Around a dozen activists from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have publicly pledged to “support” and “defend” China.
China is courting supporters of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who supports the DSA.
A similar group that openly supports Chinese communism can also be found in London, the New York Post writes.
Friends of Socialist China, a London-based group, says that 952 people have signed its declaration to “support the People’s Republic of China and promote understanding of Chinese socialism”, The Times wrote on 30 July.
It also wrote that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had organised trips for members of the Democratic Socialists of America, which contributed to Zohran Mamdani’s election campaign.
Nevertheless, a leading Conservative Party politician chooses to treat Mamdani as a political hero. What does Oslo Mayor Anne Lindboe actually think about the Communist regime in Beijing? At any rate, she was fascinated by Mamdani, whom she described as a rock star.
In its declaration, Friends of Socialist China claimed that “the global transition to socialism is indispensable if humanity is to survive and flourish”. Capitalism is condemned as “entirely incapable of solving the problems of poverty and inequality” and as “inextricably linked to war, empire, racism, misogyny, alienation and environmental destruction”.
“Why China? We support all states that are building or striving towards socialism, and we advocate the greatest possible unity and friendship between them. We highlight China in particular because its size and level of development give it an objectively decisive role in the global transition to socialism.”
The document praises China as “the foremost driving force behind the establishment of a multipolar system of international relations and a new international economic order” and “a global leader in the struggle to avert climate collapse”. According to the text, China’s socialism will in fact save the world.
“The continued survival of Chinese socialism is therefore of decisive importance, not only to the Chinese people, but to all humanity.”
The DSA is following the same path. At least a dozen DSA members have signed this document praising China’s version of socialism. Last year, the DSA organised a monthly seminar on “modern China and lessons for American socialists”.
During the seminar, the DSA claimed, among other things, that China has a “strong democracy”, without mentioning China’s strict restrictions on freedom of expression and other abuses, including those directed against the Uyghurs, which are well documented.
Only a few weeks before the seminar series was launched, a five-person DSA delegation flew to Beijing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan.
“It was an impressive demonstration of ‘unity in a multipolar world’, with Russian President Putin and Indian Prime Minister Modi, as well as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. There was great excitement in Beijing,” wrote Dee Knight, a DSA member from New York.
Newsweek wrote in January about how Mamdani’s DSA has spent years building ties with officials in the Chinese Communist Party and agreeing to adopt pro-Chinese positions such as “anti-imperialism”.
Many would probably argue that China itself can be described as imperialist, considering Tibet, the repression of the Uyghurs and the people of Hong Kong, and the constant threats to invade Taiwan.
China has also, over several decades, built an extensive economic, political and strategic presence in Africa through enormous loans, infrastructure projects and resource extraction.
The close ties with the Chinese authorities are creating internal conflicts within the DSA.
“This is not what I joined for, and I assume it is not what the majority of members joined for either. It is impossible to be part of the organisation while at the same time supporting what they are doing,” an outraged member of the DSA’s international committee said during a meeting.