China, multipolarity and the rise of the Global South

We are pleased to publish below an article by Francisco Domínguez, secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (Britain) and Friends of Socialist China advisory group member, based on a speech he delivered to our September 28 conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The article begins by highlighting some of the parallels between the Chinese Revolution and the 20th century revolutionary movement in Latin America, particularly with regard to the role of the peasantry and the relative weight of the struggle against colonialism and imperialism. Francisco draws in particular on the work of Peruvian Marxist, José Carlos Mariátegui, in the 1920s.

Francisco goes on to outline the impact of Hugo Chávez’s strategy of regional integration and its complementarity with the global strategy of multipolarity – in which China plays a key role – as well as the blossoming economic and diplomatic relationship between Latin America and the People’s Republic of China.

The article concludes: “The rise of Latin America with the Pink Tide as a dynamic and active component of the Global South is a clear manifestation both of multipolarity and the region’s desire to play an leading role in building a Global Community of Shared Future.”

Introduction

The Chinese Revolution has reached 75 years and its extraordinary economic development has turned into the second largest economy in the world on the basis of impressive technological advances and becoming a highly beneficial hub to the Global South, which is the current manifestation of multipolarity. We examine how Latin America embarked on a process of progressive transformation and regional integration (known as the Pink Tide) leading, since about 1999, to enter into a growing collaborative and multifaceted relationship with the People’s Republic of China.

Significance of the Chinese Revolution

In 1957 Mao Zedong identified three key forces on a world scale: US imperialism engaged in policies and wars of aggression; other developed capitalist countries; and countries fighting for national independence and national liberation movements in Asia, Africa and Latin America. […] As for the oppressed nations’ liberation movements and countries fighting to gain national independence, the Party advocated giving them active support and developing extensive friendly relations with them. Regarding capitalist countries other than the U.S., the Party’s view was that China should also win them over and develop friendly relations with them. As to the United States, the Party advocated determined opposition to U.S. armed aggression and threats to China, on the one hand, while still striving for peaceful co-existence with the it and settling disputes between the two countries through peaceful consultation, on the other.[1]

The novelty of the Chinese Revolution, already a feature of the Russian Revolution, was an immense peasant base in a country where in 1949 there was hardly a working class. Well over 85% of the country was made of peasants and where the working-class movement had been destroyed by a combination of the Kuomintang’s brutal repression in 1925-1927, followed by the Japanese invasion (1931-1949). The proletariat had almost disappeared.

Thus, the Chinese Communist Party mobilised the peasantry endowing that mobilization with proletariat leadership and revolutionary dynamic, which, by demolishing its feudal structures, would lead to the accomplishment of the democratic tasks of the revolution. However, its consolidation required to move simultaneously to the undertaking of the socialist tasks by primarily start the construction of a proletarian state that rested on the power of the People’s Liberation Army under the leadership of the CCP. The latter gave the revolution its socialist character.

In this regard in 1959, Lui Shaoqi, a leader of the Revolution said, the Chinese revolution exerts a formidable “attraction for the peoples of backward countries that have suffered, or are suffering imperialist oppression. They feel that they should also be able to do what the Chinese have done.”[2]

A similar strategy had been put forward in Latin America by Peruvian Marxist, José Carlos Mariátegui as early as 1928.[3] He argued that due to its backward nature, the nations in Latin America had a weak, small and dependent bourgeoisie, subordinated to the landed oligarchy and imperialism, therefore, unable and unwilling to undertake the carrying out of the national democratic tasks to modernise society to fully develop capitalism. Thus, the only way to carry through the national democratic tasks was by a socialist revolution led by the proletariat enjoying hegemony over the majority peasantry for land reform as the sine qua non condition of its success.

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Venezuelan ambassador: Venezuela and China are pioneering nations in the construction of a multipolar world

We are very pleased to publish below the text of the statement delivered by His Excellency Ambassador Félix Plasencia González, Head of Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Kingdom, 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.

Ambassador Plasencia started by welcoming the audience to Bolívar Hall, a historic venue in Central London which is owned by the Venezuelan Embassy, and “a space of open doors for brotherhood and solidarity between our peoples”.

Plasencia was formerly Venezuela’s ambassador to China and knows the country well. After congratulating the Chinese people on their remarkable achievements over the last 75 years, he went on to discuss China-Venezuela relations and the role the two countries are playing in global politics.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the People’s Republic of China are pioneering nations in the construction of a multipolar and multicentric world, where cooperation, solidarity, and respect for international law play a fundamental role.

Comrade Plasencia noted that, while the US and its allies have been subjecting Venezuela to illegal and arbitrary unilateral coercive measures, “China has consolidated itself as a true friend and a beacon of hope for sovereign nations and governments still striving for full independence”.

He concluded by expressing Venezuela’s willingness to continue expanding cooperation and solidarity with China to ever-wider areas of life, “to contribute to the well-being of our peoples, the development of both nations, and to build strengths that will help create a fairer, more inclusive, peaceful, and equitable multipolar world”.

On behalf of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, the People and the Bolivarian Government, I am pleased to extend to you a warm greeting, as well as the most cordial welcome to the Bolívar Hall, a space of open doors for brotherhood and solidarity between our peoples, provided by the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in London.

It is a great honour for me, as a former Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic to the People’s Republic of China, to be able to accompany our sister nation, China, in this warm and close gathering organised by social movements and friends of the solidarity in London and the United Kingdom, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

This significant date for the Chinese people and government reminds us of the greatness of the Chinese nation, which we in Latin America and particularly in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, recognise for its millennia of historical greatness and contributions to the development of humanity.

Likewise, on this day we are called to reflect on the profound transformations that the People’s Republic of China has undergone over the last 75 years, during which historic achievements have been made to improve the quality of life for the Chinese people.

China has been remarkably successful in achieving major goals, such as the eradication of extreme poverty, a milestone that fills all our developing nations with hope.

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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.

Karol Cariola: Chile attaches great importance to comprehensive strategic partnership with China

Friendly and cooperative relations between China and Chile were underlined and reinforced with a July visit by Karol Cariola Oliva, Speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies.

In a series of exchanges on July 19, Cariola met with Zhao Leji, Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. He noted that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with the New China [shortly after the election of socialist President Salvador Allende], and China-Chile relations have set a good example of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries.

Cariola said that the Chile-China friendship is based on common values, and that both countries are committed to upholding international law and supporting multilateralism and free trade. She said that Chile upholds the one-China principle firmly, and that political parties and all sectors of society in Chile are highly consistent in their development of relations with China.

 Next year will mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Chamber of Deputies of Chile is willing to strengthen friendly exchange with the NPC of China, share legislative experience, enhance the friendship between the two peoples constantly, and promote bilateral cooperation in such varied fields as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the economy, culture, and science and technology.

In her meeting with Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Cariola said Chile attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and Chile abides by the one-China principle, admires China’s development achievements, and is willing to learn from China’s successful development experience.

A former student leader, and a leading member of the Communist Party of Chile, Cariola is also the General Secretary of the Communist Youth of Chile, which lent extra significance to her meeting with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC).

Liu said that the CPC is ready to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in party building and state governance, promote the construction of their respective parties, along with national development, and push forward the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership for sustainable and stable development.

Referring to the  third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which had concluded in Beijing the previous day, Liu said the  Chinese side is willing to introduce the contents of the plenary session to Chilean political parties in detail, share experience, and support each other in the process of realising the modernisation and development of their respective countries, and unswervingly serve as each other’s comprehensive strategic partner based on equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results.

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

China’s top legislator holds talks with speaker of Chilean Chamber of Deputies

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) — Zhao Leji, China’s top legislator, held talks with Karol Cariola Oliva, speaker of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, on Friday in Beijing.

Zhao, chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China has always regarded Chile as an important cooperative partner in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, and is willing to work with Chile to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue their traditional friendship, upgrade their level of cooperation, and continuously enrich the connotations of the China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership.

Noting that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with the New China, Zhao said that over the past half century and more, China-Chile relations have maintained sound, steady growth regardless of changes in the international situation, setting a good example of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries.

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Daniel Ortega: China is bringing progress and benefit to the peoples of the world

On July 15, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo attended a special ceremony in the capital Managua to hand over a fleet of Chinese buses produced by the Yutong company to the city’s transport cooperatives.

“Today,” Ortega declared, “we are delivering these buses so that they contribute to the transportation of families, of children going to school, of young people going to school, going to university; of workers, women, doctors, teachers, of all sectors of Nicaraguan society, who use collective transport.”

A special day had been chosen: “Today, July 15th, is the day our Brother Julio Buitrago, a young man, fell in combat. Julio was in college but went on to combat with the Sandinista Front, and the feat, the heroism, of Julio, who fell in combat 55 years ago today, on July 15th 1969, is well known. He was alone! He was surrounded by 300 National Guard, trained by the Yankees, they brought small tanks, they brought airplanes, and he resisted until his last cartridge… And in tribute to Julio we make this handover on this day, in tribute to Julio who represents Nicaragua’s youth, giving their lives for Nicaragua, fighting for Nicaragua.”

