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China hands rare death sentence to ex-banker who took US$151 million in bribes
  • Additional context to answer some of the questions here: His superior Lai Xiaomin:

    • investigated in April 2018
    • arrested in Nov 2018
    • prosecuted in Feb 2019
    • first court trial in Oct 2020
    • sentenced to death on Jan 5, 2021
    • appeal rejected, verdict maintained on Jan 21, 2021
    • executed on Jan 29, 2021
    • corruption activities were between 2008 and 2018

    As for Bai Tianhui:

    • arrested in Jan 2019
    • first court trial, sentenced to death, on May 28, 2024
    • corruption activities were between 2014 and 2018

    So the jig was up when Lai was investigated in 2018, Bai was already doomed from that point on.

  • China hands rare death sentence to ex-banker who took US$151 million in bribes
  • If there's a reprieve it would be explicitly stated, none in this case.

  • Already Free
  • @Vampire@hexbear.net: I'd like to recommend the whitepaper published by the State Council Information Office of China in 2021, "Tibet Since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity": http://www.news.cn/english/2021-05/21/c_139959978.htm

    It's a long read but most of the questions brought up in your comments here can be found in the first 3 sections. Maybe it will clear up some of the inaccurate presentation of history like "Tibet was separate from China before 1720", "Then it was independent 1912-1950". Feel free to question the Chinese government if you believe that certain facts presented in the whitepaper are wrong, and bring your relevant authoritative sources to refute them.

  • Central Committee of Democratic Front for Reunification of Korea Formally Dissolved

    > Pyongyang, March 24 (KCNA) -- A meeting of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea (DFRK) took place here on Saturday. > > Present there were presidium members of the Central Committee of the DFRK and representatives of political parties and social organizations. > > The meeting stressed that the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government branded the ROK clans, who have proclaimed the DPRK the “principal enemy” and pursued the "collapse of regime" and "unification by absorption" only in collusion with outside forces for nearly 80 years, as the most hostile state, invariable principal enemy and complete foreign country, not the partner for reconciliation and reunification, and set up a new stand on the north-south relations and reunification policy. > > And it reached a consensus that there is no need for the Central Committee of the DFRK, a pan-national united front organization, to exist any longer in the situation where the north-south relations are completely fixed into the relations between two states hostile to each other and the relations between two belligerent states, not the consanguineous or homogeneous ones. > > The meeting decided to formally dissolve the Central Committee of the DFRK.

    8
    lemmy.ml meta @lemmy.ml qwename @lemmygrad.ml
    Appealing the ban of yogthos@lemmy.ml from worldnews@lemmy.ml due to "spam"

    According to the modlog for !worldnews@lemmy.ml, @yogthos@lemmy.ml (display name: ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆) was banned by the instance admin @davel@lemmy.ml on March 20, 2024 08:52:45PM for "spam". Upon examining the most recent 119 posts in that community (6 pages from https://lemmy.ml/c/worldnews?dataType=Post&sort=New to https://lemmy.ml/c/worldnews?dataType=Post&pageCursor=Pc99aa0&sort=New), I have found that yogthos is indeed the top poster in this past week, contributing to 19 out of 119 or almost 16% of the posts, with the second most posts coming from @naturalgasbad@lemmy.ca at 15 posts.

    Just being the top poster over the past week or so doesn't make someone a spammer, if we examine yogthos' recent 19 posts, we can find that they vary in topics and sources. I hope that davel or someone can explain this ban or undo it if it was a mistake.

    List of 19 posts, ordered by most recent: (Number of posts on each page examined: 5+3+4+2+2+3=19)

    Vietnam seeks death for tycoon in $12bn fraud case

    https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2761251/prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-for-mastermind-of-vietnams-largest-financial-scam

    China keeps on finding ways to hurt USA Inc.

    https://www.businessinsider.com/china-has-found-another-way-to-hurt-usa-inc-2024-3

    Another Boeing emergency: Delta Airlines 737 plane makes emergency landing after one of the engines caught fire moments after taking off in Aruba

    https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/another-boeing-emergency-delta-airlines-737-plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-one-of-the-engines-caught-fire-moments-after-taking-off-in-aruba/ar-BB1kdWb9

    Symbolism or Strategy? Ukraine Battles to Retain Small Gains.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/world/europe/ukraine-russia-south.html

    IDF chief Herzi Halevi expected to resign later this year, Israeli reports say

    https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-792885

    Brazil's Bolsonaro is indicted for first time over alleged falsification of his own vaccination data

    https://apnews.com/article/bolsonaro-brazil-federal-police-indicted-covid-a0c1f1dba71553096d0de0f4f39d4caa

    The Attritional Art of War: Lessons from the Russian War on Ukraine

    https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/attritional-art-war-lessons-russian-war-ukraine

    UN weather agency issues ‘red alert’ on climate change after record heat

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/19/un-weather-agency-issues-red-alert-on-climate-change-after-record-heat

    Lindsey Graham, visiting Kyiv, urges Ukraine to pass mobilization law

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/18/lindsey-graham-visiting-kyiv-urges-ukraine-pass-mobilization-law/

    China is now visa-free for Europeans: Take a high-speed train to futuristic cities and fabulous food

    https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/03/18/china-is-now-visa-free-for-europeans-take-a-high-speed-train-to-futuristic-cities-and-fabu

    What Might the US Owe the World for Covid-19?

    https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/covid-19-gain-of-function-us-research

    Record heat index of 62.3C scorches Rio de Janeiro

    https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/3/18/photos-record-heat-index-of-62-3c-scorches-rio-de-janeiro

    China's Global South exports surge in first two months

    https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/chinas-global-south-exports-surge-in-1st-2-months/

    America Pulls Back from Ukraine

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/briefing/ukraine-us-aid.html

    Niger revokes military accord with US, junta spokesperson says

    https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/niger-revokes-military-accord-with-us-junta-spokesperson-says-2024-03-16/

    Here’s How The Russians Are Taking Out Ukraine’s M-1 Abrams Tanks

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/03/13/heres-how-russian-troops-are-taking-out-ukraines-m-1-abrams-tanks/

    Funding failure puts US at China's high-tech mercy

    https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/funding-failure-puts-us-at-chinas-high-tech-mercy/

    Chinese buyers cancel, postpone Australian wheat buys amid global surplus

    https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chinese-buyers-cancel-or-postpone-australian-wheat-buys-amid-global-oversupply-2024-03-14/

    I guess we now know who is all behind those Sinophobic anti-China posts online.

    https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/14/24100984/cia-china-fake-social-media-spying

    18
    I'm sorry, everyone, for the way I acted last year. - Makan
  • I'm not sure who you were, but I took over !china@lemmygrad.ml while you were away: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3309739, welcome back!

  • "Freedom of Speech" in the United States:Truth and Facts

    Latest piece by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on US. Chinese version: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/wjbxw_new/202403/t20240314_11260665.shtml

    Previous articles: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/559922

    0
    Why does China make so many "Marxist-Leninists" go crazy?
  • the professor explains that a party reportly bluntly states that development in china has been rather uneven, unbalanced and lopsided. There are significant issues with party loyalty and corruption. Gaps between rural and urban areas are large. Many cadres don’t promote scientific innovation well and so on. It might not be correct to pin all of this on rightist errors by one man, but these are errors.

    Maybe you could further explain how uneven development or any of the other issues are "rightist errors", there is a fundamental divide between people who outright reject Deng Xiaoping's policies and those who accept them with criticism. The policy of 一国两制 (One China, Two Systems) is probably the most suitable example that can be viewed as "rightist", letting Hong Kong and Macao continue to operate their capitalist system. Other less "egregious" examples are 经济特区 (Special Economic Zones) like Shenzhen and Hainan, there's also the "infamous" 社会主义市场经济 (socialist market economy).

    once a country has been made independent of imperialists, nationalism becomes an obstacle to socialist development

    China’s policy of peaceful coexistence would be helped by promoting a more internationalist stance in culture.

