “The anti-fascist experience became part of the anti-colonial struggle. It helped shape the generation that would demand democracy, workers’ rights, social progress, and the end of British colonial rule. This is where the symbolism of the Long March acquires deeper meaning for Cypriots. A revolutionary journey is not only the movement from one place to another. It is the transformation of people through struggle.”

He further notes that, “the internationalist tradition of the Cypriot left did not begin in the Second World War. Before that, in the 1930s, Cypriot anti-fascists had already taken part in one of the most moving expressions of international solidarity in the 20th century: the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Around 60 Cypriots, many of them from working-class backgrounds and having suffered from poverty, migration, unemployment and political persecution, travelled to Spain to defend the country against fascism. Among those Cypriot volunteers were figures who would later become central to the history of the Cypriot left, including Ezekias Papaioannou, who later became general secretary of AKEL.”

Updating the story, he writes: “Today, when China speaks of building a community with a shared future for humanity, this idea can be understood against the background of these long histories of internationalism. Humanity again faces dangers that no people can confront alone: war, militarism, poverty, climate crisis, inequality, racism, new forms of colonial domination, and the return of dangerous bloc politics. The answer cannot be the fragmentation of the world into hostile camps, nor the imposition of the will of the powerful upon the weak. The answer must be cooperation, mutual respect, peace, common development, and the recognition that the future of each people is tied to the future of all.

“For a small country such as Cyprus, this is not an abstract principle. Cyprus knows from its own experience what occupation, foreign intervention, and division mean… This is why the Cypriot left has always connected the struggle of Cyprus with the struggle of all peoples for freedom, peace, and justice.

“The vision of a community with a shared future for humanity can therefore be approached not as a diplomatic slogan, but as a historical necessity… From the perspective of AKEL, this idea resonates with the deepest meaning of internationalism. Internationalism is not the denial of one’s own country. It is the highest form of genuine patriotism, because it understands that the freedom of one people cannot be secured through the oppression of another. It understands that a small country’s independence is protected not by submission to powerful alliances, but by a world order based on peace, law, solidarity, and respect for sovereignty.

He concludes: “There are no identical histories. The mountains and rivers crossed by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army are not the same as the colonial streets, villages, and battlefields that shaped the Cypriot left. Yet between them resonates a common echo of people who understood that liberation is never given as a gift. It is won through endurance, organisation, sacrifice, and solidarity.

“Today, as humanity searches for a path beyond war, inequality, domination, and division, that echo remains alive. From the Long March to the anti-fascist volunteers of Cyprus, from the battle against colonialism to the contemporary struggle for peace and social justice, internationalism continues to offer a compass. It tells us that the future cannot belong to hegemony and exploitation. It must belong to the peoples.”

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Complete success of Xi Jinping’s visit takes relations with DPRK to new height

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People’s Republic of China, paid a state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), from June 8-9 at the invitation of his DPRK counterpart Kim Jong Un.

Xi Jinping, together with his wife Peng Liyuan and his delegation, arrived at Pyongyang’s Sunan Airport at around noon where they were greeted by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that:

“The historic Pyongyang meeting between the top leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China was arranged again at a time when the traditional DPRK-China friendship, forged in the long journey for independence against imperialism, peace and the accomplishment of the socialist cause, weathering all hardships of the times, is being developed at a new strategic level.

“Comrade Xi Jinping’s visit to the DPRK in the significant year marking the 65th anniversary of the conclusion of the DPRK-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance serves as the important and meaningful one in developing the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations, the strategic option and valuable common asset of the two parties and the peoples of the two countries.”

A welcoming ceremony for the Chinese leader was held in Kim Il Sung Square in the heart of the DPRK capital.

As Xi Jinping and his wife arrived by car, a cavalry escort lined up to welcome them while the military band played welcoming tunes. Kim Jong Un and his wife greeted Xi Jinping and his wife at the square. Xi Jinping and his wife, along with Kim Jong Un and his wife, shook hands with their respective accompanying personnel. The top leaders of the two parties and two countries jointly ascended the review stand as the military bands played the national anthems of China and the DPRK, with a 21-gun salute. Accompanied by Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping inspected the honour guard of the three services of the Korean People’s Army. Guardsmen shouted in Korean, “Wish Comrade Xi Jinping good health”. Afterward, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un watched the march-past together.

En route from the airport to Kim Il Sung Square and then from Kim Il Sung Square to the Kumsusan State Guesthouse, where Xi Jinping stayed during his visit, people of the DPRK lined both sides of the streets, waving to welcome Xi’s arrival.

The two leaders held talks during the afternoon.

Xi Jinping noted that after seven years, he is very pleased to once again visit the beautiful city of Pyongyang and feels especially warm and familiar. He expressed his readiness to work with Comrade General Secretary to take this visit as an opportunity to strengthen top-level planning and strategic guidance for China-DPRK relations in the new era, promote bilateral relations advancing with the times and achieving greater progress, so as to better benefit the two countries and peoples, and make positive contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world.

Xi stressed that China and the DPRK are both socialist countries led by communist parties. The traditional friendship between the two countries is rooted in their shared ideals and beliefs as well as their common goals, and is backed by a profound historical foundation, a solid political basis and strong emotional bonds. Friendship passed down from generation to generation, a shared future and mutual support have always been the defining features of China-DPRK relations. No matter how the international situation changes, the Chinese party and government’s firm stance on highly valuing China-DPRK traditional friendship will not change, the firm support for General Secretary Kim Jong Un in leading the DPRK’s socialist cause will not change, and the firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries and preserving a favorable strategic environment will not change.

Xi Jinping pointed out that, in the face of the profound changes unseen in a century that are accelerating across the world, the two sides should take a broad and long-term view, build on past achievements and open up a new future, draw wisdom from the development process of the relations between the two parties and the two countries, seize opportunities in the prevailing trend of human history, inject new contemporary connotations and strong impetus into the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, and open up a brighter prospect for the socialist cause of the two countries as well as regional peace and development.

Continue reading Complete success of Xi Jinping’s visit takes relations with DPRK to new height

Xi Jinping: The shared socialist ideal is the defining character of China-DPRK relations

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People’s Republic of China, paid a state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), from June 8-9 at the invitation of his DPRK counterpart Kim Jong Un.

Immediately prior to his arrival in the DPRK capital Pyongyang, Rodong Sinmun (Workers’ Newspaper), the central organ of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), published a signed article by Xi Jinping, entitled, ‘Carrying Forward the Past and Opening the Future, Forging Ahead Together – Writing a New Chapter in the Traditional China-DPRK Friendship’.

In the article, Xi states: “China and the DPRK are friendly socialist neighbours that watch over and help each other and share a common destiny. The traditional China-DPRK friendship is the shared precious treasure of the two parties, the two countries, and the people of the two countries. No matter how the times change or how the international situation shifts, the traditional China-DPRK friendship has always been unbreakable and grows stronger over time… Historically, the older generation of leaders of China and the DPRK knew one another intimately and were as close as can be. In recent years, I have met with General Secretary Kim Jong Un six times, maintained close strategic communication, and jointly drawn up the blueprint for the development of China-DPRK relations.”

He adds: “The shared socialist ideal is the defining character of China-DPRK relations. The Communist Party of China and the Workers’ Party of Korea are both Marxist ruling parties, and China and the DPRK are fellow travellers on the socialist road… The traditional friendship of shared destiny is the deep foundation of China-DPRK relations. In the turbulent years of fighting for national independence and national liberation, the people of China and the DPRK shared weal and woe, depended on each other in life and death, and forged a great fighting friendship with their blood. In the development of each country’s socialist cause, the two peoples have stood shoulder to shoulder, sharing comforts and hardships, vividly embodying the comradely friendship of mutual trust, solidarity, and mutual aid.”

