China
US renews insults and threats against North Korea
By Peter Symonds, 12 December 2019
The Trump administration has made clear that it has no intention of meeting North Korea’s end-of-year deadline for meaningful talks, thus setting the stage for confrontation and conflict.
Australian media’s “Chinese spy defection” story unravels
By Oscar Grenfell, 5 December 2019
The collapse of Wang Liqiang’s story, and the revelation that he is most likely “the spy who wasn’t,” is an object lesson in the fraudulent character of the entire anti-China campaign.
Trump signs Hong Kong “democracy” bill
By Nick Beams, 29 November 2019
Entitled the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act”—and passed by the US Congress with only one dissenting voice, making it veto-proof—the legislation has nothing to do with either.
US media ramps up anti-China campaign over Uyghur “human rights”
By Peter Symonds, 28 November 2019
Washington has a long record of cynically exploiting “human rights” to justify regime-change operations, military provocations and wars, while ignoring the gross abuses of key allies.
Australian establishment’s anti-China campaign goes into overdrive
By Oscar Grenfell, 28 November 2019
There is little doubt that the anti-China barrage in Australia is the result of consultations with, and substantial pressure from, the US military and intelligence establishment.
Canadian government-sponsored Security Forum rails against “strategic adversaries” China and Russia
By Roger Jordan and Keith Jones, 27 November 2019
Trump’s National Security Adviser demanded Canada massively hike military spending, restrict Huawei, and militarize the Arctic to counter China and Russia.
Australian media and intelligence agencies reveal “Chinese spy” defection
By Oscar Grenfell, 26 November 2019
Despite the implausible character of many of the defector’s claims, they have been presented uncritically by media outlets seeking to bolster the escalating and protracted campaign against supposed “Chinese interference.”
The lessons of the Hong Kong protests for the working class
By Peter Symonds, 26 November 2019
In the absence of a turn to the working class throughout China based on a socialist and internationalist perspective, the Hong Kong protest movement is being corralled behind various pro-capitalist organizations.
Australian Strategic Forum tries to downplay danger of US-China conflict
By James Cogan, 21 November 2019
Warnings that US-China tensions could lead to war were largely dismissed by the majority of the forum speakers.
Hong Kong police lay siege to university occupied by demonstrators
By Ben McGrath, 19 November 2019
The ramping up of police violence is a precursor to even more violent methods of suppressing the months-long protest movement.
Australian establishment up-in-arms after Beijing bans visit by two MPs
By James Cogan, 19 November 2019
The hypocrisy of the latest anti-China outburst is underscored by the Australian government refusal to allow Chelsea Manning, the American whistleblower and defender of democratic rights, to travel to the country.
Chinese soldiers appear on Hong Kong streets for first time since protests began
By Ben McGrath, 18 November 2019
The use of PLA troops to clear roadblocks in Hong Kong is a thinly veiled threat that the Chinese military could be used to violently suppress the protest movement.
Former US Secretary of State Kissinger points to danger of “catastrophic” conflict between US and China
By Nick Beams, 16 November 2019
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has warned of an inevitable “conflict” between the US and China that “will be worse than the world wars that ruined European civilisation.”
Trump threatens “substantial” increase in anti-China tariffs
By Nick Beams, 13 November 2019
In a speech to the New York Economic Club, Trump claimed, amid falling GDP numbers, that his administration had “launched an economic boom the likes of which we have never seen before.”
Hong Kong protests defy police violence and mass arrests
By Mike Head, 13 November 2019
Escalated police attacks appear to have reinforced the popular support for the protests, setting the stage for an even-more bloody confrontation.
Trump rules out rollback of China tariffs
By Nick Beams, 11 November 2019
Trump’s remarks were in response to a statement by Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng that the two sides had agreed to reduce tariffs on each other’s goods as part of any agreement.
China-led trade bloc inches forward at Asian summit
By Mike Head, 11 November 2019
The formation of the RCEP would be a blow to Washington and its drive to isolate, militarily encircle and subjugate China.
New Zealand military to expand Pacific presence
By John Braddock, 8 November 2019
The new Defence Paper extends the military’s engagement in the region in line with Washington’s war drive against China.
Uncertainty hangs over US-China trade deal
By Nick Beams, 6 November 2019
There has been no agreement from Washington to withdraw any of the tariff measures already imposed because it wants to ensure China complies with US-dictated terms.
Washington Post and New York Times incite racist campaign against Chinese-Americans
By Andre Damon, 5 November 2019
The newspapers most closely associated with the Democratic Party and the US intelligence agencies are inciting racially-motivated suspicions of Americans of Chinese ancestry.
