For a united workers campaign for the people of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet & the Uyghur Region.
A coalition of labour movement and human rights organisations are holding their first meeting for a new campaign which aims to bring together activists in the UK to develop solidarity with workers, oppressed nationalities and others whose democratic rights are threatened or being denied by the Chinese Communist Party and its regime. This important meeting will be held in London on 3rd June.

Introductory speakers include Vicky Blake, President (2020 – 2022) of the University and College Union (UCU), and other leading activists from Hong Kong and China. This will be followed by discussion and amendments on founding statement and other proposals on policies and actions.
The meeting will discuss and vote on proposals to establish a new campaign organisation, based on the draft platform that the meeting co-sponsors agreed, with a Steering Committee to lead on organising campaign activities.
This meeting is also expected to bring together solidarity campaigners to discuss creating a common labour movement campaign in the UK, to unite wherever possible in order to organising an active solidarity for the struggles of workers and oppressed and marginalised people in China for liberation, democracy and equality.
The organisers said, “Last year’s explosion of dissent in the Blank Paper Protests, originating in resistance and revolt against the abuse of Foxconn workers in Zhengzhou’s “iPhone City” and the murderous neglect of Uyghurs in Urumchi, reminds us of the struggles, and the enormous potential power, of China’s workers and oppressed people. The CCP dictatorship has been challenged by Chinese people in a way not seen for decades. Now is the time for a step change in our solidarity to them.”
They also added, “It is increasingly clear that the UK government cannot be trusted to give consistent and meaningful support to those fighting for democratic and workers’ rights in China, Hong Kong, Tibet and the Uyghur Region. Instead it uses these issues to promote nationalist paranoia and xenophobia; justify increased armaments expenditure; and advance Western big business interests. We must therefore base our efforts on the labour movement and grassroots international solidarity, independent from big business interests and the governments that serve those interests.”
The inaugural meeting, supported by a number of solidarity and labour movement organisations, will hear from leading campaigners and trade unionists, discuss the situation, and consider proposals to establish an ongoing joint campaign. All participants will discuss and decide the campaign’s programme and activities. They aim to initiate a joint campaign to build unity:
- For democratic and workers’ rights across China and its occupied territories: the rights to free speech, to organise and protest, to form opposition parties to the state and the CCP, to organise independent unions and for the right to strike, to practise any religion or none.
- For social justice and economic democracy for the Chinese, Hong Kong, Uyghur, Tibetan and Taiwanese people.
- For equality and liberation for women, LGBT people, disabled people, and racialised minorities, and the abolition of the hukou system that discriminates against working-class migrants.
- For freedom from repression, and the democratic right to self-determination, for Tibet, the Uyghurs, and Hong Kong.
- For environmental protections, including just transition to halt climate change.
- Against exploitation, oppression and environmental degradation in other countries affected by China’s economic imperialism and arms sales to tyrants.
None of these struggles benefit from superpower rivalries, xenophobia or threats of war. The campaign should therefore also:
- Support the right of threatened nations such as Taiwan to defend their self-determination and to receive arms necessary for that defence from whatever forces are willing to supply them, while opposing armament drives and sabre-rattling by the imperialist camps of China, Russia and the US and their military and security alliances.
- Fight racism against people of East & South-East Asian backgrounds.
- Oppose the UK government’s racist anti-migrant policies and demand safe routes, sanctuary and equality for refugees fleeing repression, violence and authoritarianism – whether at the hands of the Chinese state or anywhere else in the world. Defend the rights of migrants & refugees who have already come to the UK, and support their inclusion & integration into the local workers’ movement.
To these ends, the campaign’s activities would include:
- Organise and support protest and direct action against the Chinese state and its embassies and representatives, and against businesses complicit in repression and exploitation.
- Work to win the argument for solidarity within the labour movement and the left, and to engage our trade unions and political organisations in this solidarity.
- Encourage and support workers’ action in the global supply chains that connect the working classes here and in China and its occupied territories.
- Discussion, debate and education within the left and labour movement on all these issues.
- To carry out practical aid tailor made to the communities within the struggles in the UK.
Initial Campaign Sponsors:
- Labour Movement Solidarity with Hong Kong
- Power to Hongkongers
- Red Roots Collective
- Peter Tatchell Foundation
- Democracy for Hong Kong
- Left Chinese Student Association
- Uyghur Solidarity Campaign (UK)
- Alliance for Workers’ Liberty
- Wessex Solidarity
- Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM)
- June 4 Sparks
Join this important inaugural meeting on Saturday, 3rd June from 1.30pm to 5pm at Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX
Direct link to the organisers’ announcement on Eventbrite – Worker Solidarity against CCP repression – inaugural meeting
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