Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China, and at the end of the visit a joint statement of more than forty points was issued. In it, the two countries announced several deals and agreements. However, what is notable in the statement is the call by both countries for a new multipolar world order. It is also notable that Putin’s visit to China came after a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to China, and after Putin’s visit was concluded it was announced that the Chinese president intends to visit North Korea.

Regardless of the objectives and messages of these visits, the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir clarifies the following points:

First: Since World War II, the world has lived under injustice, oppression, and colonialism resulting from American dominance and its leadership of the Western capitalist bloc against the Eastern communist bloc, followed by the Cold War era. This continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, after which the United States became uniquely dominant in global affairs. It established a colonial world order based on several tools, including the United Nations and its branches, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, client rulers, and slogans of human rights, child rights, women’s rights, and others.

Second: Muslims have been the greatest victims of this international order established by America to solidify its global dominance and colonize and plunder what it can. It invaded Muslim lands under false pretexts, killing millions—especially in Afghanistan and Iraq—and installed client rulers in them. It also maintained client rulers across Muslim lands to continue plundering their resources and prevent their unity and the establishment of the Khilafah (Caliphate). More recently, together with its proxy entity Israel, it launched war against Iran.

Third: Putin’s visit to China was accompanied by Russian military exercises lasting three days, showcasing nuclear power, under the assumption that military strength alone can create international presence and change global politics. This mirrors Trump’s boastful rhetoric claiming he has the strongest army in the world. All of them follow the same mindset as the people of ‘Aad when they said:

[مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً]

“Who is greater than us in strength?” [Fussilat:15]. The certain divine response came:

[أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً]

“Did they not consider that Allah who created them was greater than them in strength?”  [Fussilat:15].

Fourth: The Russian-Chinese statement relied in many of its points on the United Nations, which was established by America, and on other international organizations such as the Shanghai Organization, BRICS, the Eurasian Economic Union, and others—following the same Western method of blocs and alliances that have caused misery for the world since World War II.

Fifth: There should not be an international law in the sense of a binding legal system over states, nor should there be a global state controlling world affairs. Each state has its own sovereignty and authority, and no one has authority over it. Rather, what exists are international conventions agreed upon by states to regulate shared affairs—similar to Hilf al-Fudul, a pact witnessed by the Messenger of Allah (saw) before prophethood, in which tribes agreed to support the oppressed. After prophethood, he (saw) said: «لَقَدْ شَهِدْتُ فِي دَارِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُدْعَانَ حِلْفًا، مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ لِي بِهِ حُمْرَ النَّعَمِ، وَلَوْ أُدْعَى بِهِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ لَأَجَبْتُ»“I witnessed in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud‘an a pact that I would not wish to have red camels in exchange for it; and if I were invited to it in Islam, I would respond.” (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi)

Sixth: We remind Muslims of the failure of the capitalist system upon which America and Europe are based, and the suffering it has caused the world in general and Muslims in particular. We also point out that the rising major powers—Russia and China—do not carry any different ideology; they also operate within the capitalist framework. In the absence of the Khilafah and under capitalist dominance, international relations have been based on interests, exploitation, conflict over resources, and wars that have claimed millions of lives and shed rivers of blood.

Finally, no one is more deserving than you, O Muslims, of establishing a just international system based on fairness, support for the oppressed, and relief for the distressed. You alone possess the correct ideology revealed by Allah Almighty—the ideology that governed the world for more than twelve centuries, during which humanity witnessed the justice of Islam regardless of religion, race, or origin. The world testified to this—friends and enemies alike.

Do not say you are weak and divided; you are capable of taking the initiative by establishing the Khilafah on the method of the Prophethood, which Hizb ut Tahrir calls you to establish. In it lies your honor in this world and salvation in the Hereafter, and in it lies the rescue of humanity from the tyranny of capitalism. So hasten to work with Hizb ut Tahrir and support it.

[وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ]

“Indeed, Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful, Almighty.” [Al-Hajj:40]