Noting that, “in recent years, in the face of accelerating once-in-a-century changes in the world and an international situation entangled by change and turbulence, China and the DPRK have insisted on concentrating their energies on managing their own affairs well, forging ahead and striving unremittingly on the socialist road,” Xi draws attention to the important political events in the two countries this year, noting the commencement of China’s 15th Five Year Plan and the Workers’ Party of Korea’s convening of its ninth congress.

Looking forward, he suggests that China and the DPRK should:

  • Deepen strategic communication and firmly grasp the correct direction for the development of China-DPRK relations. “We must maintain the fine tradition of high-level exchanges between the two parties and two countries, visiting often and meeting each other like relatives.”
  • Strengthen exchanges and mutual learning and jointly push forward the steady and sustained advance of the two countries’ socialist cause. “We must hold firm to the path and be unchanged in our resolve, support each other in walking the socialist road that suits our own national conditions… firmly safeguard the political security of both countries… and lead the socialist cause of the two countries to keep moving from one victory to the next.”
  • Strengthen the alignment of the two countries’ development strategies, tap cooperation potential in all fields, share opportunities, and jointly promote development, so as to better benefit the people of both countries. “Through flexible and varied forms, we must keep friendly exchanges active, deepen mutual understanding, tighten emotional bonds, and pass the baton of China-DPRK friendship from generation to generation.”
  • Oppose hegemonism and power politics and oppose all schemes and acts that seek to revive militarism and that endanger regional security and stability… and join hands to push forward the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

In conclusion, Xi states that, “We stand ready to forge ahead and write a new chapter together with our DPRK comrades, so that the traditional China-DPRK friendship will shine with an even more brilliant contemporary lustre and make a greater contribution to promoting peace, stability, development, and prosperity in the region and indeed across the world.”

Also on June 8, Rodong Sinmun carried an editorial welcoming the “goodwill mission of the Chinese people” headed by Xi.

It says that the visit, “serves as support and encouragement to our Party and people in the struggle for the comprehensive development of socialism.”

It writes that the relations between the DPRK and China, “are the invincible friendly relations closely united with comradely friendship and bloody ties in the protracted struggle to oppose foreign aggressors and build socialism.

“True to the intention of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, the Korean revolutionaries helped the Chinese revolution with blood in the arduous anti-Japanese struggle. The Chinese people, too, regarded the Korean revolutionaries fighting for the national liberation as their own flesh and blood and rendered material and moral assistance to the Korean people in their struggle.

“The brilliant victories won by the Chinese people in the arduous revolutionary civil war and by the Korean people in the fierce Fatherland Liberation War would have been unthinkable without the fraternal friendship and class ties which have been steadily carried forward and consolidated between the revolutionaries, service personnel and peoples of the two countries.”

It concludes by stating that: “The Korean people sincerely hope that the Chinese people will achieve greater successes in the struggle for comprehensively building a modern and powerful socialist country, rallied close around the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, and firmly defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and interests for development.

“We will, in the future, too, join hands with the Chinese comrades on the road of advancing the socialist cause and defending peace and security in the region and the rest of the world.”

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Chinese medical internationalism in Nicaragua

The Chinese naval hospital ship Silk Road Ark visited Nicaragua’s Corinto Port from November 10-14 to provide medical care to the local population.

In the vessel’s first visit to the western hemisphere, a crew of more than 400 doctors, nurses and auxiliary personnel treated patients free of charge and shared experiences with Nicaraguan medical professionals.

During that time, Chinese doctors worked together with Nicaraguan specialists to see 1,125 patients from the Chinandega area. They treated patients needing specialised medical support – from pediatrics to gynecology, obstetrics to internal medicine, orthopedics to urology. They carried out examinations on patients’ eyes, ears, noses, throats, hearts, kidneys, gastrointestinal tracts, and tested for infectious diseases. The team also performed ultrasounds, surgeries, and treated patients using traditional Chinese medicine.

In addition, specialists from China and Nicaragua held a meeting to share experiences on topics such as robotic surgery, chronic kidney disease, congenital heart disease, maternal and fetal health, and breast cancer.

This ship is part of “Harmony Mission 2025,” a Chinese humanitarian initiative to provide free medical care and strengthen international ties. So far, it has previously visited Fiji and Tonga, providing 3,330 consultations and performing 426 surgeries in Fiji, and treating more than 5,000 people in Tonga.

Speaking at the opening ceremonies, the Chinese Ambassador to Nicaragua, Qu Yuhui, expressed hopes that this Peace Ship will serve as a vehicle for the seeds of friendship between the navies of both countries to take deep root and foster a spirit of peace and cooperation, which will be passed down from generation to generation in furthering relations between China and Nicaragua.

At the closing ceremony prior to the ship’s departure, Laureano Ortega Murillo, Presidential Advisor for the Promotion of Investment, Trade and International Cooperation, said:

“We have come on a visit, delegated by our Co-Presidents, Commander Daniel, Comrade Rosario, to bid farewell to this Hospital Ship of the People’s Republic of China, of the People’s Liberation Army, to bid farewell to this laudable work of solidarity carried out by the Chinese people and Government with the peoples of the world.

“We are extremely grateful and we will continue to advance in this relationship of brotherhood, cemented in the relationship between our parties, the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Communist Party of China. So, on behalf of our people and our Government, our gratitude, our love, our affection to the people and Government of the People’s Republic of China. Long live China and long live Nicaragua!”

The following articles were originally published by Sovereign Media and El 19 Digital. The latter was published in Spanish and was machine translated.

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Scottish people’s contributions to China’s war of resistance remembered

As part of its commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the war to resist Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war, China has remembered Scottish people who stood alongside them in those difficult years.

In an article entitled, “We will never forget the Scottish heroes who made contributions and sacrifices for the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War”, published on its website on August 28, China’s Consulate-General in the Scottish capital Edinburgh writes:

“The Chinese people will never forget that during the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War – a struggle that determined the future and destiny of humanity – a great number of Scots made contributions and sacrifices for the victory of this war. They were Scottish warriors, but also heroes of the world. Among them were the great internationalist fighter Dr. Norman Bethune, heir to a Scottish family of doctors, whom Chairman Mao Zedong praised as ‘a man of noble character, a man of pure spirit, a man of moral integrity, a man free from vulgar interests, a man who was of benefit to the people,’ and who is still deeply remembered by hundreds of millions of Chinese people; Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic champion who traveled to China to support the Eighth Route Army’s resistance against Japanese Aggression and who passed away in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp; the valiant Scottish soldiers who fought side by side with the Chinese Expeditionary Force on the Burmese battlefield; and countless unnamed Scottish heroes who suffered inhumane atrocities in Japanese POW camps in the Far East.”

According to the Consulate-General: “The British survivors from the Japanese Far East prisoner-of-war camps were all required not to talk about their ordeals in captivity. As a result, the world knows little of their stories. Even after their passing away, their families continue to search for traces of their experiences in the camps – an awakening agony that we should be aware of, a conviction that justice will ultimately triumph over evil, and a historical truth that must never be concealed.”

The article does not elaborate but this doubtless relates to the way in which US and British imperialism sought to prevent the punishment of Japanese war criminals or to  demilitarise the country, within the context of the Cold War, where yesterday’s enemy soon became a frontline, if subordinate, ally against the Soviet Union and the forward march of communism in Asia, specifically against the Chinese revolution and the wars of liberation in Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The article concludes: “We pay tribute to the Scottish heroes who made contributions and sacrifices for human progress and for the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Scots who suffered in the Japanese POW camps in the Far East during World War II.”