Ortega took the occasion to outline in some detail the long history of solidarity between the Nicaraguan and Chinese revolutions. Referring to a speech just delivered by China’s Ambassador to Nicaragua, he continued: “Our relations with China are historic. Ambassador Chen Xi recalled the years of the triumph of China’s revolution, and they will be commemorating now 75 and us 45. What does this mean? That it took 30 years for the triumph of the Sandinista revolution to follow on, and before the triumph of the Nicaraguan revolution was the triumph of the Cuban revolution, which was immediately intertwined with the People’s Republic of China, when the great Chairman Mao Zedong was at the head of the People’s Republic of China.

“When we were fighting, from the 1960s onwards, against the tyranny of Somoza, we maintained links with the leaders of the Chinese party; compañeras and compañeros of the Sandinista Front traveled there, to China, in those years. And naturally we were inspired by the Chinese revolution, a revolution that had an impact on the world, with such an immense territory and with a division in the country, and the ability that the Chinese leadership, headed by Mao, displayed in uniting that great nation, where there were a great many differences between the provinces. They had to be united, and he united them.

“Then the Chinese revolution came to grow, it came to advance, facing counter-revolutions, and later the Chinese people’s revolution managed to take a great leap forward, such that now, with President Xi Jinping, much wider doors are opening for humanity.”

China, Ortega said, “has been fulfilling its principles, which are revolutionary principles, they are the principles of the Chinese Communist Party, with which we have always maintained relations. Tomás [Tomás Borge, a co-founder and central leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, FSLN] was there, in China, in various seminars held there in China in which leaders of the revolutionary parties of Central America took part. Victor Tirado [another historic Sandinista Commandante] had also been there before.

“And China today, is really serving as a compass, pointing the way which other nations share as well, that Planet Earth cannot continue to live under the boot of empires which accumulate wealth at the expense of developing peoples, crushing them, invading them, murdering them. This has to change, and it will surely have to change, because every day we find more countries defending these positions.”

Having praised the cultural performances at the celebration from indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples on his country’s Caribbean coast, Ortega referred to the next tranche of 1,000 buses that will be delivered from China, saying that, “we guarantee some buses for the Caribbean coast, so that they reach Bluefields and reach Bilwi, so that they reach the Mines Region; that is, that the embrace of solidarity from the Chinese people reaches the Miskito peoples, the Ramas, the Afro-descendant population, the Mayagna, the Garifuna. May this embrace of solidarity from the Chinese people reach all these communities, because now the highways are there, and the highways are still advancing. So, there should be no problem now for these buses to circulate on the Caribbean coast.”

He went on to recall his own state visit to China in 1986, where, “we managed to meet as the brothers and sisters that we are.” However, “in the 1990s the neoliberal politicians imposed by the Gringos came along, and the first thing they did was break off relations with the People’s Republic of China.”

After the struggle against three consecutive neoliberal governments, “we returned to government, always in communication with the People’s Republic of China, looking for the moment when we could normalise relations again. We have been united in our struggles, in the battles that the Chinese people have been waging to improve their conditions, to strengthen themselves in all fields, to stand in solidarity with the peoples of Asia, Africa, Latin America, with the peoples of the world.”

Four days after this speech, on July 19, Nicaragua celebrated the 45th anniversary of the victory of the Sandinista people’s revolution. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans were joined by government delegations from numerous countries, including Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Burkina Faso, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Ghana, Honduras, Iran, Kuwait, South Ossetia, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe, along with solidarity delegations from numerous other countries, to hear President Ortega make another important speech. A special guest was the legendary Palestinian revolutionary Leila Khaled.

Having referred to the historic and decisive support rendered by the Soviet Union in the first period of building a new society in Nicaragua, and to Russia’s current struggle against the revival of Nazism in Ukraine, Ortega continued:

“And there is another nation with which we have also had historical relations, the People’s Republic of China, which has been bringing progress, benefits and development to the world’s peoples who were colonised and who became independent, but who were then subjugated under the boot of the interests of the powers that had colonised them, leaving those peoples in poverty, with people in misery, people going hungry, people in illiteracy, with infant mortality, in Africa, in Asia. And the People’s Republic of China has been developing a policy bringing benefits to developing countries, without setting any conditions.

“So now the great powers grouped in NATO already have an incipient war which is in the phase of them preparing their own peoples for what they call a threat; that Russia and China are a threat, but then, too, there are the BRICS, where there is India, and they say they too are a threat. That is to say, everything that is a coming together of nations, of countries, where sovereignty is respected, where they reach agreements to achieve better conditions for their peoples, they see as a threat, because the imperialists are used to occupying by force, and then dominating and murdering; and then pointing accusing fingers at us.”

The following articles were originally published by Tortilla con Sal.

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China congratulates Maduro on election as Venezuelan president

Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated Nicolás Maduro on his victory in the Venezuelan presidential election held on 28 July.

In his message, Xi said that Maduro has led the Venezuelan government and people in pursuing a development path suited to their own national conditions, making remarkable achievements in national construction and that China and Venezuela are good friends that trust each other, adding that China will, as always, firmly support Venezuela’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, national dignity and social stability, as well as Venezuela’s just cause of opposing external interference.

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

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a message to Nicolas Maduro, congratulating him on re-election as president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Since taking office, President Maduro has led the Venezuelan government and people in pursuing a development path suited to their own national conditions, making remarkable achievements in national construction, Xi said.

China and Venezuela are good friends that trust each other and good partners for common development, Xi said, adding that China will, as always, firmly support Venezuela’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, national dignity and social stability, as well as Venezuela’s just cause of opposing external interference.

Xi said that he highly values the development of China-Venezuela relations and is willing to work with President Maduro to continue guiding the all-weather strategic partnership between China and Venezuela to new heights, so as to benefit the people of both countries. 

Xi Jinping, Nicolás Maduro exchange congratulations on 50th anniversary of ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro exchanged congratulations on June 28, marking 50 years since the establishment of their bilateral diplomatic relations.

Noting that China and Venezuela are good partners of mutual trust and common development, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties half a century ago, the two sides have supported each other in the changing international landscape, worked together to defend international fairness and justice as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and forged an “iron-clad” friendship.

For his part, President Maduro said that Venezuela firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty and opposes any attempt to contain China. He added that Venezuela firmly believes that under the wise leadership of Xi, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will surely be achieved.

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

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday exchanged congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Noting that China and Venezuela are good partners of mutual trust and common development, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties half a century ago, the two sides have supported each other in the changing international landscape, worked together to defend international fairness and justice as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and forged an “iron-clad” friendship.

Xi noted that during President Maduro’s successful state visit to China last September, they jointly announced the elevation of the China-Venezuela relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership, ushering bilateral relations into a new era.

China is ready to work with Venezuela to uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties, continue the traditional friendship, and take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a new starting point, to continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Venezuela all-weather strategic partnership, make a greater contribution to world peace and development, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

For his part, Maduro said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and China 50 years ago, bilateral ties have made considerable progress, adding in particular, the establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership between Venezuela and China is of historic significance.

Venezuela firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, opposes any attempt to contain China, and is willing to actively participate in the implementation of the Belt and Road cooperation and the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi, continue to firmly promote Venezuela-China friendship and deepen bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination, he noted.

He added that Venezuela firmly believes that under the wise leadership of Xi, China will surely achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 

Xi: China and Brazil are like-minded good friends and good partners walking hand in hand

The close relations between China and Brazil were underlined and reinforced with the China visit of  Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in early June.

The distinguished Brazilian visitor met with President Xi Jinping on June 7.

Xi said China and Brazil are like-minded good friends, and good partners walking hand in hand. “In April last year, President Lula and I reached an important consensus on leading and opening up the new future of China-Brazil relations in the new era.”

With joint efforts in the past year, the two countries have continuously deepened strategic mutual trust, steadily advanced pragmatic cooperation, and closely coordinated on the international stage. This has not only promoted their respective development, but effectively safeguarded the common interests of all developing countries.

Both as major developing countries and key emerging market economies, China and Brazil share broad and common strategic interests, and their relationship goes far beyond the bilateral scope to have exemplary significance for promoting solidarity and cooperation among developing countries as well as world peace and stability, Xi said.

By grasping the strategic nature of their ties, the two countries should make those ties more mutually beneficial and comprehensive, continue to enhance strategic coordination, and add new dimensions to the China-Brazil friendship, Xi added.

As the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of  their diplomatic relations this year, they should strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, including legislative bodies, political parties, local governments, culture, education, tourism and youth. China backs Brazil’s greater role on the international stage and its hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit this year. China is also ready to enhance communication with Brazil and other members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for further development of China-Latin America relations in the new era.

Alckmin conveyed President Lula’s cordial greetings to President Xi. He said that in recent years, hundreds of millions of Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, which is a miracle in the world, and the relevant experience is of great significance for Brazil. He added that the Brazilian government is committed to inclusive and sustainable growth and is willing to enhance the synergy of development strategies with China.

A little earlier, on June 4, the Second China-Brazil poverty alleviation and rural revitalisation forum was held in Beijing. Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC), Wellington Dias, Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Combating Hunger of Brazil, Paulo Teixeira, Minister for Rural Development and Family Farming of Brazil, Sun Qixin, President of China Agricultural University, and Marcia Abrahão Moura, Rector of the University of Brasília, attended and addressed the forum.

