Category: Speeches

Promoting and developing Marxism in the 21st century

On Wednesday 26 February, Friends of Socialist China and Renmin University of China’s School of Marxism held a bilateral online seminar on the theme of Promoting and developing Marxism in the 21st century. The event was attended by around 50 people, and featured contributions on topics such as: key developments in Marxist theory in recent decades; communicating the principles of Marxism-Leninism to the young generation; Marxist education in China; Marxist perspectives on the digital economy; and the role of Chinese Marxists in consolidating and translating the complete works of Marx and Engels.

Carlos Martinez, Fiona Sim and Roger McKenzie made contributions on behalf of Friends of Socialist China, while professors Zhao Yulan, Wang Li and Ma Shenxiao spoke on behalf of Renmin University. The presentations were followed by a lively Q&A session, and the event concluded with a discussion of future collaboration between the two organisations.

The following is the text of Carlos Martinez’s contribution to the seminar, taking up the overall theme of promoting and developing Marxism in the 21st century.

The task of promoting and developing Marxism in the 21st century is an urgent one.

From the point of view of addressing the existential threats that humanity faces – most notably climate breakdown, nuclear conflict and pandemics – and meeting the needs of the people of the world for peace and development, the diffusion, application and development of Marxism is of critical importance.

It was 110 years ago that the heroic Polish-German revolutionary and theoretician Rosa Luxemburg popularised the idea that humanity faced a stark choice: between socialism and barbarism. And in fact she was citing Engels from a generation before. So this notion of socialism or barbarism is not new, but today it resonates louder than ever.

The capitalist system is increasingly becoming a hindrance to human progress, and a threat to human survival. The capitalist countries no longer constitute the major driving force in the development of the productive forces, and the capitalist system is beset by intractable problems and insuperable contradictions: economic crisis, rising poverty, declining life expectancy, declining rate of profit, widening inequality, expanding unemployment, breakdown of social cohesion, war, racism, sexism, and environmental destruction.

And yet there is nothing inevitable about capitalism’s collapse being followed by the construction of global socialism. As the Danish Marxist Torkil Lauesen points out in his The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism, recently released on Iskra Books: “Capitalism could collapse in a brutal, chaotic endgame of wars and natural disasters. To avoid this is our task; and to accomplish that task, we must fulfil the transition to socialism. To do this, we need to learn from the past and mobilise, organise, and develop a strategy for future struggles.”

In my view, this concisely encapsulates the tasks facing those seeking to develop Marxism in the 21st century.

It’s important to remember that the global socialist movement, in spite of setbacks, has scored remarkable successes, from 1917 onwards, and these should be studied and understood. The global working class must take ownership of its own history.

Reviewing the progress made by the Soviet Union since its formation in 1922, Yuri Andropov, then the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, said in 1982 that “history perhaps has never known such a spectacular advance from a condition of backwardness, misery and ruin to the grandeur of a modern great power with highly advanced culture and steadily growing welfare of the people.”

This was not simple hyperbole or hubris. Soviet socialism wiped out feudalism; defeated European fascism; built the world’s first comprehensive welfare state; made unprecedented advances in terms of building equality for women and supporting national rights; provided a bedrock of support for anti-colonial liberation movements; and modernised the country. And unlike in the advanced capitalist countries, this modernisation was achieved without recourse to colonialism, imperialism and war.

Continue reading Promoting and developing Marxism in the 21st century

Xi Jinping speech at the Forum on Literature and Art

Qiushi, the theoretical journal of the Communist Party of China (CPC) recently published the full text of the Speech at the Forum on Literature on Art, delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping on October 15, 2014, but now officially published in full. 

The main body of Comrade Xi’s speech is divided into five parts, and these are some of the key points he makes in each section:

  1. A thriving Chinese culture is essential for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation
  • Every leap forward for human society and civilisation has been accompanied by historic cultural progress… Throughout history, China’s position and influence in the world has never relied on military might or outward expansion, but rather on the compelling power and appeal of its culture.
  • Literature and art serve as a clarion call for progress in every age… During the European Renaissance, giants like Dante, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Michel de Montaigne, Miguel de Cervantes, and William Shakespeare ushered in the dawn of a new era and awakened people’s minds. Remarking on the Renaissance, Engels noted that it was “a time which called for giants and produced giants – giants in power of thought, passion, and character, in universality and learning.”
  • The famous Chinese writer Lu Xun once said that to transform the intellectual world of our compatriots, we must first work on literature and art. Our endeavours to provide intellectual guidance, forge inner strength, and build a common cultural identity are all inseparable from literature and art. At a time when towering skyscrapers are rising across the land, we must also make sure that the intellectual and cultural towers of our nation stand tall and majestic.

2. We should produce excellent works worthy of the times

  • Excellent works are not confined to one style, form, or standard. They can be highly refined compositions or popular entertainments, monumental masterpieces or universally accessible creations. What makes a work great is its capacity to warm and inspire audiences, to spread and endure through time, and to win people’s affection with its positive energy and appeal.
  • When I visited Russia last March, I met with several Russian sinologists and mentioned that I had read many works by Russian authors, including Chernyshevsky’s What Is to Be Done?, which had such a profound impact on me when I read it in my youth. During a visit to France this March, I discussed the influence of French literature on my life, explaining that I developed a strong interest in French literature and art in my youth, because many of our Party’s early leaders had studied in France. While in Germany, I shared my experience of reading Faust. At the time, I was working in rural Shaanxi Province. When I learned that a fellow student had a copy of the book, I walked 15 kilometres to borrow it from him. Later, he walked the same distance to retrieve it. Why do I share these stories with foreigners? I do it because literature and art are a universal language. When we talk about literature and art, we are really talking about society and life. This makes it one of the easiest ways to create understanding and connection with others.
  • Problems such as plagiarism and imitation are leading to a sameness in many works, while assembly-line production and fast-food-style consumption are also problems. In some works, we see a mockery of the sublime, a distortion of classical narratives, and a subversion of history, as well as the denigration of ordinary people and heroic figures. Some works fail to distinguish between right and wrong or good and evil; they glorify the ugly as beautiful and exaggerate the dark side of society. Others indulge in sensationalism, catering to low tastes and treating creation as a “money tree” for personal gain or a “party drug” for sensory gratification. Some works are poorly written, hastily produced, and contrived, contributing to the creation of “cultural garbage.” Some creators overemphasise luxury, excessive packaging, and ostentation, allowing form to overshadow content. Moreover, some are fixated on the notion of “art for art’s sake,” focusing solely on personal experiences – tempests in teacups that are of no relevance to the general public or real life. All this serves as a warning: literature and art must not lose their direction in the tide of the market economy, nor deviate from the question of whom they are supposed to serve. Otherwise, literature and art will be devoid of vitality.
  • I have spoken with several artists about the most pronounced issues in literature and art today. Coincidentally, they have all mentioned the same word to me: impatience. Some people believe that it is not worth their time to continue refining a work until it reaches its potential because they cannot quickly convert their efforts into practical value – or, in other words, they cannot swiftly cash in. Not only is this attitude misguided, it also allows low-quality works to thrive and leads to a situation where the bad drives out the good. The history of artistic development shows that the pursuit of quick success, excessive resource exploitation, and shoddy production harm not only art but the cultural life of society. Vulgarity is not the same as accessibility; desire does not equate to hope, and mere sensory entertainment does not equal spiritual joy. For literature and art to gain the people’s recognition, superficiality, opportunism, self-promotion, and empty grandstanding will not cut it. Mutual flattery and self-congratulation are also not going to work.
  • We should adhere to the principle of “letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend,” in order to promote academic and artistic democracy, create a positive, healthy, and harmonious atmosphere, encourage open discussions among different viewpoints and schools of thought, and advocate the development of various genres, themes, forms, and techniques. This will help promote mutual learning and exchange of ideas, content, style, and schools of thought.
  • The internet and new media have transformed artistic forms, giving rise to many new genres and profoundly changing how art is conceived and practiced. The shifts toward digitised text, more visually-oriented books, and online reading have spurred a major transformation in the arts and broader social culture. To adapt to these developments, we should focus on the creation of online art and provide stronger positive guidance in this evolving landscape.
  • The recent years have seen a surge of new artistic organisations, such as private studios, private cultural agencies, and online artistic communities. New artistic groups, including online writers, contracted writers, freelance writers, independent producers, independent actors and singers, and freelance artists, have all become very active. There is a strong likelihood that future artistic masters will come from among these groups, given that throughout history and across cultures, many renowned artists have emerged from society and from among the people. We should broaden our outreach efforts, expand our connections, and look at these groups with a fresh perspective. With new policies and methods, we can unite and engage such artists and guide them to become a vital force in the flourishing of socialist art.
  1. We should encourage people-centred cultural creation
Continue reading Xi Jinping speech at the Forum on Literature and Art

China: ‘Palestinians governing Palestine’ is an important principle that must be upheld

Following his visit to New York, where he chaired the high-level United Nations Security Council meeting on ‘Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance’, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi flew to South Africa to attend the Johannesburg meeting of G20 foreign ministers, the first such gathering to be held on African soil.

