Solidarity Archives - Friends of Socialist China

CPC meets Spanish communists

On June 24, Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC) met in Beijing with a visiting delegation headed by Jose Luis Centella, President of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE).

The Spanish comrades were visiting China to attend the 2026 Think Tank Forum on National Governance in Developing Countries.

Ma briefed the guests on Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, noting that it originates from the scientific theory of Marxism, takes root in the fine traditional Chinese culture, and has been nurtured by the great practice of exercising comprehensive and strict governance over the Party in the new era. It has made significant original contributions to the development of the Marxist theory of party building, he added.

Centella said that the Communist Party of Spain stands ready to learn from the CPC’s experience in party governance and discipline, further improve its own theoretical guidance of Marxism and ideological and organisational building, and better explore a development path suited to its national conditions.

China and Vietnam support Venezuela after devastating earthquakes

Following the devastating double earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24, which at time of writing had claimed at least 1,450 lives with more than 3,100 injured and 50,000 or more people missing, and caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including homes, hospitals and the country’s main international airport, China and its socialist neighbour Vietnam have joined the international relief effort for their sister nation in Latin America.

On June 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi mourned those killed in the earthquakes and expressed sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and those injured. China, he said, stands ready to provide assistance to Venezuela in disaster relief and reconstruction.

He also expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Venezuelan government, the Venezuelan people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date.

At time of writing, it was announced at the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference on June 29 that China has decided to offer additional aid to Venezuela for post-quake relief and reconstruction.

According to spokesperson Guo Jiakun, the additional emergency material assistance is worth 100 million yuan (about 14.67 million US dollars), following the cash assistance that has already been provided.

Guo had previously responded to relevant questions at press conferences on June 25 and June 26, where he said that both the Chinese government and the Red Cross Society of China will provide emergency humanitarian aid to Venezuela, adding that the Venezuelan government has thanked China for its support.

In the meantime, Chinese in Venezuela lost no time in supporting relief efforts once the earthquakes struck, with several Chinese-funded enterprises in the country mobilising relief efforts.

The Xinhua News Agency reports that the companies responded quickly to the disaster and, under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy, coordinated with local Chinese communities and business associations to take part in relief work. Their efforts included providing heavy machinery and medical supplies and deploying rescue teams.

Overseas Chinese in Venezuela have so far donated about 500 tonnes of relief supplies. The supplies, including bottled water, biscuits, diapers, milk, rice, sugar and fish, have benefited nearly 10,000 families affected by the disaster.

Xinhua also introduced the moving story of Pitney Delgado, a Venezuelan worker, who has worked alongside Chinese colleagues for more than ten years. When Xinhua interviewed him, he had been working in the relief effort for more than 50 hours without rest.

Delgado said years of working with Chinese colleagues had left him with a lasting impression of their “warm hearts,” strengthening his willingness to help others in times of crisis. That commitment was reinforced by a practical skill: more than a decade ago, while working at a Chinese company, he learned to operate heavy machinery under Chinese mentors.

He first met Jiang Wangbing, now president of the China-Venezuela Chamber of Commerce, in 2015, when he began learning crane operation.

“It was a huge machine weighing dozens of tonnes,” Delgado said. “At first I was nervous. One mistake could damage property or hurt someone.”

With patient instruction, he said he mastered basic crane operations within a week. “The training was very focused. They wanted you to learn everything,” he said.

After the earthquakes, the China-Venezuela Chamber of Commerce quickly mobilised cranes and heavy machinery for rescue operations at collapsed buildings. Delgado joined without hesitation. He said he could not stop working after seeing on social media people digging through rubble with their bare hands. “Without machines, how could we clear the debris?” he said. “It would be impossible.”

Asked about working under dangerous conditions, he said: “There were aftershocks and unstable structures. Of course, I was afraid. But when I thought people might still be trapped, I could not stop.”

“As long as I am needed here, as long as there are still people to rescue, I will keep working.”

Meanwhile, socialist Vietnam has launched a major national effort to support Venezuela.

The country’s Ministry of National Defence promptly decided to deploy an 82-member military humanitarian and disaster relief team to support search and rescue operations and post-earthquake recovery efforts. To support relief efforts, the Vietnam People’s Army has established a humanitarian assistance mission comprising command personnel, a military engineering search-and-rescue unit, medical personnel, and a canine search-and-rescue unit.

During the mission, the Vietnamese force will use search dogs to locate victims trapped under collapsed structures, conduct urban search-and-rescue operations, provide emergency medical assistance to survivors, and carry out other humanitarian tasks to help Venezuelan authorities and local communities recover from the disaster.

Addressing a meeting to assign tasks to the rescuers in the capital Hanoi, General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence, stressed that the mission carries profound international significance, reflecting the party and state’s foreign policy, contributing to enhancing the country’s reputation in global disaster response and reaffirming the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Venezuela.

He stressed that the operation will be demanding and potentially dangerous, requiring close coordination with personnel from the Vietnamese People’s Public Security force, international rescue teams and Venezuelan authorities and people. He instructed the team to comply with local laws, ensure the safety of personnel and equipment, actively assist local communities within their capabilities, and uphold the image and traditions of the VPA throughout the mission.

The mission is also transporting about 88 tonnes of equipment and relief supplies, including 50 compressed ration bars, 1,600 tents and 15 generators.

For its part, the Ministry of Public Security also held a departure ceremony in Hanoi on June 28 for a 41-member search and rescue team heading to Venezuela.

Following instructions from Vietnam’s party and state leadership, the ministry decided to send a specialised team to support searching for missing victims, rescue and emergency response operations, and post-disaster recovery efforts.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Senior Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen said the deployment reflects not only humanitarian support but also international solidarity and the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Venezuela.

Estela del Valle Quijada Suarez, Chargé d’Affaires of the Venezuelan Embassy in Vietnam, expressed appreciation to Vietnam’s party, state, government and Ministry of Public Security for the timely assistance, describing the mission as a symbol of friendship, solidarity, and mutual support between the two countries’ people during a difficult period.

Vietnam Airlines, the country’s national carrier, organised a special flight to carry the 124 members of the two rescue teams, their 10 search and rescue dogs, approximately 25 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, specialised equipment and rescue gear to support relief operations in the earthquake-affected areas.

To ensure the timely deployment of the mission, Vietnam Airlines mobilised extensive resources, including ground service personnel and a dedicated flight crew of 23 members. The airline also completed logistical preparations and flight clearance procedures within a short timeframe to meet the urgent requirements of the mission.

Cuba and China reaffirm socialist solidarity

As previously noted by us, on June 11, a video call was held between Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC) and Emilio Lozada García, Head of the International Relations Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).

The following article was originally published on the website of the IDCPC.

Liu Haixing Holds a Video Call with Emilio Lozada García, Head of the International Relations Department of the PCC Central Committee

June 11 (IDCPC) – Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), held a video call with Emilio Lozada García, Head of the International Relations Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).