Minister Liu noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. Over the past half century, the development of bilateral relations has withstood the test of vicissitudes, with fruitful results from practical cooperation in various fields. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the CPC and the Workers’ Party (PT) of Brazil. The two parties have maintained close exchanges and cooperation for a long time, playing an important role in promoting the smooth development of China-Brazil relations. China and Brazil are the largest developing countries in the Eastern and Western hemispheres respectively, representatives of emerging market economies, and important members of the Global South. The concerted efforts of China and Brazil will not only benefit the two peoples, but also play a constructive role in world peace, stability and development.  

Liu added that poverty is a chronic affliction of human society. Poverty reduction and rural revitalisation are the common cause and unremitting pursuit of China and Brazil. The Chinese side is ready to further share poverty reduction experience with Brazilian political parties, government, local governments, enterprises, and so on through various channels, including the “political party + practical cooperation” platform, and strengthen practical cooperation in agriculture, so as to continuously enhance people’s well-being.

Dias congratulated the Chinese people on their remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation under the leadership of the CPC. He said that Brazil is currently facing new challenges in poverty reduction and the fight against hunger. The Brazilian side is willing to, together with the Chinese side, implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, strengthen exchanges between political parties, think tanks, universities, enterprises, and non-governmental organisations, deepen exchanges and mutual learning of experience in poverty reduction and rural revitalisation, and advance cooperation in agricultural education and scientific research as well as in production of agricultural machinery, so as to better benefit the two countries and peoples.

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

Xi meets Brazilian vice president

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in Beijing on Friday.

Xi said China and Brazil are like-minded good friends, and good partners walking hand in hand. “In April last year, President Lula and I reached an important consensus on leading and opening up the new future of China-Brazil relations in the new era.”

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China and Venezuela jointly advocate for a multipolar world

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto paid a visit to China and Vietnam in the first week of June.

Meeting his Chinese counterpart on June 5, Wang Yi said that as good friends, partners and comrades, regardless of how the international and regional situation changes, China will unwaveringly develop China-Venezuela relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and jointly oppose any external interference and bullying actions.

Wang noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, adding that, at this important historical juncture, both sides should adhere to the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, summarise the successful experiences of half a century of China-Venezuela relations, and plan strategically with a forward-looking perspective to inject new contemporary meaning into their all-weather strategic partnership. He further emphasised that China supports Venezuela’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, its exploration of a development path suited to its own national conditions, and its greater role in the world, especially in Latin America.

Venezuela has long stood firmly with China on issues involving China’s core interests and major concerns, which we highly appreciate, Wang said, adding that China is willing to further expand bilateral trade with Venezuela, broaden cooperation areas, and assist Venezuela in accelerating its industrialisation and economic diversification.

For his part, Gil congratulated China on the success of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe mission, stating that China’s outstanding achievements in development and revitalisation are a great encouragement to Venezuela and other Global South countries.

Venezuela is willing to work with China to successfully organise activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and looks forward to deepening cooperation in trade, technology, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, aerospace and cultural exchanges. 

In addition, Venezuela appreciates China’s commitment to fairness and justice in international affairs and is willing to closely communicate and cooperate with China to promote the continuous development of China-Latin America relations, jointly uphold multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, jointly oppose hegemony and unilateral illegal sanctions, and defend the common interests, fairness and justice of the Global South. Venezuela also appreciates the six-point consensus on the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis jointly issued recently by China and Brazil.

Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), also met with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister on June 7.

On June 8, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister met in Hanoi separately with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and with Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.

In his meeting with Trung, Venezuela’s top diplomat expressed his delight at visiting Vietnam for the first time and hailed the great achievements of the doi moi (renewal) process, initiated and led by the CPV, over the past nearly 40 years, as well as Vietnam’s increasingly important role and position in the region and the world.

He also emphasised the importance of the close relationship between his country’s ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the CPV in strengthening the foundation of bilateral relations and political trust at a high level, as well as orienting and developing the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

The previous day, Gil also met with Vietnamese  Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. During his two day visit, he also laid a wreath and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and visited various other historical and cultural sites in the Vietnamese capital.

The following article was originally published by Global Times.

As good friends, partners and comrades, regardless of how the international and regional situation changes, China will unwaveringly develop China-Venezuela relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and jointly oppose any external interference and bullying actions, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto on Wednesday. 

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 

At this important historical juncture, both sides should adhere to the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, summarize the successful experiences of 50 years of China-Venezuela relations, and plan strategically with a forward-looking perspective to inject new contemporary meaning into the all-weather strategic partnership.

When Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros visited China in September 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Venezuelan leader jointly announced the elevation of the two countries’ relations to an all-weather strategic partnership.

Under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ leaders, the direction for the development of China-Venezuela relations has become clearer, its connotation richer, and its momentum stronger, Wang said. 

The Chinese top diplomat emphasized that China supports Venezuela’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, its exploration of a development path suited to its own national conditions, and its greater role in the world, especially in Latin America. 

Venezuela has long stood firmly with China on issues involving China’s core interests and major concerns, which we highly appreciate, Wang said. 

China is willing to further expand bilateral trade with Venezuela, broaden cooperation areas, and assist Venezuela in accelerating its industrialization and economic diversification, Wang said. 

As important members of the Global South, China and Venezuela should closely cooperate in international multilateral fields and jointly address global challenges. China is willing to work with Venezuela to uphold universally recognized fundamental principles of international relations, advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world, and promote inclusive and beneficial economic globalization, Wang said. 

Venezuela’s foreign minister came as senior officials from Brazil and Cuba are paying visits to China this week. Experts said cooperation between China and Latin American countries set a model for partnership within the Global South.

Latin American and Caribbean countries are an important part of the Global South, and the collective rise of the Global South is a significant aspect of the century-old changes, Wang said.  

China sincerely hopes that Latin American countries will maintain unity, cooperation, and independence, and China will continue to be a reliable partner for development and prosperity with the broad Latin American countries. 

2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the formal operation of the China-CELAC Forum. China is willing to work with Venezuela and other regional countries to promote overall cooperation between China and Latin America and jointly build a China-Latin America community with a shared future, Wang said. 

During the meeting, Gil congratulated China on the success of the Chang’e-6 lunar probe mission, stating that China’s outstanding achievements in development and revitalization are a great encouragement to Venezuela and other Global South countries. 

Venezuela is one of China’s best partners in Latin America. Venezuela consistently upholds the one-China principle and firmly supports China on issues involving China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Gil said. 

Venezuela is willing to work with China to successfully organize activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and looks forward to deepening cooperation in trade, technology, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, aerospace and cultural exchanges, the Venezuela diplomat said. 

In addition, Venezuela appreciates China’s commitment to fairness and justice in international affairs and is willing to closely communicate and cooperate with China to promote the continuous development of China-Latin America relations, jointly uphold multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, jointly oppose hegemony and unilateral illegal sanctions, and defend the common interests and fairness and justice of the Global South. 

Venezuela also appreciates the six-point consensus on the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis jointly issued by China and Brazil, Gil noted. 

Within just one week, 45 countries from five continents have responded positively to the six-point consensus, with 26 countries already confirming their participation or seriously studying how to join, Wang said in an earlier meeting with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday.

Wang also noted that Russia and Ukraine, the two main parties involved, have also affirmed most of the contents of the consensus.

Wang Yi: BRICS is opening up a new chapter of the Global South

The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the BRICS dialogue mechanism was held on June 10 in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. Russia holds the rotating chair of BRICS for 2024 and the meeting of foreign ministers was preparatory to the annual summit, to be held in Kazan. It was attended by the nine current BRICS member countries, along with 12 other developing countries, namely Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Türkiye, Mauritania, Cuba, Venezuela and Bahrain.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the participants had an in-depth exchange of views on BRICS cooperation and international and regional hotspot issues. All parties spoke highly of the important role of the BRICS mechanism and the achievements of its membership expansion. They agreed that the accession of more countries to BRICS has accelerated the process of building a multipolar world and promoted a more just and equitable international order. They also voiced support for the establishment of partner countries. All parties called for adherence to multilateralism, opposition to unilateralism and protectionism, promoting reform of the international financial architecture, enhancing and improving global governance, and increasing the voice and representation of developing countries. They also emphasised the need for peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultations and their support for all efforts conducive to peaceful resolution of crises. The meeting adopted a joint statement, the full text of which can be read here.

In his speech to the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that: “Over the past year, BRICS cooperation has moved forward with highlights, with speed and with strength.We made pioneering efforts and expanded the BRICS mechanism, opening up a new chapter of the Global South seeking strength through unity… Upon expansion, BRICS countries account for nearly half of the global population and one-fifth of global trade, and their total economic output has overtaken that of the G7 in PPP [Purchasing Power Parity] terms.”

Unmistakeably referring to the United States, Wang said that a major country was “still harbouring Cold War mentality, is cobbling up geopolitical blocs and even publicly challenging United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which erodes the authority of multilateral mechanisms. Economic issues are politicised; the notion of national security is overstretched; and unilateral sanctions and technology barriers are growing. In the face of a contest between forces promoting world multipolarity and forces holding onto unipolar hegemony, between globalisation and anti-globalisation, we must follow the trend of history, stand on the side of fairness and justice, and make the right choice.”

