Tributes to Jude Woodward

Diane Abbott MP
Claudia Webb MP
Cuba Solidarity Campaign
Stand Up To Racism
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign
Ken Livingstone
Joe Dwyer
George Galloway
Kate Hudson and Andrew Burgin
Ajit Singh
Ma Hui, a Chinese friend
Weyman Bennett
Ann Pettifor
Unite Against Fascism
Azad Ali
Chen Shuoying
Lindsey German
Alex Callinicos
Lee Jasper
Adrian Leon
Unmesh Desai
Explo Nani-Kofi
Faz Hakim
International Initiative For Promoting Political Economy (IIPPE)
New Cold War
chinasquare.be
chinasquare.be English Translation
Socialist Action

……………………..

Mary Robertson
Katy Robertson


The Tributes

Diane Abbott MP:


Claudia Webb MP:

So sad to learn of the death of my long time friend Jude Woodward – she was a dedicated anti racist, a socialist and stalwart of the left. We worked together in the anti-racist movement  and in campaigning for justice, peace and equality. Jude will be deeply missed. Her legacy will be our socialist future.


Cuba Solidarity Campaign:

In memory of Jude Woodward

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and all our members and affiliates in the UK, we would like to offer our deepest sympathy to Jude’s family, colleagues and friends.

Jude was a wonderful friend to the people of Cuba. She was a long standing member of the Executive Committee of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. Jude played a leading role in the development of CSC including working over many years on the democratic structures of CSC including our constitution.

Jude had a wonderful understanding and inside knowledge of the British trade union and labour movement. She was always ready to help others and regularly provided accessible and concise briefings, factsheets and updates on every subject particularly around the best ways to develop the solidarity movement in this country.

Jude was an internationalist who recognised that we could all learn so much from the experiences of the Cuban Revolution struggling to survive and develop under the constant threats from imperialism. She was a realist who understood the difficulties Cuba faced in building its socialist society in the face of such US aggression. Yet she also saw the very best in the Cuban people and applied herself selflessly to assist them wherever she could. She keenly followed developments in Cuba particularly the necessary economic changes made after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Jude recognised the value of international solidarity and saw that Cuba offered a real alternative to the cuts and austerity led agenda which so marred the lives of millions of working people here who had seen their jobs and communities destroyed over the years.

Jude will be sorely missed by all of us at the Cuba Solidarity Campaign on a personal and practical level. Her support, clarity and advice, has been a vital component of our work over many years that will be difficult to replace.

The best tribute we can give to Judes’s memory is to strengthen our resolve in the struggle for an end to the US Blockade and for Cuba’s right to follow their own chosen path to continue to build their socialist society built on the principle of human cooperation and solidarity.

Rob Miller, Director CSC

Bernard Regan, National Secretary CSC

https://cuba-solidarity.org.uk/news/article/4001/in-memory-of-jude-woodward


Stand Up To Racism:

Terrible news about the death of Jude Woodward – an inspirational socialist and anti-racist. #Solidarity to all Jude’s friends, family and comrades. Rest in power.
https://twitter.com/AntiRacismDay/status/1254412302465589249


Venezuela Solidarity Campaign:

Tribute to Jude Woodward

On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and all our members and affiliates in the UK, we would like to offer our deepest sympathy to Jude’s family, colleagues and friends.

Jude was an internationalist with a longstanding interest and deep commitment to solidarity with the peoples of Latin America in their struggles against imperialism.

She was a founder member and Vice-Chair of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and as a staff member of the Greater London Authority contributed significantly to the arrangements for the visit of President Hugo Chávez to London at the invitation of the Mayor, Ken Livingstone. Ken has paid tribute to her vital part in his team, a role in which she helped improve the lives of millions of Londoners.

Jude made an extraordinary intellectual and political contribution as a leading figure in VSC in the defence of the Bolivarian Revolution, as well as having a major involvement in other solidarity campaigns and wider initiatives such as the annual Latin American Conference, at which she spoke and chaired sessions with both grace and good humour.