In a deeply racist and hegemonic move, the meeting was boycotted by the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with the US citing South Africa’s tentative moves in land reform aimed to redress the iniquities of the erstwhile racist apartheid system and the legacy of colonial rule as well as the host country highlighting the issues of diversity, equality and tackling climate change, all of which are in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. Trump is also determined to punish South Africa for its courageous and principled leading role in unmasking and opposing Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people. It should further be noted that plutocratic capitalists with intimate ties to Trump, such as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, have deep ties to the old racist system in South Africa. The US retreat into unilateralism, and attempts at bullying, only served to highlight the unique role of China as the major power putting forward constructive strategies and proposals in the common interest of the vast majority of humanity.

In his speech delivered on February 20, the first day of the conference, Wang Yi said that China would work with all other parties in the following areas:

  • Acting as the guardians of world peace. Countries should respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and respect the development paths and social systems independently chosen by each other. Countries should persevere with dialogue and negotiation and seek peaceful settlements to differences and political solutions to international and regional hotspot issues. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, initiated by China and some other Global South countries 70 years ago, remain as relevant as ever under current circumstances.
  • Acting as the builders of universal security. Humanity is a community with a shared future. It is also an indivisible community of shared security. A country must not pursue its own security at the expense of the security of other countries, and the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously.
  • Acting as the defenders of multilateralism. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. It is also the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.  

Noting that previous speakers had all spoken about the Ukraine crisis, Wang Yi said: “Although the parties have different positions and it is hard to find simple solutions to complex issues, dialogue is always better than confrontation and peace talks better than fighting… Acting on the wishes of the relevant parties and keeping in mind the concerns of the international community, especially those of the Global South, China will continue playing a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis.”

And turning to the question of Palestine, he remarked: “The conflict in Gaza has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. The flames of war must not be reignited, and the ceasefire agreement must be implemented in a continuous and effective manner. Gaza and the West Bank are the homeland of the Palestinian people. ‘The Palestinians governing Palestine’ is an important principle that must be upheld in the post-conflict governance of Gaza… The historical injustice on the Palestinian question has remained unaddressed for over seven decades. The issue should not be marginalised once again.”

Wang Yi noted that: “This year represents an ‘African moment’ at the G20. After welcoming the African Union as a full member, the G20 is going to have a summit on the African continent for the first time. We must listen to what Africa has to say, take Africa’s concerns seriously, support Africa’s actions, and work for peace and development in Africa, so as to leave a distinct African mark on the Johannesburg Summit. China firmly supports the African people in independently resolving African problems and opposes external interference in the internal affairs of African countries.”

And in concluding he invoked the words of Nelson Mandela: “It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.”

Wang Yi made a further speech the next day, saying, “China is ready to join all sides in embracing the theme of ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability’ proposed by South Africa, ushering in a new chapter of G20 cooperation, and working together for a just world of common development” in the following ways:

  • Through Solidarity we will cement the foundation of G20 cooperation. President Ramaphosa noted that, cooperation has been one of the key markers of human development, which is what the G20 was established for. We should seek common ground, set aside and overcome differences whenever possible, avoid division and discord, and reject bloc confrontation. Major countries should play a leading role in advancing reform of the global economic governance system and improving the representation and voice of the Global South.
  • Through Equality we will empower the G20 on the way forward. In today’s world, technological revolution is progressing apace, presenting us with both opportunities and risks. China supports South Africa’s establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) task force and supports the Global AI Summit on Africa. China also welcomes you all to attend the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. Together with Brazil, South Africa and the African Union, we have jointly launched an Initiative on International Cooperation in Open Science, and we look forward to more countries and international organisations coming aboard.
  • Through Sustainability we will open up new prospects for the G20. China will take an active part in the two newly established task forces on “Inclusive Economic Growth” and “Food Security” set up by South Africa, and support cooperation in priority areas such as disaster relief, debt sustainability, fair energy transition and key minerals.

He further noted that: “Africa is experiencing a new awakening. The G20 should make the most of South Africa’s Presidency, mobilise more development resources, promote synergy in global development actions, and partner with Africa in industrialisation, infrastructure, green minerals and other areas, to accelerate the continent’s advance toward modernisation.”

The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Additionally, the welcoming speech to the conference by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa may be read here.

Continue reading China: ‘Palestinians governing Palestine’ is an important principle that must be upheld

Wang Yi: The Global South should remain at the forefront of improving the global governance system

Following his visit to Ireland, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi proceeded to New York, where, on February 18, on the initiative of China, which holds the rotating Chair of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for February, the UNSC held a high-level meeting on the theme, ‘Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance’. The meeting was chaired by Wang Yi and representatives from over 100 countries participated.

In his address to the meeting Wang Yi noted:

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Eighty years ago, our forefathers, with strenuous struggle and tremendous sacrifice, won the great victory of the Anti-Fascist war; the international community drew painful lessons from the scourge of two world wars; and the United Nations was founded. Multilateralism gradually became the main trend of the times…

The past 80 years is a period of accelerated advancement in world multipolarity and economic globalisation, a period that has witnessed people across the world forging ahead and meeting challenges together, and also a period during which the Global South has been rising and growing in strength. Meanwhile, although human society has emerged from the shadows of the Cold War and moved beyond the bipolar standoff, comprehensive peace and shared prosperity remain elusive. In the third decade of the 21st century, peace and development remains a long-term, arduous task… In the face of the profoundly changing international landscape, the Global South should not only achieve the historic feat of moving toward modernisation together but also remain at the forefront of improving the global governance system.

To this end, he made four proposals:

  • Upholding sovereign equality. All countries are equal, regardless of size or strength. This is the foremost principle in the UN Charter. In advancing global governance, all countries have the right to participate as equals, make decisions as equals, and benefit as equals. We must respect the development paths chosen independently by people of all countries, uphold the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and not impose one’s will upon others.
  • Upholding fairness and justice. Since the end of World War II, a large number of countries in the Global South have emerged on the world stage, which has revealed growing incompatibility and irrationality in the global governance structure. Under the new circumstances, international affairs should no longer be monopolised by a small number of countries. Countries in the Global South have the right to speak up for and defend their legitimate rights and interests. The fruits of development should no longer be taken by just a few countries. People of all countries have the right to a happy life.
  • Upholding solidarity and coordination. The Security Council must rise above narrow-minded geopolitical considerations, champion the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, fulfil its duties conferred by the UN Charter, and effectually play its role for the maintenance of international peace and security.
  • Upholding an action-oriented approach.  In the face of protracted wars, loss of innocent lives, and challenges brought by new technologies, UN agencies should seek solutions rather than chant slogans. Gaza and the West Bank are the homeland of the Palestinian people, not a bargaining chip in political trade-offs. The Palestinians governing Palestine is an important principle that must be followed in the post-conflict governance of Gaza.

Following the meeting, Wang Yi answered questions from the media. On the issue of Gaza, he said that it is important to recognise that the world is facing more than just the Ukraine crisis. Other hotspots, including the Gaza conflict, also require the international community’s attention and should not be marginalised.

Behind the Gaza conflict lies the unresolved Palestinian question. More than 70 years have passed since the UN adopted the resolution to establish two States, Palestine and Israel, but the two-state solution has only been partially implemented. The State of Israel was established long ago, but the Palestinian people still do not have their own country. Many are displaced, becoming refugees. The Palestinian question remains at the core of the Middle East issue. Palestinian factions should truly implement the Beijing Declaration and achieve unity and self-strength. All parties in the Middle East should transcend their differences and support Palestine’s statehood. The United Nations should take action to admit Palestine as a full member.

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

Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi at the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting “Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance”

Feb. 19 (MFA) — Your Excellency Secretary General António Guterres,
Colleagues,

I would like to thank Secretary General Guterres for attending this meeting and for his briefing.

The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Eighty years ago, our forefathers, with strenuous struggle and tremendous sacrifice, won the great victory of the Anti-Fascist war; the international community drew painful lessons from the scourge of two world wars; and the United Nations was founded. Multilateralism gradually became the main trend of the times. New historical chapters were opened in global governance.