He further stressed the need to, “firm up determination to safeguard peace and security and make new contributions to the political settlement of international hotspot issues. History shows that Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation or external interference cannot solve problems. Instead, they will create bigger problems or even crises. No matter how complex the situation is, parties must not give up dialogue and consultation. No matter how acute the conflict is, political settlement must be pursued.”

Addressing the two major conflicts in the world today, China’s top diplomat said that the war in Gaza is testing human conscience and sense of justice. We must push for an immediate ceasefire that is comprehensive and lasting, ease the humanitarian crisis and prevent further spillover of the conflict. We should support Palestine’s bid for full UN membership, support its efforts to restore legitimate national rights, restart the two-state solution, and bring about lasting peace in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine also continues.  China supports the convening, in due course, of a true international peace conference that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine, participated in by all sides on an equal footing, and where all peace plans are discussed fairly. BRICS countries should take an independent, objective and just stance, help build international consensus for peace, and oppose attempts to instigate a new Cold War.

He also alluded to the need to break dollar hegemony in international banking and finance, saying: “We should work for early breakthroughs on local currency settlement and cross-border payment cooperation through the financial track. We should promote the use of more diverse currencies at the New Development Bank for financing and increase the share of local currencies in investment and financing activities.”

Wang Yi also held a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the gathering.

Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he noted that President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to China was a great success, adding that both sides should fully implement the important common understandings reached between the top leaders of the two countries and advance cooperation in various fields.

Lavrov said that Russia is willing to closely cooperate with China on multilateral platforms including the UNSC and enhance diplomatic coordination. The number of like-minded countries continues to increase in international and regional affairs while BRICS expansion reflects this positive trend.

Speaking with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, Wang Yi congratulated South Africa on the smooth holding of the general election and the African National Congress (ANC) on continuing to play a leading role in South Africa’s politics as the largest party. He expressed the belief that the ANC will remain true to its original aspiration and firm faith and continue to lead the South African people to make greater achievements in building a new South Africa enjoying unity, stability and prosperity. Last year, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to South Africa and attended the BRICS Summit, during which he reached important common understandings with President Cyril Ramaphosa, ushering in a new era of building a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future. The historic expansion of the BRICS mechanism in South Africa has further encouraged the Global South countries to seek strength through unity.

China, he added, attaches importance to South Africa’s role as a major developing country, and stands ready to keep close multilateral coordination, be an objective, balanced and constructive voice on the Ukraine crisis and other hotspot issues, and contribute to world peace and stability.

Naledi Pandor said that last year, South Africa was honoured to host President Xi Jinping and thanked China for supporting South Africa in successfully hosting the BRICS Summit. South Africa not only attaches great importance to its relations with China, but also attaches great importance to Africa’s cooperation with China and the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Cooperation with China is the most important part of Africa’s international cooperation. Naledi Pandor looks forward to China strengthening cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, digital economy, renewable energy and human resources development in light of Africa’s development needs, so as to contribute to the continent’s stable development.

Meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Wang Yi noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Brazil diplomatic relations, a significant year in bridging the past and the future for the development of bilateral relations. As President Xi Jinping stressed, both sides should grasp the strategic importance of the China-Brazil relationship, enhance its mutually beneficial nature, and highlight its comprehensiveness. China values Brazil’s significant influence in the Latin American region and is willing to jointly promote cooperation between China, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

For his part, Mauro Vieira said that Brazil highly values its relationship with China, is ready to closely engage in high-level exchanges with China, strengthen cooperation in various fields including trade and economy, and define a new positioning for bilateral relations to open new prospects for the next 50 years. Brazil and China share similar stances on many issues, and the joint statement on the six common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine issue is of great importance.  Noting that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva firmly believes that dialogue and cooperation between China and CELAC are highly significant, Vieira said the China-CELAC Forum is a beneficial platform, and Brazil is willing to work with China to arrange forum activities and promote its further development.

On meeting with Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, Wang Yi expressed condolences once again over the unfortunate passing of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter accident. Wang Yi said that during the current period, the Iranian state and nation has undergone a significant test. As a comprehensive strategic partner, China supports the Iranian government and people in adhering to their established domestic and foreign policies, maintaining independence, sovereignty, stability and development, and wishes Iran a successful presidential election.

Ali Bagheri Kani, on behalf of the Iranian government, thanked China for expressing condolences over the unfortunate passing of the President and Foreign Minister and for sending a special representative to attend the memorial service. 

Under the current international circumstances, he continued, developing Iran-China relations not only benefits the people of both countries but is also conducive to regional and world peace and stability, as well as to building a fairer and more reasonable international order and safeguarding the legitimate rights of developing countries. Unilateralism has reached a dead end, and cannot solve domestic problems, let alone global issues, as is fully proved in the prolonged Gaza conflict. Iran is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in international and regional affairs, jointly uphold multilateralism, and seek solutions to global issues.

Meeting with Taye Atske Selassie, the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, a new member of BRICS, Wang noted that Ethiopia is an influential African nation and the seat of the African Union (AU) headquarters. Over the past two years, Ethiopia has made orderly progress in its domestic peace process and made remarkable achievements in economic and social development. Wang Yi expressed his belief that the Ethiopian government and people will achieve even greater success on the path of peace, development, and prosperity.

Noting Ethiopia’s deep friendship with China, Taye Atske Selassie said the elevation of bilateral relations to an all-weather strategic partnership is warmly welcomed by the Ethiopian government and people. China is Ethiopia’s largest source of foreign investment and export destination, and bilateral cooperation has strongly promoted Ethiopia’s economic and social development. Ethiopia is willing to learn from China’s development experience and to work with other African countries to promote greater development in China-Africa cooperation. 

In his meeting with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Wang Yi said that under the strategic guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping and General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith, solid progress has been made in building a China-Laos community with a shared future. In the face of the complex international situation and domestic development tasks, China and Laos, as friendly neighbours with a shared future, need to work together to meet challenges, eliminate all kinds of external interference, oppose stoking bloc confrontation, and earnestly safeguard regional peace and stability. China firmly supports Laos in serving as the rotating chair of ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) and working together to build an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Saleumxay Kommasith said that both Laos and China are socialist countries with similar ideas and systems. They both adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and are committed to safeguarding international justice and world peace. In the face of the current complex international and regional situation, the importance of Laos-China cooperation has never been greater.

Wang Yi also met with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and noted that China is full of confidence in the prospect of China-Thailand relations and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with Thailand, enhance cooperation in various fields, accelerate the construction of the China-Thailand Railway and other major projects, and realise the vision of interconnected development of China, Laos and Thailand at an early date.

Maris Sangiampongsa said that Thailand hopes to learn from China’s successful experience in economic development, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, and better achieve economic and social development. Thailand stands ready to work with China to jointly plan the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations next year so as to highlight the close friendship between the two peoples. Thailand is also ready to join the BRICS mechanism as soon as possible, play a more active role in South-South cooperation, and strengthen coordination and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms.

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

Pooling Strengths and Working Together For a Brighter Future of BRICS

June 11 (Foreign Ministry)

Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi at the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations Meeting

Nizhny Novgorod, June 10, 2024

Dear Colleagues, 

Good morning. It is a great pleasure to join you at Nizhny Novgorod for the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations Meeting. I thank Minister Lavrov and the Russian government for the thoughtful arrangements.

Continue reading Wang Yi: BRICS is opening up a new chapter of the Global South

Celso Amorim: Brazil-China relations have strategic significance

A recent visit to China by Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, marks a significant milestone not only in bilateral relations but also in the collective international diplomacy and independent position of the Global South.

On May 23, Amorim met China’s top foreign affairs official Wang Yi, who said that that China and Brazil are both major developing countries and emerging economies, as well as major members of BRICS, and their relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic and overall significance.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic ties, Wang said that the two countries should systematically review their successful experience over the last half century. 

He went on to observe that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, adding that it is heartening to see that the Global South countries represented by China and Brazil have achieved a collective rise and promoted a more balanced and reasonable structure of world power. 

China will fully support Brazil’s work as the rotating presidency of the G20 this year, adding that China also attaches importance to promoting cooperation with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and is willing to strengthen coordination with Brazil to push for greater development of relations between China and Latin American countries.

Amorim also said that Brazil-China relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic significance, adding that the sound development of Brazil-China relations is not only beneficial to the two countries, but also plays an important role in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and is conducive to world peace and stability.

He noted that that China is Brazil’s largest market, and the trade volume between the two countries is close to 200 billion US dollars and this still has great potential for further development.

Brazil and China share the same position on many major issues, he continued, and Brazil supports Latin America and China in strengthening cooperation, and is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20 and BRICS to uphold multilateralism and oppose hegemonism.

Most significantly, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis and jointly issued the “Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.”

In contrast to the one-sided and unrealistic initiatives of the imperialist powers and the present Ukrainian government, China and Brazil believe that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the crisis. All parties should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and push for the de-escalation of the situation until the realisation of a comprehensive ceasefire. China and Brazil support an international peace conference held at a proper time that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussion of all peace plans.