On September 9, the Xinhua News Agency devoted a feature article to the legacy of Eric Liddell:

“To most Scots, the name ‘Eric Liddell’ needs no introduction. Known as the ‘Flying Scotsman,’ his story has become part of national legend. Yet few realise that the Olympic champion who once stunned the world later spent much of his life in China, where he taught and preached, but finally died in a Japanese internment camp.”

Xinhua correspondents Zheng Bofei and Jin Jing write: “At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Eric Liddell captured gold in the men’s 400 metres in 47.6 seconds, setting a new Olympic and world record. Upon returning to Edinburgh, Liddell was honoured as a hero by schools, churches and sports clubs across Scotland… A century later, he remains one of Scotland’s most admired sports figures, topping the public vote when inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.”

But after the Paris Olympics, the devout Christian made a choice that again surprised many: he returned to Tianjin, the northern Chinese city of his birth. Born in 1902 to Scottish missionary parents, he had spent his early years in China before returning to Britain.

In Tianjin, he taught at an Anglo-Chinese college and left a visible legacy in sports by helping to design and promote the Minyuan Stadium. Modeled after London’s Stamford Bridge (home of Chelsea Football Club), the stadium became one of Asia’s most advanced sporting venues at the time, hosting international competitions and serving as a training ground where Liddell himself won several medals.

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On Qingming Festival, China honours its internationalist heroes

The Chinese people celebrated the traditional Qingming Festival this year on April 5. A day to remember and honour ancestors, its origins date back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE). However, it became an official festival during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) when Emperor Xuanzong decreed that people should formally honour their ancestors during this period. One of the most important customs of the Qingming Festival is tomb sweeping. Families visit cemeteries to clean the graves of their ancestors, remove weeds, and offer food, tea, wine, and incense as a sign of respect.

Particularly poignant this year were those ceremonies performed in foreign lands where Chinese fighters and workers laid down their lives while fulfilling their internationalist duties.

On March 30, Chinese Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wang Yajun led all staff members and other members of the local Chinese community to pay tribute to the Yang Gensi Martyrs Monument in Chongjin County.

The Chinese Embassy’s website noted that, “The heroic deeds of the martyr Yang Gensi, who detonated the explosive pack and died together with the enemy in the battle of Xiaogaoling in Xiajieyu Village, Chongjin Lake, and was the first special meritorious service and special combat hero of New China, a Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, [and holder of] the First Class National Flag Medal and the Gold Star Medal, are well known to everyone.”

It reported that the DPRK monument administrator introduced the history, repair and management of the Yang Gensi Martyrs Monument to Ambassador Wang and his delegation and said that the deeds of Martyr Yang Gensi are well known in his country. The DPRK people will always remember the great sacrifices and great achievements made by the Chinese People’s Volunteers and will come here to pay tribute and mourn on every important anniversary.

Ambassador Wang thanked the DPRK Party and Government for their long-term meticulous maintenance and management of the memorial facilities for the Chinese People’s Volunteers in Korea and said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ participation in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. 75 years ago, the Chinese People’s Volunteers, represented by Yang Gensi, composed of outstanding Chinese sons and daughters, crossed the Yalu River, and withstood the severe cold, the difficulties of transport lines being cut off by enemy planes, insufficient supplies, and lack of heavy weapons. They, together with the DPRK soldiers and civilians, won the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea with their flesh and blood. Today, we comfort the spirits of the martyrs of the Volunteer Army with the brilliant achievements made in the construction of New China and the fruitful results of the sustained development of China-DPRK relations. In the new era and new situation, we must inherit and carry forward the great spirit of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, eliminate all interference, unswervingly deepen the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK cemented with blood, work together to advance the socialist cause of the two countries, and create a happier and better life for the people of the two countries.

Recent Chinese feature films have vividly recorded much of this history.

In an article published by China Military on October 16, 2020 (marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army entering Korea), the newspaper of China’s Ministry of National Defence noted:

“Yang Gensi, the Special-Class Combat Hero of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV), was born in 1922 in Taixing, Jiangsu Province. Joining the New Fourth Army in 1944, Yang used to serve as commander of the squad, platoon and company and had the reputation of ‘Master of explosives’.

“Yang Gensi and his platoon, in the heroic spirit of guarding the position regardless of life or death, repelled eight waves of US offensives. Seeing that more than 40 American soldiers had climbed up to the hilltop when only he and two injured soldiers were still holding the position, Yang grabbed the last blasting charge, pulled the fuse and plunged into the enemies, dying a heroic death along with them.

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Friends of Socialist China stand with the Bolivarian Revolution and a multipolar world

Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated as President of Venezuela for a third term on January 10.

Wang Dongming, a vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) attended the inauguration as the Special Envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping. He was among many senior political figures to participate, including the Presidents of Cuba and Nicaragua, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the former President of Honduras, the Special Envoy of the Russian President, the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), and official representatives from Bolivia, Algeria, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Serbia, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and Saint Lucia among others.

Meeting with Maduro after his inauguration, Wang said that, in September 2023, Xi and Maduro jointly announced the elevation of China-Venezuela relations to an all-weather strategic partnership, leading bilateral relations into a new era. Last year, the two sides solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and the friendship between the two countries has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples.

Maduro asked Wang to convey his highest respect and sincere greetings to Xi and extended his gratitude to him for sending a special envoy to attend the inauguration ceremony of his new term.

Venezuela, he said, attaches great importance to developing the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership and firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests. Venezuela stands ready to join hands with China to advance practical cooperation in various fields, strengthen the exchange of governance experience, and lift bilateral ties to a new level.

Earlier, on January 7, another Special Envoy of President Xi, Hao Mingjin, also a vice chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in the capital Accra.

Meeting Mahama after the inauguration, Hao said that China deeply values its traditional friendship with Ghana and remains committed to fostering China-Ghana relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. China is ready to take this opportunity to enhance communication with Ghana within the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), aiming to elevate the China-Ghana strategic partnership to new heights.

An analysis of the significance of Mahama’s electoral victory may be read here.

In Venezuela, the high-level delegations were joined by representatives of progressive and popular movements from around 120 countries. Friends of Socialist China was honoured to send a delegation to Venezuela on this occasion.

We publish below the report and reflections of one of our delegates, Russel Harland, a fulltime trade union official and member of our Britain Committee. The other articles below were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Three other articles by our comrades David Peat and Fiona Sim were published in the Morning Star.

Friends of Socialist China is also among the sponsors of a webinar, ‘Defending the Bolivarian Revolution: Delegates report back from Venezuela’ being organised by the International Manifesto Group (IMG) on Saturday February 1. You can register here.

Xi’s special envoy attends Venezuelan president’s inauguration

CARACAS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy Wang Dongming attended here the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the invitation of the Venezuelan government on Friday.

Maduro met with Wang, also vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, at the presidential palace after the inauguration.

Wang conveyed cordial greetings and good wishes from Xi to Maduro and congratulated him on his re-election as president of Venezuela.

Wang said that in September 2023, Xi and Maduro jointly announced the elevation of China-Venezuela relations to an all-weather strategic partnership, leading bilateral relations into a new era.

Last year, the two sides solemnly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and the friendship between the two countries has been more deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, Wang said.

China is willing to work with Venezuela to continue to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, consolidate and develop the traditional friendship, and push forward bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples, Wang said.

Maduro asked Wang to convey his highest respect and sincere greetings to Xi, and extended his gratitude to Xi for sending a special envoy to attend the inauguration ceremony of his new term.

Venezuela attaches great importance to developing China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership, and firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests, Maduro said, adding that Venezuela stands ready to join hands with China to advance practical cooperation in various fields, strengthen the exchange of governance experience, and lift bilateral ties to a new level.

