Portland, Oregon

A book signing on June 22 in Portland, Oregon, featured Kyle Ferrana, author of “Why the World Needs China,” Dee Knight, author of “Befriending China,” and Alder, who promoted Ferrana’s book at her Communist Party USA book club. The event took place in person and online.

Ferrana read the following section from his book detailing socialist China’s advances: “Real wages and social benefits are increasing, poverty is decreasing, the public sector is expanding, and public infrastructure is being built on a massive scale. China has surpassed the United States in healthy life expectancy, and compared with the rest of the developed world, Chinese citizens retire earlier and are far more likely to own their own home. Overall, the people of China have without question more prosperity, better health and greater freedom now than they have ever had in history — things that they themselves have demanded and received.”

Knight added: “I came into awareness when we watched the Vietnamese National Liberation Front with help from socialist countries defeat the U.S. for the first time in world history. It showed that Palestinian people can also defeat Zionism and imperialism. I have no doubt that the Iranian people and leadership will also defeat the U.S. and Israel.” Knight’s comments on Ferrara’s book reflected this viewpoint.

Also speaking was Carlos Martinez from Friends of Socialist China, who had reviewed Ferrana’s book and has written several books himself, including “The East is Still Red.” Speaking from London, Martinez stated: “It is becoming clearer … with every despicable act of aggression carried out by the U.S. and its Israeli proxy against the people of Palestine, Iran, Yemen and Lebanon. The whole world can increasingly see what the U.S. and its allies represent and what China represents.

“One [view is] put forward by the capitalist class in the U.S. and one is put forward by the working class in China. China proposes a global community of a shared future for humanity. … It’s the principle of peaceful coexistence. It’s based on the clear understanding that humanity has only one home — earth — and that peace, sustainability and common prosperity can only be built based on solidarity and cooperation.”

Workers World Party members Sara Flounders and Richie spoke on the U.S. bombing of Iran which had just taken place. Richie stated that the U.S. is targeting Iran because it is the country that has provided the most actual material support to the Palestinian people in their heroic struggle for national liberation and to put an end to Israel’s genocide.

See the entire event at tinyurl.com/2racd7ya. Hear and read the talk by Martinez at tinyurl.com/ya8arscb.