They affirm that the use of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons, must be opposed. All possible efforts must be made to prevent nuclear proliferation and avoid nuclear crisis. Attacks on nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities must be opposed. All parties should comply with international law including the Convention on Nuclear Safety and resolutely prevent man-made nuclear accidents. This last point clearly refers to the repeated, dangerous and irresponsible shelling by Ukrainian armed forces of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is presently controlled by the Russian army. 

This six-point declaration is a vivid illustration of the rise of multipolarity and of the fact that the days when a handful of oppressor nations could dictate world affairs to the exclusion of the global majority are over.

The next day, at the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that more countries are welcome to jointly play a constructive role in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis and promoting talks for peace. These six common understandings reflect not just the joint position of China and Brazil, but also the widespread concern and genuine desire of the vast international community for promoting a political settlement, he added.

“Many developing countries, including China and Brazil, have called for upholding an objective and just position on the Ukraine crisis,” he noted, adding that all of these countries believe that dialogue and negotiation is the only viable way out. The “common understandings”, though jointly initiated by China and Brazil, are meant for the world.

“We welcome more countries, developing and developed countries alike, to support and endorse these common understandings, and jointly play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation and promoting talks for peace.”

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

Top Chinese diplomat meets special advisor to Brazilian president

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, in Beijing on Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that China and Brazil are both major developing countries and emerging economies, as well as major members of BRICS, and bilateral relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic and overall significance.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Brazil diplomatic ties, Wang said that the two sides should systematically review the successful experience of the development of bilateral relations in the past 50 years. They should take into account the changes in the international situation and the respective development strategies of both countries while making strategic plans with a forward-looking vision, so as to inject new connotations into China-Brazil relations, set new development goals, and jointly embrace the next “golden 50 years.”

Wang noted that the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with the international situation becoming chaotic and intertwined and hotspot issues emerging one after another.

It is heartening to see that the “Global South” countries represented by China and Brazil have achieved a collective rise and promoted a more balanced and reasonable structure of world power, he said.

China will fully support Brazil’s work as the rotating presidency of the G20 this year, and stands ready to work with Brazil and other G20 members to ensure the success of the G20 Rio Summit, said Wang, noting that China attaches importance to promoting cooperation with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and is willing to strengthen coordination with Brazil to push for greater development of relations between China and Latin American countries.

Noting that Brazil-China relations go beyond the bilateral scope and have strategic significance, Amorim said that the sound development of Brazil-China relations is not only beneficial to the two countries, but also plays an important role in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and is conducive to world peace and stability.

Amorim said that Brazil attaches great importance to cooperation with China, adding that China is Brazil’s largest market, and the trade volume between the two countries is close to 200 billion U.S. dollars, which still has great potential for development.

Amorim said that Brazil is ready to communicate closely with China, plan cooperation in various fields, expand the scale of trade and investment, expand new fields such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy, and constantly enrich the connotation of Brazil-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

Noting that Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attaches great importance to poverty eradication, and China has made remarkable achievements in this regard, Amorim said the two sides can strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

Amorim said that Brazil and China share the same position on many major issues. Brazil supports Latin America and China in strengthening cooperation, and is willing to closely coordinate and cooperate with China on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20 and BRICS to uphold multilateralism and oppose hegemonism.

The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine crisis and jointly issued the “Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.” The two sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis, and all parties should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue.

The two sides also expressed their support for an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine at an appropriate time, with the equal participation of all parties, and fair discussion of all peace proposals.

Members of the international community are welcome to support and endorse the common understandings, jointly provide a strong voice to cool the situation, and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks, said the document.


Continue reading Celso Amorim: Brazil-China relations have strategic significance

Venezuelan President Maduro meets with CPC delegation

A delegation of the Communist Party of China, headed by Vice Minister of the International Department (IDCPC) Chen Zhou, recently visited Venezuela, meeting with President Nicolás Maduro on May 8. The Venezuelan head of state was joined by First Lady Cilia Flores and a number of senior officials. 

During the meeting, Maduro expressed his intention to continue strengthening the joint work between the CPC and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and to continue to exchange historical experiences and knowledge to mutual benefit.

The Venezuelan president emphasised that Venezuela and China “have the challenge of building a new world.” As a part of this, a Venezuelan delegation recently paid a working visit to Beijing to agree on new and deeper relations with the Communist Party of China as well as with the country’s National People’s Congress (NPC).

In addition, it is proposed to incorporate study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the PSUV’s training programs.

The Chinese ambassador in Caracas, Lan Hu, also expressed his satisfaction with the achievements and progress made between the two nations. “We are here to implement the strategic and important consensus between you [Nicolás Maduro] and your counterpart President Xi Jinping,” he said, “to serve our people, to benefit socio-economic development, to promote the right path to the future, aligned to the reality of both countries, and also to jointly build a new world, a multipolar world and a world of common future for humanity.”

The below article was originally published in Spanish by Ultimas Noticias. This English language translation was published in Orinoco Tribune.

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, held a meeting with a delegation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by the vice minister of the International Department of the party, Chen Zhou.

In the meeting, reported by a Venezuelan presidency press release this Wednesday, May 8, the Venezuelan head of state was accompanied by First Lady Cilia Flores; Deputy Nicolás Maduro Guerra; the vice minister for Latin America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Rander Peña; and the vice minister for Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania, Tatiana Pugh.

On the Chinese side, Zhou was accompanied by the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Lan Hu; the Discipline Inspector of the CPC Central Committee Feng Jicai; the deputy director general for Latin America and the Caribbean, Wang Nan; and the head of the Andean Community Section of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Zhou Xiangmeng.

During the meeting, the Venezuelan leader expressed his intention to continue strengthening the joint work between the CPC and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and to continue to exchange historical experiences and knowledge to mutual benefit.

President Maduro highlighted the fact that the CPC collects the historical synthesis of the Chinese people, and the PSUV, for its part, has maintained over the course of the 21st century the history of struggle of the Venezuelan people.

Venezuela and China have the challenge of building the new world

The Venezuelan president emphasized the fact that Venezuela and China “have the challenge of building a new world.” As a part of this, a Venezuelan delegation recrntly held a work agenda in Beijing to agree on new deep relations with the Communist Party of China and with the National Assembly of China.

The deputy to the Venezuelan National Assembly and president of the China-Venezuela Parliamentary Friendship Group, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, accompanied this delegation, highlighting in his report that China has human beings as its core, and it is their humanist and caring philosophy that allowed them to lift over 800 million Chinese citizens out of poverty.

“We are united by the human vision of development,” Maduro Guerra stated during his participation in the presidential program Con Maduro+ on Monday, May 6. “We are united by the flags of shared humanity, because in the end humanity is on this planet, and President Xi Jinping has expressed his humanity in our community of common destiny.”

In addition, the proposal arose to study the thought of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, also known as Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to be incorporated into the PSUV training programs.

The Chinese ambassador in Caracas, Lan Hu, also expressed his satisfaction with the achievements and progress made between the nations. “We are here to implement the strategic and important consensus between you [Nicolás Maduro] and your counterpart President Xi Jinping,” he said, “to serve our people, to benefit socio-economic development, to promote the right path to the future, aligned to the reality of both countries, and also to jointly build a new world, a multipolar world and a world of common destiny for humanity.”

China continues to strengthen its relations with socialist Cuba in practical ways

China is continuing to strengthen its relations with socialist Cuba in practical ways. 

On April 8, Radio Havana reported that: “The advance of a rice donation and the completion, with Chinese help, of the deepest oil well ever drilled in Cuba, illustrated in recent weeks the scope and relevance of cooperation between the two countries.”

The Cuban oil industry, it added, had reported the completion of the 8,477-meter well with the assistance of the Chinese company Gran Muralla.

The Chinese donation of rice, to help alleviate current food shortages on the island, was complemented by steps to increase cooperation in the fields of agri-food, biotechnology, transportation, and communications industries.

Meanwhile, Air China is to resume direct flights to Cuba from May 17. The flights were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following Air China’s move, on May 4, the Cuban government announced that Chinese citizens would no longer require a visa to visit Cuba. The Chinese travel platform Ctrip reported that online searches for travel to Cuba surged by 40 percent within half an hour of the announcement.

It has also been announced that China will be the guest country of honour at the 2025 Cuban Tourism Festival.

Song Wei, a professor with the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that the resumption of direct flights will facilitate stronger connections between Cuba and the rest of the world, enhance its trade relations, and contribute to consolidating its development basis. It also helps mitigate the impact of the decades-long US embargo and enhances Cuba’s external economic ties in opposition to hegemony and unilateral sanctions.

She added that how to free themselves from the economic hegemony of the US and to seek more development partnerships are particularly important questions for Latin American countries, which is also the reason why Latin America attaches great importance to developing relations with China.

The following articles were first published by Radio Havana and Global Times.

China’s helping hand

The advance of a rice donation and the completion, with Chinese help, of the deepest oil well ever drilled in Cuba, illustrated in recent weeks the scope and relevance of cooperation between the two countries.