The past 80 years is a period of accelerated advancement in world multipolarity and economic globalization, a period that has witnessed people across the world forging ahead and meeting challenges together, and also a period during which the Global South has been rising and growing in strength. Meanwhile, although human society has emerged from the shadows of the Cold War and moved beyond the bipolar standoff, comprehensive peace and shared prosperity remain elusive. In the third decade of the 21st century, peace and development remains a long-term, arduous task.

The 80 years of history is enlightenment enough: In the face of the turbulent and changing international landscape, the U.N.-centered international system provides important safeguards for the cause of human progress, and the vision of multilateralism with coordination and cooperation as its cornerstone is the best solution to global issues. In the face of the historical trend of shared future, no country can prosper alone; mutually beneficial cooperation is the right choice. In the face of the profoundly changing international landscape, the Global South should not only achieve the historic feat of moving toward modernization together, but also remain at the forefront of improving the global governance system.

Mr. Secretary General,
Colleagues,

To chart our course for the future, we should not forget why we started out in the beginning. Today, transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the world, geopolitical conflicts keep escalating, multiple crises are emerging, and instability and uncertainty are increasingly prominent. In a time of intensifying turbulence and transformation, we need, more than ever, to remind ourselves of the founding mission of the U.N., reinvigorate true multilateralism, and speed up the efforts to build a more just and equitable global governance system. In this connection, China proposes the following:

First, upholding sovereign equality. All countries are equal, regardless of size or strength. This is the foremost principle in the U.N. Charter. In advancing global governance, all countries have the right to participate as equals, make decisions as equals, and benefit as equals. We must respect the development paths chosen independently by people of all countries, uphold the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, and not impose one’s will upon others. We must practice international rule of law, ensure the effective implementation of international law, and reject double standards and selective application. Resolutions of the Security Council are binding, and should be observed by all countries. The Security Council is entrusted with authority, and such authority should be upheld by all countries. Any act of bullying, trickery or extortion is a flagrant violation of the basic norms of international relations. Any unilateral sanction that circumvents Security Council authorization lacks legal basis, defies justification and contradicts common sense.

Second, upholding fairness and justice. A critical part of global governance is to ensure that justice prevails. Since the end of World War II, a large number of countries in the Global South have emerged on the world stage, which has revealed growing incompatibility and irrationality in the global governance structure. Under the new circumstances, international affairs should no longer be monopolized by a small number of countries. Countries in the Global South have the right to speak up for and defend their legitimate rights and interests. The fruits of development should no longer be taken by just a few countries. People of all countries have the right to a happy life. The reform of the Security Council should continue to emphasize democratic consultation, increase the representation and say of developing countries, especially African countries, and effectively redress historical injustice.

Third, upholding solidarity and coordination. Promoting international cooperation is an important purpose of the U.N. Charter, and a sure path toward improving global governance. Countries should commit to the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, replace confrontation with coordination, prevent lose-lose through win-win cooperation, and break down small circles with greater solidarity. Members cannot just sit by and watch multilateral institutions become dysfunctional and ineffective due to their own failure to cooperate. The Security Council must rise above narrow-minded geopolitical considerations, champion the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, fulfill its duties conferred by the U.N. Charter, and effectually play its role for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Continue reading Wang Yi: The Global South should remain at the forefront of improving the global governance system

China advocates equality among all countries regardless of size

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has outlined his country’s view of multipolarisation in his address, delivered on February 14, to the 61st Munich Security Conference.

In four succinct points, without mentioning any country by name, but clearly drawing firm and definite lines of demarcation with the bullying and hegemonic practices of the United States in particular, Wang sets out China’s building blocks for an equal and orderly multipolar world:

  • It is important to advocate equal treatment. Rivalry between big powers had brought disaster to humanity, as evidenced by the lessons of the two world wars in the not-so-distant past. Whether it is the colonial system or the core-periphery structure, unequal orders are bound to meet their demise. Independence and autonomy are sought across the world, and greater democracy in international relations is unstoppable. It is in this principle that China advocates equality among all countries regardless of size and calls for increasing the representation and say of developing countries in the international system.
  • It is important to respect international rule of law.  The world today is witnessing incessant chaos and confusion, and one important reason is that some countries believe might makes right and have opened a Pandora’s box marked the law of the jungle. In reality, all countries, regardless of size or strength, are stakeholders in international rule of law. Without norms and standards, one may be at the table yesterday but end up on the menu tomorrow. Major countries must take the lead in honouring their words and upholding rule of law, and must not say one thing but do another, or engage in zero-sum game.
  • It is important to practice multilateralism. In the face of emerging global challenges, no country can stay unaffected, and the “we first” approach in international relations only leads to a lose-lose result.
  • It is important to pursue openness and mutual benefit. The multipolar world should be one where all countries develop together. Protectionism offers no way out, and arbitrary tariffs produce no winners. Decoupling deprives one of opportunities, and a “small yard with high fences” only ends up constraining oneself.

We reprint the full text of the speech below. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Keynote Speech by H.E. Wang Yi
At the 61st Munich Security Conference
Conversation with China

Munich, February 14, 2025

Your Excellency Chairman Christoph Heusgen,
Dear Friends,
Colleagues,

The world we live in is an increasing mix of turbulence and transformation. Many people are asking the same question: Where is it headed? If I may borrow the theme of this year’s Munich Security Report, it is headed toward multipolarization. When the United Nations was founded 80 years ago, it had only 51 member states; today, 193 countries ride in the same big boat. A multipolar world is not only a historical inevitability; it is also becoming a reality.

Will multipolarity bring chaos, conflict and confrontation? Does it mean domination by major countries and the strong bullying the weak? China’s answer is, we should work for an equal and orderly multipolar world. This is another major proposition put forward by President Xi Jinping, and it represents our sincere expectation for a multipolar world. China will surely be a factor of certainty in this multipolar system, and strive to be a steadfast constructive force in a changing world.

Here, I want to make four points. 

First, it is important to advocate equal treatment. Rivalry between big powers had brought disaster to humanity, as evidenced by the lessons of the two world wars in the not-so-distant past. Whether it is the colonial system or the core-periphery structure, unequal orders are bound to meet their demise. Independence and autonomy is sought across the world, and greater democracy in international relations is unstoppable. Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules should become the basic principles of a multipolar world.

Continue reading China advocates equality among all countries regardless of size

A multipolar world or a New Cold War?

The following text is based on a presentation given by Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez at the Latin America Conference held in London on 8 February 2025. The panel also included Morning Star editor Ben Chacko and Canadian author and academic Isaac Saney; it was chaired by Carole Regan of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

The text attempts to clarify what multipolarity is, as well as addressing the role of China and the rising threat of military confrontation between the US and China.

What is multipolarity?

‘Multipolarity’ is a word that is heard increasingly often, but its meaning is not well or widely understood, including on the left.

There are many people who think that multipolarity simply means a return to the era of intense inter-imperialist rivalry that characterised the period leading up to World War 1. In the early 20th century, the situation was ‘multipolar’ in the sense that there was more than one imperialist country; Britain, the US, Germany, France, Russia and Japan all represented poles of power and were competing fiercely among themselves for control of the world’s land, resources, labour and markets. Needless to say, there was nothing progressive or peaceful about this conjuncture.

However, multipolarity as defined in the modern era does not refer simply to a geopolitical situation with more than one major power; it is more than a shift away from the US-dominated unipolarity of the 1990s. Multipolarity includes the rise of the Global South; it insists on the principle of equality between nations; and it envisions an end to the system of hegemony and domination, whereby one country (or group of countries) can impose its will on others.

In this sense, we could say that the situation in 1914 was actually unipolar: it was a world system where power was concentrated among a small handful of imperialist countries, albeit with significant contradictions and rivalry between them.

Multipolarity sees Latin America as a centre of power. It sees Africa, West Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific as centres of power. Its multilateral organisations include not just the G7, NATO and EU, but also BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the African Union (AU), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the G77, and so on.

This geopolitical shift reflects a rapidly-changing global economic landscape. For example, BRICS countries now have a larger share of the world’s GDP than the G7 countries when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). This is a dramatic transformation compared to the beginning of the 21st century, when G7 countries made up 43 percent of global GDP by PPP, compared to the BRICS countries’ 21 percent.

So when we talk about multipolarity, we’re not talking simply about a change of cast in the imperialist world system, such as Spanish/Portuguese colonialism giving way to Dutch colonialism, or Dutch colonialism giving way to British colonialism, or British colonialism giving way to US imperialism. Rather, multipolarity represents an end to the whole system of domination and hegemony; an end to the 500-year-old division of the world into oppressor and oppressed nations. It means undermining imperialism and depriving the imperialist countries of their power to determine the fate of the rest of the world.

