Peace groups call for end to global friction

Moves to bring about a Cold War with China are against the interests of humanity, peace campaigners warn.

They made that overarching point in an online forum on the theme "No Cold War". The event on Saturday brought together peace activists from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Morocco, Bolivia and Belgium to oppose the new Cold War that they say Washington is intent on leading the world into.

"We note the increasingly aggressive statements and actions being taken by the US government in regard to China," said a statement from the "No Cold War" movement, an international campaign launched in July.

"These constitute a threat to world peace and are an obstacle to humanity successfully dealing with extremely serious common issues which confront it, such as climate change, control of pandemics, racial discrimination and economic development."

Jodie Evans, one of the panelists and a co-founder of CODEPINK, a female-led grassroots organization working to end the US' militarism.

Tremendous success

"During the last 70 years, China has taken 850 million people out of poverty, without invading other countries, or enslaving other people," she said, adding that the main reason for US' recent actions toward China is that the country's elite is "terrified" by China's tremendous economic success.

"History has shown that China is not interested in either cold or hot war," she said.

Victor Gao, chair professor at Soochow University in Jiangsu province, said US administration's purpose is to "derail China's development".

But the US will not reap any benefit from a war, he said. "No matter if it is cold or hot, it will bring mutually assured destruction," Gao said.

He urged Washington to take more responsible actions in domestic and international affairs, and said its "irresponsible approaches "in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the deaths of more than 200,000 people in the US.

"China wants to develop friendly relationships with all countries in the world, including the US," Gao said.

Other guest speakers included Lindsey German, a founding member and convener of the British anti-war organization Stop the War Coalition, and Margaret Kimberley, editor of the news and opinion website Black Agenda Report.