The Cuban oil industry reported with satisfaction the completion of the 8,477-meter well with the assistance of the Chinese company Gran Muralla.

More recent was the visit to Havana of Luo Zhaohui, president of China’s International Cooperation Agency for Development, when a donation of rice was made and memorandums of understanding were signed in the agri-food, biotechnology, transportation and communications industries.

The stay of the illustrious visitor was described by the host government as significant and a reflection of the consensus reached by the presidents of both countries, Xi Jinping and Miguel Díaz-Canel, who have met several times.

The most recent agreements and other previous ones are part of the course of relations that stand out for their special nuance.

China understands and cooperates with Cuba in pressing circumstances for the latter, due to the tightening of the U.S. blockade and the inclusion of the Caribbean country in a list that Washington unilaterally points out as sponsors of terrorism.

Now, if Beijing’s gestures and actions towards Havana are relevant and comprehensive, so are the prospects for exchanges.

Continue reading China continues to strengthen its relations with socialist Cuba in practical ways

China and Cuba working to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote socialist development

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), met with Ludmila Alamo, Deputy Chief of the Ideological Department of the Communist Party of Cuba, on April 23, during her visit to China.

Alamo said the Cuban side sincerely thanks China for its strong support and selfless help to overcome economic and social challenges and promote the cause of socialism in Cuba over the years. The Communist Party of Cuba cherishes its friendly relations with the CPC and is willing to increase high-level exchanges between the two Parties, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in ideological and other fields, and create a favourable environment of public opinion for promoting the socialist causes of both countries.

The following report was originally published on the IDCPC website.

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Ludmila Alamo, Deputy Chief of the Ideological Department of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Liu said, in recent years, General Secretary Xi Jinping and First Secretary Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez have maintained close communication, injecting strong impetus into the development of China-Cuba relations in the new era. The Chinese side is ready to work with the Cuban side to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and countries, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and promote the development of respective socialist causes. The CPC is willing to deepen institutionalized exchanges and cooperation with the Communist Party of Cuba, strengthen mutual learning on party building and state governance, and contribute to jointly building a China-Cuba community with a shared future in the new era.  

Alamo said, the Cuban side sincerely thanks China for its strong support and selfless help to overcome economic and social challenges and promote the cause of socialism in Cuba over the years. The Cuban side firmly upholds the one-China principle, supports China’s great cause of national reunification and opposes external interference in China’s internal affairs. The Communist Party of Cuba cherishes its friendly relations with the CPC and is willing to increase high-level exchanges between the two Parties, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in ideological and other fields, and create a favorable environment of public opinion for promoting the socialist causes of both countries. 

Daniel Ortega: China is contributing to development in Africa, Asia and Latin America

In a recent speech commemorating the anniversary of the death of Nicaraguan freedom fighter and politician Tomás Borge, President Daniel Ortega surveyed the current geopolitical landscape, in particular expressing Nicaragua’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and applauding the student protests in the US and elsewhere: “The Peoples cannot accept, they cannot understand that a genocide is being committed with the participation of the powers of the Empires, headed by the North American Rulers, the Germans, the English, the French.”

Ortega describes the escalating campaign of encirclement and containment against China, asking “what threat is the People’s Republic of China?”

He contrasts China’s foreign policy with that of the Western powers: China “is not installing military bases like so very many military bases the United States has and has installed here in Latin America and the Caribbean alone”; China “is not promoting any war.”

The problem the US and its allies have with China is that “the People’s Republic of China has been growing, developing and has become close with the world’s developing countries… it is contributing to the development of these Peoples, contributing to the fight against poverty among these Peoples, to generating employment”. These are the same countries of the Global South which “the colonialist, imperialist countries used as nothing more than a source of wealth that they could steal.”

The threat to them, the greatest threat to them, to the Europeans, to the United States, is the way in which China has been growing, the threat is that the Chinese economy will grow, when on the other hand history tells us that the economies of the colonialist and imperialist Countries have only grown, using their economies, making them serve so as to dispossess other Peoples, to occupy other Peoples, to exploit other Peoples.

The speech was first published in English on the Tortilla Con Sal website.

Good evening, Nicaraguan Brothers and Sisters, Families of these Blessed Lands. Good evening, Beloved Internationalist Brothers and Sisters. And we are the expression that a New World is possible.

Here we meet as Brothers and Sisters, Compañeros and Compañeras born in the United States of America, born in Switzerland, like that Compañero who died murdered by the bullets of the Empire; Compañeros and Compañeras born in different Countries, Developed and Developing, and we meet, we join each other, in this year of the 45th Anniversary of the Revolution we meet, affirming, assuring, that the day will come when we will all become truly Brothers, Sisters.

That day will come, here is an example, and this has multiplied at different times in history, where Peoples have fought together and continue to fight for Peace; in a World that today more than ever insists on Peace, demands Peace.

And we see youth in North America raising the protest, the condemnation of the genocide that is being committed against the Palestinian People. North American youth protesting, right now, yes, they are protesting, and the protest is multiplying not only in North America, but in every country of our planet.

The Peoples cannot accept, they cannot understand that a genocide is being committed with the participation of the powers of the Empires, headed by the North American Rulers, the Germans, the English, the French.

That is, precisely that World where the Rulers pride themselves on being the most just, the most democratic, the most respectful of Rights, of International Law, they are unmasking themselves. Because they have managed to deceive our Peoples for a long time, thinking that Europe, North America, are Democracies, forgetting or getting us to forget how in a Developed Country, in a democratic Country, Germany, with the support of the great North American capital, Nazism came to Government.

And the war, that great war, that terrible war that caused millions of deaths, originated in a European country, it did not originate in an African country, nor did it originate in a Latin American or Caribbean or Asian country, it originated in Germany… Germany! And then the United States showing off that they own the atomic weapon, because in that war they started looking for how to build atomic weapons, Hitler wanted atomic weapons and the United States also wanted atomic weapons.

The United States had the atomic weapon and it did not take them long to launch it, to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two cities where there was no Army, two Cities where the victims were the civilian citizens of Japan, and where that horrendous crime caused more than 200,000 deaths as well as the incurable damage, as a result of radiation, in children, who as they were growing up were manifesting multiple diseases as adults and the elderly, finishing them off.

That is to say, they managed to cover up all those crimes over time. There was no condemnation of the use of atomic weapons. And today, well, there are atomic weapons everywhere, and that’s why the world has become more tense, pushing humanity to its limits.

There is a lot of talk about not crossing the red line, because now it is no longer a question of one Country against another, but one where all of humanity is exposed to crimes such as those now being committed against the Palestinian People, and the rulers of Israel insist on that, while as a People, the People of Israel is a People that we respect.

Continue reading Daniel Ortega: China is contributing to development in Africa, Asia and Latin America

China, Latin American and Caribbean states deepen their space cooperation

In a significant step to enhance the unity and solidarity of the Global South and to promote economic, scientific and technological cooperation and development, China hosted the first China-Latin American and Caribbean States Space Cooperation Forum in the city of Wuhan, capital of the central province of Hubei, in the last week of April.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum in which he said that China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries have achieved fruitful results in space cooperation in recent years, including new progress in the fields of remote sensing satellites, communication satellites and the deep space station network, which have played an important role in promoting scientific and technological progress, strengthening regional connectivity and improving people’s wellbeing.

China is ready to work with the Latin American and Caribbean countries to build a high-level space cooperation partnership, promote space technology to better benefit both peoples, and continue to promote the building of a community of China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries with a shared future.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing read out Xi’s letter at the opening ceremony on April 24. In his own speech, Zhang added that China stands ready to work with the Latin American and Caribbean countries to strengthen the synergy of development strategies in the field of space, deepen scientific and technological innovation cooperation, create more application scenarios, promote industrial complementarity and mutual enhancement, and intensify talent exchanges, so as to push biliteral space cooperation to a higher level and bring tangible benefits to the people of both sides.

Luther Castillo Harry, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Honduras, read out the congratulatory letter from President Xiomara Castro. She said that China has been committed to carrying out space cooperation with developing countries, which can help both sides to overcome common challenges, achieve sustainable development and mitigate climate change and natural disasters. 

Gabriela Jimenez, Venezuelan Minister of Science and Technology, read out the congratulatory letter from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He said China and Venezuela have close cooperation and profound friendship in the aerospace sector, which is of great significance for promoting space cooperation between China and Latin America.

The forum reviewed and highlighted examples of China’s space cooperation with Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela in particular. 

Yue Yunxia, director of the economic research office of the Institute of Latin American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said space cooperation between China and Latin American countries is not an empty slogan, but covers a wide range of fields.

“China-Latin America space cooperation has helped Latin American countries build their aerospace systems, train high-quality space technology personnel and achieve new breakthroughs in the aerospace field. China-Latin America cooperation on remote-sensing satellites, communication satellites and in the commercial field has promoted connections among Latin American countries and improved people’s well-being.” 

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

Xi sends congratulatory letter to forum on space cooperation with LatAm, Caribbean countries

BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a congratulatory letter to the first China-Latin American and Caribbean States Space Cooperation Forum.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum jointly announced by the leaders of the two sides, Xi said that China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries have seen prosperous development over the past decade in their cooperation in various fields within the framework of the China-CELAC Forum to usher in a new era featuring equality, mutual benefit, innovation, openness and tangible benefits for the people.