Continue reading A multipolar world or a New Cold War?

Prospects for US-China relations in Trump’s second presidency

The London Region of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) held its 2025 Annual Conference online on Sunday 12 January.

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett was among the speakers in a session entitled, NATO, war, nukes: Outlook for 2025, where he was joined by CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt; Jess Barnard, a member of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC); Carol Turner, Chair of London CND and a Vice Chair of national CND; and Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research. The session was chaired by Christine Shawcroft, a Vice Chair of London CND and editor of Labour Briefing.

A keynote opening speech on Prospects for Peace and Justice was given by Jeremy Corbyn, former Leader of the Labour Party and now the Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North, introduced by Murad Qureshi, a Vice President of London CND and a former Chair of the Stop the War Coalition.

Further discussions focused on Ukraine and the Middle East as testing grounds for new tech weapons, with expert input from Peter Burt, a researcher for Drone Wars UK; and Dave Webb, Convenor of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space; chaired by former MP Emma Dent-Coad; and a final session on Peace Movement Priorities, with Baroness Jenny Jones from the Green Party; Tony Staunton, a Vice Chair of CND; and Angie Zelter, a founder of Lakenheath Action for Peace; chaired by Hannah Kemp-Welch, a Vice Chair of London CND.

Keith’s speech focused on the prospects for relations between China and the United States during Donald Trump’s second presidency. We reprint it below.

An edited version was also carried by Labour Outlook. The full conference proceedings can be viewed on the YouTube channel of London CND.

Thank you to London Region CND for the invitation to take part in this distinguished panel.

With war raging in Ukraine for nearly three years and with the unrelenting genocide in Gaza, now well into its second year, both naturally forming the main day-to-day focus of most peace campaigners, is it self-indulgence or overreach to also turn our attention to the Asia Pacific region?

I would argue that it is not. No analogy is ever exact, but a clear parallel can be drawn with events in the 1930s. Local conflicts, in Spain, Ethiopia and, indeed China, were the proverbial canaries in the mine, which presaged the global conflagration of World War II.

Today, no bilateral relationship is more important, more strategic and more fraught than that between the United States and China. On the potentially positive side, the world needs these two powers to work together constructively if humanity is to meet an existential threat like climate change. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of China, and of a couple of US politicians, there is little sign of this happening. Something that will most likely be exacerbated when Trump quits the Paris Climate Change Accord. Again.

Continue reading Prospects for US-China relations in Trump’s second presidency

Full text of President Xi Jinping’s 2025 New Year message

We are pleased to republish below President Xi Jinping’s New Year message. The message outlines the current situation in China without seeking to obscure difficulties and challenges, whether domestic or global, objective or subjective, and it points the way forward, combining confidence with realism in an objective and scientific manner.

Xi points to the impressive advances that have been made over the course of the past year in the pursuit of high-quality development and the improvement of people’s living standards, as well as in advancing new productive forces and exploring new frontiers of science and technology.

For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year. Breakthroughs have been made in integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, quantum communications and many other fields. Also for the first time, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe collected samples from the far side of the moon. The Mengxiang drilling vessel explored the mystery of the deep ocean. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link now connects the two cities across the sea. The Antarctic Qinling Station is now in operation on the frozen continent.

Xi reiterates the CPC’s firm commitment to meeting the needs of the people:

Of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people. Every family hopes that their children can have a good education, their seniors can enjoy good elderly services, and their youngsters can have more and better opportunities. These simple wishes are our people’s aspirations for a better life. We should work together to steadily improve social undertakings and governance, build a harmonious and inclusive atmosphere, and settle real issues, big or small, for our people. We must bring more smiles to our people and greater warmth to their hearts.

Discussing China’s role in the world, in the context of a rising multipolarity, President Xi affirms China’s commitment to peace and cooperation:

As changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, it is important to rise above estrangement and conflict with a broad vision, and care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world.

The English translation of the speech was first published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Friends of Socialist China co-editor Keith Bennett’s comment on the speech is included in a China Daily report, which we publish below the speech.

Greetings to everybody! Time flies fast, and the new year will be with us shortly. I extend my best wishes to you all from Beijing.

In 2024, we have together journeyed through the four seasons. Together, we have experienced winds and rains and seen rainbows. Those touching and unforgettable moments have been like still frames showing how extraordinary a year we have had.

We have proactively responded to the impacts of the changing environment at home and abroad. We have adopted a full range of policies to make solid gains in pursuing high-quality development. China’s economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with its GDP for the year expected to pass the 130 trillion yuan mark. Grain output has surpassed 700 million tons, and China’s bowls are now filled with more Chinese grain. Coordinated development across regions has gained stronger momentum, and mutually reinforcing advances have been made in both new urbanization and rural revitalization. Green and low-carbon development has been further enhanced. Indeed, a more beautiful China is unfolding before us.

We have fostered new quality productive forces in light of actual conditions. New business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year. Breakthroughs have been made in integrated circuit, artificial intelligence, quantum communications and many other fields. Also for the first time, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe collected samples from the far side of the moon. The Mengxiang drilling vessel explored the mystery of the deep ocean. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link now connects the two cities across the sea. The Antarctic Qinling Station is now in operation on the frozen continent. All this epitomizes the lofty spirit and dreams of the Chinese people to explore stars and oceans.

Continue reading Full text of President Xi Jinping’s 2025 New Year message

Friends of Socialist China year in review

Friends of Socialist China held its second annual Christmas dinner at the Hiba Express Palestinian restaurant in central London’s Holborn district on Sunday, December 15. Just over 60 people attended, including senior representatives of the embassies of China, Laos and Cuba, members of the Chinese media corps in London, the London representative of Sinn Féin, comrades from Malaysia, Holland and Luxembourg, and activists from a broad range of progressive organisations with whom we have been working over the past year.

Speaking before dinner, our co-editor Keith Bennett reviewed our work over the last 12 months and reiterated our solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Responding, Minister Zhao Fei from the Chinese Embassy said:

Over the past three years, the Friends of Socialist China have done incredible work in helping more people learn about and understand China.

As 2024 draws to a close, China has calmly navigated the changing domestic and international environment with comprehensive strategies. Our economy continues to grow steadily, and we have made significant progress across many areas. The upcoming year, 2025, marks the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. It is also a pivotal year as China begins its march towards the second Centenary Goal of building a modern socialist country by building on the success of building a moderately well-off society. A host of major strategies, reforms, and projects will be implemented, injecting fresh vitality and momentum into Chinese society. The future of socialist China will surely be even brighter and will bring more opportunities for global development.

We also took the opportunity to honour Comrade Kamal Majid, a lifelong communist of Iraqi origin, retired professor and member of our Advisory Group, on his upcoming 95th birthday. His birthday cake was suitably decorated with red flag and hammer and sickle icing.

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

On behalf of Friends of Socialist China, thank you all for coming this evening. This is a time of year when there are many calls on people’s time. The fact that you have chosen to spend this evening with us is, I think, a real testimony to our friendship, based on our shared belief that a better world is both possible and necessary.

Allow me to welcome, in particular, Minister Zhao Fei from the Chinese Embassy and his colleague Comrade Zhen Sitong.

Along with the Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and his First Secretary; and the First Secretary of the Cuban Embassy and his colleague.

It’s almost exactly one year since we gathered here on December 17, 2023, for our first end of year social.

On that occasion, I said that “We look forward to stepping up our work and doing better in 2024.”

Whilst we know that what we have been able to do remains but a drop in the ocean of what needs to be done, I can say that we have managed to keep that promise.

On social media we now have just under 40,000 followers on X, still widely known as Twitter.

Just under 6,000 followers on Facebook.

11,700 subscribers to our YouTube channel.

And over 2,000 subscribers to our weekly news bulletin.

On our website, we have published 446 articles so far this year – a modest increase from 425 last year!

We have held an excellent series of events, often in conjunction with other progressive organisations.

Our first webinar in 2024 was on the theme – ‘Peace delegates report back from China: Building solidarity and opposing the New Cold War’.

It followed the successful visit to China of a delegation from the US Peace Council and brought together many strands of the progressive movement in the United States.

Continue reading Friends of Socialist China year in review

Wang Yi: Riding the trend of the times with a strong sense of responsibility

On December 17, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, delivered a major speech at an important year end symposium in Beijing on the international situation and China’s foreign relations.

Wang makes a detailed and profound exposition of the thinking behind China’s foreign policy and its stance on key questions, summarises the work of China’s diplomacy in 2024, and outlines priorities for the coming year.