Her knowledge, clear thinking, advice and practical support will be sorely missed.

https://www.venezuelasolidarity.co.uk/2020/05/07/tribute-to-jude-woodward/


Ken Livingstone:

Jude Woodward will be greatly missed.
She was a vital part of our Mayoral Administration, and helped improve the lives of millions of Londoners.
She was also active in vital international campaigns including the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign.

https://twitter.com/ken4london/status/1254450966587416576


Joe Dwyer:

So sad to hear this. Condolences to Jude’s family and friends.

Jude was a good friend of Ireland and can be heard here speaking about Boris Johnson’s ideological attack on St Patrick’s Day celebrations in London during race for London Mayor – https://www.irishinbritain.org/…/community-london/index.html


George Galloway:

I’m sincerely sorry to hear this news. I knew her well for over 30 years. She was an outstanding fighter for the working class people at home and abroad. Her commitment to socialism and her opposition to imperialism were total, unflinching and life-long.

https://twitter.com/georgegalloway/status/1254402176648196102


Andrew Burgin and Kate Hudson:

We are very sad that Jude has passed away today. Her death is a huge loss to the movement in so many ways. She and Kate…

Posted by Andrew Burgin on Sunday, 26 April 2020

Ajit Singh:


From Ma Hui, a Chinese friend:

To the family of Jude Woodard,
It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Jude. Hereby, I extend my deepest condolences.
She has been a great friend, knowledgeable and compassionate. I enjoyed spending time with her. I was deeply impressed by her determination and strength to fight for peace and justice. She will be missed.
May her rest in peace while her comrades and colleagues continue to work for peace, justice, equality, prosperity for the humanity.
My thoughts are with her family and those who loved her.


Weyman Bennett:

It’s very sad news I worked with Jude Woodward for over 17 years absolutely brilliant Comrade.


Ann Pettifor:

Katy…J and I want to express our deepest sympathy to you, Mary and Rod…While we knew Jude was not well, it still came as a shock yesterday, as she was such a strong life force…She was very important to me – and to the Labour Women’s Action Committee – in the 80s and 90s….and helped us bring about transformative change in favour of Labour women…She has left a real and progressive imprint on the world…and you should be proud of that.
(comment on Katy Roberston’s Facebook post)


Unite Against Fascism:


Azad Ali:

So sad to hear about this, I’ve known Jude Woodward for many years and was a great person to work with. My deepest condolences to her family.


Chen Shuoying:

I am shocked and devastated to know that Jude died from cancer. She is a great friend of the Chinese people. The success of our delegation to London in 2016 would have been unthinkable without the huge amount of hard work she did. I would like to express my consolation on behalf of Marxism Academy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on her death. We will carry on her career to strive for socialism.
Shuoying 


Lindsey German:

Very sorry to hear the news about Jude Woodward, who died today. I worked with her in many campaigns from abortion to anti racism and always found her a comradely and committed socialist. She was also a nice person to share a glass of wine with. She will be sadly missed in the left and the movements. Condolences and best wishes to her family, friends and comrades.


Alex Callinicos:

Very sorry to hear this. I’ve known Jude since Oxford in the 1970s. Condolences to her family, friends and comrades.


Lee Jasper:

Dearest condolences to her family. Worked with Jude for many years she was a determined and consistent anti-racist and support of black self organisation. I have so many fond memories of the struggles we fought together. An undoubted socialist of the highest calibre. She will be fondly remembered an sorely missed.


Adrian Leon:

I was very sorry to learn that Jude Woodward passed away today.

Jude was senior adviser on culture, creative industries and tourism in City Hall when Ken Livingstone was Mayor for most of the 2000s. In practice she was one of the Mayor’s staff who had the greatest interaction with the Jewish community around events such as Simcha in the Square and Chanukah in the Square as well as helping with the allocation of budgets to Jewish cultural organisations including those that became JW3. She also liaised with the community and did a lot of the preliminary leg work with respect to the community’s last rally (to date) for Israel in Trafalgar Square in 2009, although it actually took place after the change of Mayor.

