China

https://english.news.cn/20240719/faef7a6641b744428663d49bd71ebac2/c.html

CPC Central Committee sends condolences over death of Vietnam's Nguyen Phu Trong

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday sent condolences to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and deeply mourned the death of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The following is the full text of the condolence message:

General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong passed away. The CPC and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother and a good friend. With immense grief, we extend our deepest condolences and sincerest sympathies to the Central Committee of the CPV, the Vietnamese government and the Vietnamese people.

Trong was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the CPV and the Vietnamese people. He dedicated his entire life to the causes of his party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (reform), socialist construction, and the development of the world socialist movement.

Trong was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the CPC and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional friendship of "comrades plus brothers" between the two parties and two countries, and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders.

Trong and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping have jointly elevated China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and vigorously promoted the continuous development of China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and the Chinese people will always miss Trong.

We believe that the CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of Trong, unite and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialist construction.

China and Vietnam are socialist neighbors connected by mountains and rivers and a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. China has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Vietnam to continuously consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and push forward the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future to benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional and world peace and development.

Eternal glory to Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong[!]

http://www.news.cn/world/20240719/1e2d01c1b7214073b34f0eecc6bfa129/c.html

中共中央就越共中央总书记阮富仲逝世向越共中央致唁电

  新华社北京7月19日电　中国共产党中央委员会7月19日向越南共产党中央委员会致唁电，沉痛悼念越共中央总书记阮富仲同志。唁电全文如下：

  越共中央总书记阮富仲同志不幸与世长辞，中国共产党和中国人民失去了一位好同志、好兄弟、好朋友。我们谨以无比沉痛的心情向越共中央、越南政府和越南人民，致以最深切的哀悼和最诚挚的慰问。

  阮富仲同志是坚定的马克思主义者，是越南共产党和越南人民的伟大领导者，他把毕生精力献给越南党和国家各项事业，为越南革新开放和社会主义建设事业，为世界社会主义运动发展作出杰出贡献。

  阮富仲同志是中国共产党和中国人民的亲密同志和真诚朋友，他继承和发展了中越两党两国“同志加兄弟”的传统友谊，同中国共产党和中国领导人结下深厚友谊。阮富仲同志同习近平总书记一道将中越关系提升为具有战略意义的命运共同体，有力推动中越全面战略合作伙伴关系不断向前发展。中国党、政府和中国人民将永远怀念阮富仲同志。

  我们相信，越南党和越南人民将化悲痛为力量，继承阮富仲同志的遗志，团结奋斗，在革新开放事业和社会主义建设事业中取得新的更大成就。

  中越是山水相连的社会主义邻邦，是具有战略意义的命运共同体。中国始终把越南视为周边外交的优先方向，愿同越方一道，不断巩固政治互信，加强团结合作，推动中越命运共同体建设走深走实，造福两国人民，为地区和世界和平与发展作出贡献。

  阮富仲同志永垂不朽！

Let's see what this article from 2020 has to say about China successfully managing to eliminate extreme poverty:

"But the village, one of six in Gansu visited by The New York Times without government oversight, is also a testament to the considerable cost of the ruling Communist Party’s approach to poverty alleviation. That approach has relied on massive, possibly unsustainable subsidies to create jobs and build better housing.

Local cadres fanned out to identify impoverished households — defined as living on less than $1.70 a day. They handed out loans, grants and even farm animals to poor villagers. Officials visited residents weekly to check on their progress.

“We’re pretty sure China’s eradication of absolute poverty in rural areas has been successful — given the resources mobilized, we are less sure it is sustainable or cost effective,” said Martin Raiser, the World Bank country director for China."

Hm...unsustainable you say? Well it's now four years later and it seems things have only continued to get better and better. And not "cost-effective"? Well yes, if you're a capitalist parasite then spending money to lift people out of poverty probably isn't "cost-effective". But the people who no longer have to live in the same miserable conditions they endured before sure seem to think it's been pretty effective for them.