Among some of the highlights of his speech are:

  • Building a community with a shared future for humanity is an important vision put forth by President Xi Jinping. It provides an incisive answer to the important question of “what kind of world to build and how to build it.” It envisions a historic progress in state-to-state relations from the pursuit of peaceful coexistence to that of a future shared by all.
  • The building of a community with a shared future for humanity has become a great enterprise joined by various parties. In the course of 2024, China and Brazil have announced joint efforts to build a China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, demonstrating their sense of responsibility as two emerging countries; China and Serbia have launched efforts to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the first of its kind in China’s relations with European countries.
  • What’s worth mentioning in particular is that Chinese and African leaders have agreed to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, giving expression to the shared desire of the 2.8 billion Chinese and Africans to pursue common development in greater solidarity.
  • We have actively worked for the restoration of world peace and endeavoured to save human lives. On the Ukraine crisis, we have always maintained an objective and impartial position, and actively pushed for peace talks. China and Brazil jointly issued the six-point consensus on political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. We also brought other Global South countries together to launch the Group of “Friends for Peace” to gather consensus for finding a path to peace.
  • The Gaza conflict has taken too many civilian lives. The immediate priority is a comprehensive ceasefire, the key is to ensure humanitarian assistance, and the fundamental way out is to realize the two-state solution. Over the past year, we have pushed for the adoption of the first resolution by the Security Council on a ceasefire in Gaza, facilitated the reconciliation dialogue and the signing of the Beijing Declaration by various Palestinian factions, and delivered multiple batches of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. We will continue to make unremitting efforts toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question.
  • We have mediated peace in northern Myanmar and facilitated multiple rounds of peace talks among conflicting parties.
  • We have supported Afghanistan in building an inclusive political framework and realising peace and reconstruction.
  • Facing the dramatic change in Syria, China will continue to stand with the Syrian people and uphold the “Syrian-led and Syrian-owned” principle. China opposes the attempt of terrorist forces to exploit the situation to create chaos, and will help Syria maintain its sovereignty and restore stability.
  • Over the past year, China’s cooperation with other developing countries has set a fine example, which has reinforced the trend of uniting for strength within the Global South. The collective rise of the Global South in the current chapter of history is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world. China will always be an important member of the Global South and always be committed to unity and invigoration of the Global South.
  • Building on its historic expansion last year and setting off this [coming] year from the new starting point of greater BRICS cooperation, BRICS is bringing more partners into its big family to make the platform a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations.
  • The China-Russia relationship, under the visionary guidance of the heads of state, has grown more mature and stable, demonstrated in a clearer way its independence and resilience, and set an example of friendly exchanges between major countries and neighbours. The three meetings between President Xi Jinping and President Putin this year further deepened the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
  • China and Europe are two great civilisations of the world and two major forces of the times. China stands ready to work with the European side to handle differences and disputes properly, seek win-win solutions, and jointly safeguard free trade and multilateralism.
  • As long as China and the United States cooperate with each other, they can accomplish many great things together. In the meantime, China firmly safeguards its sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly opposes the illegal and unreasonable suppression by the US side. In particular, with regard to the US’ gross interference in China’s internal affairs such as Taiwan, China has to make a firm and robust response to resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interests and safeguard the basic norms governing international relations.
  • China will be a firm force for justice in the face of the countercurrents of unilateralism and bullying. We will hold solemn commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war, promote a correct view of history, uphold true multilateralism, and firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

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

Dear Experts and Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to join you at the year-end for an in-depth discussion about the international situation and China’s diplomacy. Let me start by thanking all of you for your longstanding interest in and support for China’s diplomatic efforts.

In 2024, the world witnessed further transformation and instability, marked by protracted and intensified geopolitical conflicts, repeated attempts to decouple and sever supply chains, and the rapid rise of the Global South. It has become all the more clear where the once-in-a-century transformations are heading.

Continue reading Wang Yi: Riding the trend of the times with a strong sense of responsibility

China takes forward the legacy of the October Revolution

On Saturday October 26, the Newport and Gwent Valleys [South Wales] branch of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB) organized a very successful fund-raising social to celebrate the anniversary of the 1917 October Socialist Revolution. It was attended by members and supporters of the CPB, the Young Communist League and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), along with other friends from the labour, trade union and progressive movements. The more formal part of the afternoon was chaired and introduced by CPB General Secretary Robert Griffiths. Short videos were shown of the 1945 victory parade in Moscow marking the triumph over Nazi fascism and of the famed African-American artist and revolutionary Paul Robeson singing the Soviet national anthem. Following this, Robert introduced the guest speaker, Keith Bennett from Friends of Socialist China.

We publish below the main body of Keith’s talk.

The October Revolution was a truly great event in world history – one that remains worthy of celebration. The account given by the US communist journalist John Reed has a highly apposite title – ‘Ten Days that Shook the World’.

Indeed, this was a revolution that not only shook but changed the world forever. Even though the Soviet Union itself tragically no longer exists, after the October Revolution nothing was ever the same again or could ever be the same again.

The Soviet Union represented the first sustained attempt by working people to hold and maintain power. Throughout its lifetime there were both great achievements as well as some significant mistakes.

But whatever the mistakes or shortcomings, the Soviet Union was the first country to legislate for the equality of women and men. The first to guarantee universal and free education and health care. The first to ensure full employment and the right to paid annual holidays for all workers and farmers.

Entire nationalities were provided with a written script for the first time. Visiting Soviet Uzbekistan in the 1980s, I learned how that vast republic went from some two percent literacy to universal literacy in barely a couple of decades.

Above all, the Soviet Union bore the brunt of the World Anti-Fascist War in Europe, sacrificing the lives of 27 million of its citizens to defeat Nazism.

Support from the Soviet Union played a vital role in the dismantling of the old colonial empires and the victory of the national liberation movements.

And the threat of the Soviet example played a significant role in forcing the ruling class in this and other major capitalist countries to make concessions to the working class in the form of the ‘welfare state’.

Some years ago, when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, the Tories, who, of course had bitterly opposed the creation of the NHS, took to deriding it as “Stalinist”. On first consideration, this might seem to be a risible and ridiculous claim. Nevertheless, it expresses a certain truth that such gains for working people did indeed flow in no small measure from the fear of the ruling class that their populations might follow the Soviet road.

That mistakes were made, and even crimes committed, in the course of building socialism in the USSR is undeniable. But, whilst detailed assessment of these is not possible today, what we really must do is place them in a context where the imperialist ruling class was never reconciled to the existence of the Soviet Union and the threat it posed. Not the military threat claimed by the cold warriors, but the threat of a good example. In that sense, it is reasonable to conclude that, throughout its entire history, the Soviet Union never enjoyed even a single day of true peace.

We were, however, told that, with the collapse of the Soviet Union there would at last be a ‘peace dividend’. No more wars.

Instead, we got the exact opposite. No peace dividend but rather austerity and the rolling back of the welfare state. And above all, we entered a period of constant and endless wars. In former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere. Through to today’s appalling genocide in Palestine, and the spiraling conflict throughout the region, as well as NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine.

And this brings me to the question of China.

The October Revolution was by no means a simple national phenomenon. Rather it inaugurated an entirely new period of world history – that of the long transition (with all its victories and setbacks) from capitalism to socialism on a worldwide scale.

In his last published article, ‘Better Fewer But Better’, Lenin turned to consideration as to whether the Soviet state could survive – a matter about which he was never sanguine. But he concluded on a note of revolutionary optimism that:

“In the last analysis, the outcome of the struggle will be determined by the fact that Russia, India, China, etc., account for the overwhelming majority of the population of the globe. And during the past few years it is this majority that has been drawn into the struggle for emancipation with extraordinary rapidity, so that in this respect there cannot be the slightest doubt what the final outcome of the world struggle will be. In this sense, the complete victory of socialism is fully and absolutely assured.”

In a very real sense, therefore, the liberation of China, and the founding of the People’s Republic, whose 75th anniversary we have just celebrated, arose from the October Revolution. In his 1949 article, ‘On the People’s Democratic Dictatorship’, Mao Zedong explained:

Continue reading China takes forward the legacy of the October Revolution

Xi Jinping: Building a just world of common development

From November 13-17, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Peru at the invitation of his Peruvian counterpart Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra, to attend the 31st APEC [Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation] Economic Leaders’ Meeting and to pay a state visit to the country. He then visited Brazil from November 17-21 at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to attend the 19th G20 Summit and pay a state visit.