    From Mao era's 世界人民大团结万岁 (Long live the great unity of the people of the world) to Xi era's 人类命运共同体 (community of shared future for mankind), China has always been advocating for internationalism.

    Nationalism's call to unity is collectivism at the national-level, I agree that collectivism at different levels can be in conflict with each other, for example when family interests conflict with national interests. There is a Chinese saying "舍小家、为大家", which means something like "for the greater good", to describe putting the interests of the greater collective (nation) before the smaller collective (family/self).

    Similarly, national interests and international interests can also be conflicting, but China doesn't choose nationalism or internationalism exclusively, it depends on the situation. When assisting the development of Global South countries, is that not internationalism at work? When handling disputes in the South China Sea, China defends its legitimate claims to the islands for national interests.

    Nationalism can be reactionary when used at the expense of other nations (invasion, chauvinism, xenophobia), internationalism can be reactionary when used in disregard of legitimate national interests (like contributing to underdevelopment of the current nation, sounds familiar? That's what some people say when China provides cheap goods at the detriment of Chinese workers). Until world communism has been achieved, there's no simple "choice" between nationalism or internationalism, even then there will be new problems in the new world order.

  • Why does China make so many "Marxist-Leninists" go crazy?
  • China before Xi’s reforms was pretty much a capitalist hellhole. Corruption, environmental degradation and poverty were rampant

    Those issues do not justify calling China during that period a "capitalist hellhole".

    even the CPC’s official stance is that Deng made some rightist errors

    Could you provide the source for this?

    The CPC has also made errors in recent years by becoming more nationalistic and has moved slower on LGBTQ rights than is expected of a socialist country.

    China's nationalism is controversial to some, probably because they think it's like the toxic "America First", or that it is not a very communist stance, but I do not see it as a mistake. Nationalism is fundamental for the survival of any nation that wishes to be independent and not controlled or invaded by foreign powers.

    LGBTQ rights are important in the sense that they are treated as normal people, not "special" people. China is certainly lacking some LGBTQ rights that are available in other countries like same-sex marriage.

  • New gene therapy could lead to cure for hereditary deafness

    Related articles:

    The Lancet: AAV1-hOTOF gene therapy for autosomal recessive deafness 9: a single-arm trial https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02874-X/fulltext

    The Harvard Gazette: Gene-therapy breakthrough allows congenitally deaf children to hear https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/01/gene-therapy-breakthrough-allows-congenitally-deaf-children-to-hear/

    Massachusetts Eye and Ear: Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Children with Hereditary Deafness https://www.masseyeandear.org/news/press-releases/2024/01/gene-therapy-restores-hearing-children-hereditary-deafness

    0
    China's President Receives Afghan Ambassador; Taliban Seek Recognition From Russia, Iran
  • From today's (Jan 31) Chinese Foreign Ministry Regular Press Conference: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/202401/t20240131_11237282.html

    AFP: It’s reported that the Chinese President yesterday in Beijing received credentials of ambassadors from many countries, including Afghanistan. Does it mean that the Chinese government officially recognizes the Afghanistan’s Taliban interim government?

    Wang Wenbin: China’s policy on Afghanistan is consistent and clear. As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China is committed to a foreign policy of friendship towards all Afghan people and has maintained diplomatic ties and exchange and cooperation in various areas with Afghanistan. It is normal diplomatic arrangement for China to receive the new ambassador to China sent by the Afghan interim government and for him to present his credentials to the Chinese leader. We hope that the international community will step up engagement and exchange with the Afghan interim government, encourage it to actively respond to international concerns, jointly help with Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development, and support Afghanistan’s effort to combat violent terrorist forces and contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

    Bloomberg: Can you state clearly if China recognizes the Taliban government or not. In the case where it does not recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan, what does the Taliban government have to do in order to get official recognition from China?

    Wang Wenbin: I said in my previous answer that it’s normal diplomatic arrangement for China to receive the new ambassador to China sent by the Afghan interim government and for him to present his credentials to the Chinese leader.

    You asked whether China officially recognizes the Afghan interim government, I would like to say that China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community. We hope Afghanistan will further respond to the expectations of the international community, build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, firmly combat all forms of terrorist forces, develop friendly relations with other countries, especially with its neighbors, and integrate itself into the world community. We believe that diplomatic recognition of the Afghan government will come naturally as the concerns of various parties are effectively addressed.

  • (Video) 200 years of Monroe Doctrine: Evolution of U.S. dominance in Latin America

    Read more: Xinhua Headlines: 200 years on, scars left by Monroe Doctrine still clear on Latin America https://english.news.cn/20240119/bc26fa350cae42f9a6c760afdfc602a7/c.html

    Chinese version: 国际观察|扎入拉美“血管”的霸权利刃——起底美国“门罗主义”干涉拉美二百年 http://www.news.cn/20240121/f61c65ab6a7d4d168307087ffc577be1/c.html

    新闻背景|美国抱持“门罗主义”干涉拉美大事记 http://www.news.cn/20240121/ff9bdf0e97fe49b1a38a1f690aabe024/c.html

    0
    Yooo 😳 What is Xi Pointing at ?
  • Comrades, I have made a mistake, the video from China Daily loaded on mobile and I see that he is actually pointing at the speed display above the carriage door, saying that the train was moving at 300 kph.

    I shall now see myself to the gulags in shame.

  • Yooo 😳 What is Xi Pointing at ?
  • He is pointing at a TV.

    Xi Jinping and Putin taking the high-speed rail to Tianjin, China in 2018-06-08, during Putin's visit.

    Video: https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1602713068773632490

    Putin's China trip: High-speed train, ice hockey, local snacks https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201806/09/WS5b1b6670a31001b82571f152.html

  • UNSC Meeting Following Air Strikes in Yemen
    press.un.org Pointing to “Cycle of Violence”, Senior UN Official Urges Restraint Following Air Strikes in Yemen | UN Press

    Following strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen launched by the United States and United Kingdom on 11 January — a day after the Security Council adopted a resolution demanding that the Houthis cease attacking merchant and commercial vessels — a senior United Nations official today warned the 15-nation o...

    My summary of the statements from Russia/US/UK/China about the legality of US and UK's attacks on Yemeni territory

    Russia: > VASSILY A. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) noted the massive strike on Yemeni territory on 11 January by “a so-called international coalition”, headed by the United States and United Kingdom and including Australia, Canada, Bahrain and the Netherlands ... > > ... The exercise of the right to self-defence does not apply to commercial shipping, he said, noting that freedom of navigation is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides for negotiation and arbitration in the event of violations. > > ... the concept of piracy does not apply in this case and pointed out: “Even if we’re talking about pirates, the Convention gives you the right to seize a pirate vessel and prosecute the crew and not to bomb yet another country back to the Stone Age.” > > ... resolution 2722 (2024) does not authorize the arbitrary acts that the United States and its satellites are carrying out in Yemen.

    UK: > BARBARA WOODWARD (United Kingdom) recalled that on 9 January, the Houthis attacked naval vessels of her country and the United States. On 11 January, her country took limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence alongside the United States, with the non-operational support of the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain and Australia. > > ... The United Kingdom published a summary of its legal position on its strikes against the Houthis and reported to the Council in writing in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

    US: > LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States) noted that in response to ongoing and escalating Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the United States and United Kingdom, with support from four countries, conducted a number of joint strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen to disrupt and degrade their ability to continue those reckless attacks. The strikes were necessary and proportionate, consistent with international law and the United States’ inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. ... > > She noted that on 18 December, the United States formed Operation Prosperity Guardian, a 22-country defensive coalition, citing ongoing Houthi attacks and her country’s military response, while pursuing a diplomatic response. She cited resolution 2722 (2024), which references the inherent right of Member States to defend their vessels. ...