Liu said that as comrades and brothers in the socialist camp, the Chinese people will always stand together with the Cuban people. No matter how the international landscape evolves, the commitment of the CPC and the Chinese government to the long-term friendship with Cuba will not change; the resolve to support Cuba in pursuing a socialist path suited to its national conditions will not change; and the direction of advancing China-Cuba practical cooperation and helping the Cuban people improve their lives will not change. He noted that in the face of extreme external pressure, the Cuban people, under the strong leadership of the PCC Central Committee, have firmly safeguarded national sovereignty and security and demonstrated unwavering determination to oppose foreign interference. A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust one finds little. China firmly supports the just struggle of the PCC and the Cuban people.

Lozada stated that Cuba and the entire Latin America are currently going through a complex and grave situation. In disregard of the basic norms of international law and the universal opposition of the international community, the United States has escalated its blockade and sanctions against Cuba in all respects, which has seriously violated the Cuban people’s rights to subsistence and development and caused severe difficulties and challenges to Cuba’s economic and social development. The solidarity and firm support China has shown to Cuba are of vital importance to Cuba. The PCC congratulates the CPC on its upcoming 105th anniversary and stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the CPC to advance the building of a Cuba-China community with a shared future.

Cuba’s economic reforms and the prospects for socialist renewal

The following article by Carlos Martinez, co-editor of Friends of Socialist China and author of The East Is Still Red, examines the most far-reaching changes to Cuba’s economic model in more than 60 years – a programme of 23 strategic axes and 176 measures approved unanimously this month by the National Assembly.

Much of the Western press, and a good part of the Western left, has rushed to read the reforms as the moment the blockade finally broke the Revolution. Carlos argues the opposite: that they are best understood as a defence of socialism under siege, following the strategic logic China has pursued since 1978 – the controlled use of markets and foreign investment to develop the productive forces while the Communist Party retains political power and public ownership of the commanding heights. As the Cuba specialist Isaac Saney puts it, the measures, “far from representing a retreat”, constitute “a strategic effort to preserve and deepen the social gains of the Revolution”.

The article sets the reforms against the backdrop of an unprecedented US siege – 64 years of blockade, escalated under Trump and Rubio, with fuel choked off and blackouts of up to twenty hours a day – and traces Cuba’s two decades of gradual reform, from Raúl Castro’s “Guidelines” to the Mariel Special Economic Zone consciously modelled on China and Vietnam. The decisive question, Carlos insists, is the one that separated Beijing’s reforms from Gorbachev’s “perestroika”: who holds political power? Cuba, he argues, is travelling the road of China’s reform and opening up, not the Soviet road of perestroika – and China’s solidarity, in energy, food and party-to-party ties, may prove decisive.

In President Díaz-Canel’s words: “There is no sovereignty with an empty plate” – and “We are not going to come together only to resist. We are going to come together to create. To produce. To decide. To oversee. To prosper, and to transform.”

A version of this article, translated into Portuguese, can be found on Brasil de Fato.

Leaders of friendly countries celebrate Xi Jinping’s birthday

Leaders of a number of friendly countries have sent greetings to Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People’s Republic of China, on the occasion of his 73rd birthday, which fell on June 15.

Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, sent a congratulatory verbal message and a flower basket to his Chinese counterpart. He sincerely wished Xi good health and greater success in leading the cause of socialist construction in China as the leading core of the CPC.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote: “Under your leadership, the People’s Republic of China has achieved impressive progress in economic, social, scientific and technological development, while steadily strengthening its standing on the international stage. You rightly enjoy great respect and authority both among your fellow citizens and abroad.”

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko wrote: “A modernising and prosperous China today sets the highest standards of global leadership. This is largely the result of your farsighted leadership, your consistent policy of strengthening statehood, and the country’s steady social and economic progress. Your contribution to expanding international cooperation and maintaining global stability is also difficult to overestimate.”

Palestinian parties visit China

Jin Xin, Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), met with a delegation of Palestinian political parties led by Ali Mashal, Assistant Commissioner of Arab and Chinese Relations of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), on May 26.

Jin said that China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and will work with the international community to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question at an early date. The CPC stands ready to work with all Palestinian political parties to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen ideological exchanges and friendly cooperation, and continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Palestine strategic partnership.

Mashal said that Palestine adheres to the one-China principle and thanks China for its firm support for the Palestinian people’s just cause. The Palestinian political parties are willing to strengthen exchanges with the CPC, enhance exchanges and mutual learning of experience on state governance and administration, and promote greater development of the China-Palestine strategic partnership.

Xi’s visit set to deepen China-DPRK ties

On June 5, the Xinhua News Agency and the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) both announced that at the invitation of Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Comrade Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China, will pay a state visit to the DPRK on June 8 and 9.

In a feature article previewing the visit, Xinhua noted that, “Xi’s upcoming visit, his first to the neighbouring country in seven years, is expected to draw a new blueprint for the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries, inject strong impetus into the joint cause of socialist construction, and make new contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity.”

It went on to note that in March 2018, the two leaders held their first meeting, during which they reached principled consensus on four aspects of developing China-DPRK relations in the new era. Xi and Kim met three times in less than 100 days that year, making history in high-level exchanges between China and the DPRK.

The two leaders also exchanged visits in the first half of 2019 and in September 2025, Kim made another visit to China. Since 2018, the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries have held six meetings and maintained close communication in various forms, leading the China-DPRK relations to forge ahead in the new era.

Xinhua added: “This year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, making Xi’s upcoming visit to the DPRK even more important.”

The article noted that during his previous visit, Xi paid homage to the martyrs of the Chinese People’s Volunteers at the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang. Xi wrote in the inscription book, “To remember the martyrs” and “The China-DPRK friendship lasts from generation to generation.”

The traditional friendship between China and the DPRK was forged by the elder generation of leaders of the two parties and two countries, cemented in the revolutionary struggle, and continuously deepened in the course of socialist construction, Xi said in his exchange of New Year greeting messages with Kim in 2024.

During Xi’s visit to the DPRK in 2019, hundreds of thousands of residents in Pyongyang lined the streets to welcome the Chinese president, leading Xi to recall the occasion during his talks with Kim in Beijing last year, saying he could feel the family-like friendship between the two peoples all along the way.

This, Xinhua noted, finds its expression in the fact that “from economic and trade exchanges to education and sports cooperation, China-DPRK exchanges and cooperation in various fields continued to deepen and has grown ever more solid, bringing benefits to the peoples of both countries.”

The article concludes: “China-DPRK relations are vividly described in a Chinese song: ‘We share a great friendship; we share common ideals; which have united us with incomparable strength.’”

China and Cuba stand together at UN

During his recent stay in New York, where he attended the United Nations Security Council high-level meeting on ‘Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centred International System’, called by China during its rotating presidency, along with the meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Governance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held numerous bilateral meetings with his counterparts who had also made special trips to join the meetings.

On May 27, Wang met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

Having conveyed President Xi Jinping’s sincere greetings to Comrade Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Wang noted that the theme of the UN meeting has received wide response and support. To achieve its goal, it is essential to respect the sovereignty and independence of all countries and oppose all forms of power politics and bullying. The Cuban people, united as one, firmly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, demonstrating a strong will to oppose external blockade and interference, which has earned the respect of the international community. China will continue to stand up for justice for Cuba, support the just cause of the Cuban people, and assist Cuba in its economic and social development.

