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The following detailed article by Lauri Myllyvirta and Qi Qin, originally published in Carbon Brief, highlights the unprecedented expansion of clean energy technology in China in 2023.

The authors’ analysis shows that clean energy investment in China increased 40 percent year-on-year – the $890bn total is slightly higher than the GDP of Switzerland. Furthermore, clean energy sectors “were the largest driver of China’ economic growth overall, accounting for 40 percent of the expansion of GDP in 2023… This shift positions the clean-energy industry as a key part not only of China’s energy and climate efforts, but also of its broader economic and industrial policy.”

The largest growth was in solar energy, the value of which sector increased by 63 percent. “While China has dominated the manufacturing and installations of solar panels for years, the growth of the industry in 2023 was unprecedented.” There was also significant growth of solar product exports to countries along the Belt and Road, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia.

The article finds that China’s production of electric vehicles grew 36 percent in 2023. Over a third of cars purchased in China in the last year were electric; this growth is supported by a vast charging infrastructure – the article notes that by November 2023 there were 8.6m charging points (around 50 times the number in the US).

The article also notes that China is rapidly scaling up its electricity storage capacity. “This has the potential to significantly reduce China’s reliance on coal- and gas-fired power plants to meet peaks in electricity demand and to facilitate the integration of larger amounts of variable wind and solar power into the grid.”

The authors argue that the growth of clean energy in China is a result of the country’s overall economic strategy and its clear political commitment to climate goals. “China’s clean-energy policies and wider industrial policy built the foundation and scaled up these sectors so that they were primed for rapid growth.”

It is likely that the Chinese government will continue to direct vast resources towards green energy – benefitting not only China but the whole world. In this light, the recklessness of the US-led strategy of “decoupling” and New Cold War is ever more apparent. Those in the West that care about the future of the planet should work towards friendly relations and close cooperation with China in support of a global green energy transition.

Clean energy contributed a record 11.4tn yuan ($1.6tn) to China’s economy in 2023, accounting for all of the growth in investment and a larger share of economic growth than any other sector.

The new sector-by-sector analysis for Carbon Brief, based on official figures, industry data and analyst reports, illustrates the huge surge in investment in Chinese clean energy last year – in particular, the so-called “new three” industries of solar power, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.

Solar power, along with manufacturing capacity for solar panels, EVs and batteries, were the main focus of China’s clean-energy investments in 2023, the analysis shows.

(For this analysis, we used a broad definition of “clean energy” sectors, including renewables, nuclear power, electricity grids, energy storage, EVs and railways. These are technologies and infrastructure needed to decarbonise China’s production and use of energy.)

Other key findings of the analysis include:

• Clean-energy investment rose 40% year-on-year to 6.3tn yuan ($890bn), with the growth accounting for all of the investment growth across the Chinese economy in 2023.
• China’s $890bn investment in clean-energy sectors is almost as large as total global investments in fossil fuel supply in 2023 – and similar to the GDP of Switzerland or Turkey.
• Including the value of production, clean-energy sectors contributed 11.4tn yuan ($1.6tn) to the Chinese economy in 2023, up 30% year-on-year.
• Clean-energy sectors, as a result, were the largest driver of China’ economic growth overall, accounting for 40% of the expansion of GDP in 2023.
• Without the growth from clean-energy sectors, China’s GDP would have missed the government’s growth target of “around 5%”, rising by only 3.0% instead of 5.2%.

The surge in clean-energy investment comes as China’s real-estate sector shrank for the second year in a row. This shift positions the clean-energy industry as a key part not only of China’s energy and climate efforts, but also of its broader economic and industrial policy.

Continue reading Clean energy was top driver of China’s economic growth in 2023

Following the first meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Mexican counterpart, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, popularly known as Amlo, held in the margins of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit on November 16, friendly relations between China and Mexico have been further consolidated with a visit to Beijing by Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena. 

In a November 6 meeting, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng told Barcena that bilateral relations had become increasingly strategic, complementary, and mutually beneficial. Expressing sympathies over the recent hurricane disaster that hit Mexico’s Pacific coast, Han said China will provide support and assistance to the post-disaster reconstruction.

Barcena thanked China for always providing timely assistance to Mexico when it encountered difficulties.

The previous day, Barcena had met with her Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said that China is willing to view and develop relations with Mexico from a strategic and long-term perspective, adding that his country stands ready to work with Mexico to uphold mutual respect and equal treatment, and bring bilateral relations to a new level.

Commenting on the meetings, the Mexican Foreign Ministry affirmed that “both parties agreed that the recent engagement between the presidents has strengthened bilateral ties, reaffirmed the friendship between Mexico and China, and achieved significant agreements.”

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

Chinese VP meets Mexican foreign minister

BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena in Beijing on Wednesday.

Han said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Mexico relations have maintained a high level of operation, becoming increasingly strategic, complementary and mutually beneficial.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership, Han said the two sides should implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, consolidate political mutual trust, firmly support each other, deepen practical cooperation, and enhance people-to-people understanding.

He said China welcomes Mexico to integrate its development strategy with China’s major concepts and initiatives to elevate bilateral relations to a new level.

Expressing sympathies over the recent hurricane disaster that hit Mexico’s Pacific coast, Han said China will provide support and assistance in the post-disaster reconstruction.

Barcena thanked China for always providing timely assistance to Mexico when it encountered difficulties.

Barcena said the Mexican side highly appreciates the major concepts and initiatives put forward by the Chinese head of state and is willing to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen bilateral and multilateral coordination and cooperation, and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations. 

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Chinese FM meets with Mexican counterpart

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena on Tuesday in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the recent meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco, the United States, has provided important strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations and drawn a blueprint for bilateral cooperation.

China is willing to view and develop relations with Mexico from a strategic and long-term perspective, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to work with Mexico to uphold mutual respect and equal treatment, and bring bilateral relations to a new level.

Barcena said that Mexico attaches great importance to relations with China, and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to promote the greater development of bilateral ties. 

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Foreign Ministers of Mexico and China Strengthen Relations

Dec. 7 (Telesur) — On Wednesday, Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena met with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, with the aim of “deepening the bilateral relationship” during her first official visit to the Asian country.

The Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry affirmed that “both parties agreed that the recent engagement between the presidents has strengthened bilateral ties, reaffirmed the friendship between Mexico and China, and achieved significant agreements.”

Barcena’s visit to Beijing follows the meeting between Presidents Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Xi Jinping on November 16 during the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Forum (APEC) summit in San Francisco, USA.

Both foreign ministers agreed to “hold the Seventh Session of the Permanent Bilateral Commission next year, actively resuming bilateral cooperation after the pandemic.”

Additionally, they emphasized the need for the “establishment of a working group between Mexico and China” to combat the “trafficking of chemical precursors that can be used in the production of synthetic drugs and fentanyl, as well as to monitor the production chain accurately and exchange information to combat the illegal use of these substances.”

Barcena highlighted the importance of China strengthening its ties with Latin America through the enhancement of the CELAC-China forum under the Pro Tempore Presidency of Honduras.

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko paid a working visit to China from December 3-4. Indicating the particularly close and friendly relations between the two countries, this was Lukashenko’s second visit to China this year, following his February 28-March 2 state visit.

Meeting his Belarus counterpart on December 4, President Xi Jinping pointed out that he and Lukashenko reached important consensus on promoting the high-level development of China-Belarus relations during Lukashenko’s visit earlier this year. The two countries have strengthened political mutual trust and international coordination since then.

China always views its relations with Belarus from a strategic and long-term perspective, firmly supports Belarus in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and opposes external interference in Belarus’ internal affairs.

Having addressed the question of cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi added that both countries should also expand cooperation in education, health, sports and tourism, support exchanges and cooperation between the youth, and enhance understanding and friendship between the two peoples. 

Lukashenko said under the leadership of President Xi, China has made great achievements in its development and over 1.4 billion Chinese people live a happy life, making an important contribution to the world.

Belarus sincerely hopes that China will grow stronger, which is conducive to peace and progress in the world, Lukashenko added. Belarus has always been a reliable partner for China and will remain so.