    China: > ZHANG JUN (China) expressed grave concern over the launch of strikes against the Houthis by the United Kingdom and the United States. His country called repeatedly on the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks and harassments on commercial vessels and respect the navigation rights of the commercial vessels of all countries. ... > > ... Expressing regret over the latest military actions against Yemen, he observed that they destructed infrastructure and caused civilian casualties. They also heightened security risks in the Red Sea and risked undermining the ongoing political process. The Council has never authorized any State to use force. Their military actions are at odds with Council resolution 2722 (2024). No country shall misinterpret or abuse international law. ...

    Russia: > Mr. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation), taking the floor a second time, called the arguments put forward by the United States and the United Kingdom “very weak”. There is no legal basis on which to justify their attacks on sovereign Yemen, he underscored, questioning what right to self-defence can exist when London and Washington, D.C., are thousands of miles away from the Gulf of Aden. Disproportionately and illegally bombing another State is not the same as defending commercial shipping. “The Anglo-Saxon juror and their satellites”, he said, are once again flagrantly violating the Charter of the United Nations and other norms of international law, further destabilizing the situation in a Middle East already in flames. ...

    US: > Ms. THOMAS-GREENFIELD (United States) said that her delegation was clear in its statement — “despite the fact that my Russian colleague thinks it was weak”. The United States carried out action under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce. ...

    UK: > Ms. WOODWARD (United Kingdom) said that her delegation has both “published a summary of our legal position on last night’s strikes” and reported to the Council in writing in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

    What is this Article 51? https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text > Article 51 > > Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

    1
    (ICJ) Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel)

    Link includes press releases, verbatim records, videos (https://icj-cij.org/index.php/cases/multimedia/192) of this International Court of Justice (ICJ) case between South Africa and Israel.

    0
    AirDrop cracked by China, revealing phone number & email
  • The Bloomberg article cited (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-09/china-says-cracked-apple-s-airdrop-to-identify-message-sources or https://archive.is/XnvO8) once again doesn't mention the relevant institute by name, but here's the Chinese article from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice: 2024-01-08 司法鉴定:司法鉴定揭开“隔空投送”匿名传输的神秘面纱 https://sfj.beijing.gov.cn/sfj/sfdt/ywdt82/flfw93/436331732/index.html

    This paragraph reveals how they found out the AirDrop sender's email and phone number:

    北京网神洞鉴司法鉴定所的司法鉴定技术专家们通过深度解析iPhone设备日志,明确传输原理,找出了与AirDrop 相关的记录。经检验发现发送者的设备名、邮箱和手机号相关字段,其中手机号与邮箱相关字段是以哈希值的形式记录,且哈希值部分字段被隐藏。为实现快速破解该字段,技术团队制作了一张详尽的手机号与邮箱账号“彩虹表 ”,能够将密文转换成原始文本,快速锁定发送者的手机号与邮箱账号。

    Basically the sender's phone number and email addresses were stored as hash values, but the hashes were just partial values. The judicial appraisal institute "北京网神洞鉴" created rainbow tables (precomputed table for caching the outputs of a cryptographic hash function, usually for cracking password hashes) to bruteforce the information.

    As Chinese mobile numbers follow certain formats (11 digits, starts with 1, known list of prefixes etc.) it is probably very easy to generate a rainbow table for this. Though the article doesn't mention if the phone numbers and email had separate hash values so this is just one way to do it.

    From Apple's "AirDrop security" page we can see that this matches up: https://support.apple.com/guide/security/airdrop-security-sec2261183f4/web

    AirDrop uses iCloud services to help users authenticate. When a user signs in to iCloud, a 2048-bit RSA identity is stored on the device, and when the user turns on AirDrop, an AirDrop short identity hash is created based on the email addresses and phone numbers associated with the user’s Apple ID.

    When a user chooses AirDrop as the method for sharing an item, the sending device emits an AirDrop signal over BLE that includes the user’s AirDrop short identity hash. Other Apple devices that are awake, in close proximity, and have AirDrop turned on, detect the signal and respond using peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, so that the sending device can discover the identity of any responding devices.

    This article is about the AirDrop receiver finding out the sender's information, but doesn't mention if the reverse is possible. But if we look at the same AirDrop security page, it is probable that in AirDrop "Everyone mode" an attacker could find out the information of Apple devices around them:

    In Contacts Only mode, the received AirDrop short identity hash is compared with hashes of people in the receiving device’s Contacts app. If a match is found, the receiving device responds over peer-to-peer Wi-Fi with its identity information. If there is no match, the device doesn’t respond.

    In Everyone mode, the same overall process is used. However, the receiving device responds even if there is no match in the device’s Contacts app.

    For people using Apple devices or even other brands, especially in the US, take caution as this is a finding one Chinese local government published, who knows how many vectors of attack the US intelligence agencies is aware of.

  • Looks like Twitter is banning some socialist accounts
  • I agree with the part about owning our digital tools, the Fediverse community turns social media into a more transparent process with FOSS, and helps to turn otherwise complex software into user-friendly packages that can be setup more easily, thus putting more power into the hands of the people.

    We still have to keep in mind that decentralized FOSS social media platforms aren't different from traditional social media in terms of potential to turn into reactionary walled gardens. So there needs to be something done different to avoid the cycle of:

    (anarchist) decentralization -> (capitalist) centralization -> (anarchist) re-decentralization

  • Removed
    Common China RSS is simply fascist
  • Edit: Even the original news from Times of India has changed the title to "Hindi research scholars from China visit RSS’ Smruti Mandir, Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur"

    Previously: https://nitter.net/INCKerala/status/1743223676906979435

    2023-01-06 Hindi research scholars from China visit RSS’ Smruti Mandir, Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/china-diplomats-visit-memorial-of-rss-founder-keshav-baliram-hedgewar/articleshow/106556110.cms

    A Chinese team comprising Hindi scholars, who attended a workshop at Wardha’s Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (Hindi University), visited prominent places in Nagpur, including Smruti Mandir at Reshimbagh on their return trip on December 7. Smruti Mandir houses the memorial of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.

    RSS has clarified the Chinese delegation visited the Hedgewar memorial as part of its sight-seeing tour of Nagpur and did not visit the Sangh headquarters here at Mahal.

    Also, they did not interact with any senior RSS functionary at Smruti Mandir, which is open to all citizens and tourists for paying homage to the Sangh founder and does not even maintain a visitors’ register. Smruti Mandir in-charge showed them around.

    The Chinese team, which had earlier in the day visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Sevagram Ashram at Wardha, also toured other landmarks in Nagpur, including Deekshabhoomi, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism with lakhs of followers and the Zero Mile pillar.

    The delegation from China expressed optimism that the visit will go a long way in forging cultural and educational ties between the two countries. Students of Hindi University, Wardha, were also given prizes after a quiz and a Chinese calligraphy competition.

    ==========

    I missed the later news when looking up this story, maybe someone can clarify if this is another case of media blunder.

    2023-01-05 Unprecedented: Chinese diplomats visited RSS Smruti Mandir in December https://www.nagpurtoday.in/unprecedented-chinese-diplomats-visited-rss-smruti-mandir-in-december-report/01051520

    In an unprecedented diplomatic engagement, a team of Chinese diplomats paid a visit to the Smruti Mandir of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur in the first week of December, media reports said. The RSS is notable for its ideological disapproval of China and criticism of Chinese expansionist policies.

    According to the reports, the visit, which transpired in early December, marked the first instance of Chinese diplomats of any level setting foot in the headquarters of the RSS. The delegation comprised middle-ranking officials from the Chinese consulates in Delhi and Mumbai. Despite their inability to rendezvous with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat due to his absence, they were cordially received by a senior RSS functionary who escorted them around the campus.

    The Chinese delegation also graced Wardha’s Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, a university renowned for offering courses in Chinese. This hints at a potential cultural exchange element associated with their visit.