New Zealand: Anti-China propagandist Anne-Marie Brady speaks at Victoria University of Wellington
By Tom Peters, 2 November 2019
Brady is demanding a full-scale witch hunt against Chinese “interference” in order to align New Zealand even more closely with US war preparations.
Video: 70 years after the Chinese Revolution—How the struggle for socialism was betrayed
31 October 2019
The following lecture was delivered by Peter Symonds at eight campuses in Australia and at meeting in Wellington, New Zealand.
Australian and New Zealand students speak after lecture on 70th anniversary of Chinese Revolution
By our reporters, 31 October 2019
“The real root ideas of socialism were not implemented in China from the bottom-up. I learnt that Trotskyism is internationalism, but Mao did not agree with that perspective.”
As protests continue, Hong Kong’s economy lurches into recession
By Peter Symonds, 29 October 2019
The deteriorating economy is not only being compounded by the protests, but is itself one of the driving forces behind the mass demonstrations.
Chinese president visits Nepal as tensions with the US sharpen
By Rohantha De Silva, 28 October 2019
Underscoring the importance of Nepal to China, Xi declared that “China and Nepal are bound by mountains and rivers, and stay as close as lips and teeth.”
70 years after the Chinese Revolution: How the struggle for socialism was betrayed
By Peter Symonds, 24 October 2019
This lecture was delivered at eight campuses in Australia and New Zealand to meetings organised by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) between September 26 and October 17.
Solomon Islands deal with Chinese developer highlights Pacific tensions
By John Braddock, 23 October 2019
Repeated claims that China wants a military foothold in the Pacific turn reality on its head to justify the aggressive build-up for war by the US and its regional allies.
The New York Times, China, and the specter of the “Yellow Peril”
By Andre Damon, 22 October 2019
In a full-page editorial in its Sunday edition, the New York Times engaged in a vicious anti-Chinese rant, warning of a “dangerous and growing threat” by the “aggressive … Communist state.”
Canada’s involvement in US-led war drive against China: An election non-issue
By Roger Jordan, 17 October 2019
A tacit all-party agreement to black out discussion of Canada’s rearmament and involvement in US strategic offensives around the world has been in effect throughout the campaign for the October 21 federal election.
Australia: “Four Corners” program promotes anti-China witch-hunt
By Oscar Grenfell, 17 October 2019
The program underscores the role of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a mouthpiece for the political establishment and the intelligence agencies.
Trump backs China’s handling of Hong Kong protests
By Peter Symonds, 14 October 2019
Trump’s comments demonstrate that US imperialism, far from defending democratic rights, cynically and selectively exploits “human rights” as the means for prosecuting its own interests.
US and China reach limited trade deal
By Nick Beams, 12 October 2019
The markets responded enthusiastically with the Dow finishing up by more than 300 points, but for all the celebrations, the agreement is very limited.
Introduction to the 1955 SWP resolution “The Third Chinese Revolution and its Aftermath”
By Peter Symonds, 9 October 2019
The SWP resolution summed up the lengthy discussion within the Trotskyist movement of the significance of 1949 Chinese Revolution and its deformation under the Stalinist leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.
Little prospect of agreement as US-China trade talks set to resume
By Nick Beams, 8 October 2019
China is reported to be opposed to any all-encompassing deal on trade and changes to its economic programs along the lines being demanded by the US.
Australian PM aligns with Trump administration against “globalism” and China
By James Cogan, 8 October 2019
Morrison reviewed the sweeping steps that have already been taken to assist the United States wage “strategic competition” against China.
Australian Labor Party courts big business
By Mike Head, 7 October 2019
Labor leaders are “blitzing” corporate boardrooms to win their backing in the wake of Labor’s election debacle.
Australia: Important response to first IYSSE lectures on the 1949 Chinese Revolution
By our reporters, 7 October 2019
The final lectures will be held at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) later today, and at Western Sydney University on October 9, the University of New South Wales on October 16, and Macquarie University on October 17.
Hong Kong’s chief executive invokes emergency law against protest movement
By Ben McGrath, 5 October 2019
The use of this British colonial era law is a warning that the ruling class in the Hong Kong and Beijing are preparing to suppress the months-long demonstrations for basic democratic rights.
Introduction to the 1951 report to the Fourth International by Chinese Trotskyist Peng Shuzhi
By Peter Symonds, 3 October 2019
The World Socialist Web Site is republishing Peng's report which provides important insights into the character of the 1949 Chinese Revolution and issues that it raised for the Fourth International.