Significantly, Lukashenko added that the development of comprehensive and all-weather strategic cooperation between Belarus and China is “determined by the similarity of our ideologies and the very logic of international events.”

Belarus not only maintains an independent, anti-imperialist stand in international relations, it has also refused to engage in full-scale capitalist restoration, maintaining the leading position of the publicly owned sector in the national economy, along with many of the traditions and values of the USSR. It is, for example, the only former Soviet republic to continue observing and honouring the anniversary of the 1917 Great October Socialist Revolution. 

Lukashenko also noted that: “Belarus has been a reliable partner for China and will remain so. I don’t think anyone in China needs to be convinced of this… We decided a long time ago that we would cooperate and live in friendship with China. As I said, this friendship is more than 30 years old. We have never turned from this path either to the left or to the right.” 

Regarding BRI, Lukashenko said: “No one can find even a trifle to criticise. The most important thing is that you have defined the common destiny for humankind as the goal. Unlike Western countries that are trying to tear everything apart, you have set the single goal for all. Who can argue with that? No one. The world will be grateful to Great China for this… We would like to see China a powerful country. We would like to see it grow. This is not only our interest. It is the interest of the whole planet.”

The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and the Belarus Telegraph Agency (Belta).

Chinese, Belarusian presidents pledge to enhance ties

BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Beijing on Monday.

Xi pointed out that he and Lukashenko reached important consensus on promoting the high-level development of China-Belarus relations during Lukashenko’s state visit to China earlier this year. The two countries have strengthened political mutual trust and international coordination since then.

China always views its relations with Belarus from a strategic and long-term perspective, firmly supports Belarus in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and opposes external interference in Belarus’ internal affairs, Xi said.

“China is willing to continue to strengthen strategic coordination with Belarus, firmly support each other, promote practical cooperation and deepen bilateral relations,” Xi said.

Xi stressed that more than 150 countries have signed Belt and Road Initiative cooperation documents a decade after he proposed the initiative, adding that he announced not long ago eight major steps China would take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. “China welcomes Belarus to continue its active participation and gain more tangible development opportunities from it.”

Xi called on the two sides to implement projects such as the China-Belarus Industrial Park, push for more results in industrial cooperation, and further facilitate cross-border transport to promote trade and personnel exchanges.

He said both sides should expand cooperation in education, health, sports and tourism, support exchanges and cooperation between the youth, and enhance understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Noting that China and Belarus are important forces in the reform and development of the global governance system, Xi said China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Belarus within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Lukashenko said under the leadership of President Xi, China has made great achievements in its development and over 1.4 billion Chinese people live a happy life, making an important contribution to the world.

Belarus sincerely hopes that China will grow stronger, which is conducive to peace and progress in the world, Lukashenko added.

Belarus is committed to developing friendly relations with China and is willing to keep close high-level exchanges with China, firmly support each other, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen international and multilateral strategic coordination, and push for greater development of the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership, Lukashenko said.

He said Belarus firmly believes that the initiatives proposed by President Xi truly muster international consensus and cooperation, and Belarus will continue to actively participate in them.

The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

Senior Chinese officials Cai Qi and Wang Yi attended the event. 

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Lukashenko at talks with Xi: Belarus is a reliable partner for China

MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – Belarus has always been a reliable partner for China and will remain so, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, BelTA has learned.

“I am glad to have this opportunity and discuss topical issues of cooperation with you in a friendly atmosphere and express our points of view on various problems of international relations, as it has always been the case between us. The development of comprehensive and all-weather strategic cooperation between Belarus and China is determined by the similarity of our ideologies and the very logic of international events and processes that are taking place today,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Our meeting on 1 March [2023] was in many ways pivotal and set the momentum for the whole year. Since March, more than 120 mutual visits have been carried out. Those are various visits. What is most pleasing is that the visits are related to cooperation in the manufacturing sector, trade and economy.”

The Belarusian head of state stressed that the historic rise in relations had given a powerful impetus to the deepening of cooperation in traditional areas and launched new vectors and mechanisms of cooperation.

“Belarus has been a reliable partner for China and will remain so. I don’t think anyone in China needs to be convinced of this. All this has happened before my eyes for the last 30 years, and even way back. I came to China for the first time as a member of parliament,” the Belarusian leader said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also noted his long-term acquaintance with Xi Jinping and joint work to advance bilateral relations.

“We have a lot of experience. We know what our countries need. We have done a lot in this regard,” the Belarusian president said.

“We decided a long time ago that we would cooperate and live in friendship with China. As I said, this friendship is more than 30 years old. We have never turned from this path either to the left or to the right,” the president emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko thanked Xi Jinping for the meeting, noting that the Chinese leader has recently had a very busy schedule: a huge number of international meetings, not to mention domestic policy events in China itself.

“Upon reflecting on this, I can say: well, this is the burden of one of the world leaders,” the head of state said. “Therefore, I am very grateful to you for this meeting, for the responsiveness.”

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Lukashenko: Belarus supports China’s idea of building community with shared future for mankind

MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – Belarus supports the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind put forward earlier by the Chinese leader, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, BelTA has learned.

“You just mentioned the Belt and Road. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that the Belt and Road Initiative is, as you said, no longer a concept today. It is already a practice. In progress. No one can argue with this today, and no one can find even a trifle to criticize. The most important thing is that you have defined the common destiny for humankind as the goal. Unlike Western countries that are trying to tear everything apart, you have set the single goal for all. Who can argue with that? No one. The world will be grateful to Great China for this,” the head of state said.

“We would like to see China a powerful country. We would like to see it grow. This is not only our interest. It is the interest of the whole planet, because a huge number of talented hardworking people live here [in China],” Aleksandr Lukashenko added.

The 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, on October 26.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang joined fellow leaders, including Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, the Indian foreign minister, and the Pakistani foreign minister from member states, together with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, from two of the SCO’s observer states. The meeting was hosted by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov.

In his speech to the meeting, Premier Li said that looking back at the founding aspiration of the SCO, its members were brought together to ensure that regional affairs are decided by regional countries through consultation, without interference from those outside the region. He added:

“Twenty-two years ago, the SCO was founded in response to the shared aspiration of regional countries for promoting friendship, safeguarding security and pursuing development. Today, the Organisation has grown from the original ‘Shanghai Five’ to nine member states, three observer states, and 14 dialogue partners. SCO member states now account for nearly half of the world’s population and about one quarter of the global GDP.”

Li offered four proposals on deepening SCO cooperation. First, the SCO members should jointly solidify the regional security barrier, firmly reject external interference, improve the organisation’s mechanism of coping with security threats and challenges as soon as possible, and crack down on the ‘three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism’ as well as transnational organised crimes.

Second, SCO members should jointly promote the speedy economic recovery, cooperate to build safe and efficient transportation systems, continuously promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, and maintain steady and smooth industrial supply chains.

Third, the members should jointly enhance the Belt and Road cooperation. The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has been successfully held, and the Belt and Road has become the most popular international public goods and the largest international cooperation platform in the past 10 years.

The SCO members should reinforce the alignment of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the member states’ respective development strategies, push forward the construction of major economic corridors, and develop well the SCO Development Bank.

Fourth, the SCO member states should jointly promote the understanding and amity among their people, and continue to deepen cooperation in areas including education, culture and tourism, and sports.

Li Qiang also held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

Meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on October 25, he said that China is willing to further align its development strategies with Russia, promote synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), maintain the growth momentum of cooperation on trade and investment, deepen cooperation in the field of energy, and enhance connectivity and trade liberalisation and facilitation.

On October 26, he met with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, and Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda.

In his meeting with Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene, Li said that China stands ready to work with Mongolia to firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and to strengthen cooperation with Mongolia in such fields as port connectivity, economy and trade, and green development, to further expand the pie of common interests, so as to achieve win-win results.

China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Mongolia under the SCO and other multilateral frameworks to better safeguard their common interests and build a community with a shared future for humanity, Li added.