Our politics were very different; she came from Socialist Action and the IMG but she was always empathetic, engaged and pleasant to deal with and very efficient too. She helped to reduce tensions between the community and the then Mayor of London.

We had lunch together a number of times, mostly at Bevis Marks and we once did a private tour of the shul. After she left City Hall we kept in touch, mostly through Facebook and social media (I know it’s a small thing but she would invariably like the posts about my dogs Jake and latterly Bryn!) – she spent much of her time in China where she taught and wrote.

She will be sorely missed by many people. Condolences to her family.


Unmesh Desai:

Sorry to hear this. I knew Jude and we worked together in the Tower Hamlets Anti Racist Committee in the late 80s/early 90s. Condolences to her family and comrades. RIP.


Explo Nani-Kofi:

Jude Woodward was one of the earliest socialists I came into contact with in UK and worked with for years in the anti-racist movement. It is sad to hear of her death today. My deeply heartfelt message of sympathy and condolences to her family, friends and comrades.


Faz Hakim:

I’m so sad to hear that Jude has died. She was one of the people I met very early on when I started out in politics and despite our political differences we both knew that we shared the same values and remained friends. She was a crucial link between Downing Street and the left of the party during my time there and between us we made sure we passed consistently progressive policies at conference on anti racism. It was always lovely to bump into her at our local with Rod and I was so happy when she got her dream job in City Hall. A truly remarkable woman. Rest in peace, Jude x.


International Initiative For Promoting Political Economy (IIPPE):

TRIBUTE TO JUDE WOODWARD

We are saddened with the news that one of our speakers, Jude Woodward, at the first China workshop passed away due to cancer. Below is a tribute from a co-ordinator of the China Working Group for Jude.

Jude Woodward was presenting on China and contemporary imperialism in the China workshop on 5 June 2018 at SOAS, London.

I came to know Jude through her writings and was first drawn to her by her compelling arguments in In Defence of China. After reading her new book The US vs China: Asia’s New Cold War?, I took up the courage to write to her and invite her to be the speaker for the China and Contemporary Imperialism session in the first IIPPE China Workshop on 5 June 2018 in London. I was thrilled that she accepted the invitation.

Not only delivering an informative and passionate speech, Jude participated in the Q&A sessions throughout the workshop and stimulated vigorous debate. It was a memorable event where an alternative leftist analysis on China was introduced and fiercely defended. As one of the organisers, I am hugely in debt to Jude for her contribution. As a researcher in political economy, I am always thankful for her courageous, uncompromising and serious research in this probably the most important socio-economic subject in our times.

Through the moving tributes from Jude’s close friends and publisher one can understand what a huge loss it is, not only an integral intellectual but also a loving person. No doubt Jude’s passing brought an insurmountable void to her friends. Jude started her research in midst of scepticism and criticism but is triumphantly vindicated with ongoing political developments. Jude will be sorely missed but her legacy will surely outlive her. It is incumbent on us to take the present and real danger of a possible new Cold War Jude had warned seriously, and like Jude, always stand on the side for human liberation, for socialism.

Sam-Kee Cheng
Coordinator of IIPPE Political Economy of China’s Development Working Group

27 April 2020 http://iippe.org/tribute-to-jude-woodward/


New Cold War:

Jude Woodward – obituary

It is with the utmost sadness that we, the editors of New Cold War, announce the death of Jude Woodward. NCW editor, Alan Freeman, shares a testament he has written for his close long-time friend, comrade and colleague.