    2023-01-06 'Team of Scholars Touring City': RSS Denies Visit by Chinese Envoy's Delegation https://www.news18.com/india/team-of-scholars-touring-city-rss-denies-visit-by-chinese-envoys-delegation-8729827.html

    A day after it was reported that a Chinese delegation from the envoy’s office visited the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Nagpur, the organisation, in a clarification, denied the visit and said no such communication about the visit ever reached the Sangh office.

    According to an RSS functionary, the team was not from the envoy’s office, but a group of Chinese scholars that came to learn Hindi in Wardha’s Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwa Vidyalaya (Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University). The team wanted to see some of the main tourist places in the city and their professor took them to the important ones, said the functionary. He added that the team that visited the Smruti Mandir (memorial of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar) also visited other tourist places in Nagpur, including Zero Miles, Bapu Kutir and others.

    The RSS further clarified that the team did not meet any functionary and the RSS office was not aware of such a visit. “Smruti Mandir is open to all like Rajghat. So, there is no need to keep a vigil there. It is a public place and has nothing to do with the RSS head office or senior functionaries of the RSS,” he added.

  • Removed
    Common China RSS is simply fascist
  • I know you view this Chinese engagement with RSS very negatively, but again using a term like "nazi loving" is very questionable.

  • Removed
    Common China RSS is simply fascist
  • Calling this "hanging out" with fascists is really stretching diplomacy to a twisted level that I'm uncomfortable with.

    There will always be unpleasant or downright nasty people in the world we have to deal with, China has decided to prioritize political means over military means to resolve differences, this is definitely not as revolutionary as some people would prefer.

  • Removed
    Common China RSS is simply fascist
  • Maybe you're missing something, but my country China openly engages with people like Henry Kissinger, entities like genocidal Israel, imperialist US, and unapologetic mortal rival Japan.

    If RSS is indeed related to China-India border disputes then all the more reason to engage with them.

  • Removed
    Common China RSS is simply fascist
  • Not sure what this means, should China not engage with this entity for some reason?

  • China absolutely dominates in installed renewable energy capacity
  • The graph is about energy capacity, for energy production numbers (found https://www.irena.org/Publications/2023/Jul/Renewable-energy-statistics-2023), Canada actually has around 12.0 MWh/person, as opposed to China's 1.7 MWh/person.

  • China absolutely dominates in installed renewable energy capacity
  • Just want to point to this annual statistical publication by the IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) for more details about the type of renewables by country and numbers over a decade: Renewable energy statistics 2023 https://www.irena.org/Publications/2023/Jul/Renewable-energy-statistics-2023

    For example it shows that total renewable energy capacity in

    • 2013: Worldwide = 1567 GW, Europe = 419 GW, North America = 273 GW, China = 359 GW
    • 2022: Worldwide = 3382 GW, Europe = 706 GW, North America = 491 GW, China = 1161 GW

    It also shows energy production of those renewables in GWh for those interested.

  • How did the internet came into being?
  • I think the state of the internet is currently telecom landlords providing the basic hardware infrastructure like cables and routers for a fee, big tech corporations and traditional news outlets dominating mainstream websites/apps, and finally other groups doing things like maintaining technical standards, improving FOSS ecosystem, and building decentralized platforms to combat mainstream centralized platforms etc.

    The pervasive anarchist "freedom" mentality on the internet brought by the US, that it shouldn't be regulated by the government, has led to an anarchist-style landscape that is instead regulated by private entities. Sure there are still some restrictions on what corporations can do like privacy laws, but the bigger problems are that relating to "free speech" and valid information.

    Note that although we are on Lemmygrad, one of the many decentralized platforms in the Fediverse, this doesn't mean that decentralized platforms are a good alternative to centralized capitalist platforms. For starters anyone can setup a platform for their own reactionary groups. Without clear guidelines for development, decentralization is nothing more than chaotic anarchy that capitalists can take advantage of. The internet is already decentralized on the lower physical/link/transport layers (OSI model), the fact that we now have to "re-decentralize" it on a higher layer for applications like social media and file sharing is why I think this model is not sustainable for socialism on the internet.

  • "Jewish State" U.S. Is Chief Culprit of Genocide: KCNA Commentary

    Pyongyang, December 13 (KCNA) -- "As long as the United States exists, you will never be alone."

    This is what the U.S. frequently says to Israel.

    The "true meaning" of those words has been brought to light by the U.S. unethical act of actively supporting Israel's massacre of Palestinians.

    On December 8, the U.S. Department of State adopted a decision to immediately deliver about 14 000 tank shells to Israel, which is scaling up its barbarous military operations in Gaza Strip, without congressional review.

    Only the U.S. vetoed a proposed United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate ceasefire between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel on the same day, thus again pouring cold water on the efforts of the international community to prevent bloodshed in the Middle East.

    Thus, the U.S. completely took off its veil of "mediator" for peace in the Middle East and betrayed before the world its "involvement" in the genocide of Palestinians.

    It is the fact well known to the world that the U.S. has actively supported, encouraged and shielded the ceaseless moves of the Zionists for territorial expansion, not content with establishing a Jewish "state" by dividing the Palestinian territory.

    The successive rulers of the U.S. have zealously supported the Zionists in a bid to continuously use them as a shock brigade for carrying out their strategy to split and dominate the countries in the Middle East.

    But the point is that the U.S. is itself a Jewish state.

    Now in the U.S. Jews and the pro-Israeli camp actually control almost all fabrics of society, including politics, economy and media, so its administration's invariable pro-Israeli policy has become an intrinsic demand of the U.S.

    This time the U.S. announced that it adopted the above-said decision "in the light of its national security interests." This clearly indicates that the Jewish state U.S. deems Israel's security its own stability and security.

    That's why the U.S. talked such rubbish that the ceasefire in the present situation only benefits Hamas, exercising veto at the UNSC meeting, and terms the just cause of Palestinians "terrorism" and Israel's massacre "exercise of the right to self-defense."

    The Zionists, buoyed up by the U.S. support, are getting more frantic in their bloody killings.

    Israeli troops, leaving Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza Strip, destroyed all medical equipment there, and reduced the last hospital in the northern part of Gaza to a "grave ward" through brutal bombardment. This is just a piece of evidence proving the terrible disaster caused by the U.S. patronage of Zionists' massacre.

    Such an evil empire impudently calls for "protecting civilians and decreasing civilian casualties," further angering the international community.

    Even some prejudiced international public opinions are now approaching the Middle East situation with a new vision and many countries of the world are becoming increasingly vocal in their criticism that the "Middle East strategy" pursued by the U.S. has brought nothing but a vicious cycle of bloody confrontation and war to the region.

    Anti-U.S. demonstrations and rallies take place every day not only in Arab countries but also in some "allies" of the U.S., demanding a halt to encouraging and shielding the bloodshed in the Middle East.

    The question is, until when will the U.S., being condemned and rejected worldwide and pushed to a pitfall, remain "faithful" to its "mission" as a "Jewish state"?

    Time will prove that the U.S. will face due punishment by the international community for shielding Israel being fattened by the "feast of blood."

    5
    Full text of Xi's speech at meeting with representatives of young Chinese, Vietnamese, people who have contributed to China-Vietnam friendship

    > jointly announced our decision to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, thus ushering in a new stage in the relations between our two parties and countries. This is a major strategic decision we have made to revitalize world socialism and ensure long-term stability and security of our two countries.

    0
    Some thoughts on China's position on Palestine and Kissinger

    The Japanese killed 35 million people in China in the 14 years from 1931 to 1945 (http://www.china.org.cn/china/2015-07/15/content_36061881.htm), but we established diplomatic ties with them in 1972 when Mao Zedong was still around.

    In the joint-statement of 1972 is this line: https://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/gjhdq_676201/gj_676203/yz_676205/1206_676836/1207_676848/197209/t19720929_269810.shtml

    > (五)中华人民共和国政府宣布:为了中日两国人民的友好,放弃对日本国的战争赔偿要求。

    Or in English from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/China-Japan-Relations/2013-09/25/content_16993227.htm > 5. The Government of the People's Republic of China declares that in the interest of the friendship between the Chinese and the Japanese peoples, it renounces its demand for war reparation from Japan.