For his part, Oyun-Erdene said that Mongolia stands ready to work with China to strengthen border port capacity building and connectivity, promote the Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in areas including trade, railway, green development, tourism, and culture, and deepen multilateral cooperation, so as to lift Mongolia-China relations to a higher level.

In his meeting with Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, Li noted that President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met twice this year and reached a series of important consensuses. China, he stressed, will continue to firmly support Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and will strongly oppose any external forces interfering in Iran’s internal affairs.

Mokhber said that China is a comprehensive strategic partner of Iran and the two countries enjoy a long history of friendship. Iran appreciates China’s assistance for its economic and social development and is firmly committed to deepening Iran-China relations.

Meeting with Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, Li said that China is willing to strengthen the synergy of development strategies with Tajikistan, continue to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, give full play to industrial complementarity, expand trade and investment, strengthen cooperation in such fields as transport infrastructure, civil aviation, green economy and digital economy, and deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges in sports, culture, education and between regions so as to help the development and revitalisation of the two countries.

The two sides, he added, should maintain close coordination in multilateral areas, implement the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, strengthen cooperation within the United Nations, the SCO, and other frameworks, uphold the common interests of the two countries and safeguard international equity and justice.

For his part, Rasulzoda said that Tajikistan-China relations have a long history, profound foundation and rich connotation. Noting that Tajikistan appreciates China’s strong support for its economic and social development over the years, he said that his country is willing to work with China to consolidate traditional friendship, promote the Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in such fields as industry, agriculture, transportation, energy, infrastructure, and digital economy, and push for further in-depth development of bilateral relations.

Tajikistan stands ready to work with China to promote all-round cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, deepen coordination within the frameworks of the United Nations and the SCO, and promote regional peace and prosperity, he added.

The following day, Li met with the Prime Minister of Belarus, Roman Golovchenko. He said that, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, bilateral relations have achieved leap-forward development in recent years.

China stands ready to push for deeper synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Belarus’ strategy for social and economic development and jointly build the China-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park and other key projects.

He called on both sides to tap the potential of cooperation in such areas as trade in services and scientific and technological innovation, strengthen people-to-people and cultural cooperation, and push forward their all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination within the SCO and other multilateral mechanisms to make greater contribution to regional and world peace, stability, and development.

Golovchenko said that Belarus firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests. Belarus is ready to strengthen cooperation with China within multilateral frameworks such as the SCO to jointly boost the multipolarisation of the world, he added.

Prior to the Heads of Government meeting, Li Qiang also paid a bilateral visit to Kyrgyzstan on October 25. In his meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Li said Kyrgyzstan is an important neighbour of China, adding that in May, President Xi Jinping and President Japarov lifted bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and jointly announced the building of a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future of good neighbourliness and shared prosperity, which, constitutes a milestone in their history of bilateral relations and cooperation.

The Chinese side, Li added, is willing to deepen political mutual trust with the Kyrgyz side, always firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interest, further align their development strategies, deepen the integration of economic benefits, and continue to improve the quality and efficiency of bilateral cooperation.

And China is also willing to reinforce communication and coordination with the Kyrgyz side on regional and international affairs, speed up the implementation of the outcomes of the China-Central Asia Summit, closely coordinate within such multilateral mechanisms as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and safeguard the common interest of developing countries and international equity and justice, he added.

President Japarov said that the Kyrgyz side stands ready to deepen cooperation with China within the framework of China-Central Asia cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, jointly combat the ‘three forces’ of terrorism, separatism and extremism, effectively address traditional and non-traditional security challenges, and promote regional security and development.

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

Regional affairs should be decided without external interference: Chinese premier

BISHKEK, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) — Looking back at the founding aspiration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), its members were brought together to ensure that regional affairs are decided by regional countries through consultation, without interference from those outside the region, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Thursday.

During his speech at the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO Member States, Li called for jointly building a security barrier in the region and resolutely resisting external interference.

In his speech, Li said the SCO summit in July this year further reached important consensus, and identified key tasks on carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit and building a closer SCO community with a shared future, adding that China is willing to work with all parties to implement the spirit of the summit.

At the Samarkand summit last year, President Xi Jinping stressed the necessity to uphold political trust, win-win cooperation, equality between nations, openness and inclusiveness and equity and justice, which is the key to the success of the SCO’s development and growth, Li added.

Looking forward to the future, SCO members should keep in mind the founding aspiration and uphold the key to success, Li said, stressing that guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, SCO members should work together and make mutual achievements, advance cooperation in various fields in a solid way, and inject more certainty and positive energy into peace and development of the region and the world.

Li offered four proposals on deepening SCO cooperation. First, the SCO members should jointly solidify regional security barrier, firmly reject external interference, improve the organization’s mechanism of coping with security threats and challenges as soon as possible, and crack down on the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as transnational organized crimes.

Second, SCO members should jointly promote the speedy economic recovery, cooperate to build safe and efficient transportation systems, continuously promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and maintain steady and smooth industrial supply chains.

Third, the members should jointly enhance the Belt and Road cooperation. The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has been successfully held, and the Belt and Road has become the most popular international public goods and the largest international cooperation platform in the past 10 years.

The SCO members should reinforce the alignment of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with the member states’ respective development strategies, push forward the construction of major economic corridors, and develop well the SCO Development Bank.

Fourth, the SCO member states should jointly promote the understanding and amity among their people, and continue to deepen cooperation in areas including education, culture and tourism, and sports.

Leaders including Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, Indian foreign minister, Pakistani foreign minister attended the meeting, together with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, leaders of two observer states. Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov hosted the meeting.

The SCO is committed to carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit, said participants of the meeting, adding that since its founding 22 years ago, the SCO has continuously developed, with its global influence ever increasing.

They agreed to implement the consensus reached at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, jointly combat the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism and transnational organized crimes, strengthen cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, transportation, agriculture, energy, finance, high and new technology, environmental protection and green development, promote Belt and Road cooperation, improve infrastructure connectivity, and deepen people-to-people exchanges in such fields as tourism and education.

They also agreed to strengthen institutional building of the SCO, practice true multilateralism, jointly safeguard regional security and promote regional prosperity, and help make the international system more inclusive and sustainable.

The Chinese premier and other leaders of the SCO member states attending the meeting signed and issued a joint communique, and approved a series of SCO cooperation documents and resolutions on economy and trade, railways and institution building, among other areas. 

Continue reading Li Qiang: SCO represents the shared aspiration of regional countries for friendship, security and development

Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his bilateral dialogues with high-level visitors on the sidelines of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) with three meetings in the morning of October 20.

Meeting with Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng, Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Vietnam have supported each other in their respective struggles for national liberation, forming a deep and enduring comrades-plus-brothers friendship. Both nations are moving ahead with their respective causes of socialist modernisation, seeing each other as a priority in their respective foreign policies and considering each other’s development as an opportunity for their own development. In the face of a changing international landscape and arduous tasks of domestic development, both countries should stay true to the original aspiration of carrying forward traditional friendship, bear in mind the shared ideals and mission, move forward hand in hand along the path of socialism to build a community of a shared future with strategic significance, and ensure that bilateral relations will always stay on the fast track of win-win cooperation and joint development.

For his part, Võ Văn Thưởng said that President Xi’s speech at the opening of the forum was visionary, encompassing both strategic planning and specific measures, showcasing the role of China as a major country and the role of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as a major party. It will have a significant impact in guiding future international cooperation and global development. Vietnam admires the significant achievements of the CPC in theoretical and practical innovation. President Xi’s governance philosophy has been inspiring to the party and government of Vietnam. Vietnam views China’s development as an opportunity and supports socialist China in developing itself and achieving its goal of building a strong China as scheduled. The Vietnamese side believes that China will make a greater contribution to world peace and development.

Meeting with General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, Xi Jinping pointed out that the past 10 years have seen steady and important progress in building a China-Laos community with a shared future. To build such a community in a world of transformation and turbulence, with accelerated changes unseen in a century, has even greater value and strategic significance for the times, and has an exemplary and guiding role to play.