By Alan Freeman

We woke to learn with terrible sadness that we have lost Jude Woodward, a comrade, a friend, and an inspiration. I worked with Jude at the GLA for eight years, which made London what it is today and served as a beacon for the transformations that are possible if we dare to dream, if we ground ourselves in facts and reality, if we work selflessly and together, and if we understand the glorious potential that this ghastly capitalist world really has imprisoned inside it, waiting to be born.

Jude was directly responsible for the Cultural Audit of London. I vividly remember our first discussion on this, based on a paper she had seen when in Beijng, sketching out the basis of an entirely new approach to the definition, measurement, and evaluation of culture and its importance in the life of capital cities and beyond. This gave rise to the world-spanning, World Cities Cultural Forum with over 40 cities engaged worldwide.

This is only one example of Jude’s exemplary contributions to life, knowledge, and humanity. It is a shining contrast with the miserable small-mindededness that dominates intellectual life in the West and which has conspired ever since to undo what was achieved by those who dared not only imagine, but build, a better world.

As editors of the Geopolitical Economy book series, I and Radhika Desai were pleased and proud to publish Jude’s pathbreaking and prophetic book The US vs China: Asia’s New Cold War’. It is salutory to recall that the first comments we received on Jude’s manuscript treated the idea that China and the US could ever be in conflict with scepticism and even derision. To get at truth it is not enough to discover it: one must also stand up to the ill-informed, petty and malicious obstruction of those who stand in its way.

Jude was an exemplar of what everyone who seeks a just world should aspire to become: an activist and a writer who worked to discover how the world really works, in order to change it; a fearless champion of truth who penetrated fogs of confusion, challenging, frontally, the preconceived and passing prejudices that prevented others seeing it; and a leader with the courage to put that knowledge to work.

Jude’s legacy will deservedly outlast her; let us ensure that it helps build the new world she lived for. Life is a battle: Jude showed us all how to fight.

Imagine – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You, you may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You, you may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one

https://www.newcoldwar.org/jude-woodward-obituary/


chinasquare.be:

In memoriam Jude Woodward

by Dirk Nimmegeers 

In België en Nederland was Jude Woodward vooral bekend als auteur van het boek The US versus China. Dat boek werd in het Nederlands vertaald onder de titel ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’ en uitgegeven bij EPO. We citeren uit het in memoriam dat Thomas Blommaert, directeur van die uitgeverij, op FaceBook plaatste:

Groot gemis

‘Met grote droefheid vernemen we het overlijden van Jude Woodward, in de Lage Landen vooral bekend als auteur van het standaardwerk ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’, maar daarnaast ook historica, feministe, marxiste, oud-adviseur internationale culturele uitwisseling van de toenmalige Londense burgemeester Ken Livingstone en docente aan verschillende universiteiten’ (…)
Op een genuanceerde manier trok ze lessen uit de geschiedenis, vertrok van feiten, schetste context en tikte daar vervolgens een doorwrochte maar leesbare klinker van ruim vierhonderd bladzijden over bij elkaar. “Het verfrissende aan dit boek”, schreef VRT-journalist en Chinawatcher Stefaan Blommaert in een uitgebreide recensie, “is dat je over heel wat kwesties inzake de relatie tussen China en de VS een compleet ander geluid hoort dan wat gemeengoed is geworden in de meeste westerse publicaties” (…)
Uitgeverij EPO wenst haar nabestaanden veel sterkte. Wij hebben Jude kort gekend, toch gaan we haar erg missen. Maar haar boek blijven we verder promoten. Wie het nieuws volgt weet: het is actueler dan ooit. Via deze link kan je haar interview op Terzake herbekijken: bit.ly/2Y62qTn
Meer info over ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’: bit.ly/2SauKQJ
Wat ChinaSquare over het boek te melden had vind je via deze link.
Jenny Clegg schreef in november 2017 een dubbelrecensie waarbij ze
Jude Woodwards boek, The US vs China – Asia’s New Cold War? vergeleek met Amitai Etzioni’s, Avoiding War with China. ChinaSquare kreeg de toestemming om een vertaling van haar tekst te plaatsen. Het originele artikel verscheen in het herfstnummer van China Eye, het orgaan van de Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU).

