The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) successfully held the first International Theoretical Conference in a European country on October 14-15. It was attended by 139 participants from various proletarian-socialist, anti-imperialist and democratic parties representing people of the world from Belgium, Canada, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Italy, Turkey, Kurdistan, the Netherlands, North Korea, Philippines, Russia South Korea and US.

The conference was launched amid the rampaging crisis and intensifying contradictions among imperialist countries. Through statements and presentations from various Marxist-Leninist parties, parties advancing Maoist people’s war, and anti-imperialist organizations from various countries, the conference mainly discussed the theoretical framework of inevitable war between imperialist countries and the key events in inter-imperialist conflicts. It also discussed the uprising of workers and citizens in different parts of the world, and the global proletariat’s proper attitude and analysis amid the current global situation.

In its keynote article, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines clarified the current balance of power between the imperialist countries. The CPP said the further heightening inter-imperialist conflict in the world is rooted in the intensifying aggression of the US as it seeks to assert unipolar power over the current multipolar world order.

The CPP Central Committee clarified that the war in Ukraine is primarily a proxy war between the US and Russia, and discussed the looming threats of war in Asia. The US is using Taiwan and Korea, as well as the Philippines and other countries in what it calls the “First Island Chain” to surround and contain China’s economic and military power. According to the CPP, the national democratic revolution in the Philippines through protracted people’s war and other forms of mobilizing the broad masses of the Filipino people is its particular contribution to the struggle against the inter-imperialist war. Waging armed struggle against US imperialism and its puppets in the Philippines serves to thwart US plans to incite and ignite armed conflict in the Asian region.

Apart from the CPP, others who shared their presentations include the Communist Party of India (Maoist), Communist Party of Turkey Marxist-Leninist (TKP-ML), Party of the Committees to Support Resistance for Communism (CARC-Italy), Freedom Road Socialist Organization-USA, Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World People, Russian Communist Workers Party, (New) Communist Party of Canada, Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), Revolutionaire Eenheid (Netherlands), Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Belgium, People’s Democratic Party (South Korea), Marxistisch-Leninistiche Partei Deutschlands (Germany) and comrades and experts from China.

The conference also discussed the current occupation and bombardment of Palestine by Israel which is being fueled and supported by the US.

The discussions at the conference were substantive and rich and served as an opportunity for various groups waging resistance to exchange ideas and practical experiences. In the end, the consciousness and commitment of each participant to the Marxist perspective regarding the unique role of the global proletariat to change the world prevailed. Equally, there was further enrichment in the analysis and understanding of Comrade Lenin’s theory and practice regarding imperialism, Comrade Mao’s regarding the launching of people’s war in semi-feudal and semi-colonial countries, and the current significance of the role of movements for national freedom in strengthening the international socialist and anti-imperialist movement.

At the end of the two-day conference, participants forged a common understanding of the theoretical framework and analysis of the current state of the world. This is expected to serve the goal of building a broad united front against imperialist war and raising the level of unity within the proletarian-socialist and anti-imperialist movement as preparation for the impending further collapse of the crisis of the global capitalist system.