From the archives
The Causes of the Victory of the Chinese Communist Party over Chiang Kai-Shek, and the CCP’s Perspectives
By Peng Shuzhi, 3 October 2019
Report on the Chinese Situation to the Third Congress of the Fourth International in 1951.
Chinese 70th anniversary parade testifies to a crisis-stricken regime
By James Cogan, 2 October 2019
Beside repression, the regime’s only answer to the rising unrest over widening social inequality is to promote reactionary Chinese nationalism, hoping that appeals to “national unity” will contain irreconcilable class antagonisms.
Seventy years since the Chinese Revolution
Draw the political lessons from the bankruptcy of Maoism
By Peter Symonds, 1 October 2019
The political heirs of Mao Zedong cannot explain how and why the aspirations of working people for a socialist future, for which so many sacrificed 70 years ago, have resulted in the dead end of capitalism today.
Solomon Islands and Kiribati cut ties with Taiwan, shift to China
By John Braddock, 28 September 2019
The diplomatic shifts underscore the deepening geo-strategic confrontation in the Pacific amid the intensifying US-led trade war.
Hong Kong’s chief executive launches phony dialogue platform
By Ben McGrath, 26 September 2019
While different sections of the bourgeoisie are cautious of appearing too close to Lam, all are looking for a way to shut down the protests.
Lectures in Australia and New Zealand on the 1949 Chinese Revolution
23 September 2019
In this video, Peter Symonds, SEP national WSWS editor, explains the relevance of his upcoming lecture “70 years after the Chinese Revolution: How the struggle for socialism was betrayed” to contemporary events. Details of dates and venues in Australia and New Zealand are available here.
Washington Post pushes xenophobic campaign against Chinese-Americans
By Andre Damon, 10 September 2019
The Washington Post has published an editorial giving its stamp of approval to a report by the Hoover institution arguing that Chinese nationals and ethnic Chinese Americans potentially pose a national security threat to the United States.
China: Thirty years since the Tiananmen Square massacre
By Peter Symonds, 10 September 2019
This lecture was delivered by Peter Symonds at the Socialist Equality Party (US) Summer School on July 25, 2019. Symonds is a member of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site and national WSWS editor of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia).
Hong Kong protesters: Turn to the Chinese working class, not US imperialism
By Peter Symonds, 9 September 2019
Any turn to the United States plays directly into the hands of Beijing, which seeks to malign the Hong Kong protests as the work of radical agitators and the “black hand” of Washington.
IYSSE lecture series in Australia
Seventy years after the Chinese Revolution: How the struggle for socialism was betrayed
9 September 2019
While the revolution vastly transformed international relations and class relations within China, the Communist Party, based on the Stalinist program of “Socialism in One Country,” deformed the newly-created state from the outset.
Hong Kong administration seeks to split protest movement
By Peter Symonds, 5 September 2019
By withdrawing the extradition legislation, chief executive Carrie Lam is seeking the support of conservative protest leaders to pave the way for the suppression of more militant layers.
Tens of thousands join first day of Hong Kong protest strike
By Peter Symonds, 3 September 2019
The union confederation is doing all it can to limit action by workers and confine their demands to those of the official pro-capitalist opposition in Hong Kong.
Trump imposes new tariffs on China
By Nick Beams, 2 September 2019
The new measures, to be followed by further imposts in December, have hit a wide range of consumer products, amid growing concerns of a recession in the global economy and the US.
Two-day strike begins in Hong Kong following weekend of protests
By Ben McGrath, 2 September 2019
Fearful of the intervention of the working class, authorities are stepping up their repression of protesters.
Hong Kong mass rally banned as Chinese troops deployed in show of force
By Mike Head, 30 August 2019
Beijing is well aware that the protracted protests are being driven by underlying student and working class concerns about escalating social inequality.
The US announces provocative arms sale to Taiwan
By Peter Symonds, 27 August 2019
The $8 billion sale of 66 F-16V fighter jets is the first such deal since the administration of President George H.W. Bush approved the sale of 150 fighter jets to Taiwan in 1992.
Hong Kong protests continue into twelfth week
By Peter Symonds, 26 August 2019
Clashes with police took place involving for the first time the use of water cannon as well as tear gas and batons as police attempted to disperse protesters.
Anti-China witch-hunt targets Australian universities
By Oscar Grenfell, 26 August 2019
The government and the security agencies convened a meeting with universities, threatening research involving Chinese academics.
Wall Street falls as US-China trade conflict intensifies
By Nick Beams, 24 August 2019
Tweets by Trump in response to tariff measures by Beijing were his most belligerent to date, taking aim not only against China, but US corporations and the Federal Reserve.
