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2020 July 15 - 21 TOP3 [JCP]

Shii speaks on corona crisis at JCP 98th founding anniv.

The Japanese Communist Party on July 15 celebrated the 98th anniversary of its founding. The party held an assembly with Chair Shii Kazuo as a main speaker at the JCP head office in Tokyo. The assembly was broadcast live on the Internet.

At 6,000 locations, including JCP local offices, across Japan, 17,000 people watched the live broadcast. In addition, the number of real-time and on-demand web viewers of the speech event reached 34,000 and 38,000, respectively.

Shii pointed out that amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the collapse of neoliberalism and the conflict of capitalism have become obvious in Japan as well as throughout the world. He stressed that on the other hand, the current crisis has motivated people to explore paths toward a new society, adding that the international society is being put to the test in its ability to effectively respond to the ongoing pandemic.

Shii talked about the importance of seeing the COVID-19 pandemic from a historical perspective. He said, “Infectious disease pandemics occurred numerous times in human history. On each occasion, they shed light on and intensified contradictions in society. In some instances, they played a role in initiating a turning point in history.”

Shii concluded his speech by saying, “Let us make efforts to overcome the coronavirus crisis and create a better society for all both at home and abroad. The revised JCP Program will provide a compass that shows a clear direction in efforts to achieve this.”

A man in his 30s living in Hokkaido viewed the speech event at a JCP Sapporo local party office. He referred to Shii’s remark that industrial development which destroys natural environments can be a major factor in the infectious disease outbreak. He said, “Capitalism does not hesitate to destroy ecosystems to maximize profits. Shii presented a clear vision of how to shift from this economic system in a future society. This convinced me of the need for radical change.”

Past related article:
> JCP Shii & CDPJ Edano talk with young people on politics in post-corona world [May 30, 2020]