Exchange with Chinese scholars on governance, globalisation at London's Marx Memorial Library

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak

On the evening of July 15, 2025, a roundtable discussion was held at the Marx Memorial Library in London, organised by Friends of Socialist China in the UK. The event brought together UK-based participants and a delegation from the Institute of Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a research institution established by the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The discussion aimed to exchange views on China's development and governance models. Professor Chen Zhigang, Vice President of CASS, led the Chinese delegation. He addressed topics including rural development in China, the concept of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and aspects of governance associated with Xi Jinping’s leadership. Professor Chen also discussed China’s stance on globalisation and outlined a vision of international cooperation based on mutual benefit.

The event featured simultaneous interpretation by Han Dongjun, and additional contributions were made by Liu Yan, Fang Tao, and Zhuo Mingliang, who provided perspectives on recent developments in China. UK-based attendees asked a range of questions, which the Chinese delegates responded to during the discussion. The conversation included a focus on ideological perspectives, development challenges, and the evolving role of political institutions.

The roundtable concluded with an informal dinner at Hiba Restaurant in Holborn. Attendees continued their conversations over food and drinks in a relaxed setting. The Chinese delegates came from various backgrounds and age groups. Observers noted a collegial atmosphere among them, with open and equal interaction across roles.

The gathering also prompted reflections on how cultural and political frameworks are understood and taught, particularly in relation to China. Some participants questioned the applicability of widely used academic theories when interpreting Chinese social and political behaviour, suggesting the need for more nuanced and grounded analysis.

As the evening drew to a close, delegates exchanged farewells and expressed interest in continuing such engagements. The event underscored the value of academic and political exchanges in fostering mutual understanding across national and ideological contexts.

Comments

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025.

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

Gurdial Singh Paharpuri: A lifetime of revolutionary contribution and unfulfilled aspirations

By Harsh Thakor* Gurdial Singh Paharpuri, a Central Committee member of the Communist Party Re-Organisation Centre of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPRCI(ML)), passed away on July 2, marking a significant loss for the Indian Communist Revolutionary movement. For six decades, Singh championed the cause of revolution, leaving an enduring impact through his lifelong dedication to the global proletarian movement. His contributions are considered foundational, laying groundwork for future advancements in revolutionary thought. He is recognized as a key figure among Indian Communist revolutionary leaders who shaped the mass line, and his example is seen as a model for revolutionary communists to follow.

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

Civil rights coalition condemns alleged abduction of activist Samrat Singh by Delhi police

By A Representative The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a collective of civil and democratic rights organisations, has strongly condemned what it describes as the illegal abduction of psychologist and social activist Samrat Singh by a team of Delhi Police officials. The incident occurred on the evening of July 12, 2025, at Singh’s residence in Yamunanagar, Haryana.

Historic Supreme Court ruling grants tribal women equal right to inherit property

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment declaring that denying tribal women inheritance rights solely based on gender is unconstitutional. The court affirmed their equal right to ancestral property, stating that refusing a share in such property to a tribal woman or her legal heirs on the basis of sex is both unjust and unconstitutional.

Fifteen years after Maoist's death: An unfinished debate, armed insurgency, dissent, peace talks

By Harsh Thakor* July 1, 2025, marked the fifteenth death anniversary of Cherukuri Rajkumar, also known as Azad, a Central Committee member, ideologue, and spokesperson of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). He was killed on this day in 2010, in what civil liberties groups have described as a "fake encounter" with security forces in the forests of Adilabad, Telangana. Azad was involved in public communication for the CPI (Maoist), issuing press statements and interviews that aimed to present the party’s perspective, often at odds with mainstream media portrayals.

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

Search This Blog