Rift widens between Australia and Pacific Island states
By John Braddock, 24 August 2019
The Pacific Islands Forum has opened up a bitter dispute over the Australian government’s refusal to agree to urgent measures to address climate change.
US escalates preparations for nuclear war with Russia and China
By Andre Damon, 23 August 2019
After withdrawing from the INF treaty, the US is accelerating its preparations to fight a nuclear war with China or Russia by testing and stockpiling dangerous new weapons in a nuclear arms race.
How to fight for democratic rights in Hong Kong
By Peter Symonds, 22 August 2019
Hong Kong workers and youth need to reach out to their class brothers and sisters in China who confront the same class enemy—the Stalinist regime in Beijing that defends the interests of the corporate elite and the super-rich.
Australia’s US Studies Centre advocates war-footing against China
By James Cogan, 22 August 2019
The policies that the pro-US think tank proposes could not be implemented without the suppression of widespread political opposition.
Twitter purges 200,000 accounts “originating from China”
By Oscar Grenfell, 21 August 2019
The company’s actions are part of a campaign, in collaboration with the US government and intelligence agencies, to censor unfavourable or adverse political content on social media.
Australian prime minister elevates pro-US militarists to top cabinet, intelligence positions
By James Cogan, 20 August 2019
Shearer’s role will be to advise Morrison and other ministers on how to publicly promote the US-led preparations for war with China.
As China masses troops on border, Trump calls for end to Hong Kong “problem”
By Mike Head, 16 August 2019
The US president solidarised himself with his Chinese counterpart in the “tough business” of dealing with social unrest.
Australia: Pro-US ideologue brands student groups as China’s “useful idiots”
By Oscar Grenfell, 15 August 2019
Clive Hamilton’s comments are a warning that Australia’s involvement in the US drive to war with China will be accompanied by political repression domestically.
Hong Kong protests met with denunciations and threats
By Peter Symonds, 14 August 2019
The muted response to the threats of Chinese intervention reflects fear in ruling circles internationally that events in Hong Kong could be replicated in cities around the world.
Protest sit-in shuts Hong Kong international airport
By Peter Symonds, 13 August 2019
The closure of the world’s eighth biggest airport, following on from last week’s general strike, marks a significant deepening of the political crisis in Hong Kong.
Concerns grow over global financial stability
By Nick Beams, 13 August 2019
There is now a historically unprecedented situation in bond markets where it is estimated that some $15 trillion worth of government bonds are trading at negative yields, meaning an investor who purchased the bond and held it to maturity would make a loss.
Establishment figures welcome renewed anti-China hysteria in Australia
By James Cogan, 13 August 2019
The ruling elite requires Australia’s incorporation into US war preparations to be accompanied by slandering any public opposition as the product of “Chinese interference.”
UK growth contraction caps week of economic turbulence
By Nick Beams, 10 August 2019
The British GDP data ended a week of deepening uncertainty in financial markets and growing fears of a recession in major areas of the global economy.
Following AUSMIN talks, Australian politician compares China to Nazi Germany
By James Cogan, 10 August 2019
Andrew Hastie falsely compared the purported failure of Australia to respond to the threat posed by China with France’s lack of response to the “German advance in 1940.”
Canada’s ruling elite whipping up anti-China hysteria to pave way for repression, rearmament and war
By Roger Jordan, 10 August 2019
All the organs of Canadian bourgeois propaganda—government institutions, political parties and corporate media outlets—have united to cast Ottawa as a beleaguered David confronting a Chinese Goliath.
Currency war: A new stage in capitalist breakdown
By Nick Beams, 8 August 2019
A global currency conflict will take the economic warfare being waged by the US against “strategic competitors” such as China as well as its nominal allies to a new level.
General strike signals entry of working class into Hong Kong protests
By Peter Symonds, 7 August 2019
The mass protests in Hong Kong, which have continued for more than two months, are part of the resurgence of the working class internationally.
Tens of thousands of workers strike throughout Hong Kong
By Ben McGrath, 6 August 2019
The ruling class throughout the world is deeply fearful of the spread of social discontent as the working class moves into open struggle for its democratic and social rights.
US-China trade conflict escalates to currency war
By Nick Beams, 6 August 2019
Stock markets fell sharply around the world yesterday, amid fears of a currency war, after China allowed its currency, the renminbi, to pass through the benchmark of 7 to the US dollar.
General strike by Hong Kong workers against extradition law
By Peter Symonds, 5 August 2019
The strike signals the entry of the working class, on a class basis, into the mass protest movement, pointing to the underlying social and economic issues driving the opposition.