The first session of the G20 Summit was held on the morning of November 18 and was chaired by President Lula as the host. Its focus was on the “fight against hunger and poverty” and, on Brazil’s initiative, was preceded by the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

Xi Jinping made a speech at the session, taking as his theme, “Building a Just World of Common Development”.

The Chinese President began by noting that, “today, transformation of a scale not seen in a century is accelerating across the world. Humanity faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges.” He recalled his previous observation that, “prosperity and stability would not be possible in a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer, and countries should make global development more inclusive, beneficial to all, and more resilient.”

To build a just world of common development, he noted, “we need to support developing countries in adopting sustainable production and lifestyles, properly responding to challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution, enhancing ecological conservation, and achieving harmony between people and nature.”

China’s development is an important part of the common development of the world. “We have lifted 800 million people out of poverty, and met the poverty reduction target of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule.

“This achievement did not just fall into our laps. It is the fruit of the strenuous, unified efforts of the Chinese government and people. Everything China does, it always places the people front and centre, and it solemnly declares that ‘not a single poor region or person should be left behind.’”

Reflecting on his own life’s journey, he added: “I have worked from village to county, city, provincial and central levels. Poverty alleviation has always been a priority and a major task I am determined to deliver.”

“China’s story is proof that developing countries can eliminate poverty… If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too. This is what China’s battle against poverty says to the world.”

Noting that “China will always be a member of the Global South, a reliable long-term partner of fellow developing countries, and a doer and go-getter working for the cause of global development,” Xi went on to list eight actions for global development being taken by China.

We reprint below the full text of President Xi’s speech. It was originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Your Excellency President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
Colleagues,

It gives me great pleasure to attend the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. I thank President Lula and the Brazilian government for the warm hospitality extended to the Chinese delegation.

Today, transformation of a scale not seen in a century is accelerating across the world. Humanity faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges. As leaders of major countries, we should not let our vision be blocked by fleeting clouds. Rather, we must see the world as one community with a shared future, and shoulder our responsibility for history, take historical initiative and move history forward.

I pointed out at this forum that prosperity and stability would not be possible in a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer, and countries should make global development more inclusive, beneficial to all, and more resilient. At the Hangzhou Summit, China placed development at the center of the G20’s macroeconomic policy coordination for the first time, and the Summit adopted the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the G20 Initiative on Supporting Industrialization in Africa and Least Developed Countries. The Rio Summit this year has chosen the theme “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.” It places fighting hunger and poverty at the top of the agenda, and decides to establish a Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. From Hangzhou to Rio, we have been working for one and the same goal, that is, to build a just world of common development.

To build such a world, we need to channel more resources to such fields as trade, investment and development cooperation, and strengthen development institutions. There should be more bridges of cooperation, and less “small yard, high fences,” so that more and more developing countries will be better off and achieve modernization.

To build such a world, we need to support developing countries in adopting sustainable production and lifestyle, properly responding to challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution, enhancing ecological conservation, and achieving harmony between man and nature.

To build such a world, we need an open, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for international economic cooperation. We should promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, energize sustainable development with new technologies, new industries and new business forms, and support developing countries in better integrating in digital, smart and green development to bridge the North-South gap.

To build such a world, we need to stay committed to multilateralism. We should uphold the U.N.-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter.

Continue reading Xi Jinping: Building a just world of common development

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

China is the indispensable country when it comes to tackling the climate crisis

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez addressed a Young Communist League of Britain educational on capitalism and the environment, held on Zoom on 14 November 2024.

In his presentation, Carlos discusses the current trend in the West for blaming China for the climate crisis, on the basis of its having become the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. He points out the various flaws in this logic, including that China’s per capita emissions are around half those of the US; that China is the “workshop of the world” and, as such, has “imported” a huge volume of emissions from the West; and that, in terms of cumulative carbon emissions (the quantity of excess carbon dioxide currently in the atmosphere), North America and Western Europe are responsible for the lion’s share.

He notes that China’s environmental record is purposefully painted in a negative light in order to minimise the West’s historic responsibility and to imply that China – a developing country – should contribute at the same level as the West to the global fund for helping poorer countries with climate change adaptation and mitigation. This clearly runs counter to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities – a principle enshrined in international law.

Carlos also highlights China’s remarkable progress in the last 10-20 years in pursuing an ecological civilisation, noting that environmental protection has become integrated into all levels of policy-making and economic planning. Credible analysis indicates that it has already reached its goal of peaking carbon emissions by 2030. Meanwhile, it has become by far the global leader in renewable energy, electric transport, biodiversity protection and afforestation. China’s innovations and investment in green energy have brought costs down globally by upwards of 80 percent, and, via the Belt and Road Initiative, China is helping countries of the Global South to leapfrog fossil fuel-based development.

Carlos goes on to explore the reasons that China in particular has emerged as a trailblazer in environmental protection, and concludes by pointing to the danger of a New Cold War impeding urgently-needed global cooperation around climate change.

China’s socialist road: a people-centred development strategy

We are pleased to publish below the text of a speech given by Eben Williams, Education Officer for the Young Communist League of Britain, at our September 28 conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The speech reflects on the strategy of the united front, and how the Chinese leadership applies it at an international level. Discussing the recent World Youth Development Forum held in China, Eben notes that “it was not a specifically socialist event as such”, and yet “it was revolutionary precisely because of this focus on development which naturally brings the developing or so-called ‘third world’ camp into conflict with US-led imperialism and neo-colonialism, which is also the primary obstacle to a more advanced level of socialist development, both in China, and the world”.

Eben goes on to describe some of the progress that has been made in youth development in China in recent years. For example: “This is the best educated generation in Chinese history, and over the past ten years, average years in education has increased from 12.7 to 13.8, and higher education enrolment has increased by 27.8%, with nearly doubled attendance in vocational schools.” Further, “thanks in part to nutrition subsidies and lunch programmes, in the last ten years, nutrition and fitness have increased in rural areas with 86.7% of students now passing physical fitness tests, up from 70.3% ten years before, and a huge drop in rates of malnutrition.”

The Communist Youth League, with a membership of 74 million, is involved in organising 90 million youth volunteers, “including the 5.5 million young people who volunteered during COVID-19 to provide medical care, transport supplies, and build medical facilities; the nearly six million youth volunteers who have been paired up with rural children with disabilities or in need of long-term support; and the more than 4.9 million youth volunteers who took part in relief efforts during the earthquakes in 2008 and 2010. These efforts are deliberately linked up with China’s wider socialist project and the promotion of young heroes of the Chinese revolution, like Lei Feng.”

Eben works as a Chinese translator, speaks and reads Mandarin, and has lived and worked in China.

Hi comrades, thanks very much for having me here, thanks to Friends of Socialist China for co-hosting this event and congratulations to all Chinese comrades on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. My name’s Eben and I work as a Chinese translator but I’m here today as the Education Officer for the Young Communist League, so I’m going to be speaking a bit about what Chinese socialism means for the youth in China and Britain, as well as the importance of promoting socialist education and Marxist theoretical discussions through events like this one.

But first, I’d like to kick off with two basic Marxist-Leninist concepts which are really helpful in framing Chinese strategy and policy. Firstly, understanding that socialism is primarily the product of economic development, moving from an idealistic and moralistic framing toward a more scientific one that recognises capitalism as a system that has outstayed its welcome as a historical stage of human development, and that it is when the ever-increasing development of the productive forces of a country come into contradiction with the fetters of the private relations of production that it becomes necessary for a revolutionary break.

Secondly, Mao’s understanding of the need for a united front of different patriotic classes led by the proletariat against the primary threat of imperialism, but with the understanding that these other classes, and especially the national bourgeoisie, are unstable and untrustworthy and will later betray to the side of the enemy. The Chinese flag represents this understanding, with the four smaller stars representing the four main classes of Chinese society: the proletariat, the peasantry, the petty-bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie, under the leadership and firm hand of the large star, representing the dictatorship of the proletariat and the communist party. So, we have here these two central elements of Chinese socialism: the focus on the development of the productive forces and the united front against imperialism.

Last month, the YCL sent delegates to China’s World Youth Development Forum which is a really good example of this socialist strategy in practice, just like China’s strategy regarding BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Belt and Road Initiative, and other development-focused united front projects. The World Youth Development Forum is an annual event ran by the Communist Youth League of China which looks to unite youth organisations from around the world and promote contributions to global youth development via the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Aside from the small number of communist youth organisations like ours that have good relations with the Chinese Party, the forum was dominated by liberal NGOs, UN representatives, and charity projects from around the world who often could not make the political connection between socialism and China’s success. This meant that it was not a specifically socialist event as such, but it was certainly revolutionary.