The Chinese leader emphasised that adhering to the Party leadership and the socialist direction is an essential feature of China-Laos relations. The two parties of China and Laos should continue to deepen political mutual trust, enhance governance capability, and strengthen communication and cooperation in such fields as politics and law enforcement security. The two sides need to tap deep into the potential of the China-Laos Railway, steadily advance the development of the China-Laos Economic Corridor, with a focus on development along the railroad, and actively advance the regional connectivity development outlook, to create a model for Belt and Road cooperation in the region. China will continue to provide assistance for Laos’ economic development to the best of its ability, encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in the country, import more quality agricultural products from Laos, and expand bilateral cooperation in such fields as energy and mining. Laos will assume the rotating chairmanship of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, and China is ready to support Laos in playing a greater role in regional and international affairs.

Thongloun Sisoulith congratulated China on successfully hosting the third BRF, and said that the current cooperation between Laos and China in various fields is being successfully advanced, and Laos sincerely thanks China for providing precious help in its economic and social development over the years. The construction and successful operation of the Laos-China Railway has greatly promoted the economic development of the country and has brought positive changes to the Lao people’s life. A new five-year action plan on building a Laos-China community with a shared future to be signed this time will further consolidate friendly cooperative relations between the two parties and two countries.

Xi Jinping also met with the President of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira. He pointed out that during President Lula da Silva’s successful state visit to China this spring, they had a fruitful meeting and reached important common understandings on steering China-Brazil relations into a new era. China and Brazil are respectively the largest developing countries in the eastern and western hemispheres and emerging major countries with global influence. In the face of a world of change and disorder, the two sides should firmly support and echo each other. China supports Brazil’s hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change next year and is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Brazil.

Xi Jinping emphasised that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Brazil strategic partnership, and next year the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two sides. Building on past achievements, China-Brazil relations have much more to accomplish.

Lira noted that Brazil-China relations are in a good shape, and cooperation with China has vigorously promoted Brazil’s economic and social development and increased Brazil’s employment and production capacity. China’s success is of great significance to the world, and China has always been an important partner of Brazil in development. He added that as the rotating president of the G20 next year, Brazil will step up communication and collaboration with China, and play its due role. He looks forward to welcoming President Xi Jinping’s visit to Brazil on that occasion.

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

Xi Jinping Meets with Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng

On the morning of October 20, 2023, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng who is in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF).

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Vietnam have supported each other in their respective struggles for national liberation, forming a deep and enduring comrades-plus-brothers friendship. Both nations are moving ahead with their respective causes of socialist modernization, seeing each other as a priority in their respective foreign policies and considering each other’s development as an opportunity for their own development. In the face of a changing international landscape and arduous tasks of domestic development, both countries should stay true to the original aspiration of carrying forward traditional friendship, bear in mind the shared ideals and mission, move forward hand in hand along the path of socialism to build a community of a shared future with strategic significance, and ensure that bilateral relations will always stay on the fast track of win-win cooperation and joint development.

Continue reading Xi Jinping bilateral dialogues with leaders from Vietnam, Laos and Brazil

The Summit Meeting of the Group of 77 and China, a major organisation of developing countries, was held in the Cuban capital, Havana, September 15-16.

Attended by more than 1,300 participants from 116 countries and 12 organisations and agencies of the United Nations system, it represented a major diplomatic achievement by Cuba and a stunning rebuff to US attempts to isolate the heroic socialist island. Representation was drawn from 33 nations from Latin America and the Caribbean, 46 from Africa, 34 from Asia, and three from Europe. They comprised 31 heads of state and government, 12 vice presidents, dozens of ministers from multiple portfolios, and many other high-level dignitaries.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee attended as the special representative of President Xi Jinping.

Addressing the summit on September 15, Li said that Cuba has made a great effort and contributed significantly to promoting the collective strength and solidarity of developing countries in addressing global challenges and in safeguarding the development interests of developing nations. He applauded Cuba’s effort and contribution.

The world, he added, is undergoing changes on a scale unseen in a century. Developing countries are becoming stronger. A significant shift is taking place in the international balance of power. And South-South cooperation is growing significantly in both quantity and quality.

At the same time, however, unilateralism and hegemonism are becoming rampant. Some countries are resorting to such practices as unilateral sanctions, erection of ‘fences and barriers,’ decoupling, and disruption of industrial and supply chains, seriously undermining the legitimate development rights and interests of developing countries and their space for development.

China is the world’s largest developing nation and a natural member of the Global South. China is ready to work with Cuba and other G77 members to open a new chapter in South-South cooperation in the quest for greater development through stronger solidarity, build a Global South community with a shared future, and usher in a new era of common development.

Li advanced three proposals to:

1) Stay true to the original aspiration of the G77 for independence and greater collective strength through unity.

The G77 was born nearly 60 years ago in the struggles of its members for national independence and against exploitation and oppression. Developing countries have since advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, won national independence, and endeavoured to safeguard world peace and promote global development.

2) Advocate equity, justice and inclusiveness.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted overwhelmingly for 30 consecutive times, demanding an immediate end to the US embargo against Cuba. We must continue to make our voice heard loud and clear at the UNGA and other major international fora and events.

3) Pursue development, revitalisation and win-win cooperation.

We need to foster new drivers for our own development, focusing on cooperation in areas of food security, poverty alleviation, industrialisation, green development, digital technology, and artificial intelligence.

China is the largest developing country in the world, Li stressed. “No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will always be part of the developing world and a member of the Global South. South-South cooperation is always a high priority in China’s cooperation with other countries. This is our strategic choice, and it is not a stopgap measure.

“We, the developing nations, have won national independence and liberation after a long and arduous journey. We share a fervent desire to bring a better life for our people. We have invariably stood in solidarity through thick and thin. We have supported each other and grown together, and we are a community that rise and fall together.”

Li combined his attendance at the summit with an official friendly visit to Cuba. Meeting with First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, he said that China stands ready to promote the development of the respective party building and socialist causes of the two countries.

For his part, Diaz-Canel said that China has firmly stood with the Global South nations and effectively safeguarded the common interests of developing countries, noting that the Cuban side thanks China for its assistance to Cuba’s economic and social development and is ready to maintain close friendly exchanges with the CPC and promote practical cooperation. He also expressed gratitude for China’s firm support for the Cuban people’s just struggle against unilateral blockade and sanctions.

When visiting Army General Raul Castro, the leader of Cuba’s socialist revolution, Li conveyed Xi Jinping’s greetings to Raul and said that the traditional friendship between China and Cuba was forged and carefully cultivated by the older generation of leaders of the two countries. Raul is a close friend of the CPC and the Chinese people and has made historic contributions to the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries. Facing the complex and ever-changing international situation, China is willing to work with Cuba to jointly build a China-Cuba community with a shared future.

Raul Castro asked Li to convey his greetings to Xi. He recalled his exchanges with Chinese comrades, saying that Cuba is happy and encouraged by the great achievements made in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and is willing to learn from China’s development experience. He also visited the Fidel Castro Ruz Centre together with Li.

Following his visit to Cuba, Li’s itinerary featured visits to Brazil and Egypt at the invitation of their governments and ruling parties.

We reprint below the full text of Li’s speech as well as a report of his meetings with Cuban leaders. They were originally carried by the Xinhua News Agency. The full text of the Summit Declaration may be read here.

Full text: Remarks by Li Xi at Summit of the Group of 77 and China

HAVANA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — The following is the full text of the remarks by Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Summit of the Group of 77 and China in Havana, Cuba, on Friday.

Working Together for Stronger Solidarity, Greater Development, and Closer South-South Cooperation

Your Excellency President Miguel Díaz-Canel,

Your Excellency Secretary General Antonio Guterres,

Excellencies Heads of State and Government,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

It is my great pleasure to attend the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China as President Xi Jinping’s special representative. May I begin by thanking the government of Cuba for the meticulous preparations and thoughtful arrangements that have made the Summit possible.

As the Chair of the Summit, Cuba has made a great effort and contributed significantly to promoting the collective strength and solidarity of developing countries in addressing global challenges and in safeguarding the development interests of developing nations. We applaud your effort and contribution.