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Death anniversary of Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune commemorated in China

The following article, which we reprint from the Xinhua News Agency, reports on a commemorative event held in Shijiazhuang, the capital of China’s Hebei Province, on December 21, 2024, to honour the memory of Canadian internationalist surgeon and member of the Communist Party of Canada, Norman Bethune.

November 12, 2024, was the 85th anniversary of Bethune’s death at the age of 49 from blood poisoning, while assisting the Chinese people in their war of resistance against Japanese aggression. Earlier he had served in the International Brigades supporting the Spanish Republic in the fight against fascism.

December 21, 2024, marked the 85th anniversary of the publication of Mao Zedong’s article, ‘In Memory of Norman Bethune’, one of the most famous writings of the late Chinese leader.

The Xinhua article highlighted the participation in the commemoration of Michael Crook. The son of internationalist communist fighters David and Isabel Crook, Michael is the Chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (known as ‘Gung Ho’) and a member of the Friends of Socialist China advisory group.

“My father met Norman Bethune in Spain during his recovery from battle injuries. Influenced by him, my father aspired to come to China, where he met my mother and later had me,” the article quotes Michael as saying.

We also reproduce – from the Marxist Internet Archive – Chairman Mao’s article, in which he writes:

“What kind of spirit is this that makes a foreigner selflessly adopt the cause of the Chinese people’s liberation as his own? It is the spirit of internationalism, the spirit of communism, from which every Chinese Communist must learn. Leninism teaches that the world revolution can only succeed if the proletariat of the capitalist countries supports the struggle for liberation of the colonial and semi-colonial peoples and if the proletariat of the colonies and semi-colonies supports that of the proletariat of the capitalist countries. Comrade Bethune put this Leninist line into practice. We Chinese Communists must also follow this line in our practice. We must unite with the proletariat of all the capitalist countries, with the proletariat of Japan, Britain, the United States, Germany, Italy and all other capitalist countries, for this is the only way to overthrow imperialism, to liberate our nation and people and to liberate the other nations and peoples of the world… Comrade Bethune’s spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his great sense of responsibility in his work and his great warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people.”

Death anniversary of Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune commemorated in China

A commemoration event was held in north China’s Hebei Province on Saturday to honor Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune for his selflessness and spirit of internationalism.

Titled “Memories Through Time and Space,” the event was hosted by the North China Military Martyrs Cemetery in the provincial capital Shijiazhuang.

Around 100 people, including soldiers, students and individuals from various walks of life, attended the event.

This year marks the 85th death anniversary of Bethune, who died of blood poisoning at the age of 49 on Nov. 12, 1939 in China while aiding the Chinese people in their fight against Japanese aggression. His remains were relocated to the cemetery in 1953.

The commemoration began at 10 a.m., with participants bowing before the surgeon’s tomb and presenting flower baskets.

“My father met Norman Bethune in Spain during his recovery from battle injuries. Influenced by him, my father aspired to come to China, where he met my mother and later had me,” said Michael Crook, chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives.

His parents, David and Isabel Crook, played an important role in training a large number of foreign-language professionals for China.

“The spirit of Bethune has not faded with time; instead, it has been widely inherited and carried forward in both China and Canada,” said Hu Jinqiang, director of the North China Military Martyrs Cemetery.

Hu noted that today Bethune is not just a name but a symbol of internationalism, humanism and selfless dedication. “We commemorate him to inspire more people to remember history and carry forward his spirit.”

In memory of Norman Bethune

Comrade Norman Bethune,[1] a member of the Communist Party of Canada, was around fifty when he was sent by the Communist Parties of Canada and the United States to China; he made light of travelling thousands of miles to help us in our War of Resistance Against Japan. He arrived in Yenan in the spring of last year, went to work in the Wutai Mountains, and to our great sorrow died a martyr at his post. What kind of spirit is this that makes a foreigner selflessly adopt the cause of the Chinese people’s liberation as his own? It is the spirit of internationalism, the spirit of communism, from which every Chinese Communist must learn. Leninism teaches that the world revolution can only succeed if the proletariat of the capitalist countries supports the struggle for liberation of the colonial and semi-colonial peoples and if the proletariat of the colonies and semi-colonies supports that of the proletariat of the capitalist countries.[2] Comrade Bethune put this Leninist line into practice. We Chinese Communists must also follow this line in our practice. We must unite with the proletariat of all the capitalist countries, with the proletariat of Japan, Britain, the United States, Germany, Italy and all other capitalist countries, for this is the only way to overthrow imperialism, to liberate our nation and people and to liberate the other nations and peoples of the world. This is our internationalism, the internationalism with which we oppose both narrow nationalism and narrow patriotism.

Comrade Bethune’s spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his great sense of responsibility in his work and his great warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people. Every Communist must learn from him. There are not a few people who are irresponsible in their work, preferring the light and shirking the heavy, passing the burdensome tasks on to others and choosing the easy ones for themselves. At every turn they think of themselves before others. When they make some small contribution, they swell with pride and brag about it for fear that others will not know. They feel no warmth towards comrades and the people but are cold, indifferent and apathetic. In truth such people are not Communists, or at least cannot be counted as devoted Communists. No one who returned from the front failed to express admiration for Bethune whenever his name was mentioned, and none remained unmoved by his spirit. In the Shansi-Chahar-Hopei border area, no soldier or civilian was unmoved who had been treated by Dr. Bethune or had seen how he worked. Every Communist must learn this true communist spirit from Comrade Bethune.

Comrade Bethune was a doctor, the art of healing was his profession and he was constantly perfecting his skill, which stood very high in the Eighth Route Army’s medical service. His example is an excellent lesson for those people who wish to change their work the moment they see something different and for those who despise technical work as of no consequence or as promising no future.

Comrade Bethune and I met only once. Afterwards he wrote me many letters. But I was busy, and I wrote him only one letter and do not even know if he ever received it. I am deeply grieved over his death. Now we are all commemorating him, which shows how profoundly his spirit inspires everyone. We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit everyone can be very useful to the people. A man’s ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people.

NOTES

1. The distinguished surgeon Norman Bethune was a member of the Canadian Communist Party. In 1936 when the German and Italian fascist bandits invaded Spain, he went to the front and worked for the anti-fascist Spanish people. In order to help the Chinese people in their War of Resistance Against Japan, he came to China at the head of a medical team and arrived in Yenan in the spring of 1938. Soon after he went to the Shansi-Chahar-Hopei border area. Imbued with ardent internationalism and the great communist spirit, he served the army and the people of the Liberated Areas for nearly two years. He contracted blood poisoning while operating on wounded soldiers and died in Tanghsien, Hopei, on November 12, 1939

2. See J. V. Stalin, “The Foundations of Leninism”, Problems of Leninism, Eng. ed., FLPH, Moscow, 1954, pp. 70-79.

Cuban ambassador: China has been a determined force in promoting global solidarity

We are very pleased to publish below the text of the speech given by Her Excellency Ismara M. Vargas Walter, Cuban Ambassador to the UK, at the conference held in London on Saturday 28 September to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Comrade Vargas Walter gave an overview of the history of solidarity between China and Cuba, noting that, in 1960, Cuba became the first country in Latin America to recognise the People’s Republic of China. In recent times, “China’s support for Cuba in overcoming the devastating effects of the US blockade has been invaluable”, while “Cuba has stood with China in international forums, defending its sovereignty and promoting the vision of a multipolar world in which the nations of the global South can thrive free from the chains of imperialism”.

Vargas Walter went on to describe the emerging multipolar world order, of which China is a powerful advocate. “The struggle for multipolarity is the struggle for a world in which no single nation or bloc of nations can dictate the fate of others”.

She concluded her remarks with a powerful call for revolutionary internationalism:

The friendship between our nations is a testament to what can be achieved when we stand together in solidarity. It is a reminder that internationalism is our greatest strength, no matter how small or isolated a country may seem. Let’s continue to deepen our ties, strengthen our solidarity and continue the struggle for a world free of exploitation and imperialism.

