Who in Britain would celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of socialist China? The good news is ‘Friends of Socialist China’!
At least over one hundred packed into the Bolivar Hall located next to the Venezuelan Embassy off Tottenham Court Road to mark the occasion this morning.
The six-hour event was graced with the attendance of representatives from the Chinese embassies and a handful other socialist countries who spoke in the morning. So ‘Friends’ are established.
There were more than a dozen lspeakers, and half a dozen on video, including George Galloway. Significantly not a single labour MP.
The Morning Star, and the Communust Party of Britain are closely think. There are some Trade Union presence.
It’s good to keep the flag flying. Before the current anti-China political onslaught, the group would be just at the political fringe while the likes of Blair, Mandelson of labour; Heseltine, Boris of Conservative would champion the China cause. Celebrations could even be at Tralfagar square. Not in 2024.
Times have changed. US anti-China bill now allocates over $1.5 billion for propaganda. Times will be tougher.
Secretary General of the CP of Britain who spoke at the closing lamented that his city Newport in Wales had stopped twinning arrangements. And so are schools up and down the country. Those were the lost good times.
He suggested that each in the peace movement and CND for example, should, challenge unsupported casual assumptions that China is a military threat to the West. I agree.
The Palestinians also sent their greetings. Generally the audience accepts that China has delivered a major contribution to socialism by delivering real shared prosperity to its people, and internationally through BRICS to the rest of the poor countries.