Xi said China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries have yielded fruitful results in space cooperation in recent years, including new progresses in the fields of remote sensing satellites, communication satellites and the deep space station network, which has played an important role in promoting scientific and technological progress, strengthening regional connectivity and improving people’s wellbeing.

China is ready to work with the Latin American and Caribbean countries to build a high-level space cooperation partnership, promote space technology to better benefit both peoples, and continue to promote the building of a community of China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries with a shared future, said Xi.

The space cooperation forum, co-hosted by the China National Space Administration and the Hubei provincial government, started on Wednesday in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province.

Continue reading China, Latin American and Caribbean states deepen their space cooperation

China and Bolivia share the same goals of opposing hegemony and upholding justice

Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda visited China at the end of April.

Meeting her Chinese counterpart on April 28, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that China and Bolivia enjoy a traditional friendship featuring mutual understanding and support. 2025 will see the 40th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations. China is willing to work with the Bolivian side to take this opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote China-Bolivia strategic partnership to a new level.

The Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post reported the Chinese Foreign Minister as stating that: “China and Bolivia share the same goals of opposing hegemony and bullying by powerful powers and upholding fairness and justice. The two nations should jointly defend the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and firmly safeguard the common interests of Global South countries.”

He added that both sides should continue to strengthen political mutual trust; enhance exchanges and cooperation between the governments, legislatures and political parties of the two countries; strengthen exchange of governance experience; synergise development strategies; and tap into the potential for cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, plateau agriculture, information and communication, and green development.

The Bolivian foreign ministry said Sosa would use her visit to address a broad agenda, including cooperation in tourism, technology, energy and others areas of mutual interest. Meeting her Chinese counterpart, she noted that China is an important strategic partner for Bolivia, adding that she hopes to upgrade cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade. Bolivia welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country.

China is currently Bolivia’s second-biggest trading partner. In 2023, trade between the two countries totalled nearly US$2.6 billion.

Sosa also met with Chen Zhou, Vice-Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (IDCPC). He said that the CPC is willing to further strengthen friendly exchanges with the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) of Bolivia and promote China-Bolivia relations for sustained and stable development.  

Sosa said that Bolivia admires the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Bolivia is currently in a critical period of development and change and is eager to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields. The Movement towards Socialism has long maintained friendly exchanges with the CPC and is willing to continue to deepen exchanges of theories and practices of state governance and administration between the two parties, so as to promote the construction of the respective parties and national development.  

Immediately prior to visiting China, Sosa visited Russia at the invitation of her counterpart Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia, which holds the 2024 rotating chair of the BRICS grouping, expressed its support for Bolivia’s application to join the cooperation mechanism.

The Foreign Ministers of Peru and Argentina also visited China in the last week of April.

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

Chinese FM holds talks with Bolivian counterpart

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda in Beijing on Sunday, and both sides pledged to advance bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that China and Bolivia enjoy a traditional friendship featuring mutual understanding and support. The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bolivia. China is willing to work with the Bolivian side to take this opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote China-Bolivia strategic partnership to a new level.

Wang said that both sides should continue to strengthen political mutual trust; enhance exchanges and cooperation between the governments, legislatures and political parties of the two countries; strengthen exchange of governance experience; synergize development strategies; and tap into the potential for cooperation in new areas such as digital economy, plateau agriculture, information and communication, and green development.

China and Bolivia should enhance coordination on multilateral strategies, jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and firmly safeguard the common interests of the Global South, said Wang, adding that China is willing to work together with Bolivia and other Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote the building of a China-Latin America community with a shared future.

Sosa noted that China is an important strategic partner for Bolivia, saying Bolivia hopes to upgrade cooperation with China in various fields such as economy and trade. Bolivia welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country.

Bolivia firmly supports the one-China principle, and the global initiatives proposed by China. Bolivia is willing to promote Latin America-China relations, Sosa said.

After their talks, the two foreign ministers witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the foreign affairs academies of the two countries.


Chen Zhou Meets with Celinda Sosa Lunda, Foreign Minister of Bolivia

Beijing, April 28th (IDCPC) — Chen Zhou, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today on the afternoon with Celinda Sosa Lunda, Foreign Minister of Bolivia and her delegation.  

Chen spoke positively of the relations between the two Parties and the two countries. He said, the Chinese side is willing to work with the Bolivian side to enhance political mutual trust and strategic communication, promote practical cooperation in various fields, better benefit the two peoples, strengthen communication and coordination in international affairs, enhance solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The CPC is willing to further strengthen friendly exchanges with the Movement Towards Socialism of Bolivia and promote China-Bolivia relations for sustained and stable development.  

Sosa said, Bolivia admires the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Bolivia is currently in a critical period of development and change, and is eager to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields. The Movement Towards Socialism has long maintained friendly exchanges with the CPC, and is willing to continue to deepen exchanges of theories and practices of state governance and administration between the two Parties, so as to promote the construction of the respective parties and national development. 

CPC and Workers’ Party of Brazil hold theory seminar in Beijing

A significant step was taken in consolidating the institutionalised and maturing relationship between China and the Latin American left, with the holding in Beijing of the seventh theory seminar between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Workers’ Party of Brazil (PT) on April 9.

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese President, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Honorary President of the PT and Brazilian President, sent congratulatory letters to the seminar.

Xi noted that after the PT returned to power in January 2023, it had vigorously promoted development strategies and stayed committed to achieving sustainable and comprehensive development of Brazil.

He said the seminar focused on strengthening the ruling party building and exploring the path to modernisation, which is timely and of great significance to strengthening the capacity building of the ruling parties of the two countries and exploring the modernisation paths suited for their own national conditions.

Xi also noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the China-Brazil diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the CPC-PT relations. The CPC is willing to deepen exchanges and mutual learning with the PT on governance, and promote party building and national development, so as to make greater contributions to the continuous development of China-Brazil relations in the new era and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Lula said in his letter that last year, he and General Secretary Xi had worked together to take the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. Brazil-China relations are important not only to the two countries but also to the whole world, he added, noting that the two sides will work together to consolidate traditional mechanisms of global governance such as the United Nations, while strengthening key mechanisms of South-South cooperation such as the Group of 77 and China, BRICS, the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum and the BASIC countries (grouping Brazil, South Africa, India and China). He further noted that the relationship between the PT and the CPC is an important part of the relationship between the two countries and expressed confidence that the exchanges between the two parties, the two governments and the two peoples will be closer and more fruitful.

Themed on “strengthening the building of the ruling party and exploring the road to modernisation”, the seminar involved in-depth discussions on strengthening experience exchanges in party building and state governance, and promoting the development of China-Brazil relations.    

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), said that cooperation between China and Brazil, the largest developing countries and representatives of emerging market economies in the eastern and western hemispheres, is not only crucial to boosting the development of the two countries, but also has strategic significance and global influence that transcends the bilateral scope. Both China and Brazil have independent political backgrounds, shoulder the historical mission of development and revitalisation, and adhere to the positions of fairness and justice.

Currently, the CPC is uniting and leading the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to advance the noble cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation. And the PT is vigorously promoting Brazil’s re-industrialisation plan and New Growth Acceleration Program. The development strategies of both sides are highly consistent. He said that the CPC looks forward to seeing the two countries join hands on the road to modernisation, safeguarding the common interests of both countries and the vast number of developing countries, injecting positive energy into world peace and development, and jointly promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. He called for making good use of multilateral platforms such as the BRICS political parties dialogue and the São Paulo Forum so as to raise strong voices in favour of making the international order more just and reasonable. (The São Paulo Forum is an important regional body that unites nearly all significant political forces of the left in south and Central America and the Caribbean.)

Gleisi Hoffmann, President of the PT, said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Brazil and China, great changes have taken place in both countries and the world. It is of great significance for the PT and the CPC to conduct exchanges and discussions on bilateral and major international issues. The world today is experiencing a multi-dimensional systemic crisis that affects every country and region in the world in different ways. Under the new circumstances, the PT is willing to, together with the CPC, strengthen exchanges and experiences of party building and state governance, strengthen unity and coordination, work together to respond to global challenges, and safeguard international fairness and justice.    

The following day, the PT delegation met with Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Li said that China is willing to work with Brazil to promote friendly exchanges in various fields and at all levels, enhance political mutual trust, deepen strategic cooperation, and promote the upgrading of the China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership.

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

Xi, Lula send congratulatory letters to seminar involving CPC, Workers’ Party of Brazil

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, honorary president of the Workers’ Party of Brazil (PT) and Brazilian president, have sent congratulatory letters separately to the 7th theory seminar of the CPC and the PT held in Beijing on Tuesday.

Continue reading CPC and Workers’ Party of Brazil hold theory seminar in Beijing

China’s assistance to Cuba a part of global opposition to hegemony

The following article from Global Times reports on the arrival of the first batch of emergency food aid from the Chinese government to Cuba, which assistance “demonstrates China’s unwavering support for Cuba”.

