The China-US Solidarity Network (CUSSN) is a pro-China network founded in 2016 that advocates for the creation of delegations between both countries. 1 The China-US Solidarity Network’s delegations to China aim to include left-of-center and radical-left journalists, scholars, progressive organizations, and activists. The network organized a delegation to China in May 2023 with the U.S. Workers’ World Party, a radical-left “Marxist-Leninist political party” dedicated to starting and fighting a “socialist revolution in the United States and around the world.” 2 3
According to the Friends of Socialist China, a pro-China Marxist organization, the delegation, which was described as “anti-imperialist,” was created to “conduct research that brings truth to expose the lies of the U.S. empire,” as well as form a “more resilient global anti-imperialist movement.” 4 5
Background
The China-US Solidarity Network is a pro-China network founded in 2016 based in Los Angeles, California and is a project of the National Immigrant Solidarity Network, and Action LA Network. Lee Siu Hin, the executive director of the China-US Solidarity Network, is the national coordinator for both organizations. 6 7 8
The CUSSN’s goal is to create delegations from the United States to China. The group states it has organized more than 40 events since its inception in 2016. Such delegations have themes that are pro-China including “China Is Not Our Enemy,” which was a theme of a November 2023 delegation. 9 10
Advocacy Activities
China Delegations
The China-US Solidarity Network’s delegations to China are composed of left-of-center journalists, scholars, progressive organizations, and activists. 11
The CUSSN organized a delegation to China in May 2023 with the U.S. Workers’ World Party, a radical-left “Marxist-Leninist political party” dedicated to starting and fighting a “socialist revolution in the United States and around the world.” 12 13
According to the Friends of Socialist China, a pro-China Marxist organization, the delegation, which was described as “anti-imperialist,” was created to “conduct research that brings truth to expose the lies of the U.S. empire,” as well as form a “more resilient global anti-imperialist movement.” 14 15
Capitalism on a Ventilator
“Capitalism on a Ventilator: The Impact of COVID-19 in China & the U.S.” is a joint project of the China-US Solidarity Network and the International Action Center, a left-of-center anti-war advocacy group that opposes U.S. interventionism. The project published a book with the World View Forum in 2020 co-edited by Sara Flounders and Lee Siu Hin. Flounders is a co-coordinator of the International Action Center and contributing editor of Workers World, an “anti-capitalist, revolutionary” newspaper published by the Workers’ World Party. 16 17
In the book’s introduction, Flounders claims that “capitalism intentionally breaks down social cohesion,” adding that “mass mobilizations, unions, and community self-control organizations are a threat to exploitation. Police repression and racism are an essential part of the fabric of this society, used like Krazy Glue to forcibly hold together a crumbling system.” 18
People
Lee Siu Hin is the executive director of the China-US Solidarity Network and has been a “long-time international activist for over 40 years.” 19
According to his LinkedIn, Lee Siu Hin is the national coordinator of the National Immigrant Solidarity Network, Action LA Network, Peace NO War Network, and Activist Video Service. He was on the steering committee for United for Peace and Justice and the Latin American Solidarity Network. Lee Siu Hin is also the manager and founder of Activist Design and director at the Beijing e-Medical Alliance. 20
According to the International Action Center, Lee Siu Hin “has been involved in” the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, a labor organization of Asian- and Pacific Islander-American union members. The organization has released guiding principles that it claims are rooted in “Black liberation, Indigenous sovereignty, and solidarity with all struggles for collective liberation.” 21 22
Lee Siu Hin appeared in a YouTube video published by the Workers World Party in February 2024. In the video, Lee Siu Hin expressed “strong support for Palestinian struggle in the [sic] Gaza and the West Bank,” before chanting “free free Palestine.”” 23
Lee Siu Hin adds that the “U.S. imperials” and other Western countries are “interfering” with China’s “internal sovereignty” by accusing the Chinese Communist Party, the governing political party of China, of committing genocide against the Uyghurs, the largest minority ethnic group in Xinjiang province. 24 25
References
- “About Us.” China-US Solidarity Network. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/ChinaSolidarity/AboutUs.html.
- “US anti-imperialist delegation meets with Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.” Friends of Socialist China. June 16, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://socialistchina.org/2023/06/16/us-anti-imperialist-delegation-meets-with-taiwan-democratic-self-government-league/.
- “About.” Workers World Party. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “US anti-imperialist delegation meets with Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.” Friends of Socialist China. June 16, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://socialistchina.org/2023/06/16/us-anti-imperialist-delegation-meets-with-taiwan-democratic-self-government-league/.
- “About Friends of Socialist China.” Friends of Socialist China. May 15, 2021. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://socialistchina.org/about/.
- “About Us.” China-US Solidarity Network. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/ChinaSolidarity/AboutUs.html.
- “About-China Delegation: Understand Chinese Society, History, Culture, Economic and Politics.” Accessed July 15, 2024. https://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/About.html.
- “Lee Siu Hin – Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/siuhin/details/experience/.
- “About Us.” China-US Solidarity Network. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/ChinaSolidarity/AboutUs.html.
- Knight, Dee. “Traveling to Prove China Is Not Our Enemy.” CovertAction Magazine – Exposing Covert Action Sin. December 1, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://covertactionmagazine.com/2023/12/01/traveling-to-prove-china-is-not-our-enemy/.
- “About Us.” China-US Solidarity Network. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/ChinaSolidarity/AboutUs.html.
- “US anti-imperialist delegation meets with Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.” Friends of Socialist China. June 16, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://socialistchina.org/2023/06/16/us-anti-imperialist-delegation-meets-with-taiwan-democratic-self-government-league/.
- “About.” Workers World Party. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://workersworld-party.org/about/.
- “US anti-imperialist delegation meets with Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.” Friends of Socialist China. June 16, 2023. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://socialistchina.org/2023/06/16/us-anti-imperialist-delegation-meets-with-taiwan-democratic-self-government-league/.
- “About Friends of Socialist China.” Friends of Socialist China. May 15, 2021. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://socialistchina.org/about/.
- “China welcomes Chinese translation of ‘Capitalism on a Ventilator’.” International Action Center. January 27, 2022. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://iacenter.org/2022/01/27/china-welcomes-chinese-translation-of-capitalism-on-a-ventilator/.
- “Subscribe.” Workers World Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.workers.org/subscribe/.
- Kelly, Ted. “Review: ‘Capitalism on a Ventilator’/ The impact of COVID-19 in China & the U.S..” International Action Center. May 5, 2021. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://iacenter.org/2021/05/05/capitalism-on-a-ventilator-the-impact-of-covid-19-in-china-the-u-s/.
- “About-China Delegation: Understand Chinese Society, History, Culture, Economic and Politics.” Accessed July 15, 2024. https://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/About.html.
- “Lee Siu Hin – Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/siuhin/details/experience/.
- “China welcomes Chinese translation of ‘Capitalism on a Ventilator’.” International Action Center. January 27, 2022. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://iacenter.org/2022/01/27/china-welcomes-chinese-translation-of-capitalism-on-a-ventilator/.
- “About.” APALA. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.apalanet.org/about.html.
- Workers World Party. “18 Message from Lee Sui Hin.” February 3, 2024. YouTube video, 3:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0h0_rbyYNY&ab_channel=WorkersWorldParty
- Workers World Party. “18 Message from Lee Sui Hin.” February 3, 2024. YouTube video, 3:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0h0_rbyYNY&ab_channel=WorkersWorldParty
- News, BBC. “Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?.” BBC News. May 24, 2022. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22278037.