    How did you think Chinese people reacted when China renounced the demands for war reparations!

    On Lemmygrad I hesitate to comment on the two-state solution for Palestine, because the comments I get here from posting China’s position on it are very “left-leaning” (left-adventurism, not yet ultra-left). Yes I would prefer if Palestine could reclaim all its land “from the river to the sea”, I like the idea but I do not support it as a solution. Why do I support a two-state solution? My comments on it from this post (https://lemmygrad.ml/post/2764916):

    > A one-state solution for Palestine will still result in conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the current Israeli colonialism in Palestine will just turn into Israeli separatism from a single Palestinian state.

    > I think that as long as the American imperialists are still supporting Israel, they won’t “make peace” with Palestine. A two-state solution is a compromise in the event that the US stops giving support.

    > Korea is an existing example of a two-state solution waiting to be resolved by the north side, they also separated about the same time as Palestine. I suspect that after implementing a two-state solution, Palestine will get the same treatment as Korea or Cuba by the US with sanctions or embargoes.

    There’s also China’s friendliness towards Henry Kissinger as exemplified by the Chinese ambassador's attendance at his 100th birthday party, and by Kissinger's visit to China where Xi met with him and calls him an “old friend of Chinese people”, which I won't comment on.

    As humans we have our own thoughts and emotions about certain topics, but Marxists should not be content with idealist approaches to resolving problems.

    8
    Chinese FM says two-state solution only way to resolve Palestinian question

    Video available from the UN at: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1n/k1nebmv8uw

    > The two-state solution is the only way to fundamentally resolve the Palestinian question, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

    > When meeting the press after presiding over a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that the two-state solution is the only way out.

    > The settlement of the Palestinian question does not lack for grand plans or slogans, but the courage and actions to stand up for justice, Wang said.

    > "The two-state solution is the bottom line for international justice. There is no stepping back from that. Independent statehood is an inalienable national right of the Palestinian people, a right that cannot be traded away," he said.

    > "In the face of the historical injustice long suffered by the Palestinian people, no one has an excuse to procrastinate and there is no justification for inaction. When it comes to the issues bearing on the future of the Palestinian people, no country has a veto right," said Wang.

    > The Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue and must be prioritized, rather than marginalized, on the international agenda, he said, noting that only when the two-state solution is fully implemented can the Middle East enjoy genuine peace and Israel enjoy lasting security.

    > China calls for the convening of a more broadly-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to further build consensus on promoting peace and work out a concrete timetable and roadmap to push for a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, he said.

    Also not included in the news report is this following Q&A at the end of the press meeting:

    > Q: I was wondering why is it so hard in your opinion for the Security Council (as a permanent member) to condemn Hamas, and since you're here, we're very concerned about the pneumonia cases in China. Are you concerned about opening up the country to foreigners without visa regarding this?

    > A: Well it is first and foremost up to the people in Palestine to decide how to view Hamas. China always stand firmly against all forms of terrorism, in the meantime we emphasize that there should be no double standards when it comes to opposing terrorism, and such opposition of terrorism should not be targeted against any particular ethnic group or religion.

    > China has a fully-fledged medical system. Recently we have seen some clusters of flu cases among children in certain parts of China. In fact that is a very common phenomenon in many countries, and in China that has been put under effective control

    > China's interactions with the international community will not be affected by any factors, and we welcome more visits from friends from across the world, including you.

    8
    Position Paper of the People’s Republic of China on Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

    > The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has caused heavy civilian casualties and a serious humanitarian disaster. It is a grave concern of the international community. President Xi Jinping stated China's principled position on the current Palestinian-Israeli situation on a number of occasions. He stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and ending the fighting, ensuring that the humanitarian corridors are safe and unimpeded, and preventing the expansion of the conflict. He pointed out that the fundamental way out of this lies in the two-state solution, building international consensus for peace, and working toward a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.

    > Pursuant to the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council shoulders primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and should thus play an active and constructive role on the question of Palestine. In this connection, China offers the following proposals:

    > 1. Implementing a comprehensive ceasefire and ending the fighting. Parties to the conflict should truly implement the relevant UNGA and UNSC resolutions and immediately realize a durable and sustained humanitarian truce. Building on UNSC Resolution 2712, the Security Council, in response to the calls of the international community, should explicitly demand a comprehensive ceasefire and end of the fighting, work for deescalation of the conflict, and cool down the situation as soon as possible.

    > 2. Protecting civilians effectively. The UNSC resolution demands in explicit terms that all parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians. It is imperative to stop any violent attacks against civilians and violations of international humanitarian law, and avoid attacks on civilian facilities. The Security Council should further send a clear message on opposing forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population, preventing the displacement of Palestinian civilians, and calling for the release of all civilians and hostages held captive as soon as possible.

    > 3. Ensuring humanitarian assistance. All relevant parties must, as per requirements of the UNSC resolution, refrain from depriving the civilian population in Gaza of supplies and services indispensable to their survival, set up humanitarian corridors in Gaza to enable rapid, safe, unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access, and avoid a humanitarian disaster of even greater gravity. The Security Council should encourage the international community to ramp up humanitarian assistance, improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, and support the coordinating role of the United Nations as well as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in humanitarian assistance, and prepare the international community for supporting post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza.

    > 4. Enhancing diplomatic mediation. The Security Council should leverage its role in facilitating peace as mandated in the UN Charter to demand that parties to the conflict exercise restraint to prevent the conflict from widening and uphold peace and stability in the Middle East. The Security Council should value the role of regional countries and organizations, support the good offices of the UN Secretary General and the Secretariat, and encourage countries with influence on parties to the conflict to uphold an objective and just position so as to jointly play a constructive role in deescalating the crisis.

    > 5. Seeking political settlement. According to relevant UNSC resolutions and international consensus, the fundamental settlement of the question of Palestine lies in the implementation of the two-state solution, restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 border and with east Jerusalem as its capital. The Security Council should help restore the two-state solution. A more broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference led and organized by the UN should be held as soon as possible to formulate a concrete timetable and roadmap for the implementation of the two-state solution and facilitate a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine. Any arrangement on the future of Gaza must respect the will and independent choice of the Palestinian people, and must not be imposed upon them.

    5
    Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and Leaders of invited BRICS Members on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza

    Speeches at the meeting by leaders from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. Will update this post for India, Argentina and Ethiopia as more information becomes available.

    Tap the word spoiler below each country to see the full text.

    South Africa (organizer): Opening remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and Leaders of invited BRICS members on the situation in the Middle East https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/speeches/opening-remarks-president-cyril-ramaphosa-extraordinary-joint-meeting-brics-leaders-and-leaders-invited-brics-members-situation-middle-east

    spoiler

    Your Excellencies, Leaders of BRICS nations, Your Excellencies, Leaders of Invited BRICS Members, Ministers, Sherpas and Sous Sherpas Officials,

    Thank you for your attendance at this Extraordinary Joint Meeting to address a matter of grave global concern.

    Since the 7th of October, when more than 1,200 people were killed in an attack by Hamas on Israel, the world has born witness to the devastating killing of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza, many of whom are women and children.

    Over 11,000 residents of Gaza have been killed. Many thousands more have been injured. Infrastructure, homes, hospitals and other public facilities have been destroyed. More than half of Gaza’s population has been displaced.

    Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected by this violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

    The actions by Israel are in clear violation of international law, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention read together with its protocols.

    In its attacks on civilians and by taking hostages, Hamas has also violated international law and must be held accountable for these actions.

    The collective punishment of Palestinian civilians through the unlawful use of force by Israel is a war crime.

    The deliberate denial of medicine, fuel, food and water to the residents of Gaza is tantamount to genocide.

    The atrocities that we have witnessed are the latest chapter in a painful history of suffering, oppression, occupation and conflict going back more than 75 years.