The report notes that the main causes of Cuba’s food shortages are the US’s criminal blockade, along with the sharp rise in global food prices resulting from NATO’s ongoing proxy war in Ukraine.

The author reiterates China’s firm stance against the blockade, which “severely harms the Cuban ordinary people’s right to survival and development,” and which is imposed because the “Cuban Government and people have never succumbed to the unilateralism and hegemony of the US, and despite the enormous pressure and losses caused by the embargo, Cuba has remained actively committed to promoting global solidarity and international cooperation.”

China’s aid, meanwhile, “is not merely a diplomatic gesture but a substantial contribution to Cuba’s healthcare and food security amid its economic struggles”, and more generally, China’s support for Cuba is “an essential part of the global opposition to hegemony and the effort to establish a fairer, more rational and more inclusive international order.”

On April 3, local time, the first batch of emergency food aid from the Chinese government arrived at José Martí International Airport in Havana. Luo Zhaohui, the director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, stated at the airport, “The Chinese government is proud of and empathetic toward every progress and every challenge our Cuban friends face. Today’s assistance is a symbol of the friendliness of the Chinese people.”

China’s timely assistance once again clearly demonstrates its unwavering support for Cuba in overcoming food shortages and maintaining social stability.

Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and climate change, global food prices have sharply risen over the past two years, leading to severe food shortages in some countries and regions. In last year’s report, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wrote, “Over 2.5 billion people are now facing severe hunger, with some on the brink of starvation. This is unacceptable.”

Cuba, reliant on food imports, has been doubly hit. Another blow comes from the long-standing sanctions imposed by the US, severely restricting Cuba’s foreign trade and regular access to external food supplies and corresponding agricultural equipment.

The embargo on Cuba is a remnant of the Cold War period and has garnered significant opposition. It has been widely criticized by the global community, as shown by yearly resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly urging its termination since 1992.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) cites staggering losses for Cuba, amounting to billions of dollars annually due to the embargo, which significantly hampers its agricultural productivity and poses a severe threat to food security. The US blockade severely harms the Cuban ordinary people’s right to survival and development.

China’s assistance to Cuba, including the delivery of significant amounts of medical equipment and food such as rice, highlights Beijing’s practical steps to support the Cuban people.

This aid is not merely a diplomatic gesture but a substantial contribution to Cuba’s healthcare and food security amid its economic struggles exacerbated by the embargo and support for the Cuban people’s fight against hegemony. In this context, China’s long-standing support for Cuba represents global public opinion against hegemonism.

The Cuban Government and people have never succumbed to the unilateralism and hegemony of the US, and despite the enormous pressure and losses caused by the embargo, Cuba has remained actively committed to promoting global solidarity and international cooperation. The latest news shows that the Cuban government has secured supply of key subsidized food rations by urgently coordinating resources from all sides, including foreign aid, etc. The Cuban government is also seeking to repair food shortages through efforts to revive the tourism industry, earn more foreign exchange and upgrade agricultural development.

The bilateral relations between China and Cuba strengthened under the “Belt and Road” initiative, have facilitated deepened economic and trade exchanges. This cooperation spans various sectors, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both nations and earning the appreciation of many Latin American countries, highlighting the potential of international solidarity in the face of unilateral sanctions.

As the political landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean undergoes a new round of profound adjustments, the narrative that views Latin America as the US “backyard” is outdated and undermines the sovereignty and autonomy of the countries within the region.

In recent years, Latin American countries like Brazil have been more actively supporting Cuba’s economic development and openly opposing the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US. This reflects the countries’ growing awareness of autonomous development within the region and promotes the growing consensus on achieving more equitable global governance and joint development.

The strengthening of Latin American countries’ awareness of autonomous development also makes Washington’s attempts to create rifts between China and Latin American countries and force these countries to choose sides increasingly difficult to advance.

China firmly supports the Cuban people’s just struggle to defend national sovereignty and oppose foreign interference and blockade. The wrongful practices of a few countries that arbitrarily impose unilateral sanctions cut off development aid, and freeze the legitimate assets of other countries must be corrected. China supports the termination of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.

China’s support and assistance to Cuba are an essential part of the global opposition to hegemony and the effort to establish a fairer, more rational and more inclusive international order.

One year on from establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Honduras ties go from strength to strength

China gave considerable publicity to the first anniversary of its establishment of diplomatic relations with the Central American nation of Honduras, which fell on March 26. The prominence given to this occasion reflects the strong growth in bilateral friendship in such a short time and the high degree of common understanding reached between socialist China and the progressive government of Honduras.

Marking the occasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Honduran President Xiomara Castro exchanged congratulations.

Xi pointed out that the establishment of diplomatic ties had opened a new chapter in their bilateral relations. He noted that during Castro’s successful state visit to China last June, they held talks and reached important consensus, setting the direction for the development of bilateral relations. Over the past year, the two sides have upheld the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and common development, ensuring that bilateral relations started to grow from a high level, he added.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Honduras relations and is willing to work with Castro to take the first anniversary of bilateral ties as an opportunity to consolidate mutual support, expand all-round cooperation, and jointly write a better future.

Castro said that China, with a multi-millennial civilisation and a major role to play in the historical process underway, is a role model for the world and an important partner of Honduras.

The past year saw China’s dedication to innovative development, its participation in efforts to find solutions to global problems and strenuous assistance with worldwide poverty reduction efforts, she added.

Honduras firmly sticks to the one-China principle and is willing to develop ties with China that feature independence and mutual respect, she said, expressing her wish that the two peoples will enjoy a long-lasting friendship.

Xi’s sentiments were echoed by spokesperson Lin Jian at the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference the same day.

Lin noted that the two sides have firmly supported each other on issues concerning their core interests since the establishment of diplomatic ties, and conducted fruitful cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, science and technology, education, tourism and other fields.

China, he continued, attaches great importance to its relations with Honduras and will work with Honduras to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, further consolidate political mutual trust and deepen bilateral cooperation.

In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, Fredis Cerrato, Honduras’ minister of economic development, said that China is a strategic partner for Honduras with investments becoming concrete and bilateral negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) going well. The relationship is being consolidated in “giant steps” in different areas, and he believed that the FTA being negotiated, would allow more Honduran agricultural products to be exported to China and generate numerous jobs through investments from Chinese business.

Honduras attended the China International Import Expo (CIIE), held in Shanghai in November last year, for the first time. Accorded the status of the Guest Country of Honour, its signature agricultural and marine products were well received by visitors.

Meanwhile, China’s textile supplier Texhong and consumer product manufacturer Sunda International Group have both announced investments in Honduras, which are estimated to generate more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.

These investments, together with Honduras’ agricultural exports to China, are expected to help the Central American country fulfil its economic and commercial development goals.

Such cooperation is going to lift the added values of agro products, generate jobs, raise foreign exchange income, and improve social welfare for the country, Cerrato said.

The minister believed that exchanges and cooperation would promote the transfer of technology and knowledge so that young people can receive training. “With China’s growth and progress, we have no doubt that it is a strategic and fundamental partner for the development of our country.”

In another report, rounding up people-to-people exchanges, Xinhua quoted Honduran artist, Hermes Estrada as saying that, in his eyes, Honduras and China are “friends and brothers.” He believes that there are striking resemblances between the Chinese civilisation and the Mayan civilisation of Honduras, not least in emphasising respect for nature and advocating harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

And on the night of March 26, Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan Province, staged an elaborate light show to celebrate the first anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The iconic buildings along the Xiangjiang River in Changsha were illuminated in a spectacle that mirrored the colours of the Honduran flag.

The show was also held to celebrate the recent signature of a letter of intent to begin an official sister city relationship between Changsha and San Pedro Sula, Honduras’ largest commercial and economic hub known for its textiles, sugar, brewing, clothing and tobacco industries.

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

Xi, Honduran president exchange congratulations on 1st anniversary of ties

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Honduran President Xiomara Castro exchanged congratulations on Tuesday over the first anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.

Xi pointed out that in March last year, China and Honduras established diplomatic ties, opening a new chapter in their bilateral relations.

He noted that during Castro’s successful state visit to China last June, they held talks and reached important consensus, setting the direction for the development of bilateral relations.

Over the past year, the two sides have upheld the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and common development, ensuring that bilateral relations started to grow from a high level, he said.

Xi said he highly appreciates Honduras’s firm adherence to the one-China principle, stressing that facts have proved that the establishment of the China-Honduras diplomatic relations is a correct political decision made in compliance with the historical trend and serves the fundamental interests of the two nations.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Honduras relations and is willing to work with Castro to take the first anniversary of bilateral ties as an opportunity to consolidate mutual support, expand all-round cooperation, and jointly write a better future for China-Honduras relations.

Castro said that China, with a multi-millennial civilization and a major role to play in the historical process, is a role model for the world and an important partner of Honduras.

The past year saw China’s dedication to innovative development, its participation in efforts to find solutions to global problems and strenuous assistance with worldwide poverty reduction efforts, she said.

Honduras firmly sticks to the one-China principle and is willing to develop ties with China that feature independence and mutual respect, she said, expressing her wish that the two peoples will enjoy a long-lasting friendship. 

Continue reading One year on from establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Honduras ties go from strength to strength