Comrades and friends,

It is a great honour to stand before you today as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. We commemorate not only the rise of a great nation but also the enduring legacy of socialist internationalism of which Cuba and China have been proud torchbearers for decades.

When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, it marked the triumph of the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people in their struggle for sovereignty, dignity and a future free from colonialism and imperialist domination. This victory impacted far beyond China’s borders, inspiring revolutionary movements in Asia, Africa, Latin America and beyond. It was a beacon of hope for the oppressed, demonstrating that unity, determination and a shared socialist vision can change the course of history.

In 1959, ten years after China’s victory, the Cuban Revolution triumphed under the leadership of our Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro. Our revolution was a direct challenge to U.S. imperialism in the heart of Latin America. In 1960, Cuba became the first country in Latin America to recognize the People’s Republic of China, cementing a partnership based on revolutionary solidarity. Despite our geographical distance, Cuba and China were united in a common struggle – the struggle against exploitation, foreign domination and the capitalist system that seeks to divide and subjugate the people of the global South.

Our two nations, one in the Caribbean and the other in East Asia have shown that internationalism is not just an ideal – it is a necessity. In the face of endless provocations, economic blockades and attempts to isolate our revolutions, both Cuba and China have stood tall, defending the dignity of our people and advancing on the road to socialism.

The bonds between Cuba and China have grown stronger over the decades, nourished by mutual respect, and shared principles. Since the early days of our revolutions, China has extended a hand of friendship to Cuba. China’s support for Cuba in overcoming the devastating effects of the U.S. blockade has been invaluable. Cuba has stood with China in international forums, defending its sovereignty and promoting the vision of a multipolar world in which the nations of the global South can thrive free from the chains of imperialism.

However, despite the indomitable spirit of our people, we continue to face unjust actions aimed at undermining our sovereignty. Cuba continues to be arbitrarily listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation that is not only baseless but deeply unfair. This false narrative is part of the broader strategy of imperialist aggression aimed at destabilizing and suffocating our economy. The real intention behind this label is to cause extraordinary damage to Cuba’s development, just as the criminal blockade has done for more than six decades. To be clear, this label has nothing to do with terrorism and everything to do with punishing Cuba for daring to build socialism on its own terms.

China has been a determined force in promoting global solidarity. From its Belt and Road Initiative, which strengthens economic ties and infrastructure development in the Global South, to its investments in sustainable development, China has shown that internationalism is not a relic of the past, but a living principle shaping the future.

At the heart of the struggle for a more just and equitable world is the rise of the Global South. Countries like Cuba, Venezuela and China, along with many others in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, are asserting their right to determine their own future, free from the grip of foreign interference. The struggle for multipolarity is the struggle for a world in which no single nation or bloc of nations can dictate the fate of others.

And China has been a powerful advocate of this new multipolar world order. Its policy of peaceful development and win-win cooperation stands in sharp contrast to the coercion and militarism that define imperialist relations. China’s partnerships with nations in the Global South are based on the principles of mutual respect, non-interference and solidarity – principles that Cuba wholeheartedly embraces.

As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, we must remember that our struggle is far from over. The forces of imperialism are relentless, but so too is our determination to defend the sovereignty of our nations, the dignity of our peoples and the road to socialism that we have chosen.

The friendship between our nations is a testament to what can be achieved when we stand together in solidarity. It is a reminder that internationalism is our greatest strength, no matter how small or isolated a country may seem. Let’s continue to deepen our ties, strengthen our solidarity and continue the struggle for a world free of exploitation and imperialism.

Until victory always!

Thank you so much.

The story of Chinese doctors overseas

On 29 December, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with people attending an event marking the 60th anniversary of China dispatching its first international medical aid team.

In its second issue for 2024, Qiushi, an important journal of the Communist Party of China, published an article outlining the six decades of historical experience that lay behind the celebration of this anniversary. 

In December 1962, China’s Ministry of Health received a special letter from the government of Algeria through the International Red Cross; the North African country, which had just won its independence through a bloody war against French colonialism, had issued an urgent appeal to the world for medical assistance. The Chinese government was the first to respond, announcing that it would set up a medical aid team of outstanding doctors. On April 6, 1963, China’s first overseas medical aid team left Beijing for Algeria.

The article, full of inspiring and touching examples drawn from various countries, notes that: “For more than six decades, over 30,000 medical aid team members have carried on this mission, providing care to almost 300 million patients across 76 countries and regions… Dispatching medical teams to developing countries was a great initiative pioneered by the older generation of Chinese leaders, represented by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. It has since become a golden practice of China’s international diplomacy and cooperation.”

It introduces the story of Xu Changzhen, who first went to Algeria thirty years after the original mission and has since returned three times, spending almost eight years in the country. When she first arrived, Algeria was convulsed by war and one day the hospital where she was working was attacked by terrorists. Refusing to take shelter, she returned to the operating theatre, a local midwife sheltering her from stray gunfire with her own body as they went. Recalling the incident, Xu says: “A doctor is a special calling. Like a soldier going to battle, there are times when you must step up.”

The article adds: “It is no wonder that in Algeria, she is endearingly referred to as ‘Mother Xu.’ For over six decades, wave after wave of ‘Chinese mothers’ like her have collectively delivered more than 2.07 million newborns in Algeria. Of these, over 10,000 were named ‘Sinova,’ meaning ‘Chinese.'”

In 2021, Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, took to his personal Facebook page to announce the establishment of the country’s first cardiovascular department at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital, made possible with the help of a Chinese medical team. Dr. Wu Dexi, born in the 1980s, played a pivotal role in this achievement. Joining the second medical aid team to Dominica in 2019, Wu extended his stay in the country twice during the height of the Covid-19 crisis. Remaining on the front lines, he managed to save numerous critically ill patients. 

The article explains that: “President Xi Jinping’s proposal to build a global community of health for all stems from the Chinese cultural view of the world as one family, while also exemplifying China’s sense of mission as a responsible major country in the new era.”

It illustrates the point with reference to China’s response to the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa:

“As one often quoted saying puts it, ‘While others fled in the face of Ebola, the Chinese came because of it.’ For Chinese doctors, this is the highest praise they could receive. In 2014, an Ebola outbreak hit West Africa, with the mortality rate exceeding 60%. When many nations were evacuating their personnel and the world was speaking of Ebola in dread, 16 Chinese medical teams consisting of over 1,200 medical personnel marched against the tide to the front lines. They treated upwards of 800 patients, provided public health training to over 13,000 participants, and came to be recognised as true friends by their host nations.”

(A similar internationalist spirit was also displayed by doctors from socialist Cuba.)

It concludes:

“Today, Chinese medical teams are operating in 115 medical facilities across 56 countries and regions around the world. Almost half of them are stationed in remote and challenging areas. Perhaps the local people in those places do not know the faces behind the masks of those who treat them, but they clearly recognise the five-star red flag emblazoned on their medical coats. What’s more, they know that these are Chinese doctors and that they are part of a force known simply as the Chinese medical team.”

We reprint the full text of the article below.

In December 1962, China’s Ministry of Health received a special letter from the government of Algeria through the International Red Cross; the newly independent country had sent an urgent appeal to the world for medical assistance. The Chinese government was the first to respond, announcing that it would set up a medical aid team of outstanding doctors to assist African friends. On April 6, 1963, China’s first overseas medical aid team left Beijing for Algeria. For China, this marked the start of a great international medical assistance endeavor, which has since transcended national borders, ethnicity, and skin color. For more than six decades, over 30,000 medical aid team members have carried on this mission, providing care to almost 300 million patients across 76 countries and regions. Their compassion and medical expertise have brought great benefits to local populations, and their concrete actions have effectively conveyed China’s story to the world. Earning high acclaim from governments and citizens of host countries, they have made an important contribution to the development of a global community of health for all.