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla thanked China for inviting Cuba to the meeting, stating that the world today is facing turmoil and disorder. Only China is capable of convening such a meeting, building consensus among the international community, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South. Cuba is experiencing its most severe situation since the revolution, the root cause of which is the US blockade and sanctions against Cuba. Cuba appreciates China’s firm support for its sovereignty and security, as well as the assistance and vocal support provided during difficult times. This fully demonstrates the special friendship between Cuba and China.

The previous day, Minister Rodríguez had addressed the Security Council meeting.

In his remarks, he acknowledged China’s leadership in convening the debate and linked the defence of the international order to the need to address conflicts and threats affecting global stability.

The Foreign Minister denounced US policy toward Cuba, which he described as a violation of international law and a threat to regional peace. He rejected the indictment against Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, considering it a politically motivated decision, and warned of its possible use as a pretext to justify military aggression against the island. He also noted that the energy blockade and the tightening of the embargo have serious humanitarian consequences for the Cuban population.

He reiterated that Cuba does not pose a threat to the United States and reaffirmed the country’s willingness to engage in bilateral dialogue on issues of common interest, always based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference. Finally, he called on the international community, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Global South, the UN Security Council, and the UN General Assembly to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe or military aggression against Cuba.

China stands with Cuba against illegal indictment of Raúl Castro

On 20 May, the Trump administration unsealed a federal criminal indictment in Miami against 94-year-old Raúl Castro – former president of Cuba and one of the historic leaders of the Cuban Revolution – along with five other Cuban officials. The indictment, on charges including conspiracy to kill US nationals and the destruction of aircraft, was a calculated political provocation at a moment of maximum US pressure on the island.

China’s response, the following day, was unambiguous: a public rebuke calling on Washington to “stop wielding the big stick of sanctions and judicial measures against Cuba”, and a reaffirmation of Beijing’s firm support for Cuban sovereignty.

In the following article, our co-editor Carlos Martinez situates the indictment in the wider US regime-change campaign, examines China’s diplomatic and material solidarity with Cuba, and traces the six-decade partnership that gives it weight.

On Wednesday 20 May the Trump administration unsealed a federal criminal indictment in Miami against 94-year-old Raúl Castro, former President of Cuba and one of the key historic leaders of the Cuban Revolution, alongside five other Cuban officials. The charges include conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of destruction of aircraft.

The pretext given is the 1996 downing by Cuban air force MiGs of two aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group “Brothers to the Rescue”.

The indictment is a transparent political provocation. As the Cuban government made clear in its statement on the subject, “Brothers to the Rescue” was not a humanitarian organisation but a counter-revolutionary terrorist operation founded by long-time CIA-linked Cuban exile José Basulto, which had violated Cuban airspace at least 25 times between 1994 and 1996, despite formal complaints filed by Cuba with the US State Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The downing of this terrorist group’s aircraft was nothing more than the defence of Cuban sovereign airspace – an act of self-defence explicitly protected by the United Nations Charter, the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, and the established principles of air sovereignty and proportionality.

Meanwhile, the hypocrisy is breathtaking. The same US government accusing Cuba of murder has, in recent months, killed nearly 200 people and destroyed 57 vessels in international waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific, on obviously false allegations of drug trafficking. These are, in the precise legal terms used by the Cuban government, “extrajudicial executions” under international law, and murders under US law itself. The accuser is the world’s most prolific extrajudicial killer.

The Castro indictment is not an isolated legal proceeding. It is the latest move in an open campaign of regime change. The Trump administration has tightened the six-decade economic blockade into a full-scale genocidal energy embargo, threatening tariffs against any country selling oil to Cuba and cutting fuel imports by an estimated 90 percent. Blackouts of up to 22 hours a day are the result, with all the disastrous impact on people’s lives that might be expected.

Trump himself has openly stated that the goal is to bring down the Cuban government “by the end of this year”, and asked at the press conference about the indictment whether he was considering a military kidnapping (as carried out against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores), replied only that he “didn’t want to say”. South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, a highly influential (albeit utterly deranged) figure in the Trump camp, went on record after the start of the US-Israel war on Iran saying that “Cuba’s next”.

China’s response

On 21 May, asked by Cuba’s Prensa Latina news agency about the indictment, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters that Beijing “firmly opposes” illegal unilateral sanctions that lack any basis in international law or authorisation from the UN Security Council, and stands “against abusing judicial means and exerting pressure on Cuba under any pretext by external forces”.

The United States, he continued, “should stop wielding the big stick of sanctions and judicial measures against Cuba, and stop threatening Cuba with force at every turn”. China, he affirmed, “firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity, and opposes external interference”.

To condemn US aggression in such a direct and unequivocal way, in response to a question from a Cuban journalist, in front of the world’s press, is a significant diplomatic statement. It is a direct rebuke of the US government’s illegal and immoral campaign against Cuba, and a clear declaration of solidarity with Cuba’s Revolutionary Government.

This comes just a day after Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin called out “treacherous military strikes against other countries, the hypocritical use of negotiations as cover for preparing such strikes, the assassination of leaders of sovereign states, the destabilisation of the domestic political situation in these states and the provocation of regime change, and the brazen kidnapping of national leaders for trial”.

Such strident denunciations of the wars on Iran and Lebanon, the assassination of Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores and the indictment of Raúl Castro represent a shift towards a more assertive tone, and send a clear signal that the US’s criminal and imperial conduct will not be tolerated.

A solidarity built over six decades

China-Cuba relations go back many decades. In September 1960, Cuba became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic. Fidel Castro always identified strongly with the Chinese Revolution, describing China in 2004 as “the most promising hope and the best example for all Third World countries”.

Visiting China in 1994, Fidel famously said: “If you want to talk about socialism, let us not forget what socialism achieved in China. At one time it was the land of hunger, poverty, disasters. Today there is none of that. Today China can feed, dress, educate, and care for the health of 1.2 billion people. I think China is a socialist country, and Vietnam is a socialist nation as well. And they insist that they have introduced all the necessary reforms in order to motivate national development and to continue seeking the objectives of socialism.”

Xi Jinping has, in turn, called the China-Cuba relationship “an exemplary case of solidarity and cooperation between socialist countries”. Cuba joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2018 and the Belt and Road Energy Partnership in 2021.

In recent years, that partnership has become a lifeline. China has committed to building 92 solar parks in Cuba by 2028 – with a combined capacity of roughly 2 gigawatts, equivalent to Cuba’s entire current fossil-fuel generation. More than half are already online. Cuba’s solar share of electricity generation has risen from 5.8 percent to over 20 percent in twelve months – in the words of energy analyst Dave Jones, “one of the most rapid solar revolutions” anywhere in the world.

In January 2026, Xi Jinping personally approved $80 million in emergency financial aid for electrical equipment, alongside a donation of 60,000 tons of rice. Beijing has also delivered 10,000 photovoltaic systems for isolated homes, maternity wards and clinics. Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Hua Xin summarises the relationship as one of “firm support under all circumstances”.

