China's Panda Aid: One Year of Global Solidarity and Humanitarian Action for Palestine (8/2024-8/2025)
- 小轩 李
- Aug 16
- 10 min read
By Kening Zhang | August 15, 2025
Since the outbreak of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation in Gaza on October 7, 2023, waves of global antiwar protests have erupted, with people around the world organizing actions against the U.S.-backed Israeli invasion of Gaza. Yet a significant gap persisted: voices from the Global South, especially from China, have long been marginalized or excluded by Western-dominated media and antiwar movements.
China’s support for Palestine, however, has deep historical roots. China formally recognized Palestine in 1965, and for over half a century, aid and donations have flowed from both government and grassroots levels. In the social media era, Chinese netizens have rallied significant public support for Palestine on platforms such as Douyin (TikTok China), making China one of the largest clusters of pro-Palestinian voices globally. Nevertheless, language barriers, cultural differences, systemic bias, and structural exclusion by the U.S. and Western-dominated humanitarian system have made it difficult for Chinese and other Global South voices to be heard clearly. Many Palestinian organizations and conferences even face challenges in knowing how to invite Chinese representatives.
Over the past year, this situation has begun to change. Representing China's Panda Aid, Mr. Lee Siu Hin was invited to attend multiple solidarity conferences organized by Palestinian communities and their allies in various countries of the Global South. These events offered him opportunities to present China’s contributions and perspectives to an international audience. This report focuses on the period from August 2024 to August 2025, documenting a year of global activity spanning Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, including online webinars, international forums, meetings of transnational alliances, and core Middle East conferences. It records the efforts of Chinese grassroots forces in extending humanitarian aid to Gaza and contributing a unique voice to the Palestinian national liberation movement through international collaboration.
I. China (Online): Highlighting China’s Contributions to Palestine
On the evening of August 14, 2024, a Bilibili–Tencent video conference was hosted by U.S.-based peace advocates and supporters of Palestinian democratic liberation. The event was attended by several hundred participants.
Guests included Lee Siu Hin and Yousef, a Gazan currently residing in China. After the Israeli invasion, Yousef was trapped in Gaza after the IOF invasion. With the help of his Chinese friend, Tangtang, and kind-hearted Douyin netizens, he raised sufficient funds for an Egyptian visa on April 7, 2024, and evacuated from Gaza to Cairo. In June, Lee Siu Hin and his team met and communicated with him in Cairo, and by August 1, Yousef had safely arrived in China.
The conference focused on the Panda Aid Team's experience in its second trip to Egypt in June 2024 to carry out a medical humanitarian operation in Gaza, including visits to local relief groups and donations of supplies to local Egyptian organizations. Yousef also shared his journey from Gaza to China, including how, with the help of Chinese volunteers and Tangtang, he established a medical relief station in a Gaza refugee camp.
II. South Africa: “Freedom for Palestine” Conference
From October 17 to 20, 2024, after completing a humanitarian mission to Gaza in Egypt in September and an on-site investigation in Xinjiang, China, Lee Siu Hin traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, to attend the “Freedom for Palestine” Conference. The four-day event, organized by the South African branch of the Al-Quds Foundation, focused on condemning the U.S.-backed “Israel” for acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the people of Gaza. The Al-Quds Foundation’s South African branch is a registered NGO, supported by local organizations, and counts among its supporters the grandson of the late South African President Nelson Mandela.
The indoor session on October 18 attracted several hundred participants, while the outdoor rally on October 19 drew over a thousand attendees. More than a dozen international guests, including Lee Siu Hin, delivered speeches. The conference passionately supported the Palestinian national liberation movement, opposed Israel’s invasions of Gaza and Lebanon, and endorsed the resistance movement.
As the only invited Chinese speaker, Lee Siu Hin represented Panda Aid, articulating China’s longstanding support for the Palestinian struggle. He emphasized that the unity of people worldwide can forge an invincible strength of solidarity.
III. Russia: Yalta International Forum 2024
On November 6–7, 2024, Lee Siu Hin attended the Yalta International Forum 2024 in Moscow as a representative of China, participating on behalf of Panda Aid and the China-US Solidarity Network. Originally an annual Russian forum in support of Crimea, this year the event specially invited progressive activists from around the world who support the Palestinian struggle and added a dedicated Palestine session.
The forum was organized by the Russian Geopolitical Problem Academy, a Moscow-based international affairs think tank established in the 1990s. While the format was formal, it was a non-governmental academic conference with no direct participation from Russian government officials, which facilitated international participation amid the Russia–Ukraine conflict and complex global political circumstances. Approximately 100 people attended, mostly representatives from Russia and Crimea. Around 20 international guests participated, including the three-member Chinese delegation led by Lee Siu Hin, along with representatives from Austria, Lebanon, Syria, India, Iran, Nepal, and several other European countries.
The forum’s main focus was building civil society support for Crimea. In 2024, additional topics were introduced, including opposing Western hegemony and sanctions, leveraging the BRICS mechanism and cooperation with major powers such as China and Russia to challenge the Western-U.S. international hegemonic order, and supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle as a supplementary agenda item.