Continue reading China’s socialist road: a people-centred development strategy

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

Defense of China is solidarity with Palestine

The following is the text of the talk given by Larry Holmes, First Secretary of the Workers World Party (WWP), at the September 29 meeting held in New York City to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which was initiated by Friends of Socialist China, together with WWP.

Larry begins by extending fraternal greetings to the Communist Party of China. on behalf of the WWP Central Committee, on the 75th anniversary.

After briefly reviewing the current situation in Palestine and Lebanon, he notes that this is part of a wider war against anti-imperialist forces around the world, including China, and explains:

“It’s against China… Why is this? Is it because China supports the Palestinians? That’s part of it. But that’s a small reason. China has, on a number of occasions, brought the Palestinian people together to try to help them forge unity… But the bigger reason… is because China is so powerful now. It’s so powerful and so developed as people are rising up and this has changed the balance of forces in the world. But we need to be very clear about something. China does not want war. China wants peace. It wants to continue its development in peace. It wants to help the world develop in peace, especially the people of the Global South who have been the big victims of imperialism and colonialism. It wants to help them, but US imperialism does not want peace. It doesn’t want China to develop in peace. It doesn’t want the world that it does not control to develop, and this is the problem.”

The text of Larry’s talk was originally published by Workers World.

First, on behalf of the Central Committee of Workers World Party, we would like to extend our fraternal greetings to the Communist Party of China on this historic occasion.

I think it’s relevant, even though our event is about China, to ask ourselves what we should make out of the assassination of the leader of Hezbollah two days ago.

This was so important to them — I’m not forgetting the genocide of Gaza — but this event, coming at this time — they dropped eight bombs on a neighborhood in Beirut. 2,000-pound bombs. One of these military analysts said the only thing bigger they could have dropped would have been a tactical nuclear weapon. These 2,000-pound bombs were given to Israel by who? The U.S. gave them thousands of them. I forget the exact number, but thousands of them.

I do not buy for a second this idea that, well we didn’t know about this, and they didn’t tell the secretary of war here. That’s BS. If they weren’t down with it, they could have stopped it. The message was just not from Netanyahu. It was from Washington, D.C. It was from the Pentagon.

And I’ll tell you why it’s relevant to China and the whole world. Everything in the world’s struggle is connected. Everything is dots all together. They wanted to let the world know that you don’t have to speculate about a wider war. You don’t have to lie to us about “why we don’t want one, and we have all this diplomacy trying to stop it.” That’s not what’s really going on.

The wider war is already here, and it’s not just against the Palestinians, although they are the main target, just as are the Lebanese, you know, the resistance forces of West Asia and, of course, Iran. It’s against People’s Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, the struggling people of West Africa, who, as you might notice recently, have been throwing the colonialists and the imperialists out.

And it’s against Russia through Ukraine, and ultimately, it’s against China.

It’s against China. Wow. Why is this? Is it because China supports the Palestinians? That’s part of it. But that’s a small reason. China has, on a number of occasions, brought the Palestinian people together to try to help them forge unity. Very, very important.

But the bigger reason, the bigger reason, is because China is so powerful now. It’s so powerful and so developed as people are rising up, and this has changed the balance of forces in the world. But we need to be very clear about something.

China does not want war. China wants peace. It wants to continue its development in peace. It wants to help the world develop in peace, especially the people of the Global South who have been the big victims of imperialism and colonialism. It wants to help them, but U.S. imperialism does not want peace. It doesn’t want China to develop in peace. It doesn’t want the world that it does not control to develop, and this is the problem.

And what this murder in Beirut tells us – and there have been almost 1,000 people who have been murdered in Lebanon over the past couple of weeks – and the genocide in Gaza, what it tells us is that U.S. imperialism is willing to go to almost any length, unimaginable lengths of violence and terror to maintain its empire, which is crumbling.

They are willing to flirt with World War Three, which could mean the end of all life on the planet Earth. And you know, when an empire is crumbling, that’s when it’s most desperate and dangerous. That’s when it’s most likely to resort to violence. And this is what we are witnessing, comrades.

There are some in the ruling class here who are afraid of war, a wider war, a world war. They don’t think the U.S. will win. As a matter of fact they think it would hasten the demise of U.S. imperialism. And we think that they are right about that, and they’d like to maintain U.S. hegemony by other means. But whatever that is for the ruling class, they are losing. They’re not in the driver’s seat.

It’s the warmongers who are in the driver’s seat. So we see the people rising up all over the world against the empire. We see the people demonstrating in the streets over the murder of the leader of Hezbollah. Actually, as I was leaving home, I saw on social media that there was a demonstration of thousands of people in Baghdad. They had entered the Green Zone and were trying to get into the U.S. Embassy.

There are people demonstrating everywhere, around the world and particularly in West Asia. It shows you that — this is a hunch — they’re not going to take it by lying down. As a matter of fact, it’s going to wave off the mere resistance and, of course, the countries that are under attack, in particular China, that are in the crosshairs of U.S. imperialism, are going to fight back to defend themselves. They can defend themselves.

But we have to ask ourselves this. Are we going to just leave it up to people in other places, to China, they’re willing to do it, they’ll do what they have to do, but are we just going to leave it up to them? Especially those of us who happen to be at the center of world imperialism, particularly here in the U.S. which they used to call the belly of the beast. We can’t do that. That’s not right.

We have to seriously consider what our responsibilities as anti-imperialist revolutionaries are, and we have to show them those responsibilities, and then we gotta, we gotta do whatever it takes. You see, the people of the world, they’re demanding this of us. History is demanding us. Save this planet if it could talk, is demanding this of us, that we do whatever is necessary, however we need to do it. However long it takes, and it doesn’t have to take too long for the anti-war and anti-imperialist forces to get so big and so strong that we can shut the world down to stop war. What real choice do we have?

We’ve got to get away from complacency if that’s an issue. I know that there are those of us who do whatever we are doing on a day-to-day basis, whenever we can. We’ve got to get away from our routine — what they call routinism. It’s almost like a semi-conscious feeling that, yes, that needs to be done, but somebody else can do it.

Sometimes, I think we have a partial kind of disconnect, a partial, you know, denial of what’s happening. Perhaps we can feel somewhat powerless, but all things we’ve got to push aside now, we got to push them aside, and we got to figure out what we are going to do.

I think, I’m not sure, that comrade Maduro in Venezuela, a couple of months ago, called for an international united front against imperialism. Not sure if it’s just something that he floated, or whether it’s real and how he’s following up on that. But I’ll tell you comrades, if there was ever a time for that, and I’m not talking about just a name — he seems to have a name — I’m talking about something flesh and blood and strength and power that’s real. If there was ever a time for that, it’s now.

I’m thinking about our own plan. The BRICS countries are meeting in Russia in the last week of October. And that’s good. People have talked about … and we can talk about that. But again we can’t just leave it up to the BRICS to push imperialism back, to marginalize it, to diminish its hegemony. We’ve got to do something! The masses have to do something. The working class has to do something decisive. And a lot of us are convinced that they can. And those who are not convinced, better get with it.

Long live the People’s Republic of China!
Long live the struggle for socialism! Defend China!

Chen Weihua: China’s peaceful rise is a miracle unprecedented in human history

We are pleased to reprint below the speech delivered by Chen Weihua to our September 28 conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Chen describes the founding of the People’s Republic as a turning point in Chinese history: “Chairman Mao’s declaration 75 years ago that the Chinese people have stood up made Chinese extremely proud of being Chinese, after the nation had suffered a century of humiliation inflicted upon by imperial and colonial powers.”

China’s progress since then – lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty, developing universal healthcare and education, massively improving living standards, and becoming a global leader in green technology – has been remarkable, but has also raised alarm in Washington, which sees China’s rise as a threat to its strategy of hegemony.

This is the context for the trade war, for the US’s unilateral sanctions on China, and for the escalating military encirclement campaign. It also provides the context for a relentless propaganda war, in which China is demonised and labeled a threat to peace and democracy. “The US often portrays China as a major threat to global peace. The truth is that China has one of the best records for peace. The US has been engaged in constant wars and regime changes, from Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya, just to name a few.”

Chen points out that, in an interconnected world, “it is more important than ever for the world to come together to tackle common global challenges from climate change, nuclear proliferation and pandemic to economic growth and global governance”, and concludes by calling for a coordinated struggle against the New Cold War.

Chen Weihua is a prominent Chinese journalist and EU bureau chief of China Daily.

It’s a great honor for me to speak to you in my personal capacity at this important event marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

I want to express my appreciation for Friends of Socialist China for your good work in advocating world peace and justice and in supporting China against the US new Cold War and its reckless smearing campaigns against China.

