China Arrests Student Leader for Celebrating Mao Zedong’s Birthday

The Chinese state security arrested a student leader of Peking University for attempting to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Chinese communist leader and the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong, inside the university campus on 26 December. Qiu Zhanxuan, head of Peking University’s Marxist Society was forced into a black car by a group of seven to eight men who identified as ‘public security department’ officials.

Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party has started building a cult of individual and despite paying occasional lip service to the late founder of the People’s Republic of China and the leader of the Chinese Revolution, Mao Zedong, the party has recently officially distanced itself from celebrating any legacy of the leader fearing a public sentiment rising in favour of socialism and thereby fuelling a massive unrest against the unbridled capitalist exploitation, inequality and oppression the majority of the people are subjected to.

Announcement of USA troops withdrawal from Syria is evidence of acceleration of reactionary developments and conflicts

• Trump’s recent announcement of withdrawal of American troops from Syria, should not create any complacent feelings; on the contrary it should alert all the peoples of the area. The reason why is because –one way or another- this constitutes the acceleration of the development of conflict between the US and the other imperialists, especially Russia; and of course the escalation of their invasive policy in the area.
  Let us not forget that last time the US announced a troops’ withdrawal, that very announcement came with the launching of Tomahawk missiles against Syria and with the even greater intervention of the US to the Syrian front, which, even though much less possible at the moment, cannot be excluded as a possibility.
  It is also indicative that this announcement comes with the US underlining (so that there are no misconceptions to any foes or allies) that they are sustaining their ability to face swiftly and decisively any upcoming threat, through their Iraq based troops and assault weapon systems. Even the withdrawal timetable  the US announced gives them the potential to calculate the results and even the reactions from their announcement, in order to plan ahead their next steps.