At the forum, Lee Siu Hin spoke on China’s support for Palestinian humanitarian actions and gave an interview to Iranian television. Although his visit lasted only three days, he observed that, contrary to Western propaganda, life in Moscow under U.S.-led sanctions is safe, peaceful, and economically prosperous.
IV. Venezuela: International Palestine Solidarity Conference
On November 29–30, 2024, Lee Siu Hin, representing Panda Aid, was invited to attend the International Palestine Solidarity Conference in Caracas, Venezuela. The event included two sessions, one of which was the earlier-launched International Anti-Fascist Conference. Approximately 1,000 participants from 70 countries attended, making it part of a series of international anti-fascist and pro-Palestine conferences held in Venezuela since July. The gatherings aim to unite progressive forces and build a global anti-fascist alliance to counter imperialist actions led by the U.S., Europe, and Israel.
The conference atmosphere was lively, featuring keynote speeches, cultural markets, and anti-fascist performances, with participants singing and dancing to convey revolutionary optimism. During the event, Lee met both new and old friends, including the daughter of Cuban revolutionary hero Che Guevara. As one of the few Asian delegates and the sole Chinese representative, he expressed hope for greater participation from Chinese progressives.
On November 29, the main session of the International Palestine Solidarity Conference was held at the Casona Cultural Center, organized by the Venezuelan government, the Simón Bolívar Institute, and the Global Return to Palestine movement. About 200 representatives from more than 150 organizations across 52 countries attended, reaffirming Venezuela’s stance against Zionist genocide. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro attended and delivered the closing keynote. In his speech, he reiterated Venezuela’s support for Palestine, highlighted the country’s experiences with color revolutions and his own five assassination attempts, exposed connections to Israeli Zionism, condemned occupation crimes, warned against further aggression, and emphasized that the Palestinian cause represents the core of global humanitarianism and a righteous act of human solidarity.
The conference embodied Venezuela’s revolutionary romantic optimism. Artistic performances inspired participants with hope for a just future and vividly conveyed the spirit of “long live the unity of the world’s people.”
V. Turkey: Founding Conference of the Global Coalition Against Occupation of Palestine
On January 24–25, 2025, legal experts, human rights activists, and representatives of the Palestinian diaspora gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, to establish the warfareGlobal Coalition Against the Occupation of Palestine. This new alliance, formed by professionals from the Palestinian diaspora in the Middle East and Europe, seeks to build a new think tank dedicated to media warfare and legal action against Israeli Zionist occupation and genocide.
The conference focused on raising awareness of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, uniting legal and human rights efforts, holding Israeli war criminals accountable, and building a global coalition to defend victims.
Lee Siu Hin, representing Panda Aid, attended as the sole Chinese delegate and was elected to the alliance’s first transitional board.
A 120-day joint action plan was adopted, including: using multilingual media and independent channels, promoting UN sanctions under Chapter VII, supporting the BDS movement, delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, preserving Palestinian voices in digital archives, collecting evidence of Israeli crimes, and mobilizing youth and cultural activities.
The coalition’s launch marks a major step in uniting civil society globally on legal and human rights fronts, providing new momentum for the Palestinian struggle for justice and freedom.
VI. Online Webinar: “Global Solidarity Call: Humanitarian Aid for Gaza”
On July 17, 2025, Hosted by China’s Panda Aid and co-organized by the International Action Center (IAC) in New York, the webinar “Heroes of Gaza Humanitarian Aid and Peace Activism Awards” brought together humanitarian organizations and peace activists from around the world. Co-hosted by Lee Siu Hin and Sara Flounders, the webinar honored outstanding contributors to Gaza aid, strengthened global support for humanitarian work, and highlighted the central role of grassroots organizations. Lee emphasized that Panda Aid, founded by Chinese and Chinese-American communities, is dedicated to linking global justice movements and amplifying the voices of aid groups in Palestine, the Global South, and communities of color.
Sudanese humanitarian worker Mohamed Alfadul described the collapse of Gaza’s health system: hospitals shut down, over 1,400 medical staff killed, essential drugs and supplies exhausted, and one-third of children in northern Gaza suffering from severe malnutrition. He urged the international community to pressure for the protection of medical workers, open borders, and fund frontline organizations. Chinese student Mr. Xu expressed that while many in China wish to support Gaza, they lack trustworthy channels. Panda Aid, serving as a bridge, ensures that aid reaches the ground through field investigations, has already mobilized donations from the Chinese public, and plans to expand its impact. Nabil Hallak of the Arab International Center for Communication and Solidarity recalled the Israeli obstruction of the Freedom Flotilla, condemned U.S.-Israeli policies fueling bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon, and called for cross-border aid missions inspired by Lifeline 5. Hanan Aroree of the Global Coalition Against the Occupation of Palestine denounced Israel and its Western allies for complicity, urging coordinated international solidarity actions.
In closing, participants stressed that “action is more powerful than tears,” affirming that to defend Palestine is to defend all humanity. Lee Siu Hin pledged to launch new fundraising initiatives for global medical and humanitarian organizations.