Trump’s trade war measures hit the financial markets
By Nick Beams, 3 August 2019
In its analysis of the latest turn in the trade war, the South China Morning Post said China had to decide either to a walk away from the negotiations or make major concessions to the US.
Trump escalates trade war against China
By Nick Beams, 2 August 2019
The decision to impose a 10 percent tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, covering a wide range of consumer products, represents the most significant intensification of the more than year-long trade war to date.
Factory explosion in central Chinese city kills 15
By Robert Campion, 30 July 2019
Claims by authorities to address safety after such industrial accidents have proven to be empty words.
Protests in Hong Kong continue despite escalating police violence
By Ben McGrath, 29 July 2019
The participation of workers at Hong Kong’s airport on Friday is an indication of the broader support for the protests in the working class.
Beijing raises prospect of military intervention in Hong Kong
By Ben McGrath, 26 July 2019
Beijing ultimately fears that the growth of working class anger will fuel similar mass protests throughout China.
Dangerous encounter of warplanes from four nations over Sea of Japan
By Ben McGrath, 25 July 2019
While the US was not directly involved, its aggressive military buildup in Asia created the conditions for the aerial standoff.
Amid growing signs of global slowdown
US-China trade talks to resume next week
By Nick Beams, 25 July 2019
The conflict has become more fraught since the US Commerce Department decided to place Huawei on its entity list, effectively banning it from supplies of US components for its operations.
Gang members attack Hong Kong protesters
By Ben McGrath, 23 July 2019
Beijing and local authorities are fearful that the Hong Kong protest movement will spread to the mainland and are employing increasingly violent means against it.
Thousands protest in central China against proposed waste incinerator
By Robert Campion, 19 July 2019
The Wuhan protests are an expression of the growing social discontent throughout China, occurring at the same time as the mass demonstrations in Hong Kong.
As US senators deepen attack on Huawei
Trump’s trade war against China hits Asian economies
By Nick Beams, 18 July 2019
Because it functions as a transhipment hub for final destinations in the rest of Asia, a sharp decline in exports from Singapore last month points to an economic slowdown across the region.
China’s growth slows to lowest level since 1992
By Nick Beams, 17 July 2019
While the growth figure is still within the official target range, there are clearly growing concerns in Beijing that it could go lower in the months ahead.
US-China trade negotiations at virtual standstill
By Nick Beams, 15 July 2019
While Beijing continues to maintain that it is open to discussions, the evidence indicates it has all but given up on any prospect of reaching an agreement.
Hong Kong protesters appeal to mainland Chinese for support
By Ben McGrath, 9 July 2019
The unity of the Chinese working class as a whole is a prerequisite for the struggle for democratic rights and social equality.
Hong Kong protests continue amid Beijing’s veiled threats of military intervention
By Ben McGrath, 6 July 2019
In an unusual move, China’s military reported on drills the day after another mass rally.
Hundreds of thousands protest on the streets of Hong Kong
By Peter Symonds, 2 July 2019
Mass protests have persisted, despite the suspension of the extradition legislation, pointing to a deeper social and political crisis.
The G20 Summit in Osaka: The war of all against all
By Andre Damon, 29 June 2019
World leaders gathered in Osaka, Japan for the G20 summit amid the relentless promotion of trade war, protectionism and militarism.
Chinese and North Korean leaders pledge closer links at Pyongyang summit
By Ben McGrath, 25 June 2019
The United States will not welcome closer relations between the two Stalinist regimes as it tries to pull the North into its own orbit.
US names Taiwan a “country,” stoking tensions with China
By Robert Campion, 21 June 2019
Washington deepens ties with Taipei in preparation for war against mainland China.
Canada rules out overture to China, vows to extradite Huawei CFO to US
By Roger Jordan, 19 June 2019
The Trudeau government has curtly dismissed the suggestion of former Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien that Ottawa use its legal prerogative to block Meng’s extradition.
Millions march in Hong Kong against extradition law
By Ben McGrath, 17 June 2019
The huge demonstration on Sunday is an indication of widespread anger in Hong Kong, not only over democratic rights, but the city’s worsening social crisis.
Police crackdown against Hong Kong protesters opposing extradition bill
By Ben McGrath, 13 June 2019
Beijing fears the spread of the protests into China, as social inequality and tensions rise in both Hong Kong and the mainland.
US gears up for World War III with largest defense contract in history
By Andre Damon, 13 June 2019
The Pentagon announced Monday its single largest arms purchase ever, agreeing to buy nearly 500 F-35 fighter aircraft at a total cost of $34 billion.
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