The Trump administration’s indictment of Raúl Castro is a calculated provocation, choreographed to threaten and humiliate at a moment of maximum US pressure. It will not succeed. Cuba’s Revolutionary Government has reaffirmed its “unwavering decision to defend the Homeland and its Socialist Revolution”.

China – the world’s largest economy by purchasing power, its largest manufacturer, and the most important member and partner of the Global South – continues to stand squarely behind Cuba and against hegemonism in all its forms.

Communist youth see Chinese socialism in action

In the following article, which was originally published by People’s World, Cameron Harrison reflects on what he learned from his participation in the recent delegation to China of young cadres from communist parties in Europe and North America. Cameron represented the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) on the visit.

Noting that the delegation partially overlapped with the state visit of US President Donald Trump, he writes:

“Traveling as a delegate of the Communist Party USA alongside 20 other young communists from 18 countries across Europe and North America, I spent two weeks abroad in a youth delegation organised by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC). With an average age of just 27, and unlike the billionaires in Washington, our delegation didn’t come to trade diplomatic pleasantries and attempt to secure zero-sum corporate market access. We came to witness what they call ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics,’ a living alternative to the decaying, financialised capitalism that currently grips the Western world… While the Trump administration enforces punishing tariff wars that squeeze workers in my city of Detroit with inflation and layoffs, China’s socialist project is demonstrating what becomes possible when a society is built around the needs of a multi-ethnic working class rather than the dictates of the billionaire class.”

He further illustrates this by reference to China’s achievements in poverty alleviation, putting AI in the service of the working class, and the revolution in green development:

“China is currently executing the most aggressive green transition in human history. Here, the planet is treated as a valuable and essential productive force with economic, social, and cultural value.”

Revolutionary history also formed an important part of the trip:

“Between rides on the country’s whisper-quiet autonomous metro systems and ultra-high-speed bullet trains, our delegation spent long hours tracing the historical roots of these contemporary accomplishments of the CPC. We walked the mountain pathways of Yan’an, the revolutionary city where Mao and the CPC Central Committee headquartered from 1937 to 1947 to organise the resistance against Japanese aggression.

“We stood in the dwellings of Liangjiahe Village, where a young Xi Jinping spent seven years doing hard manual labour alongside local peasants… It was here that the now General Secretary solidified his understanding of the ‘mass line’—the core communist practice of consulting the masses, distilling their practical needs, and translating those needs into state policy.”

Cameron also writes about coming across a statue depicting Mao alongside Edgar Snow—the courageous American journalist who braved the Kuomintang blockades in the 1930s to tell the true story of the Chinese Revolution to Western readers in his seminal book, Red Star Over China.

Ho Chi Minh’s birthday marked in China

May 19 was the 136^th birthday of the Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.

As part of its coverage of the anniversary, the newspaper Nhân Dân reported on an interview given by Chinese cultural and historical scholar Xie Chaode regarding Ho’s activities in the Chinese regions of Guangxi, Guangzhou and Yunnan during a crucial preparatory stage of the Vietnamese revolution. It writes that at a time when Vietnam’s revolutionary movement was still in its infancy, young patriot Nguyen Ai Quoc, later known as Ho Chi Minh, lived and operated under extreme hardships, constantly relocating to evade persecution while secretly mobilising and rallying revolutionary forces. These years of revolutionary activities in China were decisive in shaping both his political ideology and strategy for liberating Vietnam.

In particular, Guangxi then served as a gathering place for overseas Vietnamese and various Chinese revolutionary groups. There, Ho forged ties with patriotic organisations, absorbed revolutionary theory, and studied Chinese revolutionary experience before adapting those lessons to Vietnam’s struggle for independence.

Li Jie, a tour guide at Nanyang Hotel Memorial House in Liuzhou, Guangxi, said that during President Ho Chi Minh’s stay there, he produced a body of literary works and poems that reflected resilience, determination, and an unbroken will under hardships, all while operating in secrecy. He later relocated to Guangzhou where he ran political and military training courses and educated core personnel for Vietnam’s revolutionary cause.

Xie stressed that President Ho Chi Minh’s activities in China not only made critical contributions to Vietnam’s revolutionary struggle but also embodied the traditional friendship cultivated between the two peoples across multiple historical periods.

Nhân Dân also reported that on May 19, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong organised a flower-offering ceremony in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the Tai Kwun heritage site, a historic place closely associated with his revolutionary activities, including the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and his detention in Hong Kong in the early 1930s.

Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macao Le Duc Hanh said that every year on May 19, the Consulate General joins members of the Vietnamese community in in visiting Tai Kwun, formerly Victoria Prison, where President Ho Chi Minh was arrested and imprisoned during his revolutionary activities.

She said the annual activity recalls a pivotal chapter in Vietnam’s revolutionary history while reminding younger generations of the sacrifices, hardships and moral example set by the country’s early revolutionary leaders in the struggle for national independence and reunification.

In addition to Tai Kwun, Hong Kong is home to several other historic landmarks linked to President Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary activities in the early 20th century, including Sung Wong Toi Park, where a stone from Sung Wong Toi Hill marks the site where he convened the conference leading to the establishment of the CPV. House No. 186 Tam Kung also served as one of his secret residences before his arrest. Hanh noted that the Tai Kwun heritage site has been restored and preserved by the Hong Kong authorities, with exhibitions documenting President Ho Chi Minh’s activities and locations associated with his revolutionary journey.

The following articles were originally published by Nhân Dân.

Chinese scholar reflects on President Ho Chi Minh’s footsteps in Guangxi

May 17 (Nhân Dân) – At a time when Viet Nam’s revolutionary movement was still in its infancy, young patriot Nguyen Ai Quoc, later known as Ho Chi Minh, lived and operated under extremely hardships, constantly relocating to evade persecution while secretly mobilising and rallying revolutionary forces.

President Ho Chi Minh’s years of revolutionary activities in China were decisive in shaping both his political ideology and strategy for liberating Viet Nam, Chinese cultural and historical scholar Xie Chaode told Viet Nam News Agency reporters in Beijing.

Xie said President Ho Chi Minh spent a long time conducting revolutionary activities in China, especially in Guangxi, Guangzhou and Yunnan, where he not only advanced revolutionary work but also focused on personnel training and laying the groundwork for Viet Nam’s national liberation movement.

Young communists from Europe and North America visit China

A delegation of young cadres from communist parties in Europe and North America recently visited China.

On the second day of a two-week trip they met with Jin Xin, Vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC).

According to the report issued by the IDCPC, Jin elaborated on the scientific connotations and global significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and stated that the CPC stands ready to enhance youth exchanges with socialist forces worldwide, including communist parties in Europe and the US, deepen mutual learning on party governance and state administration, and jointly explore practical paths for adapting Marxism to local contexts and the times.

Members of the delegation noted that the successful practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era has greatly inspired progressive forces across the world. As young Marxists, they expressed anticipation of learning from the CPC’s successful experience.

According to Paulius Eidukas, who represented the Communist Party of Norway on the delegation, Jin said that the world is in the process of change and the global winds are blowing in the direction away from capitalism. This is the moment that communist parties in the West should consider carefully, to find out how they can seize the opportunity.

