Category: Multipolarity

The Global South, with China in the forefront, is the key driver towards true multilateralism

The China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), a specialised research institution directly under China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Centre of CIIS, hosted a launch on November 11 of their latest report, entitled ‘True Multilateralism: Conceptual Development, Core Essence and China’s Practice’.

Held at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guest House, the meeting was attended by more than 220 people from around 70 countries, including diplomats from 66 embassies in Beijing and representatives from three international organisations. 18 embassies were represented by their Ambassador or Head of Mission. They were joined by Chinese officials, scholars, researchers and students, along with foreign students studying in China.

Friends of Socialist China Co-Editor Keith Bennett attended and spoke at the conference, representing the Institute of Independence Studies and its Xi Jinping Thought Study Group.

Speakers at the event were:

  • Chen Bo: Secretary General, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Centre; and President, China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)
  • Miao Deyu: Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China
  • Mauricio Hurtado: Ambassador of Chile to China
  • Ahmed Mustafa Fahmy:  Head, League of Arab States’ China Representative Office
  • Oleg Kopylov: Deputy Secretary General, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
  • Ren Hongyan: Special Research Fellow, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Centre
  • Chhem Kieth Rethy: Senior Minister, Royal Government of Cambodia; Chairman, Economic, Social and Cultural Council, Cambodia
  • Wu Zhicheng: President, Institute of International Strategy, Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (National Academy of Governance)
  • Keith Bennett: Xi Jinping Thought Study Group, Institute for Independence Studies, UK
  • Wang Lei: Deputy Director, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
  • Gafar Kara Ahmed: Researcher, China-Arab Research Centre on Reform and Development, Shanghai International Studies University; former Sudanese Ambassador to China; and
  • Jia Lieying: Dean, School of International Relations & Director, UN Research Centre, Beijing Language and Culture University.

The full text of the Report may be found here.

The following is the text of Keith’s remarks to the meeting.

I welcome the release of your report today. Long ago, Engels, in his preface to ‘The Peasant War in Germany’, stressed the need to constantly “keep in mind that socialism, having become a science, demands the same treatment as every other science – it must be studied.”

This is why the foreign policy of a major socialist country like China, whilst naturally deciding each issue on its merits and specific characteristics, cannot be approached and determined in an ad hoc or impressionistic way but rather on the basis of the most advanced theory, itself based on the summation of long years of practice, which at the present time means the study and application of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.

President Xi Jinping always reminds us that we are witnessing and experiencing changes unseen in a century. We can see the veracity and profundity of his observation by looking at practically any field of human exploration and endeavour, most recently, for example, the immense opportunities and challenges presented by AI.

But most fundamentally, I believe that the significance of viewing things from this century-long paradigm is that it is just a little over 100 years since socialism graduated from being an ideal to becoming a modern programme of nation building. The concept of changes unseen in a century addresses above all the global ramifications of that historical turning point.

This year we have observed the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which may be taken as the building blocks and guarantor of true multilateralism and a most fundamental reform of a global governance system hitherto dominated by a handful of oppressor nations, almost exclusively in Western Europe and North America.

The creation of the Soviet state meant that there were now countries in the world with fundamentally different political and social systems. The question therefore arose as to what type of relations should exist between those states and how should the relationship between them be handled. Faced with this question, Lenin formulated the policy of peaceful coexistence.

Some three-and-a-half decades later, it was clear that the existence of states with different social systems was no mere transient phenomenon but rather a long-term historical reality. It therefore fell to the Chinese communists to raise the issue beyond a tactical policy or temporary necessity, but rather to place it on a firm theoretical foundation, to elevate it to the level of science.

Today, in the new era, this issue, while losing none of its original cogency and vitality, has to be approached on a new basis and on a new level. If, seventy years ago, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence gave the socialist countries, and the newly independent countries just embarking on the road of building a new society, freedom to breathe and room to manoeuvre, today we face a qualitatively different situation.

Continue reading The Global South, with China in the forefront, is the key driver towards true multilateralism

Donald Trump and the drive to war against China

In the following article, which first appeared in slightly shorter form in Labour Outlook, Carlos Martinez assesses the prospects for the US-led New Cold War against China under a second Trump presidency, and the possibility of military conflict between the world’s two largest economies.

The article begins by noting that US policy towards China has been relatively consistent for over a decade, starting with the Obama-Clinton ‘Pivot to Asia’ in 2011, followed by the Trump administration’s trade war, and then the Biden administration’s sanctions, tariffs, semiconductor war, military provocations and the creation of AUKUS.

What will change under Trump? Carlos notes that “a deepening of economic confrontation seems more than likely”, given Trump’s repeated promises to impose unprecedented tariffs on Chinese goods. And while Trump made noises during his election campaign about wanting to end the US’s “forever wars”, “the appointment of inveterate China hawks Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz as secretary of state and national security adviser sends a clear signal that Trump is planning to escalate hostilities”.

Marco Rubio is an anti-China fanatic, who stands for more tariffs, more sanctions, more slander, more support for Taiwanese separatism, more provocations in the South China Sea, and more destabilisation in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Mike Waltz has long pushed for closer military cooperation with India, Japan, Australia and other countries in the region in preparation for war against China.

The article notes that China’s consistent offer to the West is based on working together “to tackle the urgent issues facing humanity, including climate change, pandemics, peace, nuclear proliferation, food security and development”. However, it is clear that only mass movements will force Western governments to take up such an offer.

Although the Pivot to Asia was initiated by the Obama administration – when then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was tasked with developing a strategy for “America’s Pacific Century” – it was the Trump presidency from 2017-21 that really turned up the dial in terms of US anti-China hostility.

Donald Trump campaigned in 2016 on a promise to protect jobs by addressing the US’s trade deficit with China: “We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re doing. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world.”

In power, the Trump administration launched a full-scale trade war, imposing enormous tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports. This was combined with a systematic attack on Chinese technology companies, removing Huawei from US telecoms infrastructure and attempting to prevent TikTok and WeChat from operating in the US.

Militarily, Trump ramped up the US’s presence in the South China Sea and sought to revitalise the Quad group (US, Japan, India and Australia), working towards a broad regional alliance against China.

The State Department oversaw a crackdown on Chinese students and researchers, and, with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump resorted to flagrant racism, talking repeatedly about the “kung flu” and the “China virus” – all of which fed in to a horrifying rise in hate crimes against people of East Asian descent.

As such, many breathed a sigh of relief when Joe Biden was elected four years ago. Unfortunately, however, Biden has essentially maintained the anti-China strategic orientation of his predecessor, albeit without the crassly confrontational rhetoric and overt racism. Biden in many ways has been more systematic in pursuit of military and economic containment of China, particularly when it comes to building an international coalition around US strategic interests.

In September 2021, the US, Britain and Australia announced the launch of AUKUS – a nuclear pact, manifestly contravening the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and evidently designed to counter China.

Biden has hosted numerous Quad summit meetings, at which the member states have reiterated their “steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific” – that is, to preserving a status quo in which the US maintains over 300 military bases in the region, along with tens of thousands of troops, nuclear-enabled warplanes, aircraft carriers, and missile defence systems aimed at establishing nuclear first-strike capability.

The combination of the Quad and AUKUS looks suspiciously like an attempt to create an Asian NATO. Meanwhile Nancy Pelosi’s 2022 trip to Taiwan Province was the highest-level US visit to the island in quarter of a century. In 2023, Biden signed off on direct US military aid to Taiwan for the first time; a BBC headline from November 2023 noted that “the US is quietly arming Taiwan to the teeth”. This undermines the Three Joint Communiqués – which form the bedrock for US-China diplomatic relations – and is clearly aimed at inflaming tensions across the Taiwan Strait and setting up a potential hot war with China over Taiwan. A recently-leaked memo from four-star general Mike Minihan predicted war over Taiwan in 2025: “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025”.

The Biden administration has expanded Trump-era restrictions against China’s technology industry, in particular by launching a ‘chip war’ to slow down China’s progress in semiconductor production, artificial intelligence, mobile phones and more. And while the US government under Biden has set several ambitious climate goals, it has also introduced sweeping sanctions on Chinese solar materials and imposed huge tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

The unfortunate truth is that there is a consensus among Democrats and Republicans. In Biden’s words, “we’re in a competition with China to win the 21st century” – and the US must win this competition at all costs.

To what extent can we expect the situation to change under a second Trump presidency?

Continue reading Donald Trump and the drive to war against China

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.

Continue reading China, multipolarity and the rise of the Global South

Xi meets with leaders of Russia, Laos, Iran, Egypt and Vietnam

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a number of bilateral meetings with fellow leaders in the margins of the BRICS Summit, which was held, October 22-24, in the Russian city of Kazan.