Jude Woodward in tijden van COVID-19

De wereldwijde ontwikkelingen rond COVID-19 hebben de analyse van Jude Woodward bevestigd. Met haar visie in het achterhoofd kun je die evolutie volgen en in haar context plaatsen. Zo krijg je een glasheldere kijk, ook op hoe de verschillende wereldsystemen met de pandemie omgaan.
Tot slot laten we Jude Woodward zelf aan het woord. Op donderdag 24 januari 2019 was er een deskundigenpanel, georganiseerd door BACES (Brussels Academy for China and European Studies) en EIAS (European Institute for Asian Studies). Op die book launch zei de auteur van ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’ onder meer het volgende:

Woodward in her own words: ‘oorlogsgevaar komt niet van China’.

‘De VS drijft op alle fronten de politieke confrontatie met China op: economisch, militair, in de propaganda, door laster en beschuldigingen tegen China en pogingen om het land te isoleren. Dit alles met als doel de groei en ontwikkeling van China te fnuiken en terug te brengen tot een niveau waar China niet langer een uitdaging vormt voor de VS. Deze vijandelijkheid is zeer gevaarlijk voor de wereld. Ze zal niet verdwijnen.

De National Defence Strategy in januari 2018 gaf de strategische concurrentie met belangrijke rivalen (China en Rusland) de voorrang boven de strijd tegen het terrorisme. De VS gedraagt zich agressiever in de Zuid-Chinese Zee en in de Straat van Taiwan. Deze militarisering dient twee doelstellingen. Het militaire evenwicht moet zo naar de kant van de VS doorslaan dat het land in staat zou zijn een aanvalsoorlog tegen China te beginnen wat het op dit moment niet is. China moet zijn economische middelen richten op een wapenwedloop.

Een dergelijke ontwikkeling zou het Chinese concurrentievermogen zwaar aantasten, de economische neergang zou de steun voor de regering ondermijnen en er zou een stroming ontstaan om uiteindelijk maar toe te geven aan de VS. Niets wijst er echter op dat China bezig is daarin te tuinen.’  (…)

‘Bij de huidige regering is er een meerderheid voor een regelrechte koude oorlog tegen China. Ook de voornaamste strategen van het Pentagon willen dat. De tactiek van de Democraten is misschien anders, maar ook zij zijn voor een geopolitieke confrontatie. Dat gevaar zal dus niet verdwijnen met een wisseling van de wacht in de VS.’

Feiten spreken het duidelijkst

‘Een vraag die zich opdringt is door wie of wat dit komt. Het Westen wijst sinds 2010 eensgezind en zonder tegenspraak naar de ‘agressiviteit’ van de Volksrepubliek China. Kijk echter aandachtig naar wat China gedurende die periode heeft gedaan en je vindt daarvoor geen bewijs. Het is moeilijk iets anders te concluderen dan dat de VS er welbewust voor kiest een conflict met China te creëren, onmogelijke voorwaarden te stellen, een bewapeningswedloop uit te lokken. De VS zoekt een conflict met China, dat China niet wilde en niet is begonnen. Het is duidelijk dat de VS zich bedreigd voelt door de snelheid waarmee China een inhaalbeweging uitvoert en de omvang die deze kent. De VS ziet dit als een existentiële bedreiging voor zijn alleenheerschappij, los van wat China ook onderneemt.’

Historisch bewijs

‘De laatste keer dat er een aflossing van de wacht plaatsvond was na 1870 toen de VS zelf Groot Brittannië inhaalde. Binnen de 70 jaar daarna was de dollar de wereldmunt geworden en waren er twee wereldoorlogen uitgevochten. Er heerst dus angst voor wat de komende decennia kunnen meebrengen. Het is echter duidelijk dat China de Pax Americana niet wil vervangen door een Pax Sinica. Even duidelijk is het dat China daar ook niet toe in staat is.