I. Courage in adversity: enduring legacy of Chinese doctors

Dispatching medical teams to developing countries was a great initiative pioneered by the older generation of Chinese leaders, represented by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. It has since become a golden practice of China’s international diplomacy and cooperation. For more than six decades, Chinese medical aid teams have braved harsh and complex conditions, confronting perilous challenges such as infectious diseases, wars, and natural disasters. With an unyielding spirit, indomitable will, and tremendous sacrifice and courage, they have created one after another inspirational achievements in lands far from home.

On April 16, 1963, after a 10-day journey, China’s first medical aid team eventually arrived in Saida, a small city on the edge of the Algerian desert. The arid city suffered from water scarcity. With summer temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius and snow depth of up to one meter in winter, diseases were widespread, and the living environment was harsh. In spite of these conditions, the medical team did everything it could to serve the local community. They resourcefully fashioned their own instruments when equipment was lacking and prepared their own reagents when testing kits were unavailable. Qiu Yuehua, a member of the team, made the following note on the back of a photograph featuring a one-month-old baby, “This is one of the newborns I helped to bring into the world. The mother had tuberculosis, so the child was left in our care for feeding. It’s been almost a month now.” That year, Qiu was just 24 years old. Born in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, she had never traveled further than the provincial capital of Nanjing before going to Algeria. Nevertheless, she did not hesitate when she received her mission.

Continue reading The story of Chinese doctors overseas

Video: Black Liberation and People’s China – Rediscovering a History of Transcontinental Solidarity

Friends of Socialist China, in conjunction with the International Manifesto Group, organised a well-attended webinar on Saturday May 11 on the theme of Black Liberation and People’s China – Rediscovering a History of Transcontinental Solidarity.

The webinar marked the 65th anniversary of the historic visit to China by Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, where, together with his wife Shirley Graham Du Bois, the great scholar and revolutionary celebrated his 91st birthday on February 23rd, 1959.

Focusing specifically on transcontinental solidarity between the Chinese revolution and the African-American freedom struggle, the webinar noted that this revolutionary history neither begins nor ends with Dr. Du Bois. It embraces Langston Hughes and Paul Robeson from the 1930s; Robert F. and Mabel Williams and Malcolm X in the 1960s; the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s; and many others, joined by Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, as well as Chinese American communists and progressives and returned overseas Chinese.

The event was moderated by our co-editor Keith Bennett and featured a distinguished panel of speakers as follows:

  • Professor Gerald Horne, John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies, University of Houston, USA; 
  • Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly, Associate Professor of African American Studies, Wayne State University, USA; 
  • Dr. Gao Yunxiang, Professor of History, Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada; 
  • Dr. Zifeng Liu, Post Doctoral Scholar, Africana Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, USA; 
  • Margaret Kimberley, Executive Editor and Senior Columnist, Black Agenda Report; and
  • Qiao Collective, a diaspora Chinese media collective challenging US aggression against China

The video of this interesting and important webinar is embedded below, followed by the individual contributions.

Black Liberation and People’s China: Rediscovering a History of Transcontinental Solidarity
Keith Bennett
Gerald Horne
Gao Yunxiang
Charisse Burden-Stelly
Zifeng Liu
Charles Xu
Margaret Kimberley

Dr Rose Dugdale – fighter for Irish freedom, student of Chairman Mao

A huge crowd gathered at Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery on March 27th 2024 to bid farewell to Dr. Rose Dugdale, a fighter for Irish freedom for more than half a century, who passed away on March 18 at the age of 82.

Rose was born into immense wealth and privilege in England but gave it all up to devote her life to the working and oppressed people of the world and to the liberation of Ireland and the fight for a socialist republic in particular.

Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams joined some 10 Sinn Féin TDs (members of the Dublin parliament), a TD from People Before Profit, veterans of the Republican struggle, including Jim Monaghan, her partner of many decades, and her close friend and comrade Marion Coyle, as well as her son  Ruairí, and many others, at the non-religious ceremony.

Former Sinn Féin Assembly member and MEP Martina Anderson presided over the service and said that her friend had a “pivotal role” in the republican movement.

“I stand here with a sore yet proud heart, reminded of the remarkable journey I and so many others shared together with Rose in the depths of the Irish republican struggle.

“Through her, intellectually, politically and personally, I learned invaluable lessons, as did many others, about resilience, dedication, speaking up, speaking out and the power of conviction.

“Rose’s path from a privileged upbringing to the heart of the republican struggle was marked by her insatiable and unwavering commitment to economic equality, social justice and human rights.”

She added: “Rose’s legacy will forever be intertwined with the tapestry of Ireland’s fight for freedom.”

Rose’s partner, Jim Monaghan, one of the ‘Colombia Three’ Irish republicans who were jailed in the South American country after having spent time in the liberated areas then administered by the FARC liberation movement, spoke from his wheelchair, remembering Rose as “a force of nature.”

“Rose was a highly educated woman in politics, philosophy and economics [the subjects she had studied at Oxford University]. We both had a great interest in socialist politics and she taught me a lot.”

Jim was appointed as the head of Sinn Féin’s Education Department and Rose became his Deputy.

He described his partner as “an all-rounder in revolution, politics and education; a woman of many talents, she was well known as an IRA volunteer, but she was also a noted academic and gifted teacher, who taught economics, politics and philosophy.”

He referred to how Rose’s political awakening had been triggered not least by what she learned of the oppression and exploitation of Africa through her work as an economist and continued:

“She also taught English classes when she was in Limerick Prison. The women that were there, some of them couldn’t read, couldn’t write.

 “She helped them through and she helped them read their letters and helped them write letters.”

Continue reading Dr Rose Dugdale – fighter for Irish freedom, student of Chairman Mao

To be a socialist one must be an anti-imperialist

In the following article, which was originally published by Fight Back! News, the US Marxist-Leninist, J. Sykes argues forcefully that to be a socialist one must be an anti-imperialist.

He develops his argument not least on the basis of comparing and contrasting the global roles played respectively by the United States and other imperialist powers on the one hand and socialist China on the other as well as by drawing on the theoretical contributions of Mao Zedong to the Marxist understanding of the anti-imperialist struggle.

According to Sykes:

“For the US, this [necessity of imperialism to resort to military force] includes a network of military bases, spanning the world, and its military alliances, like NATO, which it dominates. It will not hesitate to intervene militarily, or to arm and fund its proxies, such as Ukraine and Israel. It will stage coups and assassinate leaders. There is no price in human bloodshed and suffering that is too high to protect US hegemony and imperialist super-profits.

“China’s foreign policy in the developing world is nothing like this. It is neither exploitative nor extractive and is based on equal and mutually beneficial trade agreements. It is also fundamentally peaceful. The countries that benefit from trade and development from China are not locked into underdevelopment by China. Nor are they targeted for Chinese military intervention, or coups. On the contrary, China provides an alternative to imperialist underdevelopment that many countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are glad to take.

“China doesn’t do this because the Chinese are nice and the imperialists aren’t. The imperialists are violent, exploitative and extractive because they must be. The imperialist system is governed by laws, laws inherent to capitalism. China behaves differently because these are laws from which the working class has freed itself in the socialist countries. Socialism, and China in particular, is thus a counterbalance to imperialism in the world. This counterbalance causes the contradiction between the imperialist and socialist systems to sharpen, leading to a constant barrage of anti-China propaganda and increasing aggression from the US towards China.”