Xi met with his host, President Vladimir Putin on the day of his arrival. He said that China and Russia have found the right way for neighbouring major countries to get along with each other, which features non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party.

Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xi said that over the past years, the relationship between the two countries has weathered challenges.

Noting that the world today is facing momentous transformations unseen in a century, resulting in a fast-changing and turbulent international landscape, he expressed confidence that the profound and lasting friendship between China and Russia will not change, nor will their sense of responsibility as major countries for the world and for the people.

Despite complex and severe external challenges, bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade continues to advance, and large-scale joint projects remain stable in operation, he said, adding that both countries should further promote the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union to support their respective high-quality economic development.

Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, Xi stressed. China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, should deepen comprehensive strategic coordination, strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, promote a correct view of World War II history, firmly uphold the UN-centred international system, and jointly safeguard global strategic stability along with international fairness and justice.

President Vladimir Putin said that thanks to joint efforts from both sides, the Russia-China cooperation, based on equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit, continues to advance, and the activities of the Russia-China Years of Culture have been successfully held, adding that Russia stands ready to further deepen cooperation with China and boost the development and revitalisation of both countries.

Noting that next year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Putin said that both Russia and China made tremendous sacrifices for victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, and that Russia is willing to commemorate this important milestone together with China.

Also on October 22, Xi met with Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR), saying that the two sides should continue to strengthen the development of the China-Laos Railway and promote the construction of the China-Laos Economic Corridor.

As socialist comrades and brothers, the relations with Laos are of special importance in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy, and the two countries have always stayed at the forefront of building a community with a shared future, Xi said, adding that regardless of how the international situation changes, China will always be a trustworthy friend and partner of Laos.

Congratulating Laos on successfully hosting the East Asian Leaders’ meetings on cooperation, the Chinese President said he welcomes Laos’ active participation in BRICS cooperation.

Thongloun Sisoulith said that he went to China last year to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and signed with Xi a new version of the action plan for building a China-Laos community with a shared future, which is being implemented effectively at present.

Laos-China relations are at their best in history, with bilateral cooperation expanding in depth and breadth, he added.

The following day, Xi met with the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and said that no matter how the international and regional situations change, China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran.

Continue reading Xi meets with leaders of Russia, Laos, Iran, Egypt and Vietnam

President Xi urges China and India to strengthen communication and cooperation

During his recent visit to the Russian city of Kazan, where he attended the October 22-24 summit meeting of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, Chinese President Xi Jinping also held a number of important meetings on the sidelines.

Among the most significant was his October 23 meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two men’s first formal talks since October 2019. Clashes on the two countries’ disputed border (an issue left over from the days of British colonialism) in the Galwan Valley in 2020 had led to a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations. Two days before the Kazan meeting, the Indian Foreign Ministry had announced that an agreement had been reached on patrolling arrangements, which had been the immediate cause of the clash.

At the meeting, President Xi urged China and India to strengthen communication and cooperation, enhance strategic mutual trust, and facilitate each other’s pursuit of their development aspirations. He pointed out that as time-honoured civilisations, large developing countries and important members of the Global South, China and India both stand at a crucial phase of their respective modernisation endeavours.

It is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and two peoples to keep to the trend of history and the right direction of bilateral relations, he said, urging the two sides to shoulder their international responsibility, set an example in boosting the strength and unity of developing countries, and contribute to promoting a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations.

For his part, Prime Minister Modi noted that maintaining the steady growth of India-China relations is critical to the two countries and peoples. It not only concerns the well-being and future of 2.8 billion people, but also carries great significance for peace and stability of the region and even the world at large.

Against a complex international landscape, cooperation between India and China, two ancient civilisations and engines of economic growth, can help drive economic recovery and promote multipolarity in the world.

The two leaders commended the important progress the two sides had recently made through intensive communication on resolving the relevant issues in the border areas. Modi made suggestions on improving and developing the relationship, which Xi agreed to in principle.

Stressing the need to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas and find a fair and reasonable settlement, they agreed on holding talks between their foreign ministers and officials at various levels to bring the relationship back to sound and steady development at an early date.

They further agreed to strengthen communication and cooperation in multilateral fora to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and were of the view that their meeting was constructive and carries great significance. They agreed to view and handle China-India relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, prevent specific disagreements from affecting the overall relationship, and contribute to maintaining regional and global peace and prosperity and to advancing multipolarity in the world.

India’s main communist parties were quick to voice their support for the meeting and its outcome.

People’s Democracy, the newspaper of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) wrote that:

“The economic problems confronting the Indian bourgeoisie have forced them to lobby for easing the ability to do business with China. According to the data of the Ministry of Commerce, China has emerged as India’s top import source with 56.29 billion dollars’ worth of inbound shipments during the April-September period of this fiscal year. In a globalised economic world order, it is increasingly recognised that it is beneficial for both countries to increase economic cooperation. Certain industries for the production of goods like electric vehicles (EVs), smartphones, solar panels and medicine have been identified by the Indian government to transform the country into a manufacturing hub. Most of these industries require the restoration of economic relations with China.”

Continue reading President Xi urges China and India to strengthen communication and cooperation

Kazan Declaration: Strengthening multilateralism for just global development and security

The BRICS cooperation mechanism of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries took a major step forward at its 16th Summit held in the Russian city of Kazan, October 22-24. Following decisions taken at last year’s summit in South Africa, a total of nine countries took part as full members for the first time, with Ethiopia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran joining Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. A total of 36 countries and subnational entities participated at a high level, along with the leaders of six international organisations. A new category of Partner countries was formally initiated and is seen by many as a steppingstone to possible future full membership for the several dozen countries that have already expressed such an interest. An initial tranche of 13 countries were granted partner status in Kazan. The list of countries is yet to be officially released, but numerous reports have identified them as:

  • Algeria
  • Belarus
  • Bolivia
  • Cuba
  • Indonesia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Malaysia
  • Nigeria
  • Thailand
  • Türkiye
  • Uganda
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vietnam

On October 23, the nine full members adopted the Kazan Declaration, entitled ”Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”. Running to a little over 13,300 words, and with 134 clauses, the declaration covers a vast number of subjects and itself reflects and reinforces the growing – although not without challenges – cohesiveness of key players in the Global South. It states:

“As we build upon 16 years of BRICS Summits, we further commit ourselves to strengthening cooperation in the expanded BRICS under the three pillars of political and security, economic and financial, cultural and people-to-people cooperation and to enhancing our strategic partnership for the benefit of our people through the promotion of peace, a more representative, fairer international order, a reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, sustainable development and inclusive growth.”

It further notes the emergence of new centres of power, policy decision-making and economic growth, which can pave the way for a more equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order.

The declaration reaffirms support for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council’s memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including BRICS countries, to play a greater role in international affairs, in particular in the United Nations, including its Security Council, adding:

“We are deeply concerned about the disruptive effect of unlawful unilateral coercive measures, including illegal sanctions, on the world economy, international trade, and the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Such measures undermine the UN Charter, the multilateral trading system, the sustainable development and environmental agreements. They also negatively impact economic growth, energy, health and food security, exacerbating poverty and environmental challenges.”

It recalls the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) and the Outcome Document of the 2009 Durban Review Conference and acknowledges the need to intensify the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance as well as discrimination based on religion, faith or belief, and all their contemporary forms around the world including the alarming trends of rising hate speech, and acknowledge the annual UNGA resolution on “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”.

Continue reading Kazan Declaration: Strengthening multilateralism for just global development and security

Xi Jinping: Global South countries marching together toward modernisation is monumental in world history

The summit meeting of the BRICS cooperation mechanism was held, October 22-24, in Kazan, the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation, and was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Alongside dozens of other events within its framework, the summit of the nine full members of BRICS was held on October 23, under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security”. This was the first such gathering in which Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa were joined by Ethiopia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran, since the 2023 summit meeting held in South Africa invited the latter four countries to take up full membership in the first wave of BRICS expansion.

This meeting was followed, on October 24, by the “BRICS Plus” Leaders Dialogue, the first gathering of its kind, which was held under the theme, “BRICS and the Global South: Building a Better World Together”.

In all, the Kazan gathering drew the participation of leaders of 36 countries and territories, including 22 heads of state. The leaders of six international organisations, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, also attended.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered keynote speeches at both the October 23 and 24 meetings. Together, they provide correct strategic guidance to advance the collective agenda and shared goals of the Global South at the present time.

