China

Russian-North Korea summit: Fruitless 'joint struggle' between nuclear states
Karen Yamanaka — Putin has recently taken hostile military actions against neighbouring countries in the Far East and has strengthened military ties with North Korea. China, on the other hand, has watched the recent Russian-North Korean rapprochement with mixed feelings.

European Left leaders on Ukraine: Not even a hint of solidarity
Murray Smith — Throughout history, solidarity has helped achieve the only possible acceptable peace — one guaranteeing defeat of the aggressor and the victim to live free of the threat of renewed assault. That must be the goal of the European Left in relation to Ukraine.

Imperialism, the Long Depression and the BRICS illusion: Interview with Michael Roberts
Michael Roberts talks about the realities of imperialism today and how much — or, rather, how little — has changed since Vladimir Lenin wrote his book on the subject.

BRICS+ emerge from Johannesburg humbled as sub- (not anti- or inter-) imperialists
Patrick Bond — The BRICS summit in Johannesburg concluded on August 24 after a major disappointment: the long-overdue challenge to U.S. dollar hegemony was stillborn due to the bloc’s conservative forces.

BRICS+: An imperialist-led alliance
Michael Pröbsting — The expansion of BRICS reflects the rise of Chinese and Russian imperialism at the cost of their Western rivals.

The Johannesburg BRICS Summit’s unrealistic hype
Patrick Bond — Talk of a “BRICS+” with new members and a “de-dollarization” agenda are raising the profile of this network to an unprecedented — and unrealistic — level.