The world is undergoing changes on a scale unseen in a century. Developing countries are becoming stronger. A significant shift is taking place in the international balance of power. And South-South cooperation is growing significantly in both quantity and quality.

Emerging markets and developing countries have contributed as much as 80 percent of the world’s economic growth in the past 20 years, and now account for more than 40 percent of global GDP, up from 24 percent 40 years ago. South-South cooperation is playing an increasingly important role in driving the momentum of collective rise of developing countries and in sustaining the continued global economic growth.

Continue reading Li Xi: China will always be part of the developing world and a member of the Global South

In the following article, which was originally carried by the Morning Star, John Pateman reports on the ‘Engels in Eastbourne’ international conference, which was held in the English seaside resort that was the favourite holiday destination of the co-founder of scientific socialism for many years and from where his ashes were scattered into the sea.

John gives particular attention to the prominent role played by Chinese scholars in the deliberations, with the opening session being on Chinese Perspectives on Engels and Marxism. He notes:

“It is clear that adapting Marxism to the Chinese context will play a crucial role in promoting the modernisation of China. As [Professor Xia] Wei [of Fudan University] observed, ‘Modernisation will be the most likely path to end the absolute power of capital and create a new form of human civilisation.'”

The article also highlights contributions from British Marxist academics, Terrel Carver (University of Bristol), Lindsey German (University of Hertfordshire), Derek Wall (Goldsmiths University London) and Joe Pateman (University of Sheffield), along with Helena Sheehan from Ireland’s Dublin City University and Palle Rasmussen from Denmark’s Aalborg University.

A previous report on this conference may be read here.

“ENGELS in Eastbourne” was an international conference to celebrate the 175th anniversary of The Communist Manifesto, organised by the University of Brighton and the International Association of Marx and Engels Humanities Studies (MEIA), held at the View Hotel, Eastbourne, from June 1-3 2023.

During the last 15 years or so of his life Engels adopted Eastbourne as his favourite go-to English seaside town.

Whenever he had time to spare, he would hurry down to the south coast, usually accompanied by a member of Marx’s family and close friends.

His favourite walk was along the seafront and over the downs to Beachy Head, where his ashes were scattered after his death in 1895.

The opening session of the conference was Chinese Perspectives on Engels and Marxism and included the topics Marxism and Chinese-style Modernisation from Professor Wang Binglin, of Beijing Normal University, Interpretation of the Materialistic-Historical View of Chinese-style Modernisation from Professor Xia Wei, of Fudan University, and On the Outlook of Nature in Engels and Its Contemporary Significance from Professor Wang Xinyan, of Wuhan University.

It was interesting to hear how Engels’ ideas are being used by the current political leadership in China to reinvigorate Marxism in line with the recent 20th congress of the Communist Party of China.

Continue reading Engels’ influence from Eastbourne to Beijing

In the following review of The East is Still Red – Chinese Socialism in the 21st Century, Roger Stoll provides a detailed summary of the text, including some key facts and figures about life in China today, China’s development strategy, China’s global leadership on renewable energy, China’s trade and investment relationships with the Global South, slanders about human rights in Xinjiang, the New Cold War, and more.

Roger concludes: “For those of us overwhelmed and frightened by the West’s prolific fictions about China and who wish to share a more accurate picture of the country with friends, families and fellow activists, in the hope of stopping the war before it starts, we might give them this book.”

The review has appeared in Popular Resistance, Dissident Voice, Internationalist 360 and Orinoco Tribune, and an abridged version has been published in Chinese on China.com.cn.

Roger Stoll lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and has published articles, book reviews and political poetry in Black Agenda Report, Counterpunch, Dissident Voice, Internationalist 360, Jewschool, Marxism-Leninism Today, MintPress News, MRonline, New Verse News, Orinoco Tribune, Popular Resistance, Resumen Latinoamericano, San Francisco Examiner, and ZNet.

The East is Still Red can be purchased in paperback and digital formats from Praxis Press.

Introduction

Western media never stop warning us of China: it menaces Taiwan, threatens its neighbors and shipping lanes in the South China Sea, and sticks military bases on Cuba. China, we are told, spies on us by the most devious means, through TikTok, Huawei 5G, and weather balloons. And China, say our media, ensnares Africa with debt traps. Meanwhile, the US government and its media-echo decry China’s abuses of its own people. China, the US says, has committed “cultural” and literal genocide against Uyghur muslims in Xinjiang. As for the Covid-19 pandemic, the West with whiplash-inducing self-contradiction accuses China of mishandling the crisis by imposing both draconian lockdowns and lockdowns that were too lax, as well as premature reopenings and reopenings that were too-long delayed.

Meanwhile, the liberal and left-liberal West shakes its ideological finger at China, declaring it to practice an idiosyncratic communism-capitalism that sometimes features the worst of both worlds. 

In the western imagination, China’s citizens are feared for their abject discipline and uncanny competence. Yet the West pities them too, thinking they are ruled by communist overlords in a dictatorship devoid of individual liberties.

In short, to the western world, China is an iconic picture of tyranny, malevolence, and exploitation. Still, China is not unique in its status as a US bogeyman. Whenever the West targets a country militarily or economically, the press always turns the country into a cartoon, invariably the same cartoon: authoritarian, autocratic, led by an evil/mad dictator, e.g., Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, Venezuela, etc.

Which is why we should be grateful for the picture of China drawn in this elegantly concise and easily read book, The East Is Still Red: Chinese Socialism in the 21st Century, by Carlos Martinez (Praxis Press, 2023, 210 pp.). Of its 210 pages, nearly 60 are taken up with source citations, a 5-page index, reading recommendations, and photographs.

Despite its brevity, the book expertly refutes the West’s blizzard of charges against China. It also sketches China’s 20th century history, its economics and political system, and the ideology that accompanied the Chinese people’s astonishing advance. Martinez analyzes and answers two questions preoccupying many on the political left: Is China socialist? Is it imperialist? (Martinez argues Yes, and No, respectively.)

“Since 1949, the Chinese people have experienced an unprecedented improvement in their living standards & human development,” wrote UK writer Carlos Martinez @agent_of_change in his book "The East is Still Red". pic.twitter.com/iCMWeTwTwE

— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) August 7, 2023

Continue reading Western tales about China are just tales – review of ‘The East is Still Red’

The Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, themed Equality, Cooperation and Development: The 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and Global Human Rights Governance, was held in Beijing in mid-June 2023.

Jointly hosted by the Information Office of China’s State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the forum attracted over 300 participants from nearly 100 countries and international organizations, including United Nations (UN) agencies.

In a congratulatory letter to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping “stressed the need to respect all countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, jointly follow the path of peaceful development, act on the Global Security Initiative, and create a secure and peaceful environment for realizing human rights.”

Friends of Socialist China co-editor Carlos Martinez attended the forum remotely, addressing a panel about the Global Security Initiative and human rights protection. We publish his remarks below.

A version of Carlos’s presentation has been published in Beijing Review.

A few weeks ago, US president Joe Biden called upon his fellow G7 leaders to stand against China’s “aggression”. A few days ago, Mike Turner, the chair of the US’s House Intelligence Committee, referenced “unbelievable aggression by China.”

Indeed, it is entirely normal in Western politics and media to hear China referred to as “aggressive”, “belligerent” and “expansionist”; as a country which is trying to impose its will on the world by means of force, by means of bullying.

Such an accusation, coming from the major imperialist powers, is nothing if not ironic.

After all, it’s well known that the US has been at war for 228 out of its 247 years of existence.

At this moment, there are nearly a thousand US troops in Syria, in violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty. This very year, the US has carried out several air strikes against Syrian government targets.

The US continues to be involved in the disastrous war in Yemen, which has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

In recent memory, the US has waged brutal wars on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Yugoslavia.

It has active duty military troops stationed in nearly 150 countries, and it maintains 800 overseas military bases.

Its military expenditure is approaching a trillion dollars a year – meaning that a country with 4 percent of the global population accounts for 39 percent of the world’s military spending.

In relation to the crisis in Ukraine, the US’s policy from the start – indeed, before the start – has been to pour fuel onto the fire and to provoke conflict.