Chairman Mao’s declaration 75 years ago that the Chinese people have stood up made Chinese extremely proud of being Chinese, after the nation had suffered a century of humiliation inflicted upon by imperial and colonial powers.

China’s rapid peaceful rise, especially since the reform and opening up in the late 1970s, is a miracle and unprecedented in human history. China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty, greatly raised the living standards of its people, advanced its capacity in education, public health, science and technology. And China has become a global manufacturing powerhouse, including in renewable energy and other clean industries.

China has been playing an important and responsible role on the world stage and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a voice for the developing world.

It’s exactly such China’s independent foreign policy, unique development path and rapid peaceful rise that have made many in Washington feel threatened in sustaining US global hegemony. That is why the US has been going all-out to contain China’s development.

The US has been waging trade wars and tariff wars against China. It has put hundreds of Chinese tech companies on its notorious Entity List of export control. The US has been forcing countries to choose sides in its bid to divide the world into Cold War type political blocs.

Continue reading Chen Weihua: China’s peaceful rise is a miracle unprecedented in human history

Margaret Kimberley: The importance of China for Africa and its diaspora

We are pleased to publish below the text of the speech given by Margaret Kimberley to the meeting, ‘China at 75: Changes Unseen in a Century’, initiated by Friends of Socialist China and held in New York City on September 29.

Margaret, who is the Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report, began her remarks with a strong condemnation of recent and ongoing Israeli war crimes against the peoples of Palestine, Lebanon and the entire region, and continued:

“But this is connected. We understand that this effort, imperialist effort to wage war on the entire region of Western Asia, makes this commemoration all the more important. We’re not just commemorating a successful revolution, but also the beginnings of changes in power relationships around the world, which coincided with the post war stirrings for independence across the Global South.”

Contextualising her remarks, Margaret said:

“This year, I had an amazing opportunity to visit China as part of a Friends of Socialist China delegation, as guests of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges, visiting Beijing, Zhejiang and Jilin. I saw for myself why China has leapfrogged over the rest of the world in its economic development, the dedication to the principles of socialism and a commitment to worldwide cooperation that has made relations with China attractive to the entire continent of Africa.”

Margaret reviewed the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that had been held in the Chinese capital Beijing earlier in the month, including drawing attention to some of the contradictions inherent in such a diverse gathering. She made special mention of Eritrea as “the one [African] country that has maintained its commitment to socialism, which is why it’s always under attack.” She mentioned that Chinese companies have agreed to invest up to $7 billion in infrastructure projects as part of their mining agreements in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

She concluded:

“I think it’s important to mention not just the nations of the African continent, but the relations of the African diaspora. Dr. [Gerald] Horne referred to Shirley Graham DuBois, and there has been constant, on the part of revolutionaries, this urge to connect with China, to see China as this example. Which is why, in general, anti-Chinese propaganda is so dangerous. It’s an effort to indoctrinate. It’s an effort to stop revolutionary activity. And so, WEB DuBois visited China, and Paul Robeson reached out to China, and Huey Newton visited China. It’s all connected, and tells you how important it is that African people maintain these relationships, see China for ourselves and judge for ourselves, and the fact that that is something that is condemned so strongly, tells us quite a lot.”

Thank you all again for being here as we’re just two days away from the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. And I would be remiss if I did not speak of what’s happening in Lebanon with the continuation of Israeli and US war crimes, the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the deaths of, as I said, nearly 200,000 people. But this is connected. We understand that this effort, imperialist effort to wage war on the entire region of Western Asia, makes this commemoration all the more important. We’re not just commemorating a successful revolution, but also the beginnings of changes in power relationships around the world, which coincided with the post war stirrings for independence across the Global South. 

I’m going to talk about Africa and its relationships with the People’s Republic of China, which began first as China was an example of the possibility of freedom from the capitalist, imperialist world. This year, I had an amazing opportunity to visit China as part of a Friends of Socialist China delegation, as guests of the China NGO Network for International Exchanges, visiting Beijing, Zhejiang and Jilin. 

Continue reading Margaret Kimberley: The importance of China for Africa and its diaspora

People’s China and Western Marxism

On Thursday 24 October, Friends of Socialist China participated in an event in New York City to celebrate the release of two revolutionary books: People’s China at 75: The Flag Stays Red, and Western Marxism by Domenico Losurdo, translated into English for the first time.

The event, which was held at the International Action Center HQ, featured a panel discussion with Carlos Martinez (co-editor of People’s China at 75), Gabriel Rockhill (editor of Western Marxism), and Danny Haiphong (independent journalist and broadcaster). The panel was chaired by Sara Flounders of the International Action Center.

Embedded below is a video of the event, which was live-streamed on Danny Haiphong’s YouTube channel, followed by the approximate text of Carlos’s remarks connecting the two books.

What was the reason for putting People’s China at 75 together?

The main motivation was that this milestone, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, when Mao Zedong famously proclaimed in Tiananmen Square that “the Chinese people have stood up”, provided an opportunity to reflect on the significance of that event.

And it’s an evolving significance. The Chinese people are still living that history; indeed the world is living that history. The Chinese Revolution changed the world forever, and the processes of building socialism and struggling against imperialism are ongoing processes that modern China is very much a part of.

So we wanted to examine China’s trajectory since 1949 and to help people get to grips with China’s socialist project in all its different phases. Certainly this is a topic that’s very little understood in the Western world, including among many on the left.

And that’s perhaps where the overlap lies between the two books we’re discussing this evening.

The Western Marxism described by Losurdo is essentially dogmatic; it considers socialism from an abstract, purely theoretical viewpoint.

For these Western Marxists, it’s a handful of academics spending their time in conferences and writing vast impenetrable volumes that are at the cutting edge of knowledge production.

For the Eastern Marxists on the other hand – the people that are oriented to the actually existing struggle against imperialism and for socialism – it’s precisely those states, movements and parties that are engaged in the process of building socialism and struggling against hegemony that are making the major contribution to moving humanity’s collective understanding forward.

The dialectical relationship between theory and practice is at the core of Marxism. As Mao famously put it in his essay ‘On Practice’, “if you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself.”

Abstract theory won’t help us much when it comes to understanding modern China.

Where in Marx’s Capital or Theories of Surplus Value can you find a reference point for China’s reform and opening up process, which was launched in 1978? Nowhere.

Apart from anything else, Marx and Engels didn’t live to see the emergence of socialist states – beyond the early experiment of the Paris Commune – and couldn’t be expected to predict what problems might face a socialist state, recently emerged from semi-colonial semi-feudal status, thirty years after its founding, faced with imperialist encirclement and nuclear blackmail, and dealing with the responsibility of feeding a fifth of the world’s population with 6 percent of the world’s arable land.

Just as no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, no revolutionary process proceeds along straight and predictable lines. Or as Lenin put it when discussing the heroic 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland: “Whoever expects a ‘pure’ social revolution will never live to see it. Such a person pays lip service to revolution without understanding what revolution is.”

People see huge inequality in China, people see private capital in China, people see billionaires in China, people see McDonalds and KFC in China, and they pronounce: this isn’t socialism.

But what about the elimination of absolute poverty? What about the extraordinary improvements in people’s living standards? What about the fact that in this vast Asian country of 1.4 billion people, nobody suffers malnutrition, everybody has sufficient food, everybody has a roof over their head, everyone has clothing, everyone has access to education, healthcare, running water and modern energy.

Here we are in New York, in the heart of global capitalism. Do people here have those basic rights? How far would I have to walk from this building to find someone that doesn’t have a roof over their head, or who doesn’t have healthcare? I suspect not very far.

Why is it that China’s been able to solve these problems? Why is it that China is so focused on living standards and meeting people’s most fundamental human rights? Why is it that China is so far out in front when it comes to renewable energy, electric vehicles, forestation and biodiversity protection? Why is it that China made so much effort to prevent loss of life during the Covid-19 pandemic, whereas in the US over a million people died?

Clearly, the answer relates to China’s economic, political and social project. That China remains on the path to socialism, that has a mixed economy in which the commanding heights are publicly owned, that is run by a Marxist-Leninist party, and where the capitalist class is denied the right to organise in its own political interests.

So in terms of the line Losurdo draws in Western Marxism, I think it’s reasonable to say that on one side of that line you have people who only criticise and condemn China, who label it as capitalist or imperialist, who push the slogan ‘Neither Washington Nor Beijing’; and on the other side you have people who stand in solidarity with China, who seek to learn from China, who showcase China as an example of what can be achieved under socialism, and who resolutely oppose the US’s plans to contain and encircle China.