“You, the generation of younger communists, with your admirable courage and fervour, are at the forefront of this change. The future of the world rests on your shoulders.”

Having listened to presentations from various delegation members, the vice-minister spoke about the problem of imperialism and warmongering carried out by the United States and Israel. He also noted the growing concern for Latin American countries, with the Venezuelan and Cuban people in particular experiencing direct military aggression and threats coming from the United States. Jin Xin noted that Cuba finds itself in a dangerous geographical position, being so close to the United States, and so far away from China. Regardless, China is committed to helping the Cuban comrades with all available means. He also celebrated the close solidarity, cooperation and growing ideological dialogue and ties between the “five golden flowers of socialism”, that is China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and the DPRK.

Jin also discussed the state of Marxism in the West, noting that there are some disagreements and splits, in terms of how Marxism is understood and applied. He criticised the dogmatic approach chosen by some parties, which disregard national conditions, and automatically assume that certain aspects, such as the existence and development of the private sector, are a “betrayal” of Marxism.

The parties and organisatons participating in the delegation were:

Communist Party of Britain/Young Communist League
Communist Party of Belarus/League of Communist Youth
Communist Party of Canada
Progressive Party of the Working People of Cyprus (AKEL)/United Democratic Youth Organisation (EDON)
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
Communist Party (Denmark)
Communist Party of Finland/Communist Youth
German Communist Party/Socialist German Workers Youth (SDAJ)
Hungarian Workers’ Party
Communist Refoundation Party of Italy
Italian Communist Party
Communist Party (Italy)/Federation of Communist Youth
Communist Party of Luxembourg
Levica (Left), Slovenia
Communist Party of Norway
Portuguese Communist Party/Portuguese Communist Youth
Romanian Socialist Party
Communist Party of Spain
Communist Party (Switzerland)
New Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party USA

The article below was originally published on the IDCPC website. It is followed by a report kindly provided to us by Comrade Paulius Eidukas from Norway.

Jin Xin Meets with a Delegation of Young Cadres from Communist Parties in Europe and the US

Beijing, May 7 (IDCPC) — Jin Xin, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with a delegation of young cadres from communist parties in Europe and the US.

Jin elaborated on the scientific connotations and global significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and briefed the guests on the CPC’s efforts to strengthen self-building since the beginning of the new era, particularly the educational campaign on establishing and practicing a correct view on governance performance. He stated that the CPC stands ready to enhance youth exchanges with socialist forces worldwide, including communist parties in Europe and the US, deepen mutual learning on party governance and state administration, and jointly explore practical paths for adapting Marxism to local contexts and the times.

The delegation members noted that the successful practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era has greatly inspired progressive forces across the world. As young Marxists, they expressed anticipation of learning from the CPC’s successful experience in strengthening self-building, conducting youth work, and improving social governance efficiency through this visit, so as to contribute to strengthening their own parties and advancing the world socialist movement.

Report by Paulius Eidukas

“The far-right parties in the capitalist West can only offer unsustainable, short-term solutions to the problems facing their societies. Socialists, on the other hand, have a long-term plan and vision that is proven to work. This is our advantage.

“Socialism has already transcended the low ebb of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The world is in the process of change and the global winds are blowing in the direction away from capitalism. This is the moment that communist parties in the West should consider carefully, to find out how they can seize the opportunity.

“You, the generation of younger communists, with your admirable courage and fervour, are at the forefront of this change. The future of the world rests on your shoulders.”

These are some of the words said by Jin Xin, Vice Minister and Director-General of the General Office of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. We had the pleasure of meeting him on our second day in Beijing, and that meeting was certainly one of the highlights of the day.

Comrade Jin Xin listened carefully as several communists from our group presented on the situation in their respective countries. We heard analysis from Maise Riley, from the Communist Party of Britain and the YCL; from Iryna Maliuk, from the Communist Party of Belarus and the LCY; and from Nichita Iris Liga, from the Romanian Socialist Party.

Thanking the comrades for their analysis and explanation of the work and strategy of communists in their countries, Jin Xin gave a thoughtful response, discussing the possibilities and responsibilities of young Communists, who are organizing under the conditions of Western capitalism and imperialism.

He talked about the problem of imperialism and warmongering carried out by the United States and Israel. He also noted the growing concern for Latin American countries, with the Venezuelan and Cuban people in particular experiencing direct military aggression and threats coming from the United States. Jin Xin noted that Cuba finds itself in a dangerous geographical position, being so close to the United States, and so far away from China. Regardless, China is committed to helping the Cuban comrades with all available means. He also celebrated the close solidarity, cooperation and growing ideological dialogue and ties between the “five golden flowers of socialism”, that is China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and the DPRK.

Jin Xin also discussed the state of Marxism in the West, noting that there are some disagreements and splits, in terms of how Marxism is understood and applied. He criticised the dogmatic approach chosen by some parties, which disregard national conditions, and automatically assume that certain aspects, such as the existence and development of the private sector, are a “betrayal” of Marxism. China is also being mischaracterised by the right-wing in the US, where many congressmen still treat China as a poor and underdeveloped country. Most of these congressmen, he noted, have not actually visited China to see the modernisation and development that would disprove their misconceptions.

Jin Xin noted that China has made great strides not only in modernisation and development, but also in terms of creating a prosperous and safe society. He noted that China is one of the safest places in the world, where people can walk alone at night without any fear, or where they can leave their belongings unattended. This is not the case in most other countries.

The comrade also noted that China has grown in its “soft power”, with global opinions shifting in favour of China. From social media trends, such as “Becoming Chinese”, to actual Chinese diaspora gradually returning back to their home country, when they realise that countries, such as the US, are not as they imagined. This is a reversal of the tendencies seen a couple of decades ago, where Chinese people would look up to the West as an example to follow.

Jin Xin emphasised that China does not subscribe to a vision of the world ruled by hegemonic countries and blocs, nor the idea of “superior” civilisations. Rather, China would see a world led by many civilisations in tandem. The goal is a harmonious world, which China strives for in its diplomatic efforts. It seeks to build friends, rather than create enemies. In developing China, the CPC does not not seek to compete with or replace any other countries, their industries, or their politics, but rather to lift the whole world up together.

Addressing the young Communists in particular, Jin Xin gave several points of guidance:

1. Be the guardians of ideas and convictions. You chose to join the communist movement in the finest years of your lives. While older generations often have fears and reservations, the youth is what really breathes life and growth into the movement.

2. Be strivers who make a difference. Socialism represents the future of humanity. It brings courage and hope. Young people should work hard to determine the best way forward in their respective countries, and to find out how to attract support to the communist cause.

3. Be the promoters of solidarity and cooperation. Internationalism is at the heart of socialism, and human progress comes through cultural exchange. We need our own media and outlets to showcase our movements and to learn from each other via online platforms. The IDCPC will be active in the development of these.

4. Be the defenders of fairness and justice. Oppose power politics, hegemony and bullying. Be a progressive voice in the international arena.