Sixteen months into Russia’s special military operation, it’s patently obvious that the only path to peace in the region lies through dialogue, not through escalation. And yet the US continues to provide more and more sophisticated weaponry to Ukraine, whilst doing everything it can to sabotage substantive peace talks.

Besides military aggression, the US is also the pre-eminent world power in terms of economic coercion and unilateral sanctions. It currently imposes unilateral sanctions on China, the DPRK, Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, and several other countries. Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs describes the US as “by far the world’s biggest deployer of unilateral coercive measures.”

Let’s compare all this with China’s record.

Since its founding in 1949, China has maintained an extraordinarily peaceful record.

Between 1950 and 1953, over a million Chinese volunteers fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. And between 1965 and 1969, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops contributed to the defence of Vietnam.

Besides these wars, plus brief border disputes with India and Vietnam, China has been at peace.

Continue reading China is the leading force for world peace

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare began a highly successful visit to China on July 9 2023. Meeting with President Xi Jinping the following day, the two sides jointly announced the official establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

President Xi noted that China and Solomon Islands are trustworthy friends and dependable partners to each other. He said that since the two countries established diplomatic relations, their friendly cooperation has become a pacesetter for the relations between China and other island countries in the Pacific in spite of a relatively late start. He said their cooperation is a paradigm of unity, cooperation and common development for countries of different sizes, and for developing countries. He further stressed that China greatly appreciates Solomon Islands’ firm adherence to the one-China principle, supports Solomon Islands in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and supports the development path that the country itself has chosen.

“China is supporting more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Solomon Islands, and will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to the country without any political strings attached,” Xi said, adding that China supports Solomon Islands in hosting the 17th Pacific Games.

China fully respects the cultural traditions of Pacific island countries, and adheres to harmony in diversity and shared beauty of diverse cultures and also understands that island countries in the Pacific face severe challenges caused by climate change, and stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with them in such areas as meteorological services, disaster prevention and mitigation, and clean energy to help them implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xi said.

Noting that the decision to establish diplomatic relations with China was a correct choice, Sogavare said fruitful outcomes have been achieved in bilateral ties and China has become Solomon Islands’ largest infrastructure partner and a reliable development partner.

After the meeting, the two sides released the Joint Statement on Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Featuring Mutual Respect and Common Development for a New Era Between the People’s Republic of China and Solomon Islands.

Meeting with his host, Premier Li Qiang on the same day, Sogavare said that Solomon Islands attaches great importance to relations with China, appreciates China’s active assistance for the economic and social development of Solomon Islands and other island countries in the Pacific, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China.

Li noted that China is willing to share development opportunities with Solomon Islands, synergize development strategies further, and expand cooperation on trade and investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture, tourism, forestry and fisheries, information and communication, and energy and mineral resources.

According to the Joint Statement, “The two sides agreed that since the establishment of diplomatic ties four years ago, China-Solomon Islands relations have developed rapidly and remained at the forefront of relations between China and Pacific Island countries, becoming an example of unity, cooperation, mutual support and mutual benefit between developing countries.”

They added that they “agreed that all countries, regardless of size, strength and wealth, are equals, and that their sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. The Chinese side reaffirmed its staunch support for Solomon Islands’ nation building process and to choose a development path suited to its national conditions and in upholding its sovereignty, security and development interests. The Solomon Islands side reaffirmed that it is resolutely committed to the one-China principle, that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”

In one of the most internationally noted aspects of China/Solomon Islands cooperation, the two countries agreed to enhance cooperation on law enforcement and security matters. “The Chinese side will continue to provide support and help to Solomon Islands as needed in strengthening Solomon Islands’ police law enforcement capacity. The two sides agreed to step up protection of the safety and lawful rights and interests of each other’s nationals and institutions in their countries.”

China’s assistance to Solomon Islands in this regard has been a particular focus of imperialist ire, with allegations that it infringes on the island nation’s sovereignty and independence. In fact, what really concerns the imperialist and colonialist powers is how this cooperation with China is precisely what is enabling Solomon Islands to assert and enhance its independence. Australia, which sees itself as the United States’ “deputy sheriff” in the South Pacific, has hitherto asserted its right to intervene, in a ‘policing’ capacity under an unequal 2017 security treaty, which Prime Minister Sogavare, secure in his friendly relationship with China, called to be reviewed in June.

The joint statement further said that the two sides are “committed to working with all sides to promote peace, development and stability in the Pacific Islands region, and firmly uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as the cornerstone and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty.” In a clear rebuke to Japan and to the AUKUS military alliance of Australia, Britain and the United States, it added that they “urge relevant countries to fulfill their international obligations and prudently handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear contaminated water and cooperation on nuclear submarine.”

In conclusion, “Prime Minister Sogavare expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Chinese side for the generous hospitality accorded to him during his visit, and extended an invitation to the Chinese leaders to visit Solomon Islands at an early date.”

Sogavare was elected as Prime Minister of Solomon Islands for a fourth time in April 2019 and established diplomatic relations with China in September that year. Since then his government has been subjected to tremendous pressure, both overt and covert, from the United States, Australia and other imperialist powers, but far from retreating, he has actively consolidated and developed the friendly relationship with China, proving himself to be a leader of courage, principle and integrity. This is already providing tangible benefits to his country. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is building a cellular network whilst a Chinese state company is to redevelop the port in the capital Honiara.

Analyzing the visit, Niu Li, executive director of the Pacific Research Center at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Chinese newspaper Global Times that from establishing diplomatic ties with China in 2019 to signing the security pact in 2022, then to Sogavare’s current visit, “the Solomon Islands has shown its determination to defend its national sovereignty and is striving to get rid of being controlled regardless of the pressure from the US and its allies like Australia.”

The Chinese scholar added that the reaffirmation of strategic cooperation between China and Solomon Islands will encourage other Pacific Island countries to cooperate with China. “The China-Solomon Islands cooperation will serve as a model for other Pacific Island countries, which have come under long-standing bullying and control of the US-led Western powers, to defend their national sovereignty and autonomy.”

During his visit, Sogavare also officially opened the Solomon Islands embassy in Beijing, alongside China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

The following reports were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and Global Times.

Xi meets Sogavare, urging enhanced China-Solomon Islands cooperation

Xinhua, 11 July 2023

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing on Monday afternoon.

The two sides jointly announced the official establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

Continue reading China and Solomon Islands establish comprehensive strategic partnership

The following article is based on a contribution given by Dr Jenny Clegg at a discussion on the Global Security Initiative (GSI) Concept Paper, hosted by the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU) on 30 May 2023.

Providing the crucial historical background for the GSI, Jenny explains that the principles set out in the concept paper are “drawn from a world history of struggle against war and division” and are grounded in older conceptions: indivisible security (“the idea that the security of one country should not come at the expense of another”) and the five principles of peaceful coexistence. Jenny points out that the five principles – respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference, equality and mutual benefit – have long served as the fundamental basis of China’s foreign policy. Furthermore they informed the Bandung Conference in 1955 and the theory of nonalignment; as such, the concept paper and the principles it upholds are “far from Sinocentric” and represent a broad global trend, grounded particularly in the Global South.

Consistent with the United Nations Charter, the concept paper calls on the major powers to respond to conflict by facilitating peace talks and “encourage conflicting parties to build trust, settle disputes and promote security through dialogue.” People demand peace; war can be avoided; and governments must be held accountable. The difference with the West’s approach can be seen all too clearly in the case of the Ukraine crisis: while the G7 and NATO escalate by providing ever-heavier weaponry to Ukraine, China and other countries consistently advocate a political solution.

Other speakers at the webinar included Minister Wang Qi from the Chinese Embassy in London; Tom Unterrainer, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND); Dr. Zeno Leoni, Lecturer in Defence Studies at King’s College London; and John Gittings, long-term China specialist and peace activist and former assistant foreign editor at the Guardian newspaper. The session was introduced and chaired by Keith Bennett, SACU member and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China.