On October 23, President Xi addressed the BRICS Summit, with a speech entitled, “Embracing a Broader View and Cutting Through the Fog of Challenges to Advance High-Quality Development of Greater BRICS Cooperation”.  He said:

“I would like to take this opportunity to once again welcome new members to our BRICS family. The enlargement of BRICS is a major milestone in its history and a landmark event in the evolution of the international situation. At this summit, we have decided to invite many countries to become partner countries, which is another major progress in the development of BRICS…

“As the world enters a new period defined by turbulence and transformation, we are confronted with pivotal choices that will shape our future. Should we allow the world to descend into the abyss of disorder and chaos, or should we strive to steer it back on the path of peace and development? This reminds me of a novel by Nikolay Chernyshevsky entitled ‘What Is to Be Done?’ The protagonist’s unwavering determination and passionate drive are exactly the kind of willpower we need today. The more tumultuous our times become, the more we must stand firm at the forefront, exhibiting tenacity, demonstrating the audacity to pioneer and displaying the wisdom to adapt. We must work together to build BRICS into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.”

Setting out the key tasks for BRICS members at present, Xi said that:

– We should build a BRICS committed to peace and we must all act as defenders of common security. In this context he specifically referred to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. “The Ukraine crisis still persists. China and Brazil, in collaboration with other countries from the Global South, initiated a group of Friends for Peace to address the crisis. The aim is to gather more voices advocating peace. We must uphold the three key principles: no expansion of the battlefields, no escalation of hostilities, and no fanning flames, and strive for swift de-escalation of the situation. While the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the flames of war have once again been rekindled in Lebanon, and conflicts are escalating among the parties. We must promote an immediate ceasefire and an end to the killing. We must make unremitting efforts toward a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question.”

– We should build a BRICS committed to innovation, and we must all act as pioneers of high-quality development. China has recently launched a China-BRICS Artificial Intelligence Development and Cooperation Centre. We are ready to deepen cooperation on innovation with all BRICS countries to unleash the dividends of AI development.

– We should build a BRICS committed to green development, and we must all act as promoters of sustainable development. Green is the defining colour of our times. It is important that all BRICS countries proactively embrace the global trend of green and low-carbon transformation.

– We should build a BRICS committed to justice and we must all act as forerunners in reforming global governance. In light of the rise of the Global South, we should respond favourably to the calls from various countries to join BRICS. We should advance the process of expanding BRICS membership and establishing a partner country mechanism and enhance the representation and voice of developing nations in global governance. 

– The current developments make the reform of the international financial architecture all the more pressing. The New Development Bank should be expanded and strengthened.

– We should build a BRICS committed to closer people-to-people exchanges, and we must all act as advocates for harmonious coexistence among all civilisations.

In conclusion he stated: “China is willing to work with all BRICS countries to open a new horizon in the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation and join hands with Global South countries in building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

Xi Jinping addressed the BRICS Plus Dialogue on the theme, “Combining the Great Strength of the Global South to Build Together a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity”. He said that:

“The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world. Global South countries marching together toward modernisation is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilisation.”

He went on to argue that:

– We should uphold peace and strive for common security. Last July, Palestinian factions reconciled with each other in Beijing, marking a key step toward peace in the Middle East. We must stop the flames of war from spreading in Lebanon and end the miserable sufferings in Palestine and Lebanon.

– We should reinvigorate development and strive for common prosperity.

– We should promote together the development of all civilisations and strive for harmony among them.

Xi Jinping concluded: “No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart and maintain our roots in the Global South. We support more Global South countries in joining the cause of BRICS as full members, partner countries or in the “BRICS Plus” format so that we can combine the great strength of the Global South to build together a community with a shared future for humanity.”

The following is the full text of the two speeches. They were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.

Full Text: Address by Chinese President Xi Jinping at 16th BRICS Summit

KAZAN, Russia, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday delivered an important speech at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.

The following is the full text of the speech:

Embracing a Broader View and Cutting Through the Fog of Challenges to Advance High-Quality Development of Greater BRICS Cooperation

Your Excellency President Vladimir Putin,

Colleagues,

First of all, I wish to extend my warm congratulations on the successful opening of this summit. I also wish to thank President Putin and our host Russia for the thoughtful arrangements and warm hospitality.

I would like to take this opportunity to once again welcome new members to our BRICS family. The enlargement of BRICS is a major milestone in its history, and a landmark event in the evolution of the international situation. At this summit, we have decided to invite many countries to become partner countries, which is another major progress in the development of BRICS. As we Chinese often say, “A man of virtue regards righteousness as the greatest interest.” It is for our shared pursuit and for the overarching trend of peace and development that we BRICS countries have come together. We must make full use of this summit, maintain the momentum of BRICS, and consider and devise our strategy to address issues that have a global impact, determine our future direction, and possess strategic significance. We must build on this milestone summit to set off anew and forge ahead with one heart and one mind.

As the world enters a new period defined by turbulence and transformation, we are confronted with pivotal choices that will shape our future. Should we allow the world to descend into the abyss of disorder and chaos, or should we strive to steer it back on the path of peace and development? This reminds me of a novel by Nikolay Chernyshevsky entitled What Is to Be Done? The protagonist’s unwavering determination and passionate drive are exactly the kind of willpower we need today. The more tumultuous our times become, the more we must stand firm at the forefront, exhibiting tenacity, demonstrating the audacity to pioneer and displaying the wisdom to adapt. We must work together to build BRICS into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: Global South countries marching together toward modernisation is monumental in world history

Jenny Clegg: Orienting our peace movement towards the Global South

The following is the text of Dr. Jenny Clegg’s speech to our conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, held at London’s Bolivar Hall on September 28.

Jenny argues that now, as a wider war looms over us, it is imperative that leftists in the West understand the interconnections between multipolarity, the Global South and China so as to grasp what is going on in the world.

According to her analysis, for the Global South, China provides a model of successful development and the eradication of poverty; its vast market and investment resources puts it at the centre of South-South economic cooperation; whilst its diplomacy fosters unity and promotes pathways towards peace.

Whilst not skirting complexities and problematic factors, she notes that in the next few years, much depends on the BRICS+ holding together.

“The litmus test of BRICS+ right now is their independent foreign policies no matter how hesitant and unreliable… Now is not the time for sitting on the fence, picking and choosing what is right and wrong: that is for the utopian socialists. We have to seize the politics of the moment… if we in Britain can orientate especially our peace movement towards the Global South we will be doing something.”

Jenny is an independent writer and researcher, specialising in China’s development and international role; and a former Senior Lecturer in Asia Pacific Studies at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). She is the author of ‘China’s Global Strategy: towards a multipolar world’

(Pluto Press, 2009) and ‘Storming the Heavens – Peasants and Revolution in China, 1925-1949 – from a Marxist perspective’ (Manifesto Press, 2024).

There’s more talk now in the Western mainstream about multipolarity, some acknowledgement at least that the world is beginning to change. But 15 years ago, when I was researching for my book on ‘China’s Global Strategy’, I really struggled to find any mention of multipolarity in Western literature.  Yet at the time there was a great deal of debate amongst Chinese scholars about where China fitted into the multipolar trend. 

Today mainstream views see a few random middle powers – Türkiye, Mexico, Malaysia, Australia – starting to play a more important role. The Chinese view, from a historical and materialist perspective, has long recognised multipolarisation as a rebalancing of world power driven by the rise of the Global South.

Now, as a wider war looms over us, it is imperative that leftists in the West understand the interconnections between multipolarity, the Global South and China so as to grasp what is going on in the world.

Amidst multiplying crises, Global South countries are increasingly looking to each other rather than the West.  Given their experiences of vaccine apartheid, high interest rates exacerbating debt, inflation from the Ukraine war, the failure of rich nations to cough up on climate change, Global South countries have every reason to come together as a more vocal force for peace and development.

South-South networks are proliferating; the objective conditions for multipolarisation are unfolding – India and Brazil have risen into the top 10 world economies soon to be followed by Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria displacing G7 members. And subjective consciousness is shifting: one after another, countries across the developing world refused to take sides in the Ukraine conflict – now they are united in horror of Israel’s genocide and in anger and disgust at the double standards of the West’s complicity.

Of course, past experience has shown Global South collective efforts are liable to succumb to imperialist division as when their 1974 call for a New International Economic order fell apart by the 1980s.

Today, the role of China as by far the largest developing state is critical.

For the Global South, China provides a model of successful development and the eradication of poverty; its vast market and investment resources puts it at the centre of South-South economic cooperation; whilst its diplomacy fosters unity and promotes pathways towards peace.