VII. United States: Selected Gaza Solidarity Meetings
In 2025, numerous community- and minority-organized Gaza solidarity events took place across the U.S. every few days. The following summarizes some of the meetings attended by Lee Siu Hin.
1. April 26, 2025 – New York: “Pop-Up for Liberation” Palestine Event Hosted by the Code Pink NYC Chapter, a women-led antiwar group composed mainly of young, radical Muslim-American and minority activists, the event featured Palestinian art performances, music, and political education. Funds were raised for Gaza Soup Kitchen and MECA for Peace to strengthen community solidarity, raise awareness of Palestine, and expose the U.S./Western systematic smear of the Palestinian liberation movement.
After cultural performances, a political panel discussed why Americans are among the most propaganda-influenced populations in the world. Lee Siu Hin was invited to speak on how Western media discredits and ignores the Gaza genocide.
2. May 1–4, 2025 – Baltimore: Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) National Member Meeting On May 2, Lee participated in the JVP meeting at the Baltimore Convention Center, likely as the only Chinese attendee. As a person of Jewish descent, he aimed to connect with diverse groups, including anti-Zionist Jewish American activists opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
3. July 25–27, 2025 – Las Vegas: The 2025 Veterans For Peace (VFP) National Convention took place over three days at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), drawing about 160 participants. It was VFP’s first in-person gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago. Among the attendees was Lee Siu Hin, a longtime peace activist and former Pacifica Radio war correspondent. Though not a veteran, he joined VFP as an associate member and ally.
The convention gathered veterans and associates opposed to war and dedicated to social justice, many shaped by the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Washington’s current support for Israel’s invasion and genocide in Gaza. Featured speakers included Col. Mary Ann Wright, Chinese American chaplain James Yee—wrongfully branded the “Chinese Taliban” and imprisoned by the U.S. military—and Michael T. McPhearson, VFP’s executive director. Lee has known many of them for more than 20 years.
On July 25, before the sessions began, participants staged a 7 a.m. protest outside the Las Vegas Police Department against its cooperation with ICE immigrant raids, showing that veterans not only oppose war but also fight for immigrant rights and justice for all.
Panels covered a wide range of issues: Vietnam veterans shared the traumas of war, while others exposed the Trump administration’s attacks on LGBTQI+ soldiers. Younger veterans in their twenties described becoming conscientious objectors after witnessing U.S.-backed atrocities in Gaza.
One moving story came from a young Chinese American soldier adopted from China into a conservative U.S. family. After serving in the Air Force and graduating from Georgia Tech in 2023, she was shaken by Israel’s assault on Gaza. She embraced anti-war activism, joined VFP, and joined its 40-day fast in solidarity with Gaza.
The convention concluded with a screening of The Palestinian Exception, a deeply moving anti-war documentary. For Lee Siu Hin, the gathering was both inspiring and powerful.
VIII. Middle East Core Conference: Fourth International Al-Aqsa Call Conference
From August 1–4, 2025, the Fourth International Al-Aqsa Call Conference was held at Al-Zahraa University for Women in Karbala, Iraq, under the theme “From Karbala to Palestine: A Journey of Sacrifice for Freedom and Dignity.” Over 400 participants from 60+ countries attended, coinciding with the Shiite holy days of Ashura and Arbaeen, to rally global Shiite support for Palestine.
The conference focused on three themes: political and legal pressure against Israel’s war of extermination, breaking the Gaza siege, and unifying civil society for the Palestinian cause. Lee Siu Hin and Mr. Xu represented Panda Aid.
At the closing session on August 3, Lee compared Gaza with U.S.-backed atrocities in 1980s El Salvador, condemned the blockade as a “hunger game,” highlighted grassroots aid efforts, and called for global solidarity: “United we live, divided we perish. Long live the great unity of the peoples of the world!”
The conference received wide media coverage, and Panda Aid was specially commended. It concluded with a ten-point declaration supporting Palestinian resistance and liberation, framing the gathering as the start of a spiritual and field-based alliance linking Karbala to Palestine.
IX. Epilogue
Although China’s Panda Aid cannot match the resources of Western giants, it shines like a “subtle Eastern light” at conferences of justice-minded peoples and across diverse nations—a resilient beacon in a turbulent world. Meanwhile, Gaza stands at a crossroads of human conscience: famine spreads relentlessly, medical systems collapse, and death tolls rise sharply—over 61,700 Palestinians have perished since October 2023, many killed while struggling for aid. The United Nations warns that humanitarian assistance has long been “weaponized,” with aid routes repeatedly blocked. News of Israel’s plans to occupy Gaza has once again stirred global outrage over war crimes and international justice.
In this urgent and perilous reality, the spark of Chinese humanitarian action shines all the brighter. It is more than just deeds—it is a pledge: to respond across borders with a humanitarian heart to every life torn apart by war. The vision of a shared human destiny has never been clearer or more urgent than amidst Gaza’s ruins:
Only through unity can violence be resisted; only through humanity can light pierce the darkness of despair.
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