“Today, our world, our times and history are changing in ways like never before, and the international community is confronted with multiple risks and challenges rarely seen before… The deficits in peace, development, security and governance are growing, and the world is once again at a crossroads in history. This is an era rife with challenges.”^[1]

So opens the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper released by the PRC Foreign Ministry on February 21st, 2023. 

This was indeed a critical moment with the war in Ukraine threatening to spiral out of control. Just three days later, China’s leader, Xi Jinping seized the time with his announcement of the 12-point proposal on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. 

The purpose of the paper is to launch a New Security Concept based on common interests and equal participation for all states.  Whilst almost entirely escaping the superficial attention of the Western media, it in fact provides clarification of the rationale behind the 12-point proposal.^[2]  Setting out the aim of the GSI as seeking to ‘eliminate the root cause of wars and improve global security governance’, it indicates the Ukraine-Russia initiative is actually part of a much wider and deeper agenda of global transformation.

There has been much angst-ridden speculation in the West in recent years over China’s emergence as a more powerful global actor.  What then does this concept paper reveal about China’s intentions as a world leader? In the past, China’s practice has been to declare principles to make its position known but not get involved operationally: so now in such uncertain times, is Xi Jinping stepping forward with some concrete solutions? If so is this just another self-serving agenda as with any other power? If not, is this only more of the same foreign policy rhetoric, just another case of old wine in a new bottle?

Perhaps China is making an opportunistic grab for power as it sees the West’s leadership apparently failing? Is it seeking to counter NATO which last year set out its own Strategic Concept identifying China as a security challenge, subverting the rules-based international order?

The GSI: the background

The GSI was first introduced last year at a forum for Asian dialogue and is best understood as part of a series of initiatives advanced by Xi Jinping – the Global Development Initiative put forward at the UN Summit in 2021 to advance the right to development, and the Global Civilisation Initiative launched in March just after the GSI concept paper, advocating mutual learning.  These three proposals frame Xi Jinping’s aim to bring ‘Chinese wisdom’ to the world negotiating table.

Global thinking on security has broadened out over recent years to cover not just matters of war and peace, but also issues of economic security, climate change, pandemics and human rights.  At first sight, China’s document appears as a quick skate over a broad list of concerns, citing also numbers of organisations and initiatives mostly associated with China itself, so making the document look decidedly Sinocentric.  However it needs a deeper dive to understand its holistic approach.

Continue reading China’s Global Security Initiative Concept Paper: finding a way to peace

The Communist Youth League (CYL) of China opened its 19th National Congress in Beijing on June 19. Nearly 1,500 delegates, representing nearly 73 million CYL members, were joined at the opening ceremony by Xi Jinping and other top party leaders. Delivering greetings on behalf of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Cai Qi urged the youth in China to strive to be the new era’s great young generation with ideals, a sense of responsibility, grit, and dedication. Continued efforts should be made to deliver new results that are worthy of the times and history, and true to the expectations of the people, he added.

Congratulations to the congress were also delivered by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the All-China Women’s Federation, and other people’s organizations.

The congress concluded its work on June 22.

In this context, we are grateful to our advisory group member Roland Boer – Professor at the School of Philosophy at Renmin University of China – for drawing our attention to the below article by Zhuo Mingliang, which was originally published in the journal Party Building Reference Material, and for translating it for us. Zhuo Mingliang is a research fellow at the Youth Think Tank and the Academy of Marxism, both of which are under the umbrella of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

In his article, Zhuo argues that China’s CYL should take the initiative to promote the construction of a World Communist Youth League United Front, drawing on historical experience and for the following key reasons:

• First, from a Chinese perspective it is objectively necessary to engage in struggle over international public opinion in the new era, win the support and approval of international youth, and carry out central tasks for the Party and the country.
• Second, it is inevitable that the world’s youth should choose to work together in dealing with the impact of Western capitalist ideology.
• Finally, it is a strategic move to promote the unity of young people around the world, strengthen mutual understanding, learn from each other’s strengths, and complement each other’s weaknesses, view the world from the perspective of appreciation, mutual learning, and sharing, and join hands to build a community of shared future for humankind.

The author further argues that there are now sufficient subjective and objective conditions for this, in that young communist organisations:

• Accept the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and communism.
• Accept the leadership of the Communist Party.
• Are mass organisations of communist parties.
• Are guided by the spirit of proletarian internationalism.
• Have similar historical origins.
• Maintain some existing organisational ties, for example membership of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY).
• Young people the world over face similar tasks and responsibilities.

Zhuo insists that the young communists of China would not be seeking to “recreate a centralised system” or “establish another world authority.” Instead, they would seek to build a new type of international coordinating body based on the principles of voluntary participation, equality, consultation, mutual assistance, and joint construction. He also says that China’s CYL should, “seek to guide the Communist Youth Leagues of socialist countries to take the initiative in assuming international responsibilities and obligations and strengthen publicity of and support for the Communist Youth Leagues in capitalist countries.”

He proposes that the CYL should learn from the Communist Party of China’s recent experience in arranging dialogues with Marxist parties from around the world and further suggests it holds an annual summer or winter camp for young communists from around the world.

The article is an interesting indication of important debates taking place in China.

Translator’s introduction: The article translated here was written by Zhuo Mingliang, who is a research fellow at the Youth Think Tank and the Academy of Marxism, both of which are under the umbrella of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article is one result of a research project concerning the international responsibilities and tasks of the Communist Youth League of China.

I would add that the article is one example of the extraordinary ferment of ideas, proposals, and plans taking place in China at the moment. This is truly a time of “letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend.” All of this takes place in a context in which there is a quiet but very evident optimism in China about the future, and the sense that the times suit China very well. While this is primarily due to the internal dynamics and ever clearer qualitative advantages of China’s socialist construction, the global context also plays a role. The growing consensus here in China is that the West has hit rock bottom and it will be an immense struggle for Western countries to understand the reasons and find a way out. By the time they do so, the world will be a very different place. Readers may note the phrase – very common in China – “changes taking place in the world that we have not seen for a century.” Think back a century or so: this was the time of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. Historically, of course, we are in a very different situation, but the deep nature of the changes underway at the moment is analogous to the changes of a century ago.

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In April of 2022, the State Department Information Office of China published the white paper entitled “Youth of China Youth in the New Era”. The white paper points out that humanity has entered a new era of inter-connectivity, in which the interests and destinies of all countries are closely linked and intertwined. Since the world today is faced with increasingly obvious deficits in governance, trust, peace, and development, as well as worsening chaos, discord and injustice, our era calls on young people around the world to unite, strengthen mutual understanding, learn from each other’s strengths and complement each other’s weaknesses, view the world from the perspective of appreciation, mutual learning, and sharing, and join hands to build a community of shared future for humankind. Since the Communist Youth League of China is the largest of such organisations in the world, the League should take the initiative in promoting the building of a World Communist Youth League united front, explain well the stories of the Communist Party of China and Communist Youth League of China, and draw upon the wisdom and strength of youth in building a community with a shared future for humankind.

Continue reading The Communist Youth League of China’s international responsibilities and tasks in the New Era

President of Honduras Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento paid a state visit to China from June 9-14, 2023, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. Characterised by the exceptional warmth indicative of leaders and countries dedicated to a common path, Xiomara Castro became not only her country’s first female head of state but also the first to visit China. Coming less than three months after the countries established diplomatic relations, the successful visit shows both the rapid progress made in the bilateral friendship as well as its bright future.  

Meeting his Honduran counterpart in the Great Hall of the People on the afternoon of June 12, President Xi congratulated Castro on rallying her people on an independent path toward new achievements in national development, and commended her unwavering political will as evidenced by the historic decision she made to fulfil her campaign promise of establishing diplomatic relations with China.

Xi also spoke highly of the active role that Castro’s husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, played in this regard, adding that their contribution to the China-Honduras relationship will go down in history.