Sykes further draws on Mao Zedong’s famous article On Protracted War to explain the difference between just and unjust wars, and on Mao’s The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War for its specific application of this understanding to World War II, where Chairman Mao made his famous observation that, “in wars of national liberation patriotism is applied internationalism.”

Since the writing of The Communist Manifesto and the founding of the First International, proletarian internationalism has been a cornerstone of scientific socialism, and is a pillar of Marxism-Leninism. Today, in the era of imperialism, putting genuine proletarian internationalism into practice demands that we be consistent anti-imperialists.

Beyond any moral questions, there are two obvious, material reasons for this proletarian internationalist, anti-imperialist unity. On the one hand every dollar that goes to imperialist war is a dollar that could have been spent on people’s needs at home. But even more importantly, every blow struck against imperialism weakens the monopoly capitalist class here.

What imperialism is and what it is not

First, let’s be clear on what imperialism means. Understanding the link between imperialism and monopoly capitalism is essential. Indeed, imperialism and monopoly capitalism aren’t just linked, they’re synonymous. Failing to understand this, some people think any kind of big country is an empire and that any empire is imperialist, from ancient Rome to socialist China. But this is an idealist and metaphysical view. In other words, this view fails to look at how imperialism develops historically, according to definite material processes. It should be obvious that the Roman Empire and the U.S. empire are qualitatively different.

If we look at imperialism historically, we have to understand its relationship to the dominant socio-economic system. V.I. Lenin developed the scientific analysis of imperialism in his book Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, to help the working-class movement understand the demands that this new historical stage of capitalism placed on the socialist movement. In “Imperialism and the Split in Socialism,” Lenin writes, “Imperialism is a specific historical stage of capitalism. Its specific character is threefold: imperialism is monopoly capitalism; parasitic, or decaying capitalism; moribund capitalism. The supplanting of free competition by monopoly is the fundamental economic feature, the quintessence of imperialism.”

Continue reading To be a socialist one must be an anti-imperialist

International Publishers, the Chinese Revolution, and world socialism

International Publishers, the Marxist book publishing company based in New York City, celebrated its centenary with a day-long syposium on 26 October 2023, held at NYU Libraries. Among those addressing the event were Gerald Horne, the revolutionary feminist scholar Elisabeth Armstrong, West African history specialist Dennis Laumann, and International Publishers vice-president Tony Pecinovsky. A summary of the event was published in People’s World.

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez attended via Zoom, giving a presentation on the subject of “International Publishers, the Chinese Revolution, and world socialism”, in which he gave an overview of the role played by International Publishers and associated communist publishing houses in raising awareness of the Chinese Revolution in its early phases.

The presentation also touches on the Sino-Soviet split and its impact on relations between the Western left and China. Carlos posits that we are in an ongoing important process of overcoming the Sino-Soviet split, and that “International Publishers has a key role to play in this process… Its recent publication of China’s Economic Dialectic by Cheng Enfu – one of China’s foremost Marxist scholars – is an exciting step forward, particularly as there are so few good books available in the English language about modern Chinese Marxism.”

The speech also briefly discusses the issue of the social character of the People’s Republic of China, and the importance of opposing the US-led New Cold War.

The full text of the presentation is reproduced below.

Dear friends,

Many thanks for inviting me to participate in today’s event. It’s an honour to be with you.

The progressive movement in the United States, and other parts of the Western world, has a long history of solidarity with the Chinese Revolution and the project of building socialism in China, and of telling people the truth about China.

International Publishers – and the CPUSA – blazed a trail in this regard. In the case of International Publishers, support for Red China goes back almost to the very beginning of its history, for example printing in 1937 the first North American edition of Mao Zedong’s famous essay On Practice.

Other publishing houses with which IP worked closely – New Century Publishers and Workers Library Publishers – also printed a number of titles in solidarity with China during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, including China’s Fight for National Liberation and Hell Over Shanghai.

In 1945, William Z Foster wrote the foreword to the volume Fight for a New China, based on Mao’s report to the Seventh National Congress of the CPC.

A number of theoretical works were also published in English for the first time, including Liu Shaoqi’s On Inner-Party Struggle and Mao Zedong’s On New Democracy.

A great many prominent communists and anti-imperialists in the US threw their weight behind China’s liberation.

The great African-American activist, linguist and performer Paul Robeson became widely known in China for his powerful rendition in Chinese of the March of the Volunteers, the song that was to become, and remains, the national anthem of the People’s Republic. Robeson first recorded the song in 1941, with a chorus made up of Chinese workers in New York. The proceeds from the gramophone record went to support China’s war effort against Japanese invasion.

The sociologist Dr WEB DuBois, one of the greatest scholars of the 20th century, who joined the CPUSA in 1961 – at the tender age of 93 – forged a profound friendship with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders.

In the late 1930s, the CPUSA joined with the Communist Party of Canada to send Dr Norman Bethune to the frontline in China, where he was instrumental in setting up the system of “barefoot doctors”, training ordinary peasants to provide primary medical care. He died a martyr in 1939 while stationed with the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi Province, and became the embodiment of revolutionary internationalism for the people of China and beyond. In his eulogy, Mao wrote: “Every communist must learn the true communist spirit from Comrade Bethune.”

Continue reading International Publishers, the Chinese Revolution, and world socialism

Keith Bennett: The Belt and Road Initiative is a key component of Marxist internationalism in the 21st century

The following is the closing speech given by our co-editor Keith Bennett at our webinar held on November 4, marking 10 years of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Keith refers to the recent Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing, where President Xi Jinping said in his opening speech: “We have learned that humankind is a community with a shared future. China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better.”

The BRI, Keith notes, is concerned with development, modernization and globalization. And there are two fundamentally different approaches to these questions in today’s world. It is not a coincidence that the approach to these questions that represents and embodies the interests of the overwhelming majority of countries, and the overwhelming majority of the people in every country, should be put forward by the world’s leading socialist country. Nor is it a coincidence that it is above all the world’s leading imperialist country that announces a supposed alternative to the BRI every few months, none of which achieve any traction or any concrete result.

Regarding globalization, in the western countries, the prevailing discourse, from much of both the left and the right, tends to assert that China has wholeheartedly embraced the model of globalization advanced by the major capitalist powers. This is so far from reality as to suggest that those who advance it are either ignorant or malicious. 

A White Paper issued by China’s State Council on October 10 makes clear that the fruits of economic globalization have until now been dominated by a small group of developed countries. Rather than contributing to common prosperity at a global level, it continues, globalization has widened the wealth gap between the rich and poor, between developed and developing countries, and within the developed countries themselves. Many developing countries have benefited little from economic globalization and even lost their capacity for independent development. Certain countries, it notes, have practiced unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism. 

Keith argues that, grounded as it is in the stand, viewpoint, and method of Marxism, the BRI is based on and inherits not only the Silk Roads of antiquity, but also the diplomatic history of socialist China as well as the standpoint and practice of the international working-class movement more generally, particularly since the establishment of workers states. 

First, on behalf of Friends of Socialist China, I’d like to thank all those who registered for, attended, and supported our webinar today.

Special thanks go to our brilliant speakers who, from five continents, have shared their insights with us on the Belt and Road Initiative.

Thanks also to our co-organisers, the International Manifesto Group, as well as our sponsors, Connolly Books, Critical Theory Workshop, Geopolitical Economy Research Group, Geopolitical Economy Report, Hampton Institute, International Action Center, Iskra Books, Kawsachun News, Peace, Land and Bread, Pivot to Peace, and Veterans for Peace – China Working Group.

It is 10 years since President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative and therefore a good time to take stock and make an initial summing up. Last month, I was privileged to be seated in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People to listen to President Xi open the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, his speech being followed by those of President Putin and the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Argentina, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

As President Xi noted, in the course of its first decade, Belt and Road cooperation has extended from its initial focus on the Eurasian landmass to Africa, Latin America and elsewhere. Indeed, more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents. Through this process, he explained, belt and road cooperation has progressed from ‘sketching the outline’ to ‘filling in the details’, and blueprints have been turned into real projects.