For sure there are problems – reproducing the pattern of colonial trade of raw materials for manufactured goods is hard to change in a short time. Investment projects through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have not always been the best or wisest, but even if as many as 40 percent run into difficulties – as some critics claim – that means 60 percent are working and are making a difference.

Now China is opening a path for developing countries to leapfrog into a green and digitised future. Throwing itself into the growth of new quality productive forces domestically, China is becoming the indispensable power in the global green transition.

Deals with China in general offer something stable to hold onto in an anarchic world economy. Against the colonial pattern, the recent China-Africa summit saw important commitments which will amount to one million jobs for African people.

Now, catching the new momentum in the Global South, China has accelerated its diplomatic activity in forums such as the SCO, the G77+, the BRICS+, the China-Africa and other such forums. Its global initiatives on development, security and civilisation carry forward the basic principles of the UN Charter building on the five principles of peaceful coexistence and the 1955 Bandung agreement.

Continue reading Jenny Clegg: Orienting our peace movement towards the Global South

Assessing Chinese socialism 75 years after its revolution

The following article by Andrew Murray explores the enduring significance of the People’s Republic of China, 75 years after its founding.

Andrew writes that this significance proceeds along three axes:

First is the developmental axis – China’s “transformation from the mutilated prey of sundry imperialisms and a laggard in world standards of social development, into a mighty power in sight of having the world’s largest national economy”.

Second is the democratic, anti-imperialist axis – China’s impact on the ongoing eastward and southward shift of the world’s economic and political centre of gravity.

Third is the socialist axis – “by maintaining a socialist orientation after other developments in that direction have faltered it both keeps open the possibility of plural systemic options in the world, defeating Washington’s dreams of ideological unipolarity, and prevents socialism itself from being pushed into the shadows of history”.

Andrew, a longstanding and prominent anti-war campaigner, notes in relation to China’s foreign policy:

The alternative world order promoted by the Chinese government offers co-operation and development for all and eschews militarism and interference. It prioritises adherence to international law and peaceful resolution of disputes. This is not the world order of imperialism — pressure, threats, looting and diktat.

On the nature of China’s political system, Andrew urges the reader not to try and “squeeze the experience of Chinese socialism into the straitjacket of European experience” and to instead study it on its own terms. In spite of undeniable problems and contradictions, “the future of socialism in the world depends very heavily on developments in China and on the leadership of its Communist Party”. And furthermore, “the complete elimination of absolute poverty, a recent achievement of the CPC, is not just a staggering achievement, it is a socialist one”.

The article concludes:

After 75 years, the People’s Republic of China stands at the very heart of an alternative to the world of the Washington Consensus, neoliberal centrism, the militarised “New World Order” and economic crisis and chaos. The alternative itself is unfinished and perhaps unfinishable, but China is holding the door open to possibilities beyond the status quo, to a menu of other options for humanity. That is most likely the most profound global significance of the PRC on its 75th birthday.

This article was written for the Friends of Socialist China special anniversary supplement published by the Morning Star on September 28, to coincide with London conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It is extracted from Andrew’s contribution to the book People’s China at 75 – The Flag Stays Red, available now from Praxis Press.

The PDF of the supplement can be downloaded here.

There is a story, possibly apocryphal, regarding a parliamentary by-election in St Pancras, north London, in 1949. The Communist Party stood a candidate and, amidst a deteriorating Cold War atmosphere, polled fairly dismally.

Johnnie Campbell, a laconic Scotsman central to the CPGB’s leadership for decades, was dispatched to the locality to rally the troops in the aftermath. Surveying his dispirited comrades, he supposedly declared: “Well, things aren’t going our way in St Pancras right now…but we’ve won in China!”

To many, that was the immediate significance of the Chinese revolution. For millions of Communists and sympathisers around the world, as well as oppressed masses in the colonies and semi-colonies, the victory of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the party-led People’s Liberation Army was a huge advance – really the greatest conceivable – in a worldwide process of socialist revolution.

Continue reading Assessing Chinese socialism 75 years after its revolution

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.

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

Working together for peace, development and a brighter future for BRICS

During his recent visit to New York to attend the annual general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and related activities, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed a meeting of foreign ministers from the BRICS cooperation mechanism, which was held at the UN headquarters on September 26.

Wang Yi told his counterparts that: “As leading members of the Global South, we BRICS countries should pursue our own success while promoting the greater good and make our contribution to an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.”

He went on to say that the BRICS members should promote common security and strive for lasting peace. In today’s world where countries are dependent on each other, humanity lives in an inseparable community of security. No country has the right to manipulate the global security agenda or seek its own security at the expense of others.

On Ukraine, the BRICS should “uphold the principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no fanning the flames by any party, and encourage dialogue and negotiation for the settlement of the crisis. The six-point common understanding jointly released by Brazil and China to this end has received varying degrees of positive response from over 100 countries.

“On Palestine, China stands firmly with Arab countries. We must push for the early realisation of a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, support Palestine’s full UN membership, and implement the two-State solution, in a bid to bring enduring peace to the Middle East.”

The BRICS countries should stay focused on development, follow true multilateralism and improve global governance:

“When hegemonic and bullying acts run unchecked, human civilisation will revert to the law of the jungle. It is important that we firmly defend the international system with the UN at its core, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and reject a selective application.”

He added: “Next month, BRICS will hold its first summit following its membership expansion… We should support Russia’s chairmanship, and take the summit as an opportunity to send a strong message of upholding fairness and justice and promoting common development… We should also step up efforts to set up the Partner Country category, which is a consensus reached by BRICS leaders at the Johannesburg Summit last year and a mission we must accomplish. We need to keep the door open to new members, so as to provide more vigour and drive to the development of BRICS.”

The following is the full text of Wang Yi’s speech. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Dear colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to meet you all in New York.

The current international situation is marked by change and instability, and the world is experiencing disorder, slowing growth, uneven development, and a loss of focus in governance. The theme of this year’s General Debate—“Leaving no one behind”—highlights the widely shared aspiration for greater equality, security and prosperity in our world. As leading members of the Global South, we BRICS countries should pursue our own success while promoting the greater good, and make our contribution to an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

—We should promote common security and strive for lasting peace. In today’s world where countries are dependent on each other, humanity live in an inseparable community of security. No country has the right to manipulate the global security agenda or seek its own security at the expense of others. It is important that we make good use of such BRICS mechanisms as the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs / International Relations and the Meeting of National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security to strengthen coordination on international and regional hotspots and make a joint response to the various challenges we face. On Ukraine, we should uphold the principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no fanning the flames by any party, and encourage dialogue and negotiation for the settlement of the crisis. The six-point common understanding jointly released by Brazil and China to this end has received varying degrees of positive response from over 100 countries. On Palestine, China stands firmly with Arab countries. We must push for the early realization of a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, support Palestine’s full U.N. membership, and implement the two-State solution, in a bid to bring enduring peace to the Middle East.

—We should stay focused on development as a priority and remove hinderance to development. Development is an eternal pursuit of humanity and a major yardstick of the progress of times. The Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping has received active support from the U.N. and a vast number of developing countries. BRICS should harness its strengths to drive development to the center of the U.N. agenda, stay attentive to the difficulties facing developing countries, urge developed countries to honor their promises, and give a stronger boost to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is important to keep in mind the urgent needs of developing countries in poverty reduction, development financing, and energy and food security, and seize the opportunities presented by the technological revolution and industrial transformation to foster new drivers for high-quality development.

—We should follow true multilateralism and improve global governance. When multilateralism is under attack, the world will be in disarray. When hegemonic and bullying acts run unchecked, human civilization will revert to the law of the jungle. It is important that we firmly defend the international system with the U.N. at its core, uphold the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, and reject a selective application of these purposes and principles. We could take the follow-up to the Summit of the Future as a chance to advance the reform of the international financial architecture, support countries of the South in participating fully in international economic decision-making, governance and rules-making, and increase their voice and representation. “Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence,” the resolution cosponsored by China and many other countries of the South, has been overwhelmingly adopted at the General Assembly. We welcome BRICS countries on board for its implementation so that more developing countries can benefit from it.

Colleagues,

Next month, BRICS will hold its first summit following its membership expansion. All eyes will be on this highly significant meeting. We should support Russia’s chairmanship, and take the summit as an opportunity to send a strong message of upholding fairness and justice and promoting common development. We could strive for new milestone outcomes in such areas as finance, AI, and energy and minerals to get the greater  BRICS cooperation off to a good start. We should also step up efforts to set up the Partner Country category, which is a consensus reached by BRICS leaders at the Johannesburg Summit last year and a mission we must accomplish. We need to keep the door open to new members, so as to provide more vigor and drive to the development of BRICS.