De wereldsituatie is helemaal anders dan in 1945, toen de Amerikaanse economie groter was dan die van alle 29 West-Europese landen plus Japan, Canada, Nieuw Zeeland en Australië bij elkaar opgeteld. China staat op het punt om de economie van de VS qua absolute omvang in te halen, maar er is geen sprake van dat het de VS plus andere landen in omvang kan evenaren.

Het ‘gemeenschappelijke belang van de mensheid’

Zo besloot Jude Woordward haar toespraak in januari 2019:
‘Het onvermijdelijke einde van de Pax Americana zal ofwel leiden tot conflicten en chaos ofwel tot een nieuw, verbeterd multilateralisme. Een dergelijke wereldorde kan de steun en stimulansen krijgen van een aantal landen, die zich scharen rond de gemeenschappelijke belangen van de mensheid. Dat is het waar China voor ijvert. Het is onmogelijk om in de toekomst te kijken en te voorspellen of die goed of slecht zal zijn. Het is wel zeker dat de confrontatie die de VS zoekt met China niet snel ten einde zal zijn en bepalend zal zijn voor de komende decennia.’

Een jaar later is het grootste ‘gemeenschappelijke belang van de mensheid’ onverwacht duidelijk geworden. Dat is nu samenwerken in de strijd tegen COVID-19, snel de geschikte vaccins vinden en rechtvaardig omgaan met de sociale en economische gevolgen van de pandemie.

https://www.chinasquare.be/in-memoriam-jude-woodward/


Tribute to Jude Woodward on ChinaSquare.be (ENGLISH translation)

Jude Woodward passed away on Sunday April 26. She was a convinced and sincere friend of China and its socialist society. In Belgium and the Netherlands, Jude Woodward was best known as the author of the book ‘The US versus China’. That book was translated into Dutch under the title of ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’ and published by Belgian publisher EPO.
We quote Thomas Blommaert, EPO director:

Great loss

‘It is with great sadness that we learn the death of Jude Woodward, best known in the Low Countries as the author of the standard work ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’. Jude was also a historian, feminist, Marxist, former advisor international cultural exchange of the then London mayor Ken Livingstone and lecturer at various universities’ (…)
In a nuanced way she drew lessons from history, seeking truth from facts, sketching the context and then writing a well-thought-out, very readable volume of more than four hundred pages together. ‘The refreshing thing about this book,’ Belgian television journalist and China watcher Stefaan Blommaert wrote in an extensive review, ‘is that on many issues regarding the relationship between China and the US, in this book you hear a completely different story than what has become common in most Western publications'(…)

Publisher EPO wishes her relatives a lot of strength. We have known Jude briefly, but we will miss her very much. Of course we will continue to promote her book. Whoever follows the news knows that it is more topical than ever.

Jude Woodward in times of COVID-19

You can find out what ChinaSquare had to say about the book via this link.
Worldwide developments around COVID-19 have confirmed Jude Woodward’s analysis. With her vision in mind you can follow that evolution and place it in its context. This gives you a crystal clear view, also on how the different world systems deal with the pandemic.
We let Jude Woodward speak for herself at the end of our obituary. On Thursday 24 January 2019, an expert panel had been organized by BACES (Brussels Academy for China and European Studies) and EIAS (European Institute for Asian Studies). At that book launch, the author of ‘Amerika tegen China. De nieuwe Koude Oorlog?’ said:

Woodward in her own words: ‘war will not come from China’.