Xi Jinping said that over the past decade, “we have learned that humankind is a community with a shared future. China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better.”

President Xi, in my view, expresses things here with such simplicity and clarity, making it sound like obvious common sense, that it might seem that this is acceptable to all and that nobody could possibly disagree with it.

But this is far from the case. The BRI is concerned with development, modernization and globalization. And there are two fundamentally different approaches to these questions in today’s world. It is not a coincidence that the approach to these questions that represents and embodies the interests of the overwhelming majority of countries, and the overwhelming majority of the people in every country, should be put forward by the world’s leading socialist country. Nor is it a coincidence that it is above all the world’s leading imperialist country that announces a supposed alternative to the BRI every few months, none of which achieve any traction or any concrete result.

Comrade Liu Jianchao, the Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, spelled matters out clearly in a recent article, where he wrote:

“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 character. 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.”

Careful study of the White Paper released by the Information Office of China’s State Council on October 10, to coincide with the tenth anniversary and the Beijing Forum, can help to understand this more concretely. And all the documents to which I refer may be read in full on our website, along with useful introductions.

The White Paper again makes clear that whilst the BRI has been launched by China, it belongs to the world and benefits the whole of humanity.

“Irrespective of size, strength and wealth, all countries participate on equal terms.”

Making very clear the distinction between the socialist and imperialist approaches to such questions, it notes that the type of development advanced by the BRI diverges from, “the exploitative colonialism of the past, avoids coercive and one-sided transactions, rejects the centre-periphery model of dependency, and refuses to displace crisis onto others or exploit neighbours for self-interest.”

The same point was made even more forcefully by President Xi Jinping in his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October last year, where he stated:

“In pursuing modernization, China will not tread the old path of war, colonization and plunder taken by some countries. That brutal and blood-stained path of enrichment at the expense of others caused great suffering for the people of developing countries.”

These words of President Xi surely acquire even greater relevance and poignancy today in the face of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza and the courageous resistance of the Palestinian people, a veritable 21st century Warsaw Ghetto. On one hand, the United States, Britain, France and Germany, aid and abet the genocide and even seek to curtail and deny their own peoples’ right to protest. On the other hand, socialist China, along with the overwhelming majority of the countries of the world, principally the Global South, and as seen in the recent United Nations General Assembly vote, stand for peace, an end to the war of aggression, and for the long overdue realization of the national rights to an independent state of the Palestinian people.

And the same fundamental distinction with regard to which road to take informs socialist China’s approach to globalization. In the western countries, the prevailing discourse, from much of both the left and the right, tends to assert that China has wholeheartedly embraced the model of globalization advanced by the major capitalist powers. This is so far from reality as to suggest that those who advance it are either ignorant or malicious. Or quite possibly both.

The White Paper is clear that the fruits of economic globalization have until now been dominated by a small group of developed countries. Rather than contributing to common prosperity at a global level, it continues, globalization has widened the wealth gap between the rich and poor, between developed and developing countries, and within the developed countries themselves. Many developing countries have benefited little from economic globalization and even lost their capacity for independent development. Certain countries, it notes, have practiced unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism.

But just as, in their day, Marx and Engels could not endorse, but rather repudiated and stood against, the Luddite approach which, faced with the undoubted depredations and cruelties of the industrial revolution, sought to reverse the objective course of historical progress, China, unlike some, does not reject globalization. But it stands for a different globalization. Economic globalization, the White Paper insists, remains an irreversible trend. It is unthinkable for countries to return to a state of seclusion or isolation. But economic globalization must undergo adjustments in both form and substance.

The focus of BRI, it explains, is precisely on contributing to a form of globalization that generates common prosperity and that brings benefits particularly to developing countries. Thus, while the BRI is open to all, it is neither accident nor coincidence that the majority of its participants are developing countries. The developing countries as a whole all seek to leverage their collective strength to address such challenges as inadequate infrastructure, lagging industrial development, and insufficient capital, technologies and skills, so as to promote their economic and social development.

Grounded as it is therefore in the stand, viewpoint, and method of Marxism, it should be clear that the BRI is based on and inherits not only the Silk Roads of antiquity, but also the diplomatic history of socialist China as well as the international standpoint and practice of the international working-class movement more generally, particularly since the establishment of workers states, the constitution of the working class as the ruling class.

It resonates, for example, with China’s building of the Tazara railway in Zambia and Tanzania in the 1970s. With the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence put forward by Premier Zhou Enlai in 1954 and the Ten Principles adopted by the Afro-Asian Conference held in the Indonesian city of Bandung the following year.

As far back as 1921, even before the official formation of the USSR, Lenin’s government concluded treaties with Afghanistan, Persia and Turkiye, which provided for mutual support, aid in the financial, technical, personnel and other fields, and especially for support in their struggles to win and maintain independence from colonial and imperial powers.

This in turn built on the deliberations of the Second Congress of the Communist International, held in 1920, which established the absolute duty of the working-class movement to support the struggles of the colonial and oppressed countries and peoples for liberation and for independence against imperialism.

The Belt and Road Initiative, and the other global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, are the 21st century inheritance and expression of this Marxist theory and practice. The difference is that today it is becoming a material force that is progressively uniting and mobilizing the majority of humanity. This is a major part of why President Xi constantly reminds us that we are presently witnessing changes unseen in a century. That is since the birth of the first workers’ state.

In Friends of Socialist China, we will continue to pay the closest attention to these developments. Thank you again for your support today and we hope to continue working with you.

Dorise Nielsen: groundbreaking communist MP in Canada, people’s hero in China

We are pleased to republish this article by Mike Wu, originally carried in People’s Voice, newspaper of the Communist Party of Canada, about the revolutionary life of Dorise Nielsen.

Born in England in 1902, she settled in Canada in 1927. Politicised by the Great Depression, she joined the Communist Party of Canada around the time she met the legendary Norman Bethune, when she was fundraising to help send Canadians to join the International Brigades in Spain. In the 1940 federal election, she was elected as the first communist member of parliament in Canada or indeed North America.

During the McCarthyite conditions of the Cold War, she moved to China in 1957, traveling under the alias Judy Godefroy. She became a Chinese citizen in 1962. She worked in a number of capacities in China, moving to the Foreign Languages Press in the late 1960s.

Dorise died in Beijing on December 9 1980. A speaker at her memorial service, held at the Babaoshan Cemetery for Revolutionaries, said that she “had a deep love of China and the Chinese people, she lived a very simple life and was never extravagant, her feeling for the construction of socialism was profound.”

NB. The article refers to Dorise as the only Canadian in Beijing at the time she moved to China. However, another Canadian citizen, Isabel Crook, was also in Beijing (working at the same institution – the Beijing Foreign Studies University).

Norman Bethune is a well-known figure in the history of Canada–China relations. But there is another legendary figure: Dorise Nielsen, the first Member of Parliament from the Communist Party of Canada, went to China in her later years to support the Chinese people’s socialist construction, until her death in Beijing in 1980. 

Dorise was born in London, England in 1902 and settled in Saskatchewan in 1927 to work as a public school teacher. Dorise initially did not concern herself with politics, until the Great Depression broke out in 1929.

During the Depression, Dorise saw with her own eyes how workers, farmers, the ill and the old struggled under capitalism. In 1933, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) held its first convention and approved the Regina Manifesto, which described capitalism as an unjust and inhumane system that concentrated power and wealth in a small elite while leaving most people in poverty. 

Continue reading Dorise Nielsen: groundbreaking communist MP in Canada, people’s hero in China