Colleagues,

Not long ago, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held its third plenary session. At the session, a new blueprint was drawn up to further advance Chinese modernization. As China pursues high-standard opening up and high-quality development, we will continue to view fellow BRICS countries as good companions and good partners. China will share development opportunities with BRICS countries and other countries around the world and seek more cooperation in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Thank you.

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.

Zhang Weiwei: NATO is a relic of history that should have been disbanded long ago

In the video embedded below, Friends of Socialist China co-founder Danny Haiphong interviews Professor Zhang Weiwei, a Chinese professor of international relations at Fudan University and the director of its China Institute. The interview covers a wide range of topics, including the Western media portrayal of China as aggressive, the concept of the civilizational state, China’s preference for a peaceful approach to international relations, the conflict in Ukraine, China’s diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East, and the changing global balance of power.

Zhang Weiwei notes that, while the US and its allies insist on describing China as a threat to regional and global peace, China’s record of peaceful development speaks for itself. China has not fired a single shot in over 40 years, and is the only nuclear power to have a consistent policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. When the US was economically ascendant, it was already waging wars around the world. China however is now the world’s largest economy in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, and yet it maintains a powerful commitment to peace and to solving problems through negotiations. Zhang highlights China’s diplomatic breakthroughs this year with regard to Middle East politics, including its mediation of the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and its role in bringing together 14 Palestinian factions.

Professor Zhang points out that the conflict in Ukraine is mainly the result of US policy and the insistence on NATO expansion, stating that most Chinese feel that NATO is a relic of history that should have been disbanded long ago. China will be resolute in opposing NATO’s expansion into Asia.

Discussing the concept of “changes unseen in a century”, Zhang Weiwei highlights the emergence of a credible alternative for the Global South in the form of the BRICS grouping – whose GDP is already larger than that of the G7 – along with the Belt and Road Initiative, the economic emergence of several countries, and the failure of the US’s tech war against China.

Counselling the US to adopt a more peaceful approach to international relations, Zhang Weiwei notes that the Biden administration’s nuclear strategy is based on the concept of mutually assured destructions, when what the world needs is mutually assured prosperity.

Professor Zhang is providing a video contribution to our events to mark the 75th anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, in London and New York City.

Wang Yi: The historic step from peaceful coexistence to a shared future for humanity

With China having recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, on July 17, Foreign Minister Wang Yi published an important article outlining the historical progression from the Five Principles to President Xi Jinping’s vision of a shared future for humanity and their interrelationship of continuity, inheritance, application and development.

Wang points out that this occurs against the backdrop of accelerated global transformation not seen in a century and profound adjustment of the international landscape and that it sends a powerful message of the Global South working together with people across all countries working together for a better future.

He expounds on the relevance of championing the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the new circumstances from historical, realistic, theoretical and practical perspectives:

  • From a historical perspective, it is an inevitable development of the trend toward multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations. Born at a time when national independence and liberation movements were sweeping across Asia, Africa and Latin America, the Five Principles embodied the legitimate aspiration of newly independent countries to safeguard their sovereignty and grow their national economy, provided a powerful rallying force behind the efforts of developing countries to pursue cooperation and self-strength through unity, and pushed forward the historic process of reforming and improving the international order. In the new century, the collective rise of emerging market and developing countries is unstoppable. The Global South stands out with a strong momentum, and groupings such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have gained notably stronger influence. The trend toward multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations is irreversible. Championing the essence of the Five Principles under the new circumstances is a crucial step to fully capture the political and economic reality of today’s world and move toward a more just and equitable international order.
  • From a realistic perspective, it is a response to the urgent call for uniting all progressive forces across the world and tackling global challenges together.  Championing the essence of the Five Principles under the new circumstances is an inevitable choice for enhancing solidarity and cooperation among all countries to meet challenges and build a better future together.
  • From a theoretical perspective, it is an important cornerstone for building a new type of international relations.As the first systematic theory of international relations proposed by developing countries, the Five Principles stress the importance of mutuality and equality in handling state-to-state relations and highlight the essence of international rule of law. Replacing power politics, bullying and the law of the jungle with respect for sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit, the Five Principles have served as the prime guidance for the establishment and development of relations between countries with different social systems, and set an important benchmark for international relations and international rule of law. Facing the various practices of unilateralism, protectionism, power politics and bullying, humanity must make a historic choice between peace and war, prosperity and recession, and unity and confrontation.
  • From a practical perspective, it offers a path to upholding the UN Charter and international rule of law.The Five Principles are highly consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Shortly after their debut in Asia, the Five Principles soon ascended to the world stage, forming the basis for the ten principles outlined at the 1955 Bandung Conference and becoming the guiding principles of the Non-Aligned Movement that rose in the 1960s.

Regarding the need to sustain, promote and upgrade the Five Principles under the new circumstances, Wang Yi notes that:

“General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the baton of history is passed from generation to generation, and the cause of human progress moves forward from one era to another as humanity seek answers to the questions of the times. Seven decades ago, leaders of China, India and Myanmar jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, giving the answer of their times to the major question of how to handle state-to-state relations. Seven decades on, bearing in mind the common and fundamental interests of people around the world, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the important Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, the response of our times to the question of ‘what kind of world to build and how to build it.’ The Vision both carries forward and renews the spirit of the Five Principles… This is a new historical step forward in the progressive cause of humanity.”

Explaining the Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, he explains that the world today has become a community with a shared future, i.e. the future of all countries is bound more closely together for good or ill by common challenges, common interests and common responsibilities. Living in such an era, we need to take more proactive steps to pursue win-win cooperation under the principles of equality and mutual benefit and take peaceful coexistence to the higher level of harmony and shared prosperity.

“The building of a community with a shared future for humanity meets the prevailing aspiration of people around the world, points the direction for the progress of world civilisation, and underscores the Communist Party of China’s commitment to pursuing not only happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation but also human progress and world harmony.”

The article stresses the need for the Global South to achieve greater strength through unity.

“China is always a member of the Global South and always stands with all countries of the South through thick and thin. China will accelerate the implementation of the eight measures in support of Global South cooperation, ensure the success of the upcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, develop the ‘five cooperation frameworks’ in concert with Arab states, upgrade its relations with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and deepen cooperation with Pacific Island countries. China will stay committed to the development and revitalisation of the Global South and walk side by side with other Global South countries in our common pursuit of modernisation.”

Writing on China’s proposals for better global governance, Wang Yi says that China will take an active part in the reform and improvement of the global governance system, support the Summit of the Future in adopting a Pact for the Future that reflects the trend of our times and the aspirations of people around the world, actively participate in international cooperation on climate change, build greater consensus on the Global AI Governance Initiative, and work for improving the governance rules for such new frontiers as deep sea, polar regions, outer space and cyberspace. It is important to deepen cooperation under the expanded BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, support Brazil and Peru in hosting G20 and APEC meetings respectively and augment the strength of the South in global governance.

In conclusion, he writes that:

“The implementation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is an ongoing process. So is the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. Taking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as a new starting point, China will work with all countries to draw wisdom from history, undertake the responsibility for our times, and keep striving for the great goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

We reprint below the full text of Wang Yi’s article. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The year 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. On June 28, General Secretary Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important address at the conference marking the occasion. This is a major home-court diplomatic event held by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, against the backdrop of accelerated global transformation not seen in a century and profound adjustment of the international landscape and with both domestic and international imperatives in mind, to promote international solidarity and cooperation and humanity’s cause of peace and development.

Continue reading Wang Yi: The historic step from peaceful coexistence to a shared future for humanity

Wang Yi: The Global South is rising and great changes are taking place

We previously reported on the meeting of Foreign Ministers from the BRICS cooperation mechanism, which was held on June 10 in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod prior to the BRCS Summit, which will be held in Kazan later this year.

The following day, Nizhny Novgorod was also the venue for the first Foreign Ministers meeting of the BRICS Plus platform, which provides a forum for dialogue between the BRICS countries and other emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs), many of whom have applied to join BRICS or have expressed an interest in doing so in due course.

In his speech to this meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that “we are gathered here to enhance solidarity and cooperation of the Global South, and also to provide answers of the South to a world experiencing changes unseen in a century.”

Noting that the world is now in a volatile and unstable era where changes and turbulence are intertwined, he continued:

“The Ukraine crisis and the conflicts in Gaza are dragging on. Challenges keep coming at us in areas such as cybersecurity and climate change. The United States tries to maintain its unipolar hegemony, by roping in allies to impose unilateral sanctions, erect protectionist barriers and turn economic and financial measures into tools and weapons… The North-South gap is widening. More than 100 million people are displaced and nearly 800 million suffer from hunger. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains a distant goal.”