Biased Western media keep bombarding propaganda claiming China is becoming less attractive for foreign investment. But the facts say otherwise. China is now one of the most attractive markets for FDI

Since I'm currently in China I've been randomly browsing bilibili and under certain videos I have been noticing a certain insufferable group of ultras somehow even worse than (what I've seen of) western ones, who can obviously afford a device and internet yet claim to care for the poor oppressed masses and talk about how capital is destroying people's wills to live and stuff, and continuously use the term 'downtrodden masses'. One even said that modern society was just like in Lao She's Teahouse (where a lady had to sell her child to survive), and shifted the goalposts when asked about this by saying 'muh abductions!111!11!!

What I would like to know is, who are these people? Why are they like this? Given that most have obviously not experienced for themselves the massive improvement in quality of life between the 2000s and today, are they mostly too young and have too much free time, or are they petty bourgeoisie who also have too much free time? Am I looking at them the wrong way?

Would appreciate insights from those more knowledgeable than me, thanks.

https://archive.ph/vuoRb

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5103306

Most people in the west probably don't know this, but China actually 'participated' in WW1! But as a backwards country with two governments at this time, why did they do so? Why did they align with the Americans, when Germany had influence within the country? Did China receive any benefits from becoming a victor? Today I'll answer these questions and more.

In 1914 China had promised to stay neutral in WW1. Before this point, China had only lost in wars against imperial powers, and few desired to take part in another potentially disastrous war. Besides, many warlords themselves held territory in China, and few would have left their holdings to die in europe when potential competitors could simply occupy their territory. In addition, different powerful warlords were backed by foreign powers from both sides, so there was little desire to participate in the global war at the time.

Germany, however, supported Zhang Xun, who attempted to revive the Qing dynasty, gambling that he would be able to create a German-aligned Chinese monarchy, even providing him with weapons. But Zhang Xun held little military power compared to other warlords, and by easily defeating him Japan-backed Duan Qirui could now call himself the defender of democracy. He reinstated the powerless president, Li Yuanhong, but he himself was appointed as leader of the cabinet. While the cabinet seemed to be engaged in fierce conflict with the President, in reality Li was pretty much alone in his struggle and was always at a massive disadvantage, despite his backing by the US. Primarily this was because Duan had the full power of the Wan clique behind him, while Li had few if any armies of his own.

The Americans wished for China to join the war on their side, promising to renegotiate some unequal treaties, and Li gladly agreed. Yet the Japanese, supporting Duan, soon began urging Duan to join the war too, seeking to secure what Yuan had promised them in the 21 lines. Seeing the Japanese support China's entrance to the war, the US changed its tune and ordered Li to oppose the war.

Of course, this opposition could not be held for long, and Duan used German submarines sinking a ship carrying Chinese passengers as an excuse to cut off all ties with Germany, then declare war.

Despite declaring war, China never sent any troops to Europe, instead providing the entente with over 140000 laborers to aid the allies in constructing works, clearing mines, and other dangerous jobs. In the end, Germany was defeated, eliminating its influence in China, and many hoped that all German interests in China, such as the entire province of Shandong, could be returned to China. But things would not be so easy...

originally wanted to write a part 2 to my last post but too many things happened, so I'm going event by event here. Next post: the Treaty of Versailles and the 5-4 movement.\

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%8C%97%E6%B4%8B%E5%86%9B%E9%98%80%E5%8F%B2/6241211

source this book. You can get it for about 50 yuan and autotranslate it with that camera app or something.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1AG4y1N78P/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click

also this video from Soviet Monitor who is a platform verified expert on the warlord era.

Our understanding of China — and U.S.-China relations — has become a defining feature of all global politics. The China Report is a new show produced in collaboration with Pivot to Peace where every week, hosts Amanda Yee and KJ Noh will be helping through all the propaganda with an independent view of the country we are told to hate, but know so little about.

First two episodes:

• Exposed: Pentagon Ran Covert Anti-Vax Operation to Discredit China
• WSJ Accuses China of Secret Spy Bases in Cuba: Cold War Madness Gets Crazier

I’d never heard of Pivot to Peace.

• https://peacepivot.org/
• https://www.youtube.com/@pivottopeace2492

https://archive.ph/qV4uL