This congress notes that US imperialism today openly takes the People’s Republic of China as its main potential and strategic adversary. Hence the US war drive against China, as well as Russia, is a fundamental aspect of the contemporary world situation and many localised conflicts and crises need to be viewed against this strategic background.
This congress believes that it is the US war drive against China that lies behind the proclamations by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of a so-called ‘pivot to Asia’ – a policy that is being aggressively pursued by US imperialism.
Congress notes that as part of this ‘pivot’, US imperialism is increasingly attempting to mobilise as many neighbouring countries, and Asian-Pacific countries in general, as possible to oppose, harass and encircle China.
Congress believes that it is in this context that US imperialism has aggressively and increasingly intervened in the territorial disputes among some Asian countries concerning the South China Sea, thereby seeking to turn bilateral issues into an international crisis so that they might fish in troubled waters.
This congress notes that US imperialism rolled out this approach with a speech by Hillary Clinton at an international conference in Hanoi, where she declared that the US had a national interest in maintaining the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea – this despite the fact that no Asian nation has ever threatened such freedom of navigation.
This congress believes that the most important feature, therefore, of the disputes in the South China Sea is the US drive to war against socialist China and hence China’s need and right to take whatever steps are necessary in its self-defence.
Congress notes that China has consistently maintained that any disputes among the neighbouring countries of the South China Sea region can and must be resolved peacefully by means of bilateral negotiations, excluding outside interference, and that, pending a final settlement, the countries concerned should cooperate to develop and utilise natural resources for mutual benefit.
This congress supports this principled and fair position of the People’s Republic of China.
In contrast to this, congress notes that US imperialism has promoted policies of division and confrontation, instigating and extending its backing, in particular, to the Philippines, as well as, to a somewhat lesser extent, Vietnam.
This congress considers the current discord between China and Vietnam to be particularly regrettable. China and Vietnam are both socialist countries under the leadership of the communist party. Both the Chinese and Vietnamese revolutions were mighty and heroic struggles against imperialism, which greatly inspired working and oppressed people throughout the world.
Congress expresses its sincere hope that any disputes among socialist countries be resolved peacefully and amicably on the basis of Marxism Leninism and proletarian internationalism, and that the socialist countries should always cooperate closely in the anti-imperialist struggle and for the defence and building of socialism. Any discord among the socialist countries can only benefit our common enemy.
This congress calls on all the Asian countries and peoples to reject imperialist ‘divide and rule’, to resolve any disputes peacefully and to unite in struggle against the common enemy of all socialist and oppressed nations.
This congress renews our party’s consistent defence of the People’s Republic of China against US-led imperialist moves towards aggression and war.