However, “this is also an era where the South is rising and great changes are taking place. The collective rise of EMDCs has greatly advanced multipolarity in the world… The Global South now accounts for over 40 percent of the world economy.” In the face of this situation, Wang Yi advised his counterparts, “Solidarity is the only right way forward, while disunity leads nowhere.”

On the Ukraine issue, he noted, “China stands on the side of justice and objectivity and works consistently to facilitate peace talks.” While on Palestine, “China firmly stands with Arab states. China is making every effort for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza… and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, so as to redress once and for all the historical injustice that has dragged on for over half a century.”

Seventy-five years ago, he said, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were proposed amid the historic rise of emerging forces. The principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence have become norms governing international relations observed by the international community, especially by developing countries. He also alluded to a criticism of multipolarity advanced in some quarters, stating: “We must debunk the myth that multipolarity is about a few big countries.”

Finally, Wang Yi noted that Nizhny Novgorod is the hometown of the great Russian writer Maxim Gorky. Evoking Gorky’s famous 1901 poem, ‘Song of the Stormy Petrel’, the Chinese Foreign Minister said: “Amidst the ever-changing international landscape, we should act like Gorky’s stormy petrel who’s certain that the clouds will not hide the sun, and fly together toward a brighter future of peace, development and win-win cooperation.”

We reprint below the full text of Wang Yi’s speech. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. We also reproduce Gorky’s poem from the Marxists Internet Archive.

Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi at the BRICS Dialogue with Developing Countries

Nizhny Novgorod, June 11, 2024

Fellow Foreign Ministers,
Colleagues,

It gives me great pleasure to join old and new friends for the first BRICS Plus foreign ministers’ meeting after the expansion of BRICS. BRICS Plus is an important platform for BRICS countries to hold dialogue with emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). It has long been a source of vitality and impetus for BRICS development, and has grown to be a banner in South-South cooperation. Today, we are gathered here to enhance solidarity and cooperation of the Global South, and also to provide answers of the South to a world experiencing changes unseen in a century.

We are now in a volatile and unstable era where changes and turbulence are intertwined. The Ukraine crisis and the conflicts in Gaza are dragging on. Challenges keep coming at us in areas such as cybersecurity and climate change. The United States tries to maintain its unipolar hegemony, by roping in allies to impose unilateral sanctions, erect protectionist barriers and turn economic and financial measures into tools and weapons. Global economic recovery faces setback. The North-South gap is widening. More than 100 million people are displaced and nearly 800 million suffer from hunger. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains a distant goal.

But this is also an era where the South is rising and great changes are taking place. The collective rise of EMDCs has greatly advanced multipolarity in the world. Many countries have entered a fast track of development, and the Global South now accounts for over 40 percent of the world economy. The latest round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is demonstrating a strong momentum, and EMDCs are embracing unprecedented opportunities for achieving leapfrog development. The Global South is no longer the “silent majority,” but an awakening new force.

Continue reading Wang Yi: The Global South is rising and great changes are taking place

Xi Jinping: We must consolidate our unity and safeguard the right to development

Between July 2-6, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid state visits to the neighbouring Central Asian states of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Whilst in Kazakhstan, he also took part in the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which, along with the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus Meeting, was held in the capital Astana on July 4, as well as holding a number of bilateral meetings with other heads of state who participated in the meetings.

The SCO Summit admitted Belarus as the organisation’s tenth full member and at its conclusion China assumed the rotating chair for 2024-25.

In his speech to the Heads of State Meeting, Xi Jinping welcomed Belarus to attend the SCO Summit for the first time as a member state. He pointed out that the SCO was established at the turn of the century, when the antagonism and division left over from the Cold War had yet to be bridged. The founding members of the SCO have made a historical choice to pursue peaceful development, committed to good-neighbourliness and friendship, and built a new type of international relations, and the “Shanghai Spirit” has become a common value and action guide for the member states. Twenty-three years after its founding, the number of SCO member states has increased to 10, and the “SCO family” embraces 26 countries on three continents. The SCO stands on the right side of history, on the side of fairness and justice, and is of vital importance to the world.

Xi went on to make a number of calls to the gathering, including:

  • In the face of the real threat of the Cold War mentality, we must guard the bottom line of security.
  • In the face of the real risk of “small courtyards and high walls”, we must safeguard the right to development.
  • In the face of the real challenge of interference and division, we need to consolidate our unity.

He stressed that the reason why the SCO has been able to withstand the test of the changing international situation is that we have always adhered to the fine tradition of solidarity and cooperation, the way of cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, the pursuit of the values of fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning.

The leaders of the SCO member states signed and issued the Astana Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States; approved the SCO initiative on solidarity and joint efforts to promote justice, harmony and development in the world; proposals on improving the operational mechanisms of the SCO; a statement on the principles of good-neighbourliness, mutual trust and partnership; and a series of resolutions on cooperation in the fields of energy, investment and information security.

The Astana Declaration begins by stating that:

“The political and economic situation in the world is undergoing major changes. The international system is developing in a more just and multipolar direction, providing more opportunities for countries to develop and carry out international cooperation on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. At the same time, the rise of power politics, the intensification of trampling on the norms of international law, and the intensification of geopolitical confrontation and conflicts pose more risks to global and regional stability.”

Among the many issues covered in the declaration, member states advocate respect for the right of the peoples of all countries to independently choose their path of political, economic and social development, and emphasise that the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, equality and mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, and non-use or threat of use of force are the basis for the sustainable development of international relations.

They reaffirmed their commitment to building a more representative, democratic and just multipolar world system based on the universally recognised principles of international law, diversity of cultures and civilisations, equality and mutually beneficial cooperation, and the central coordinating role of the United Nations.

They expressed deep concern at the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and strongly condemned the acts that caused numerous civilian casualties and a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip; Emphasising the importance of ensuring a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire as soon as possible and facilitating humanitarian access and intensifying efforts to bring peace, stability and security to the population of the region, it was noted that the only possible way to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East was a comprehensive and just settlement of the question of Palestine.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to helping Afghanistan become an independent, neutral and peaceful country, free from terrorism, war and drugs, and supported the efforts of the international community to achieve peace and development in Afghanistan and reaffirmed that the formation of a government that is truly inclusive of representatives of all ethnic and political sectors of Afghan society is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the country.

Member States support the prevention of the weaponisation of outer space, believe that strict adherence to the existing legal system for the peaceful uses of outer space is of paramount importance, and stress the need to sign international instruments with mandatory legal force to enhance transparency and provide strong guarantees for the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: We must consolidate our unity and safeguard the right to development

Xi Jinping: Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence a groundbreaking achievement in the history of international relations

A conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, a cornerstone of Chinese foreign policy, was held in Beijing on June 28. With guests from around the world, including former political leaders from some 20 countries, President Xi Jinping made an important speech, and the event was moderated by Premier Li Qiang.

In his speech, President Xi said that the five principles, “marked a groundbreaking and epoch-making achievement in the history of international relations.”

He noted:

“The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence answered the call of the times, and its initiation was an inevitable historic development. In the wake of the Second World War, national independence and liberation movements swept across the globe, and the colonial system around the world crumbled and collapsed. At the same time, the world was overshadowed by the dark clouds of the Cold War.”

Meanwhile, newly independent countries aspired to safeguard their sovereignty and grow their national economy. New China followed the principle of independence, actively sought peaceful coexistence with all countries, and endeavoured to improve its external environment, especially in its neighbourhood.

Having been endorsed in joint statements with India and Myanmar, in 1955, “more than 20 Asian and African countries attended the Bandung Conference. They proposed ten principles for handling state-to-state relations on the basis of the Five Principles, and advocated the Bandung spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation. The Non-Aligned Movement that rose in the 1960s adopted the Five Principles as its guiding principles. The Declaration on Principles of International Law adopted at the 25th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1970 and the Declaration on the Establishment of the New International Economic Order adopted at the Sixth Special UNGA Session in 1974 both endorsed the Five Principles.”

Xi Jinping went on to note that:

  • The principles fully conform with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, with the evolving trend of international relations of our times, and with the fundamental interests of all nations.
  • When following the Five Principles, even countries that differ from each other in social system, ideology, history, culture, faith, development stage, and size can build a relationship of mutual trust, friendship and cooperation.
  • Inspired and encouraged by the Five Principles, more and more countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have voiced and extended support to each other, stood up against foreign interference, and embarked on an independent path of development. The Five Principles have also boosted South-South cooperation and improved and further developed North-South relations.
  • The Five Principles were initiated with the purpose of protecting the interests and pursuits of small and weak countries from power politics. They categorically oppose imperialism, colonialism and hegemonism, and reject belligerent and bullying practices of the law of the jungle.