Jin Xin ended the discussion remarking on the rise in the acceptance and support of communist parties and ideas around the world, with the youth in particular showing high affinity for socialism, more so than in the decades earlier. This, Jin Xin noted, is the single spark that can start a prairie fire.

This whole discussion, to us, communists from the Western countries, was extremely emotional, uplifting and inspiring. We thank the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for organising and supporting this international exchange.

Communist parties of Spain and China meet

Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), met with a delegation led by Manu Pineda, Secretary of International Relations of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), on April 23.

Liu said, President Xi Jinping and visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently held a successful meeting, charting the course for the future development of China-Spain relations. The PCE plays an important role in Spain’s current centre-left coalition government and has actively contributed to the development of China-Spain relations. The CPC is ready to work with the PCE to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, strengthen exchanges and dialogue, deepen mutual learning of experience in party building and state governance, promote cooperation in economy, trade and local areas, and promote greater development of China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership.

The following article was originally published on the IDCPC website.

Shenzhen, April 23rd—Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation led by Manu Pineda, Secretary of International Relations of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE).

Liu said, President Xi Jinping and visiting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently held a successful meeting, charting the course for the future development of China-Spain relations. The PCE plays an important role in the center-left coalition government and has actively contributed to the development of China-Spain relations. Both the CPC and the PCE are century-old Parties. The CPC is ready to work with the PCE to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, strengthen exchanges and dialogue, deepen mutual learning of experience in party building and state governance, promote cooperation in economy, trade and local areas, and promote greater development of China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership.

Pineda said, the PCE and the CPC share a deep friendship. Relations between the two Parties have been continuously strengthened in recent years. The PCE appreciates the CPC’s positive role in leading China to safeguard world peace and stability, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative and other major international initiatives proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The PCE is willing to continue to conduct in-depth research on and actively disseminate the CPC’s innovative theories and China’s foreign policies in various ways, so as to help the world better understand China and the CPC.

Jin Xin, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, was present.

CPC and Frelimo reaffirm friendship

Coinciding with Mozambican President Daniel Chapo’s state visit to China, his first since assuming office, on April 22, Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), met in Beijing with Chakil Aboobacar, Secretary-General of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo).

Liu said that the CPC is ready to work with Frelimo, guided by the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and countries, to implement the memorandum of understanding on exchanges and cooperation between the two Parties, strengthen strategic communication and high-level exchanges, deepen exchanges of experience in state governance and administration and cooperation in cadre training, promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields through inter-party channels, and further advance the development of China-Mozambique and China-Africa relations.

Frelimo led the national liberation struggle against Portuguese colonial rule and has led the country since independence in June 1975. The deep ties between the CPC and Frelimo date to the earliest days of the liberation struggle. The founding leader of Frelimo Eduardo Mondlane visited China in 1963.

The following article was originally published on the IDCPC website.

Beijing, April 22nd—Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with Chakil Aboobacar, Secretary-General of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo).

Liu said, President Xi Jinping met with President Daniel Chapo in a cordial and friendly atmosphere yesterday, and the two sides agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a China-Mozambique community with a shared future in the new era. The CPC is ready to work with Frelimo, guided by the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two Parties and countries, to implement the memorandum of understanding on exchanges and cooperation between the two Parties, strengthen strategic communication and high-level exchanges, deepen exchanges of experience in state governance and administration and cooperation in cadre training, promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields through inter-party channels, and further advance the development of China-Mozambique and China-Africa relations. This year marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and China is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Mozambique, foster new growth drivers for cooperation, and support Mozambique’s national development. Liu also briefed on China’s efforts in advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance, as well as the CPC’s education campaign to help officials gain a correct understanding of what it means to perform well and act accordingly.

Aboobacar said, China has always been Mozambique’s true friend standing together through weal and woe and a reliable development partner. He expressed gratitude for China’s long-term selfless support for Mozambique’s economic and social development. Mozambique firmly adheres to the one-China principle and will continue to stand firmly with China on issues concerning China’s core interests. Mozambique is ready to work with China to implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in economy, trade, resources and other areas, and pursue modernization hand in hand. Frelimo regards the CPC as its priority strategic partner. Seizing the opportunity of the signing of the memorandum between the two Parties, Frelimo is willing to work with the CPC to further conduct exchanges and mutual learning on experience in state governance and administration, and carry out in-depth cooperation in areas including party school development and cadre training, to enhance the governing capacity and level of Frelimo.

China’s aid to Cuba: Solidarity against the US embargo in the time of Trump 2.0

The following article by Lee Siu Hin, originally published in Workers World, documents the scale and substance of China’s support for Cuba under the intensified pressure of Trump’s second term.

While the Trump regime tightens the screws on Cuba, China has been demonstrating its solidarity with the Cuban people in myriad ways, including sending food aid, restoring buses to the streets of Havana, and building solar power infrastructure designed to free Cuba from the energy stranglehold that forms the sharpest edge of the US blockade.

Since Trump returned to the White House last year, the embargo on Cuba has reached its most punishing levels. The US invasion of Venezuela in January, which severed Cuba’s oil supply lifeline, has compounded the crisis. Cuba faces food shortages, an energy emergency, and the continued denial of basic medical supplies – not through political or economic mismanagement (as the Western media would have you believe) but as a deliberate policy of economic warfare conducted by the US empire.

China’s response has been concrete and strategic. Ninety thousand tons of rice; emergency financial assistance of $80 million; medical equipment that Cuba cannot source elsewhere due to the embargo. The solar energy program being developed by the two countries is designed not merely to plug gaps but to structurally transform Cuba’s energy system so that it can enjoy energy sovereignty.

The economic aid provided by China constitutes a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy, encompassing not only firm and robust political backing but also extensive, substantive assistance across vital sectors such as energy, food security and public welfare.

This is what solidarity looks like when it is not a gesture. Siu Hin concludes:

Everyone has a vital role to play in international solidarity. Western activists can also learn a great deal from the positive experience of the Global South, notably from China.

China has supported Cuba since its revolution in 1959. Shortly after, Che Guevara visited China in 1960 to secure comprehensive support for the newly born socialist island nation.

China played a critical role as a true friend in times of U.S. threat

For the past year, since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he has continued the imperialist policy of all-out blockade against Cuba — first during his initial term (2017–2021) and then under Biden (2021–2025). In response, China has offered timely and critical assistance to Cuba when it was needed most. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson declared on Jan. 27 that China “calls for immediate lifting of blockade and sanctions on Cuba. We will continue to support and assist Cuba.” (Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China on X)

China gives emergency aid to Iran

China has decided to provide 58 tons of emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran. This was announced on April 15 by Ambassador Cong Peiwu at the headquarters of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).

Cong said China and Iran are good friends and partners with a long-standing friendship between their peoples. He added that China has always been concerned about the Iranian people, noting that China’s assistance reflects its commitment to international humanitarian obligations and the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

IRCS President Pirhossein Kolivand expressed appreciation for China’s continued support and assistance to Iran in difficult times and for firmly supporting Iran in bilateral and multilateral occasions, emphasising that the friendship between the two countries has grown stronger over time. He also noted China’s earlier humanitarian donation following the US attack on the girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, in which some 175 civilians, the majority of them young schoolgirls, were murdered.