Underscoring the immediate and long-term significance of the establishment of diplomatic ties, Xi said the bilateral relationship has got off to a good and speedy start and enjoys great dynamism and promise. The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras will benefit future generations. China will unswervingly develop friendly relations with Honduras and firmly support Honduras’s economic and social development.  China is ready to work with Honduras to increase exchanges on governance experience, share experience in poverty alleviation, social governance, and anti-corruption efforts, and encourage all-round exchanges and cooperation between the governments, legislatures, and political parties, including those at the sub-national level. It stands ready to launch negotiations for a free trade agreement with Honduras as soon as possible and to work together to strengthen solidarity and cooperation among developing countries and to defend their common interests. 

Xiomara Castro said that establishing diplomatic relations with China is a historic decision made by the government of Honduras, and it will definitely go down in history. Honduras deeply admires China’s great development achievements under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping. The Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, all proposed by President Xi Jinping, will contribute to building a more peaceful and secure world that meets the common expectations of people around the world. Honduras highly values these initiatives and will actively participate in them. She expressed Honduras’s conviction that developing friendly and cooperative relations with China will help Honduras obtain more and better development opportunities. The rapid development of bilateral cooperation over the two months since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries has given Honduras great confidence in the future.

Both heads of state attached importance to working together in the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Following their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of 17 agreements covering diverse areas and issued a joint statement. As is customary, prior to their talks, a welcoming ceremony was held for the visiting head of state, presided over by President Xi. What drew particular attention was the response of President Castro to the children greeting her. As the Xinhua News Agency reported, the Honduran leader, who was dressed all in red for the occasion, “broke into a smile and reciprocated the warm gestures by forming a heart shape with her hands. Standing beside her was Chinese President Xi Jinping. It’s a scene that would be inscribed in the chronicle of China-Honduras relations.”

President Castro also paid her respects to the martyrs of the Chinese revolution at the Monument to the People’s Heroes.

The joint statement noted that Honduras recalled China’s support at the United Nations General Assembly on June 6 2009 for the adoption of resolution A/RES/30/63 condemning the coup d’état against President Zelaya, and appreciated China’s support for Honduras’s efforts to safeguard sovereignty and security and oppose foreign interference.

The Chinese side highly values the actions and positions of the Government of Honduras under the leadership of the first female President, Xiomara Castro; acknowledging the initiatives of the Government of Honduras to promote equality in the country, uphold the rule of law, and combat corruption in a comprehensive manner. China firmly supports Honduras in independently choosing its development path and independently developing its foreign relations and is willing to exchange experience in governance with Honduras, to provide assistance within its capacity for Honduras’s economic and social development and achieve common development and prosperity.

It added:  The two sides oppose all hegemonism and power politics, any unilateralism, protectionism and violence, as well as interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Honduras agrees with China’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all humanity and the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity; supports China’s Global Development Initiative, which is fully in line with the purpose set by the United Nations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals; and supports the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. Honduras is willing to actively participate in the above initiatives and recognizes their important role in addressing global challenges. China appreciates Honduras’s efforts to promote global and regional peace and development.

Whilst in Beijing, President Castro also met with Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Zhao Leji, and Li Xi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Central Committee’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), referred to by Xinhua as China’s “anti-graft chief”. The fight against corruption was touched on in the talks between the two presidents and is referred to twice in the joint statement. 

President Castro began her visit in Shanghai. Visiting the headquarters of the New Development Bank (NDB), established by the BRICS grouping, and meeting her old friend, Dilma Rousseff, President of the Bank and former President of Brazil, Castro submitted her country’s application to join the growing number of bank members.

In the course of the visit, Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina formally opened his country’s embassy in Beijing alongside his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang. Reina had also attended the opening of the Chinese embassy in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa shortly before departing for China as part of President Castro’s entourage.

The following articles were originally carried on the websites of the Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Global Times. The joint statement, as carried by the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was machine translated and lightly edited by us.

Xi holds talks with Honduran president

Xinhua, 12 June 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held talks with visiting President of the Republic of Honduras Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento in Beijing.

Noting President Xiomara Castro is the first Honduran president to pay a state visit to China following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in March, Xi extended a warm welcome to Castro and hailed her visit as one of special significance as it opens a new chapter in the annals of the China-Honduras relationship.

Continue reading Rapid progress in China-Honduras bilateral friendship

In this important article for China Daily, retired Chinese American judges and renouned peace activists Julie Tang and Lillian Sing highlight the connection between the US’s anti-China agenda and the alarming rise in anti-Asian racism. The authors point to the chilling parallels with the height of the Red Scare in the 1950s:

In the 1950s, during the McCarthy era, the US targeted the Soviet Union and China under a red-baiting hysteria about potential spies. Many Chinese Americans were arrested, incarcerated and subjected to deportation. Their only crime was that they were Chinese. Today, we see this dark history being repeated.

The article reaches the sad but unavoidable conclusion that “the US is no longer a safe place for Chinese Americans.”

The resurgence of anti-Asian racism is one of the key reasons that progressive people must stand up against the New Cold War and the Western ruling classes’ relentless demonization of China.

We are retired Chinese American judges with roots in China. We have spent most of our lives working in the legal system of the United States, rendering justice and fairness to those who appear before us as we adhere to the US and state constitutions, the rule of law, and state and local legal processes in our work.

We understand the importance of good US-China relations, as they affect our lives here in the US. We believe that unless the US resets its current hostile agenda against China, Chinese Americans will continue to have tough times ahead.

In the 1950s, during the McCarthy era, the US targeted the Soviet Union and China under a red-baiting hysteria about potential spies. Many Chinese Americans were arrested, incarcerated and subjected to deportation. Their only crime was that they were Chinese.

Today, we see this dark history being repeated.

Continue reading Dark time in US history rearing its head again

The 60th Africa Day, inaugurated when the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in 1963, was celebrated in Beijing on May 25. Joining State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the reception were  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo Christophe Lutundula, who were visiting China, as well as the African diplomatic corps.

Qin Gang stressed that, over the past 60 years, China and Africa have offered each other support, sharing weal and woe. No matter how the international situation evolves, China has always been there for Africa. China and Africa enjoy close friendly exchanges, and leaders of the two sides visit each other as often as relatives do. In the last six months alone, four African presidents paid state visits to China, and since the beginning of this year, more than ten African officials above the ministerial level have also visited China.

Being the world’s largest developing country and the continent home to the most developing countries, Qin Gang said, China and Africa need solidarity and cooperation more than ever. Turning to the economic front, he noted, that the two sides have together constructed and commissioned over 10,000 km of railway, nearly 100,000 km of highway, and an array of important infrastructure, including airports, docks, bridges and power plants. China is the first country to explicitly support the African Union (AU) in joining the G20.

Ministers Demeke and Lutundula said that through the common struggle for national liberation and independence, Africa and China have established a profound friendship, with solidarity and mutual trust becoming the cornerstone of the Africa-China partnership. China has made important contributions to Africa’s development and has become the most important partner in Africa’s integration.

The following reports, and Qin Gang’s speech, were first published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Qin Gang Attends Africa Day Reception

Chinese Foreign Ministry, 25 May 2023

On May 25, 2023, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang attended and addressed the Africa Day reception in Beijing. Also in attendance were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo Christophe Lutundula, and diplomatic envoys from various African countries to China.

On behalf of the Chinese government, Qin Gang extended congratulations on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Qin Gang said that the founding of the OAU is an epoch-making event in the history of Africa, and the start of a new chapter of African countries seeking strength and development through unity. At the turn of the century, the African Union (AU) took over the baton, and led African countries forward with bigger strides toward development and revitalization. With continued rise in its international status, Africa has become an important force with global influence. Over the past 60 years, China and Africa offered each other support, sharing weal and woe. No matter how the international situation evolves, China has always been there for Africa. In particular, over the last decade, guided by the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in developing China’s relations with Africa put forth by President Xi Jinping, China-Africa relations have been growing with the “acceleration button” on, and entered a fast track toward a new era of a stronger China-Africa community with a shared future. China and Africa enjoy closer friendly exchanges, and leaders of the two sides visit each other as often as relatives do; enjoy ever-deepening win-win cooperation, delivering more benefits to the two peoples; enjoy stronger coordination on international affairs, serving as an important force for international fairness and justice.

Continue reading Africa Day celebrated in Beijing