Seventy years ago, the Chinese leader continued, “our forefathers, who experienced the scourge of hot wars and the confrontation of the Cold War, concluded that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were the crucial way to safeguard peace and sovereignty. This answer has withstood the test of international vicissitudes and has become more appealing rather than obsolete. Seventy years later today, challenged by the historic question of ‘what kind of world to build and how to build it,’ China has answered the call of the times by proposing a community with a shared future for humanity.”

Xi went on to say that both the five principles and the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity “demonstrate the broad vision of the Communist Party of China to contribute more to humanity.”

“Looking at the past and future at this critical moment in history, we believe our exploration for the betterment of human civilisation will not end, and our efforts for a better world will not end. No matter how the world evolves, one basic fact will not change. There is only one Planet Earth in the universe, and the whole humanity have one common home.”

On this basis, Xi set out a number of imperatives:

  • We need to uphold the principle of sovereign equality.

The five principles reject the big subduing the small, the strong bullying the weak, and the rich exploiting the poor.

  • We need to cement the foundation of mutual respect.

We must jointly uphold the “golden rule” of non-interference, and jointly oppose acts of imposing one’s will on others, stoking bloc confrontation, creating small circles, and forcing others to pick sides.

  • We need to turn the vision for peace and security into reality.

All countries must work together to seek peace, safeguard peace, and enjoy peace. In today’s interdependent world, absolute security and exclusive security are just not viable.

  • We need to unite all forces to achieve prosperity.

Here Xi invokes a Latin American proverb: “The only way to be profitably national is to be generously universal.”

  • We need to commit to fairness and justice.

China believes in true multilateralism. Our goal is that international rules should be made and observed by all countries. World affairs should be handled through extensive consultation, not dictated by those with more muscles.

  • We need to embrace an open and inclusive mindset.

All countries are on board the same giant ship. It carries on it not only aspirations for peace, economic prosperity and technological advancement, but also the diversity of civilisations and the continuation of the human species.

Whilst the Five Principles are intended to address the full spectrum of international relations, Xi emphasised that:

“Of all the forces in the world, the Global South stands out with a strong momentum, playing a vital role in promoting human progress. Standing at a new historical starting point, the Global South should be more open and more inclusive and join hands together to take the lead in building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

Addressing the Global South, he made the following calls:

  • Together, we should be the staunch force for peace.
  • Together, we should be the core driving force for open development.
  • Together, we should be the construction team of global governance.
  • Together, we should be the advocates for exchange among civilisations.

He continued by outlining a series of concrete measures that China will take to better support Global South cooperation.

Noting that, “the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence has been written into China’s Constitution long before,” Xi said that:

“China’s resolve to stay on the path of peaceful development will not change. We will never take the trodden path of colonial plundering, or the wrong path of seeking hegemony when one becomes strong. We will stay on the right path of peaceful development. Among the world’s major countries, China has the best track record with respect to peace and security. It has been exploring for a distinctly Chinese approach to resolving hotspot issues. It has been playing a constructive role in the Ukraine crisis, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and issues relating to the Korean peninsula, Iran, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. Every increase of China’s strength is an increase of the prospects of world peace.”

The conference also adopted a Beijing Declaration, summarising key viewpoints of the participants.

We reprint below the full text of President Xi Jinping’s speech and of the Beijing Declaration. They were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence a groundbreaking achievement in the history of international relations

Webinar: Changes unseen in a century – Gaza, the shifting balance of forces and the rise of multipolarity

Friends of Socialist China is pleased to be co-organising (with the International Manifesto Group) this webinar on Saturday 29 June 2024, which will bring together leading analysts of global politics to explore the unfolding geopolitical consequences of Zionism’s genocidal assault on the Palestinian people.

Date: Saturday 29 June 2024

Time: 11am US Eastern / 8am US Pacific / 4pm London / 11pm Beijing

Register on Zoom

Panelists

  • Seyed Mohammad Marandi (University of Tehran)
  • Lowkey (Political campaigner and hip-hop artist)
  • Ramzy Baroud (Editor, Palestine Chronicle)
  • Faoud Bakr (Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine)
  • Sara Flounders (International Action Center)
  • Camila Escalante (Kawsachun News)
  • Bikrum Gill (International relations expert)
  • Keith Bennett (Friends of Socialist China, International Manifesto Group)
  • Moderator: Carlos Martinez (Friends of Socialist China, International Manifesto Group)

Details

This webinar will bring together leading analysts of global politics to explore the unfolding geopolitical consequences of Zionism’s genocidal assault on the Palestinian people. Following on from the Ukraine crisis of recent years, the hypocrisy and blatant double standards of the major western powers have united the countries and peoples of the Global South to an unprecedented degree, and on both the diplomatic and mass popular level, rendering US imperialism and its Zionist shock troops increasingly isolated, as significant European powers at last recognise a Palestinian state, people from all walks of life mobilise, and young people in the imperialist heartlands start to be drawn into struggle in a way not seen since the Vietnam War. Together, the global majority are starting to drive changes unseen in a century. The webinar will examine such key topics as the relationship between the Palestinian people’s struggle and the overall multipolar process; the importance of Israel to the perpetuation of the US-led world order; and the potential for China and Russia to play a leading role in bringing about a lasting and just resolution to the Palestinian question.

BRICS and the reconfiguration of the world order

The 37th annual dinner of Third World Solidarity, an organisation that enjoys a close working relationship with Friends of Socialist China, was held on June 4, at the Royal Nawab Restaurant in the west London suburb of Perivale.

Among the guests were Councillor Tariq Dar MBE, Mayor of the London Borough of Brent, Councillor Shakeel Akram, Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Hounslow, Nisar Malik, prospective parliamentary candidate for Brentford and Isleworth for the Workers’ Party of Britain (WPB), veteran journalist Shafi Naqi Jamie, and many others, from the embassy of Kazakhstan, local government, community activism, the arts, business and other walks of life, including members and friends of Friends of Socialist China from Britain, Luxembourg and Malaysia.

The 135 guests were greeted by Evie Hill of the Znaniye Foundation and its Russian School, who introduced the host, Honorary Alderman Mushtaq Lasharie CBE, the founder and Chairman of Third World Solidarity.

With the ongoing genocidal war of aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and with June 14 marking the seventh anniversary of the Grenfell fire, which claimed the lives of 72 people, the first speakers were Palestinian activist for women’s rights, Ahlam Akram, the founder of Basira (British Arabs Supporting Universal Women’s Rights), and Emma O’Connor, a disabled resident on Grenfell’s 20th floor.

The main speaker was Keith Bennett, Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China, who spoke on the BRICS cooperation mechanism and its role in the evolution of a new global order.

A video message of greetings was received from Dave Anderson, former miner, care worker, Labour MP and shadow minister under Jeremy Corbyn, who is now the Chair of Marras – the Friends of the Durham Miners Gala, who was unable to be present.

Following the speeches, Hugh Goodacre sang a song marking the 40th anniversary of the miners’ great strike and this was followed by a virtuoso performance from singer and musician Mubarak Ali to round off the evening.

Keith began his speech by thanking all those who had made the evening possible, especially Mushtaq Lasharie, highlighting his decades of tireless activism and public service.

Referring to the two previous speakers, he expressed solidarity with the struggles of the Palestinian people and the Grenfell community. In the 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of thousands of people in India and Pakistan had taken to the streets raising the slogan, “My name, your name, Vietnam”. Today, for people around the world, their rallying cry has become, “In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians.”

Grenfell was one of those events where people will remember where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about it. It was an entirely avoidable tragedy, an act of social murder in the memorable words of Friedrich Engels. The council, the government and the companies concerned, knew that the building’s cladding, like that of other residential buildings still standing, was flammable and lethal. The building was known to be a death trap. The fire was one more manifestation, like the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, the Post Office Horizon scandal, the contaminated blood scandal, and the treatment of the Windrush generation, among others, of the ruling class’s contempt for working people. But the multinational working class community of Grenfell, like the others mentioned, is a community that has refused to be silenced and which has courageously persisted in the struggle for justice.

The following is the text of the main body of Keith’s speech.

I’ve been asked to speak this evening about the BRICS and their growing role in the reconfiguration of the world order.

But like a good novel, it takes a while, and there are a few plot twists before things start to fall into place. So please bear with me for a bit.

Let’s start with the origins of our host organization, Third World Solidarity. What world were we living in? What was happening?