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

TEHRAN, April 17 (Xinhua) — China has decided to provide 58 tons of emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, a Chinese envoy said recently.

At the headquarters of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Chinese Ambassador to Iran Cong Peiwu announced the decision during a signing ceremony for the handover certificates of China’s emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran on Wednesday, which was also attended by IRCS President Pirhossein Kolivand.

He said that since the outbreak of the conflict, China has been working to promote regional peace and end hostilities, and will continue to work with the international community to support peace and stability in the Middle East.

Kolivand expressed appreciation for China’s continued support and assistance to Iran in difficult times and for firmly supporting Iran in bilateral and multilateral occasions, emphasizing that the friendship between the two countries has grown stronger over time. He also noted China’s earlier humanitarian donation following an attack on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran.

He said that the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have caused extensive damage to over 137,000 infrastructure facilities, including airports, fuel storage facilities, bridges, and railways, all of which violate international humanitarian law.

JVP delegation visits China

A high-level delegation from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP – People’s Liberation Front) of Sri Lanka recently visited China. The JVP is Sri Lanka’s largest Marxist party and leads the current coalition government.

The delegation was led by Wasantha Samarasinghe, Central Committee Member of the JVP and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development of Sri Lanka. On March 31, it met with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC).

Liu said, in January last year, President Xi Jinping held a successful meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, providing strategic guidance for the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. As Marxist governing parties, the CPC and the JVP have played an important role in promoting China-Sri Lanka relations. Liu shared the CPC’s history of struggle, particularly the achievements and experience since the new era, and said that the CPC stands ready to work with the JVP, guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, to implement the memorandum of exchange and cooperation between the CPC and the JVP, deepen exchanges of experience in state governance and administration, jointly explore development paths suited to respective national conditions, tap the potential of the “political party+” cooperation model, and promote the building of a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Samarasinghe said, China has always been a trustworthy partner and sincere friend of Sri Lanka. In recent years, relations between the JVP and the CPC have been steadily deepened. The remarkable development achievements made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC demonstrate the strong vitality of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and provide an important reference for Global South countries, including Sri Lanka. The JVP cherishes its friendly relations with the CPC and stands ready to fully implement the memorandum, learn from China’s experience and practices in strengthening party building and promoting national development, and better enhance its governance capacity.

The following article was originally published on the IDCPC website.

Beijing, March 31st — Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP ) of Sri Lanka led by Wasantha Samarasinghe, Central Committee Member of the JVP and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development of Sri Lanka.

China and Cuba’s solar revolution: solidarity in practice

As Donald Trump tightens his energy stranglehold on Cuba – severing oil supplies, threatening countries that dare to help, and following the Kissinger playbook of “making the economy scream” – a remarkable story of socialist solidarity is unfolding.

Writing in the Morning Star, Carlos Martinez documents how China has stepped into the breach, assisting Cuba with its energy sovereignty and its green transition. Chinese solar exports to Cuba have rocketed from $5 million in 2023 to $117 million in 2025. Beijing has committed to building 92 solar parks on the island by 2028, with a combined capacity equivalent to Cuba’s entire current fossil fuel generation. Already, Cuba’s share of solar power has risen from 5.8 percent to over 20 percent in a single year – a pace of transition that energy analysts describe as one of the fastest ever achieved by a developing nation.

But as this article shows, China’s solidarity extends far beyond megawatts and megaprojects. Ten thousand photovoltaic systems have been donated for rural homes, maternity wards and health clinics. Five thousand solar kits installed across 168 municipalities are keeping medicines refrigerated and families powered through the blackouts. President Xi Jinping personally approved $80 million in emergency aid for electrical equipment. Chinese Ambassador Hua Xin has pledged “firm support under all circumstances.”

This, Carlos argues, is what South-South cooperation looks like in practice: technology, financing and humanitarian assistance with no conditionalities, no structural adjustment, no strings attached. Fidel Castro said in 2004 that China had become “the most promising hope and the best example for all Third World countries.” Cuba’s solar revolution
suggests his assessment has only become more prescient.

When the lights go out in Havana — as they have done for up to 20 hours a day in the worst months of Cuba’s current energy crisis — the causes are not difficult to identify.

The United States’ economic blockade, in place since 1962 and systematically tightened under successive administrations, has cost Cuba an estimated $160 billion ($2 trillion in current prices, which is equivalent to around 20 years of Cuba’s annual GDP).

The latest escalation of this cruel and illegal blockade has involved a full-scale energy embargo, with the US attempting to completely cut off Cuba’s access to oil.

The kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro three months ago resulted in the severing of by far Cuba’s most important energy supplier.

Trump’s tariff threats then forced Mexico to cancel emergency oil shipments.
The result has been blackouts, fuel shortages and severe disruption to daily life across the island. The Trump regime is following the Kissinger playbook of “making the economy scream” in order to force regime change.

And life is unquestionably being made difficult. As a Cuban hairdresser told Medea Benjamin of CodePink in February: “You can’t imagine how it touches every part of our lives. With no gasoline, buses don’t run, so we can’t get to work. We have electricity only three to six hours a day. There’s no gas for cooking, so we’re burning wood and charcoal in our apartments. It’s like going back 100 years.”

Thankfully, at the end of March, a Russian tanker carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil docked in Havana, providing some urgently needed relief. But Cuba’s energy import situation continues to be highly precarious and uncertain.

Nobody can blockade the sun

The Cuban people’s response to this siege has not been surrender. It has been transformation — and at the heart of that transformation is a remarkable programme of solar energy development, driven by one of the most significant acts of international solidarity in the history of the global green transition.

China’s support for the Cuban renewable energy programme has accelerated dramatically in recent years. Chinese solar exports to Cuba rose from $5 million in 2023 to $117m in 2025. A report in the Financial Times on April 6 notes that “thanks to Chinese technology, the Caribbean island has 34 solar parks in operation with a capacity of almost 1.2 gigawatts (GW), a 350 per cent increase on 2024, enabling Cuba to more than quadruple its proportion of solar-powered generation by the end of last year.”

Beijing has committed to building 92 solar parks in Cuba by 2028, with a combined capacity of approximately 2GW — equivalent to Cuba’s entire current fossil fuel generation capacity. The solar parks already connected to the grid are contributing 1GW. As a result, Cuba’s share of solar in total electricity generation has risen from 5.8 per cent a year ago to over 20 per cent today.

Energy analysts have described this as one of the most rapid solar transitions ever achieved by a developing nation.

Cuba has set official targets of generating 24 per cent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, rising to 40 per cent by 2035 and 100 per cent by 2050. At the current pace of buildout, the 2030 target looks well within reach — and may be exceeded considerably sooner.

Battery storage — currently in place at only four of Cuba’s 55 solar parks — will need to be expanded significantly to address the evening peak demand. Wind energy will also make a growing contribution, with 19 wind farms totaling 415 MW currently being built, again with Chinese support. But the pace of the solar buildout, measured against where Cuba was just months ago, is already extraordinary.