    The root cause of this conflict is the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel as reflected in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which states that “Israeli settlements constitutes a flagrant violation under international law.”

    We therefore urge the international community to agree on urgent and concrete actions to end the suffering in Gaza and establish a path towards a just and peaceful resolution of this conflict.

    As South Africa, we call for:

    First, an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.

    Second, the opening of humanitarian corridors so that aid and other basic services reach all those in need.

    Third, all countries to exercise restraint and to desist from fueling this conflict, including by ceasing the supply of weapons to the parties.

    Fourth, the release of all civilian hostages.

    Fifth, the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue led and owned by Palestinians and Israelis themselves and facilitated by the United Nations.

    Sixth, the deployment of a UN Rapid Deployment Force in Palestine, with a mandate to monitor the cessation of hostilities and protect civilians.

    Lastly, the International Criminal Court to urgently initiate prosecutions against those responsible for the perpetration of war crimes.

    As South Africans, we appreciate the importance and value of international solidarity.

    As an important voice of the Global South representing a large part of humanity, we believe that BRICS has a vital role in a widespread international effort to achieve a just and lasting peace.

    As individual countries, we have demonstrated our grave concern at the death and destruction in Gaza.

    Let this meeting stand as a clarion call for us to combine our efforts and strengthen our actions to end this historical injustice.

    Let us work together to realise a just, peaceful and secure future for the people of both Palestine and Israel.

    I thank you.

    Brazil (translated from Portuguese using DeepL): Speech by the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at the BRICS Extraordinary Virtual Summit https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br/acompanhe-o-planalto/discursos-e-pronunciamentos/2023/discurso-do-presidente-da-republica-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-na-cupula-virtual-extraordinaria-do-brics

    spoiler

    I thank President Ramaphosa for his initiative in calling this extraordinary meeting to deal with the emergency situation in Gaza.

    I would like to welcome the presence of the representatives of the countries invited to join the BRICS: Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

    Since the beginning of the current conflict between Israel and Palestine, I have had the opportunity to talk bilaterally with practically all the leaders gathered here.

    Brazil strongly condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7 against the Israeli people. Three Brazilians were victims of these attacks.

    On several occasions, we have reiterated the call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

    However, such barbaric acts do not justify the use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force against civilians.

    We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe.

    Innocent people are paying the price for the insanity of war, especially women, children and the elderly.

    The high death toll - more than 12,000 people, including 5,000 children - causes us great consternation.

    There are also 29,000 wounded and 3,750 missing, many of whom are children.

    As the UN Secretary-General rightly said, Gaza is becoming a children's graveyard.

    In addition, at least 1.6 million people - around 70% of Gaza's population - have had to leave their homes, with no prospect of returning.

    We are also perplexed that more than a hundred UN officials have already lost their lives.

    When it chaired the United Nations Security Council in October, Brazil spared no effort in favor of dealing with the humanitarian emergency, containing the current escalation and resuming a lasting solution to the conflict.

    We proposed a resolution that was supported by the majority of members, but which was unfortunately vetoed by one of the permanent members.

    The Council's paralysis is yet another demonstration of the urgency of its reform.

    It was only on November 15, more than 40 days after the start of the conflicts, that the Security Council finally approved a Resolution that focuses on one of the most essential objectives of all humanitarian action: the protection of children.

    The challenge now is to ensure that the humanitarian truce established by the Resolution is implemented immediately.

    Once again, the credibility of the United Nations is at stake.

    Dear colleagues,

    Two other issues deserve our attention.

    The first is that we must act to prevent the war from spreading to neighboring countries.

    The contribution of BRICS, in its new configuration, together with all the actors in favor of self-restraint and de-escalation is valuable and essential.

    Brazil does not believe that peace can only be created by force of arms.

    We have a long national experience that reinforces our faith in peace created by fair diplomatic negotiation.

    Secondly, we must not forget that the current war also stems from decades of frustration and injustice, represented by the absence of a safe home for the Palestinian people.

    It is essential to keep a close eye on the situation in the West Bank, where illegal Israeli settlements continue to threaten the viability of a Palestinian state.

    The recognition of a viable Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel, with secure and mutually recognized borders, is the only possible solution.

    We need to resume the peace process between Israel and Palestine as soon as possible.

    The Arab Peace Initiative, presented by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the League of Arab States in 2002, seems to us to be an excellent starting point.

    I am convinced of the potential of this group to mobilize political and diplomatic forces in favour of the peaceful resolution of disputes.

    Brazil will continue to be ready to support all initiatives that lead to a political solution to this conflict.

    I would like to end my speech with a special thank you to President Al-Sisi and other leaders for their support for the repatriation of 32 Brazilians and family members of Brazilians who asked us to help them leave the Gaza Strip.

    Thank you very much.

    Russia (translated from Russian using DeepL) Vladimir Putin took part in an extraordinary BRICS summit on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict via videoconference http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/72780

    spoiler

    Dear Mr. Ramaphosa! Dear colleagues, dear friends!

    We consider the initiative of the President of South Africa, as the current Chair of BRICS, to convene an extraordinary summit of our Association to discuss the acute situation in the Gaza Strip to be very timely.

    The deaths of thousands of people, the mass expulsion of civilians and the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded are of the utmost concern. Just now, a colleague spoke of the deaths of a large number of children. That is terrible, but when you watch children being operated on without anesthesia, it certainly evokes special feelings. All these events are, in fact, a direct consequence of the United States' desire to monopolize the mediation functions in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement and its blocking of the activities of the Middle East Quartet of international mediators.

    History has thus clearly demonstrated the unviable and counterproductive nature of single-handed attempts to cut the "Palestinian knot". Because of the sabotage of UN decisions, which clearly provide for the establishment and peaceful coexistence of two independent and sovereign states - Israel and Palestine - more than one generation of Palestinians has been brought up in an atmosphere of injustice shown to their people, and Israelis cannot fully guarantee the security of their state.

    Russia's position is consistent and non-conjectural. We call for a united effort by the international community to de-escalate the situation, bring about a ceasefire and find a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The BRICS countries and the countries of the region could play a key role in this work.

    That is why it is particularly significant that our colleagues from the Middle Eastern countries, which received invitations to become full BRICS members this year, are participating in our meeting today. I would like to take this opportunity to respectfully acknowledge their efforts to normalize the situation. In particular, I am referring to the holding of the "Peace Summit" in Egypt and the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia.

    It is indicative that all BRICS countries share similar positions on the need to collectively achieve a long-term and sustainable solution to the long-standing Palestinian-Israeli problem.

    This was evident in the UN General Assembly vote on the draft resolution in favor of a humanitarian truce, as well as in the discussion of the UN Security Council resolution on the Middle East settlement adopted for the first time in seven years. Although this resolution only calls for a humanitarian pause, and not a full-fledged ceasefire, the very fact that it was approved is considered a step in the right direction.

    I emphasize that such humanitarian pauses, and preferably, of course, a full-fledged ceasefire, are necessary to continue efforts to free hostages and evacuate civilians and foreign nationals from the Gaza Strip. I cannot but express once again my great gratitude to President [Egyptian President Abdelfattah] Sisi and all Egyptian colleagues for their help in resolving many difficult issues related to ensuring the reception and sending home of Russians who have escaped the conflict zone.

    And of course, by and large, the most urgent task is to achieve a truly long-term and sustainable ceasefire. It is important, I agree with my Brazilian colleague, to prevent other States from being drawn into the war in the Middle East and any expansion of the geography of the conflict, as well as to preserve the fragile inter-confessional peace.

    In this regard, we consider it extremely useful to continue discussing within the BRICS framework the further development of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. If there are no objections, distinguished colleagues, we will initiate possible contacts, including via video link, on this issue during the upcoming Russian Chairmanship of the BRICS next year.

    In general, the new format of emergency online meetings of leaders proposed by [South African] President Cyril Ramaphosa seems very promising. And this applies not only to the Middle East settlement, but also to other pressing issues on the global and regional agenda.