‘The US is driving political confrontation with China on all fronts: economic, military, propaganda, vilification and accusations against China and attempts to isolate the country. All this with the aim of stopping China’s growth and development and bringing it back to a level where China where it might be seen to challenge the US. This hostility is very dangerous for the whole world. and it is not going to go away.
The National Defense Strategy in January 2018 prioritized ‘strategic competition’ with key rivals (China and Russia) over the so-called ‘war on terror’. The US is behaving more aggressively in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. This militarization is directed to two goals. Firstly to change the military balance in the region to make it possible for the US to wage an offensive war against China, which US military planners believe under current conditions would be a very risky enterprise. Secondly to force the Chinese to divert economic resources into a damaging arms race.
That would reduce its competitivity internationally, and with the US in particular, eventually create a domestic economic squeeze that would undermine support for the regime and promote popular sentiment in favour of caving in to the US based on the illusion that the US would then ‘allow’ China to develop again. However, China is showing no sign of falling into an ‘arms race’ trap.’
(…)
‘ Even if obstacles remain to the launch of a full-blooded Cold War with China, there is now no equivocation that this is the intent of major sections of the current administration and is at the heart of Pentagon strategizing. And while tactics may differ, it is clear that in general this is a bipartisan policy and return of Democratic administration would not eliminate this geopolitical confrontation.’

Facts speak louder


‘Such a decisive shift in the international situation to one of confrontation and conflict between the two largest economies and most powerful countries in the world poses the question as to what or who was to blame for this? Since 2010, the West has pointed unanimously and without contradiction to the “aggressiveness” of the People’s Republic of China. However, look carefully at what China has done during that period and you will find no evidence for that. It is difficult to conclude anything other than that the US deliberately chooses to create a conflict with China, to set impossible conditions, to provoke an arms race. The US is seeking a conflict with China that China did not want and has not started. Clearly the US feels threatened not by alleged aggression by China, but by the speed and scale of China’s catch up with the West and with the US in particular. For the first time since it overtook Britain in the 1870s, an economy is emerging that – unless it can be halted – will imminently be larger than the US itself. The US views this possibility as an existential challenge to its hegemonic position in geopolitics irrespective of what China actually does.’

Historical evidence

‘The last time that the guard was relieved was after 1870 when the US itself overtook Britain. Within the next 70 years, the dollar had become the world’s currency and two world wars had been fought. So there is a fear of what the coming decades will bring. China however, is not seeking to replace the ‘Pax Americana’ with a ‘Pax Sinica’, but it couldn’t do so even if it wanted to.
Firstly China strongly argues for a strengthened multilateralism, within which all nations are able to fully contribute and the ‘great powers’ seek beneficial compromises, not just in their own interests but in the interests of all.
Secondly, 1945 saw the US the victor in a global struggle which had left its economy larger than the sum of all 29 countries of Western Europe as well as Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Australia put together; and only marginally smaller than all these and the USSR. Its share of industrial production was even greater. This gave it an unprecedented advantage from which to embed its interests and leadership in the post-war political and economic settlement. There is no possibility whatsoever of a similar Pax Sinica replacing this. China may be on the verge of overtaking the US economy in absolute size (if it hasn’t already), but it is not, in any scenario whatsoever, about to become bigger than the US and the next 28 largest countries in the world taken together.’

The ‘common interest of humanity’

Jude Woodward concluded her speech in January 2019 as follows:

‘We can’t look into a crystal ball and see how all this pans out, whether for good or bad. But what is certain is that the confrontation the US has picked with China is not set to end soon and will determine much of the shape of the next decades.
The inevitable end of the Pax Americana will either lead to conflict and chaos or to a new, improved multilateralism. Such a world order can receive the support and incentives of a number of countries that rally around the common interests of humanity. That is what China is committed to. It is impossible to look into the future and predict whether it will be good or bad. It is certain that the confrontation that the US is looking for with China will not soon end and will determine the coming decades.’
A year later, the greatest ‘common interest of humanity’ has unexpectedly taken a new and clearly delineated form. At the moment it is worldwide cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, to find suitable vaccines and to deal with the social and economic consequences of the pandemic.


Socialist Action:

Jude Woodward

It is with the deepest sorrow that this website announces the death of Jude Woodward from cancer.