Chinese support at all levels China’s contribution extends beyond large-scale infrastructure. Beijing has also donated 10,000 photovoltaic systems for deployment in isolated rural homes and critical facilities — including maternity wards and health clinics — ensuring that medical equipment can continue to function and medicines can be refrigerated even during power cuts.

A further 5,000 solar kits have been installed in health centres across 168 municipalities, each comprising panels, inverters and storage batteries. The head of Cuba’s Electric Union described the household-level systems as life-changing: enabling families to run a refrigerator, a fan and a television, and reducing the rural-to-urban migration that energy poverty drives.

Furthermore, in January 2026, President Xi Jinping personally approved $80 million in emergency financial aid for electrical equipment, alongside a donation of 60,000 tons of emergency rice aid.

China has been involved in Cuba’s energy sector for many years — supplying wind turbines since 2018, providing electric buses through Yutong since 2005, and supporting the assembly of Chinese electric cars, scooters and bicycles in Cuba through the Caribbean Electric Vehicles (VEDCA) programme.

In 2021, Cuba joined the Belt and Road Energy Partnership, the Chinese-led international framework for clean energy investment. But the current programme represents a qualitative leap, driven in large part by the urgency of Cuba’s situation and the depth of the bilateral relationship.

As Chinese ambassador Hua Xin stated at the handover ceremony for a recent tranche of solar parks: China stands with Cuba in “firm support under all circumstances.” Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy stated that the co-operation between the two socialist countries represents “a joint commitment to energy sovereignty.”

Socialist solidarity

What is taking shape in Cuba is a demonstration, in the most concrete terms, of what South-South co-operation and socialist solidarity look like in practice: China is providing technology, financing, expertise, training and humanitarian assistance to a country under siege, with no conditionalities, no structural adjustment requirements, no demand for market access.

Hugo Chavez one described the flourishing ties between progressive Latin America and China as a “Great Wall against US hegemonism.” Cuba’s solar revolution is a powerful example of that wall in action.

Fidel Castro said in 2004 that China had become “the most promising hope and the best example for all Third World countries.” Two decades later, the US is raining bombs on Iranian civilian infrastructure, tightening its cruel blockade on Cuba, kidnapping Venezuela’s elected president, and supporting an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

China meanwhile is emerging as the major trading partner of the vast majority of global South nations; has become the world’s only renewable energy superpower; and consistently demonstrates its commitment to peace, international law and global prosperity.

Fidel’s assessment looks more prescient than ever.

Chinese martyrs remembered in Tanzania

The Qingming Festival, when Chinese people traditionally remember their dead and their ancestors, this year fell on April 5.

Far away from China, in Tanzania, east Africa, the festival acquired particular poignancy. On its eve, China and Tanzania jointly commemorated the Chinese experts who sacrificed their lives during the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), the occasion also marking 50 years since the railway’s commercial operations began. Dignitaries from both countries gathered at the Chinese Expert Cemetery in Dar es Salaam, where they solemnly laid wreaths at the graves of the fallen heroes in a gesture of remembrance and respect.

Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian noted that more than 50,000 Chinese workers participated in the railway’s construction in the 1970s, with 70 losing their lives in the process.

Together with Tanzanian and Zambian counterparts, they carved a railway through mountains, valleys, and wilderness, overcoming immense logistical and environmental challenges.

“They are heroes who built a monument of China-Tanzania and China-Africa friendship,” she said.

Reporting the occasion, the Xinhua News Agency wrote: “What emerged was not just infrastructure, but a powerful symbol of solidarity among developing nations… For many in Zambia and Tanzania, TAZARA is not an abstract symbol; it is a lifeline woven into personal and national histories.”

Bruno Ching’andu, managing director of TAZARA, reflected on its importance to Zambia’s survival during the early years of independence.

“Without this railway, we would have suffered greatly,” the Zambian national said. “It gave us access to the port of Dar es Salaam when we needed it most.”

The railway enabled the movement of copper exports, agricultural goods, and essential supplies at a time when all land-locked Zambia’s neighbours to the south were under white racist colonial and apartheid rule, while Zambia, as one of the ‘frontline states’ that had itself just shaken off the yoke of British colonialism, was supporting its sister liberation movements whilst itself facing constant threats of aggression.

Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation James Kinyasi Millya highlighted that China’s support came at a time when it was itself still developing.

“They gave assistance purely as a gesture of friendship,” he said. “No conditions, no demands, just solidarity.”

He contrasted this with colonial-era railways, which were often built to extract resources rather than empower local populations. That difference, officials said, continues to define the spirit of China-Tanzania relations today.

A fresh agreement signed between China, Tanzania and Zambia in 2025 aims to revitalise the railway. Millya said:

“To honour those who sacrificed, we must ensure this railway continues to serve future generations. Generation after generation will remember. This is a friendship written not just in history, but in blood.”

Wang Yi visits DPRK

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on April 9-10 at the invitation of his DPRK counterpart Choe Son Hui, who is Foreign Minister and also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

In their talks on April 9, Wang said that in early September last year, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the WPK, held a historic meeting in Beijing, reaching important consensus on the overall, strategic and directional issues concerning bilateral ties.

Their meeting provides important strategic guidance for further developing China-DPRK relations, pushes bilateral ties into a new stage and opens a new chapter in friendly exchanges between the two countries, which is of great and far-reaching significance, Wang added.

The past year has witnessed a series of highlights in China-DPRK exchanges, which strongly demonstrated that the two countries’ traditional friendship forged in blood remains everlasting and unbreakable, the Chinese Foreign Minister said, noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. (The DPRK is the only country with which China has a treaty of this type.)

Over the past 65 years, Wang said, no matter how the international and regional situations have changed, China and the DPRK, as good neighbours, good friends and good comrades, have always trusted and supported each other, making unremitting efforts to maintain regional and world peace and stability and promote their respective development.

Wang added that China is willing to work with the DPRK side to hold commemorative events for the 65th anniversary of the signing of the treaty, strengthen high-level exchanges, enhance dialogue and practical cooperation at all levels and in various fields, deepen people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding, and contribute to their respective economic and social development.

For her part, Choe said that the DPRK-China friendship is based on the common socialist system and traditional friendship, describing bilateral relations as deep-rooted, solid and sustainable. It is the unwavering position of the WPK and the nation to advance DPRK-China friendship and cooperation following the trend of the times and the will of the two peoples.

The DPRK, Choe said, fully supports the one-China principle, firmly opposes any interference in China’s internal affairs, and resolutely supports China’s position on safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity concerning Taiwan, Xizang [Tibet], Xinjiang, and other issues of China’s core interests.

She also said that the DPRK side fully endorses the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the four global initiatives proposed by Xi, and highly values China’s just position on and important role in international and regional affairs.

The DPRK government hosted a reception for Wang Yi and his delegation that evening.

In her speech, Choe Son Hui said that it is the consistent policy of the WPK and the DPRK government to value and steadily develop the friendly relations with China, which have given steady continuity to the good traditions of unity and cooperation with socialism as their core, overcoming all the tempests of history.