The key event that led to the formation of Third World Solidarity was the US bombing, with the support of the Thatcher government here, of Libya on April 15, 1986 – an act of state terrorism in which the adopted baby daughter of head of state Colonel Gaddafi was among those killed.

This was the period when Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were turning the cold war hot throughout the Global South. (Or Third World as it was then generally called and from which we derive our name.) This was the case from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to Angola. And from Ethiopia to Cambodia.

It was also, although we did not realise it at the time, the period when the Soviet Union, and its allied socialist countries in central and Eastern Europe, were entering their final days.

Their demise also triggered the collapse, or the retreat, of many socialist experiments throughout the Third World.

Although five socialist countries survived, most notably China, elsewhere, attempts to build socialism, or just to pursue independent development, were often replaced by IMF/World Bank Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), the downgrading of the role of the state, and the decimation of social programs and basic services, including in the vital areas of health and education. Neoliberalism acquired a practically religious aura. In the words of Margaret Thatcher, we were repeatedly told: “There is no alternative.” And for good measure, she added that there was, “no such thing as society, only individuals and their families.”

This neoliberal ideological hegemony was such that US political theorist Francis Fukuyama even proclaimed the end of history. And was catapulted from relative obscurity to intellectual rock star and guru status for his banal observation.

This apparently and now obviously ridiculous claim that history had come to an end meant that the evolution of human society was considered to have reached the destination of its journey with the hegemony of liberal democracy and the free market.

Although if democracy is to have any relationship to people having some measure of actual control over their own lives, and collectively over the evolution and running of their state and society, for hundreds of millions there was plenty of neoliberalism, plenty of economic impoverishment, but precious little democracy.

With the end of history there was also supposed to be a peace dividend. No more wars. And the Soviet Union was effectively persuaded to surrender with US promises that its NATO military alliance would not move one inch further east from a reunified Germany.

Of course, NATO marched inexorably eastwards. Slowly but surely laying the groundwork for today’s Ukraine tragedy.

As for no more wars, even to utter the phrase now can only draw a bitter laugh as we recall Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Palestine and so many other conflicts, together claiming the lives of millions of innocent children, women and men.

Continue reading BRICS and the reconfiguration of the world order

The perils and promise of the emerging multipolar world

In his recent article for Common Dreams, Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs describes the world’s trajectory towards multipolarity over the past three decades. He notes that, “in 1994, the G7 countries constituted 45.3% of world output, compared with 18.9% of world output in the BRICS countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates). The tables have turned. The BRICS now produce 35.2% of world output, while the G7 countries produce 29.3%.”

The West’s political influence is also waning, as exemplified by the failure of the US-led sanctions against Russia from 2022: “When the US-led group introduced economic sanctions on Russia in 2022, very few countries outside the core alliance joined. As a result, Russia had little trouble shifting its trade to countries outside the US-led alliance.”

Sachs notes that emerging economies such as China, Russia are Iran are breaking the imperialist stranglehold on technological innovation. In China’s case, it “clearly has a large lead in the manufacturing of cutting-edge technologies needed for the global energy transition, including batteries, electric vehicles, 5G, photovoltaics, wind turbines, fourth generation nuclear power, and others. China’s rapid advances in space technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and other technologies is similarly impressive.” All of this is “underpinned by enormous R&D spending and its vast and growing labor force of scientists and engineers.”

And yet US strategists refuse to accept this new reality, and are instead doubling down on their efforts to maintain their hegemony, primarily through military means:

The US is still trying to maintain primacy in Europe by surrounding Russia in the Black Sea region with NATO forces, yet Russia has resisted this militarily in both Georgia and Ukraine. The US is still trying to maintain primacy in Asia by surrounding China in the South China Sea, a folly that can lead the US into a disastrous war over Taiwan. The US is also losing its standing in the Middle East by resisting the united call of the Arab world for recognition of Palestine as the 194th United Nations member state.

In a post-hegemonic, multipolar world, it is crucial that the US and its allies give up on this dangerous and futile quest for global dominance.

The World Bank’s release on May 30 of its latest estimates of national output (up to the year 2022) offers an occasion to reflect on the new geopolitics. The new data underscore the shift from a U.S.-led world economy to a multipolar world economy, a reality that U.S. strategists have so far failed to recognize, accept, or admit.

The World Bank figures make clear that the economic dominance of the West is over. In 1994, the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, U.K., U.S.) constituted 45.3% of world output, compared with 18.9% of world output in the BRICS countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates). The tables have turned. The BRICS now produce 35.2% of world output, while the G7 countries produce 29.3%.

As of 2022, the largest five economies in descending order are China, the U.S., India, Russia, and Japan. China’s GDP is around 25% larger than the U.S.’ (roughly 30% of the U.S. GDP per person but with 4.2 times the population). Three of the top five countries are in the BRICS, while two are in the G7. In 1994, the largest five were the U.S., Japan, China, Germany, and India, with three in the G7 and two in the BRICS.

As the shares of world output change, so too does global power. The core U.S.-led alliance, which includes the U.S., Canada, U.K., European Union, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, was 56% of world output in 1994, but now is only 39.5%. As a result, the U.S. global influence is waning. As a recent vivid example, when the U.S.-led group introduced economic sanctions on Russia in 2022, very few countries outside the core alliance joined. As a result, Russia had little trouble shifting its trade to countries outside the U.S.-led alliance.

The world economy is experiencing a deep process of economic convergence, according to which regions that once lagged the West in industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries are now making up for lost time. Economic convergence actually began in the 1950s as European imperial rule in Africa and Asia came to an end. It has proceeded in waves, starting first in East Asia, then roughly 20 years later India, and for the coming 20-40 years in Africa.

These and some other regions are growing much faster than the Western economies since they have more “headroom” to boost GDP by rapidly raising education levels, boosting workers’ skills, and installing modern infrastructure, including universal access to electrification and digital platforms. The emerging economies are often able to leapfrog the richer countries with state-of-the-art infrastructure (e.g., fast intercity rail, 5G, modern airports and seaports) while the richer countries remain stuck with aging infrastructure and expensive retrofits. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook projects that the emerging and developing economies will average growth of around 4% per year in the coming five years, while the high-income countries will average less than 2% per year.

It’s not only in skills and infrastructure that convergence is occurring. Many of the emerging economies, including China, Russia, Iran, and others, are advancing rapidly in technological innovations as well, in both civilian and military technologies.

China clearly has a large lead in the manufacturing of cutting-edge technologies needed for the global energy transition, including batteries, electric vehicles, 5G, photovoltaics, wind turbines, fourth generation nuclear power, and others. China’s rapid advances in space technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and other technologies is similarly impressive. In response, the U.S. has made the absurd claim that China has an “overcapacity” in these cutting-edge technologies, while the obvious truth is that the U.S. has a significant under-capacity in many sectors. China’s capacity for innovation and low-cost production is underpinned by enormous R&D spending and its vast and growing labor force of scientists and engineers.

Despite the new global economic realities, the U.S. security state still pursues a grand strategy of “primacy,” that is, the aspiration of the U.S. to be the dominant economic, financial, technological, and military power in every region of the world. The U.S. is still trying to maintain primacy in Europe by surrounding Russia in the Black Sea region with NATO forces, yet Russia has resisted this militarily in both Georgia and Ukraine. The U.S. is still trying to maintain primacy in Asia by surrounding China in the South China Sea, a folly that can lead the U.S. into a disastrous war over Taiwan. The U.S. is also losing its standing in the Middle East by resisting the united call of the Arab world for recognition of Palestine as the 194th United Nations member state.

Yet primacy is certainly not possible today, and was hubristic even 30 years ago when U.S. relative power was much greater. Today, the U.S. share of world output stands at 14.8%, compared with 18.5% for China, and the U.S. share of world population is a mere 4.1%, compared with 17.8% for China.

The trend toward broad global economic convergence means that U.S. hegemony will not be replaced by Chinese hegemony. Indeed, China’s share of world output is likely to peak at around 20% during the coming decade and thereafter to decline as China’s population declines. Other parts of the world, notably including India and Africa, are likely to show a large rise in their respective shares of global output, and with that, in their geopolitical weight as well.

We are therefore entering a post-hegemonic, multipolar world. It too is fraught with challenges. It could usher in a new “tragedy of great power politics,” in which several nuclear powers compete—in vain—for hegemony. It could lead to a breakdown of fragile global rules, such as open trade under the World Trade Organization. Or, it could lead to a world in which the great powers exercise mutual tolerance, restraint, and even cooperation, in accord with the U.N. Charter, because they recognize that only such statecraft will keep the world safe in the nuclear age.