For more than 40 years Jude had worked full time for the cause of the liberation of humanity as a committed and highly educated Marxist.

Jude entered politics because of her commitment to feminism, anti-imperialism and anti-racism. She always went wherever she believe she could make the greatest contribution to the struggle for humanity’s liberation. Throughout her life she fought for the liberation of women, she opposed the US war in Vietnam, she worked flat out during the miners’ strike, and never gave up for a minute during the very difficult period when defeats with the collapse of the USSR allowed the US to unleash reactionary wars in Iraq and other countries. She fought any attempt to rehabilitate the reactionary ideologies of imperialism, racism and sexism that these defeats unleashed. For several years she worked full time in Tower Hamlets, alongside the Bangladeshi community, campaigning against racism. Jude was thrilled to see the new wave of struggles for socialism in Latin America symbolised by Hugo Chavez and was a staunch lifetime supporter of Cuba. One of the greatest pleasures of her life was to visit and teach in China and see the enormous progress the people of that country have made in improving their lives. Her book ‘The US vs China – Asia’s New Cold War?’ expressed that.

Jude took pleasure from a passionate love of music and opera which she received from her family – naturally with a particular love of some female roles! She was held in the highest love and respect by everyone who shared her goals for the liberation of all human beings. Not long before she died, while she was still fighting for life, she said ‘One thing I am certain of is that I made the right decision of what to do with my life.’ Her death is a blow not only to her family but to the struggle for socialism.

In the present situation it is impossible to hold the normal funeral that would be appropriate for such a determined fighter for socialism. A fitting tribute will be held at the earliest moment it is possible.

Jude would have wanted only one thing after she could no longer continue her personal struggle – for everyone to continue the fight for human liberation, which means socialism, which was the entire focus of her life. Deeply saddened but inspired by her example that is what we intend to do. Naturally, at this moment, the deepest feeling must be with her family and those who loved her. We would just like them to know one thing, we loved her too – very much.

http://www.socialistaction.net/2020/04/26/jude-woodward/


Mary Robertson:

My brilliant, beautiful, funny step-mum Jude Woodward died this morning from cancer. She dedicated her life to the fight for a better world while being a fiercely loving partner to my dad, parent to me and Katy, and nana to Laurie.

I learnt so much from Jude, not just about politics and music, but about how to navigate life’s challenges with compassion, principle and strength. She was a huge influence on my life and the person I turned to after every political setback – because she knew how to comfort me while teaching me that the struggle continues.

I’ll miss her wisdom, her infectious sense of humour, and the delight she took from even the smallest things in life.

I love her so much and losing her feels like losing part of myself. But I am so grateful for all the wonderful times I had with her and so proud to be able to call her both parent and best friend.

This is a recent picture of Jude with her grandaughter, who she adored and who adored her.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10163310037065257&set=a.10150885198025257&type=3&theater


Katy Robertson:

Today we lost our wonderful, caring, funny, intelligent and fiercely loyal step mum Jude Woodward to cancer. She has been in my life since I was a teenager and I love her desperately. She was loving wife to my dad Rod Robertson, loving parent to me and my sister Rary Mob and proud Nana to my daughter Laurie.

She was a huge force for change in her political career as it is says here in her dedication http://www.socialistaction.net/2020/04/26/jude-woodward/ .

She was also an incredible cook, gardener, lover of music and opera,- along with my dad – where I got a love of birdwatching from and it turns out an incredible photographer. These are pictures of one of our trips to Kenya and the photography is all her.

Later after I had Laurie and I was very sleep deprived she came every week and cooked me an incredible Jude style avocado on toast and lay with Laurie asleep in her arms and played with her while I rested. They had a beautiful bond and they both loved each other very much. I’m happy Laurie was able to give Jude one of her infectious grins right up towards the end. I love you Jude xxx

https://www.facebook.com/katy.robertson.14/posts/10158061471221422