    Thank you for your attention.

    China: Remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the extraordinary joint meeting of BRICS leaders and leaders of invited BRICS members on the situation in the Middle East with particular reference to Gaza https://english.news.cn/20231121/354737dbbf434952a21914b8c215d57f/c.html

    spoiler

    Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa,

    Colleagues,

    This is our first summit since the expansion of BRICS. Before I speak about the issue of our discussion, I wish to extend a warm welcome to leaders of new BRICS members and express my thanks to President Ramaphosa and the South African government for your efforts that have made our meeting possible. Given the current circumstances, it is very timely and very important that we meet and speak up for justice and for peace on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

    The conflict in Gaza is raging on into its second month. China is gravely concerned that the conflict is causing enormous civilian casualties and a humanitarian disaster, and tends to expand and spill over. China believes that the following is urgent and imperative: First, the parties to the conflict must end hostilities and achieve a ceasefire immediately, stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release civilians held captive, and act to prevent loss of more lives and spare people from more miseries. Second, humanitarian corridors must be kept secure and unimpeded, and more humanitarian assistance should be provided to the population in Gaza. The collective punishment of people in Gaza in the form of forced transfer or water, electricity and fuel deprivation must stop. Third, the international community must act with practical measures to prevent the conflict from spilling over and endangering stability in the Middle East as a whole. China supports the resolution adopted at the emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly on October 27. The U.N. Security Council under China's presidency has adopted Resolution 2712. All the parties must act to deliver on these resolutions through concrete measures on the ground.

    The root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the fact that the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence, and their right of return have long been ignored. I have emphasized on many occasions that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine. China calls for early convening of an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace and work toward an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.

    Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has been working actively to promote peace talks and a ceasefire. China has provided humanitarian assistance to help ease the humanitarian plight in Gaza. This includes USD 2 million of emergency humanitarian assistance provided through the Palestinian National Authority and U.N. agencies, and emergency humanitarian supplies worth RMB 15 million, such as food and medicine, to the Gaza Strip with the help of Egypt. China will provide more supplies and assistance according to the needs of the people in Gaza. At the U.N. Security Council, China has acted in its capacity as president to facilitate the adoption of the resolution, which calls for extended humanitarian pauses and corridors, the protection of civilians, and the provision of humanitarian assistance.

    Colleagues,

    The BRICS cooperation mechanism is an important platform for emerging markets and developing countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and safeguard common interests. Our meeting today to coordinate positions and actions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict marks a good start for greater BRICS cooperation following its enlargement. China commends South Africa for its significant contribution as BRICS chair to advancing BRICS development. As Russia will take over BRICS chairmanship next year, China stands ready to work with other members to jointly support Russia's work as the chair and usher in a new era for BRICS cooperation.

    Thank you.

    Egypt: President El-Sisi’s Speech at the Extraordinary Virtual Meeting of BRICS Leaders https://www.presidency.eg/en/قسم-الأخبار/أخبار-رئاسية/news21112023/

    spoiler

    “In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”

    Your Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa,

    President of the Republic of South Africa

    Your Excellencies, Leaders of the BRICS countries

    Allow me at the outset to express appreciation for the invitation to this crucial meeting and extend sincere gratitude for the decision by the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg to invite Egypt to join the grouping; an invitation that was welcomed by my country. I am confident that it will empower us to foster closer cooperation and joint coordination based on the principles of solidarity, mutual respect and respect for international law.

    Our summit comes at a critical juncture, as the Palestinian people are witnessing a continuous escalation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank that has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, two-thirds of them women and children. The entire sector endured indiscriminate retribution, siege and deprivation of sustenance as well as coerced displacement efforts. These appalling humanitarian scenes came to expose the inability of the international community and the inertia of human conscience.

    Your Excellencies,

    Egypt has welcomed international efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip, primarily UN Security Council Resolution 2712, which calls for reaching an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors stretched across the sector. Egypt is calling on the international community, in this regard, to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to comply with the implementation of this resolution.

    Egypt has opposed and condemned the killing of civilians from all sides, and at the same time it denounces, in the strongest terms, the targeting of civilians and civilian facilities, particularly hospitals. Egypt emphasizes that the international community bears humanitarian and political responsibility to save civilians in Gaza and to end these inhumane practices that render life and living in Gaza impossible, forcing people to abandon their homes and lands.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Egypt is exerting tireless and unwavering efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. It has opened the Rafah border crossing since the very first moment to allow humanitarian aid and relief to enter into the sector. It has designated Al Arish airport to receive aid from world countries.

    But the mechanisms placed by the Israeli authorities have obstructed the delivery of aid to its beneficiaries. Therefore, the aid entering Gaza is much less than the needs of its people. This requires the international community to ensure the delivery of aid in the adequate quantities for the sustainability of the people of Gaza.

    Egypt has been opposed to pressure exercised on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and stands against attempts to force them to leave their land and homes, whether individually or collectively. Egypt also stands against any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians, inside or outside Gaza, especially that Palestinians leaving their land is a grave violation of international law and international humanitarian law. Also, the proposals of Israel reoccupying the Gaza Strip only make the situation worse and more complicated.

    The international community stands silent before the unjustified violence by settlers against the Palestinians in the West Bank and the daily military incursions by the Israeli army in the West Bank, which are all unacceptable policies that contribute to igniting the region and increasing areas of tension in it.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    The Egyptian priorities are currently to stop the bloodshed through an immediate ceasefire, deliver humanitarian aid safely and sustainably, and avoid targeting civilians and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip. We stress the need to resolve the roots of the conflict and deal with the Palestinian issue from a comprehensive and integrated perspective that guarantees the rights of the Palestinians to establish their independent state, along the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

    Thank you

    Iran: Dr Raisi at the online BRICS summit regarding Gaza crisis https://www.president.ir/en/148407

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    In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

    Mr President;

    Esteemed BRICS Members;

    At the outset, I would like to sincerely thank the honourable President of the Republic of South Africa who organised this online meeting and established communication between the countries.

    Today, we have gathered while the world is witnessing live the unprecedented violence and crime against the Palestinian nation in Gaza. What is happening in Gaza these days clearly shows the injustice of the Western international system. The issue of Gaza is the issue of humanity and justice. The Zionist regime and its supporters have not only violated humanity, ethics and rights, but they are also trying to deceive the public opinion of the world by suppressing valid information and spreading disinformation.

    Emphasising on October 7 as the beginning of the war is a distortion of the reality and narrative of the issue from the umpteenth step. Apart from the 75-year history of occupation and terror and aggression, there were also numerous conflicts in the West Bank in the last one year. In this one year, Palestinian resistance has given about 200 martyrs. Did anyone have a missile there? The goal of the regime was to clear the Bank and transfer its population to Jordan and Egypt and occupy it. In fact, Hamas operated in defence of the Noble Quds and the West Bank and the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and against the expansion of settlements and expansionism of the Zionists.

    Let's not forget that the root of war lies in the continuation of occupation. Contrary to Israel's propaganda distortion, legitimate defence is not their barbaric action, but legitimate defence according to international conventions of defence against occupation.

    As an occupying regime, the Zionist regime, with the green light and full support of America, has declared war against the people under occupation and has set a record in registering war crimes. The political and military leaders of this regime openly talk about the genocide of Palestinians.

    The President of the fake Israeli regime has announced that "there are no innocent civilians in Gaza"; The prime minister of the regime says "even children are legitimate military targets"; The spokesperson of the regime's army says "the goal of the attacks is maximum destruction, not precision in the attacks"; The Minister of Defence of the Regime calls people as "anthropomorphic animals"; And the minister of cultural heritage of that fake regime says "a nuclear attack on Gaza is the right option to destroy the people there".

    Such a regime, which is armed with all kinds of chemical weapons of mass destruction and atomic bombs, is definitely a threat to regional and international peace and security.

