China Expert: Has Beijing Betrayed Palestine? Why The Left Is Asking The Wrong Question

Is China betraying the world's oppressed nations, or is it playing a longer, harder game than its critics understand? Carlos Martinez, author of The East is Still Red and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China, joins me to confront the charge, common even on parts of the left, that Beijing does far too little for Palestine, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela. Martinez traces China's foreign policy from the internationalism of Bandung and the Non-Aligned Movement, through its rapprochement with Washington and entry into the world economy, to its present balancing act between principled solidarity and hard-nosed realism. We examine why China rejects unilateral sanctions even against Israel, why its UN vetoes on Gaza are strategy rather than betrayal, and why the more urgent question isn't what China should be doing, but what the rest of us should. 00:00 Highlights 01:11 Welcome & Introducing Carlos Martinez 03:11 Debunking the Myth: Is China "Imperialist"? 09:45 Ruling Class Interests: Why US and Chinese Foreign Policy Differ 19:39 China's Revolutionary History: Encirclement, Korea, and Bandung 29:22 From Rapprochement to Reform: China's Rise and US Backlash 40:23 The UN Charter, Nuclear Policy, and China's Four Global Initiatives 46:07 China and Palestine: Diplomacy, Support, and the UN Abstention 53:02 Why Won't China Do More For Palestine? Support me on Patreon ►   / radhikadesai   TikTok ►   / raddesai   X ► https://www.x.com/RadDesai Substack ► https://www.substack.com/@radicaldesai Website ► https://www.RadhikaDesai.com Edited by Gena Smirnovs (gena.sm@genasmirnovs.com)