    Dear Heads of State

    Worst of all is the all-out support of America and the West for the genocide and infanticide of Palestinians, and so far more than 14,000 people of Gaza, including about 5,500 oppressed children, have been killed and 41,000 residential units have been destroyed. 60% of the area of the ​​Gaza Strip has been seriously damaged. How cruel is it that America, Britain, Germany and France, as Western powers, send all kinds of weapons and bombs to Israel on a daily basis and at the same time oppose the ceasefire. America, along with Israel, has closed all ways to help the people of Gaza and paralyzed the UN Security Council.

    Today, the West has been disgraced and the falsity of Western values ​​and slogans has been revealed. Gaza is a symbol of the moral decline of the West.

    At the same time, Gaza is a great test of the will of independent states to establish an international system based on humanity and justice. Today is the day for global powers to stand up for the values ​​that united us. Today is the day for BRICS to play a role.

    Dear Heads of State!

    Undoubtedly, the fuel of the war machine and the all-round support of this tyranny is provided by America. America has made all international organisations ineffective and identity-less. The Islamic Republic of Iran calls on all the members of BRICS and all the independent governments of the world to stand up to preserve humanity and establish justice and fight against racial discrimination in the world and use all their political and economic power to put pressure on the Zionist regime and its Western supporters.

    Honourable Heads of BRICS Member States

    America and the western countries that oppose the ceasefire in Gaza no longer have credibility with the people of the world. Today, the BRICS member states have a historical responsibility to prove that human values ​​cannot be sacrificed for political interests. Based on this, I would like to emphasise these suggestions to stop the crime and help the people of Gaza.

    1- Considering the inability of the UN Security Council to implement its mission to establish peace and security; and obstructing the US to issue a binding resolution for a ceasefire; It is necessary for the BRICS member countries to adopt a binding resolution in the UN General Assembly against the Zionist regime in the framework of the "Union for Peace" mechanism, with the aim of stopping the crimes against the people of Gaza.

    2- The continuous attacks of the Zionist regime on hospitals and medical centres, religious places, the killing of women and children, doctors, nurses and journalists in Gaza are all acts of terrorism. It is necessary to identify that fake regime as a terrorist regime and its army as a terrorist organisation.

    3- The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the actions of some governments to bring the crimes committed by the usurping Israel in Gaza to the International Criminal Court and believes that, in addition to Israel, the United States should also be tried in international courts for crimes against humanity, genocide, and infanticide and punished quickly.

    4- The need for collective action by BRICS members to break the blockade of Gaza and create a permanent and safe route for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. In this regard, the permanent reopening of the Rafah crossing is seriously emphasised.

    5- Due to the unprecedented crimes and bombings of several thousand tons of weapons, especially prohibited weapons such as white phosphorus in Gaza, it is necessary for BRICS members to establish a special international mission to immediately investigate this crime and publish its report in order to punish the perpetrators of this regime should be provided.

    6- Considering the continuous crimes and the racist nature of the fake Israeli regime, the free nations expect all governments, especially the BRICS members, to put the complete severance of their political, economic and military relations with the Zionist regime on the agenda immediately. Continuing interactions with the fake Israeli regime, especially in the military and economic fields, means helping to continue the crimes and killing of women and children, which is condemned and blamed by all nations.

    7- Recognising the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves and their struggle to liberate the occupied areas is supported by all governments and free nations. BRICS' firm support for this right shows that we fulfilled our human and moral duty and the enemies of Palestine will be disgraced before human conscience and history.

    The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the final solution that will lead to lasting peace and stability in West Asia and the world is the formation of a single Palestinian state after holding a referendum based on the democratic principle of "Every Palestinian, one vote". Being on the path of previous failed plans for peace will only result in the repetition of war and insecurity.

    America and the Zionist regime must also know that they cannot stand against the will of the nations and that occupation and genocide will have no place in the new international just order.

    At the end, I once again thank the honourable President of the Republic of South Africa for holding this meeting and I hope that this meeting will have a serious effect on the immediate cessation of attacks on the oppressed and powerful Gaza and the arrival of humanitarian aid and the complete lifting of the blockade and the fight against forced migration and the start of the reconstruction process in this be the region.

    Thank you very much

    Peace be upon you and may God have mercy on you

    Saudi Arabia: HRH Crown Prince Heads Saudi Arabia's Delegation to Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and Leaders of Invited BRICS Members on Situation in the Middle East, with Particular Focus on Gaza https://www.spa.gov.sa/w2001860

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    I convey to you the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his wishes that this extraordinary summit, which is being held at a difficult time for Gaza Strip, be successful.

    We would like to thank the president of the Republic of South Africa for hosting the summit and for inviting the Kingdom to participate in it.

    The brutal crimes against innocent civilians and the destruction of infrastructure, including health facilities and places of worship, in Gaza require a collective effort to stop this humanitarian catastrophe, which continues to worsen by the day, and to come up with decisive solutions to it. We reiterate our categorical rejection of these operations that have claimed the lives of thousands of children, women and elderly. We demand an immediate stop of the military operations, and the provision of humanitarian corridors to enable international humanitarian organizations to perform their role and aid civilians.

    The Kingdom has exerted relentless efforts, since the beginning of the operations, to help and protect civilians in Gaza Strip, by providing humanitarian and relief aid by air and sea, and launching an urgent fundraising campaign that has collected, so far, over half a billion SAR.

    The Kingdom also held an extraordinary joint Arab and Islamic summit in Riyadh, on November 11, 2023, to discuss the Israeli aggression.

    The summit came up with several decisions. It denounced the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and rejected any pretext justifying it, calling for an immediate delivery of humanitarian aid convoys of food, medicines and fuel into the besieged strip. It also rejected the forcible displacement of the Palestinian people and the Israeli destruction of hospitals in the strip, urging all countries to stop exporting weapons and ammunition to Israel, and embark on an effort, in the name of all members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League, to reach an international stance regarding the aggression on Gaza, and make a pressure for the launch of a serious political process to realize a permanent, comprehensive peace, based on international legitimacy.

    The Kingdom's firm and unaltered stance has always been and remains that security and stability in Palestine can be achieved only through implementing international resolutions pertaining to the two-state solution, in order to enable the Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate right to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

    We also appreciate all efforts, which will be exerted, in particular by the permanent members of the UN Security Council, with the aim of achieving a just peace for all. We also commend the role and effort exerted by BRICS to assist the brotherly Palestinian people.

    We extend our thanks to His Excellency the president and the attending leaders. We hope that this summit will achieve the noble goals for which it was convened. Thank you.

    UAE (can't find full text yet): UAE Pres. participates in virtual BRICS summit discussing Gaza https://sharjah24.ae/en/Articles/2023/11/21/UAE-Pres-participates-in-virtual-BRICS-summit-discussing-Gaza

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    President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reiterated the UAE’s call for the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip, unimpeded humanitarian access and an immediate ceasefire, and urged the international community to do all in its power to bring an end to the conflict and ease the suffering of those affected. His Highness’s comments came on the occasion of a virtual summit Tuesday of the five BRICS countries along with those nations recently invited to join, which include the UAE. The ‘BRICS Extraordinary Joint Meeting on the Middle East situation in Gaza’ was convened by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as current Chair of the BRICS partnership.

    In a statement issued at the summit, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed highlighted the increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza and stressed the need to ensure the safe, secure, prompt, and regular delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need. His Highness called for an urgent end to hostilities, warning that allowing the fighting to continue will result in further casualties and an increased risk of the conflict spilling over to threaten regional stability.

    His Highness noted that the only way to address the crisis is to revive the peace process and resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-State solution and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

    The UAE President called on the BRICS members and other nations to seek to create an environment of enduring peace in the Middle East, and to pursue all efforts to ensure that dialogue and peaceful coexistence become a path to stability in the region.

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    qwename qwename @lemmygrad.ml

    I'm not a history or politics buff even on the topic of China, but due decades of misinformation on China, especially in the English-speaking world, I find it necessary to speak out with official Chinese sources.

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