Joe Biden will host representatives from more than 100 countries on Thursday.
Washington, USA:
President Joe Biden, who took office amid America’s biggest political crisis in decades, the organization representing more than 100 countries attending Thursday’s democracy summit is drawing attention. attention from China and Russia.
The event, organized by video link because of the coronavirus pandemic, is seen by the White House as the leader of the United States in the struggle that exists between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships.
“Make no mistake, we are at a time of democratic reckoning,” said Uzra Zeya, Secretary of State for Civil Security, Democracy and Human Rights.
“It’s no secret that the world’s democracies are facing increasing challenges from new and novel threats. Countries in almost every region of the world experience them. the level of democracy is lagging.”
The summit, which takes place on Thursday and Friday, will feature opening remarks from Biden at the White House and is set to bring together representatives from about 100 governments, as well as NGOs, private businesses, charities and legislative bodies.
But the fact that Biden continues to face a shocking challenge to US democratic norms from Donald Trump and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election provides a difficult backdrop for the council. summit.
And even before summit attendees can meet, tensions have flared over simply who should – and off – the list.
China and Russia, which Biden sees as the champions of autocracy, have been explicitly excluded, which they say has caused an ideological “rift”.
“No country has the right to judge the world’s vast and varied political landscape by a single yardstick,” ambassadors Anatoly Antonov of Russia and Qin Gang of China wrote in a joint essay last month. before.
Adding to China’s sensitivities, the Biden administration has invited Taiwan, the democratically ruled island that mainland China considers part of its territory, though not yet under its control.
On Monday, the Biden administration also announced it would not send US government officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February to protest human rights abuses, including “genocide.” for the Uighur ethnic group in Xinjiang.
Australia, Great Britain and Canada have joined the diplomatic boycott, although athletes from each country will still compete. Once again, Russia joined the criticism of China over this decision.
Deciding when other countries should be excluded from the summit for human rights abuses or vote rigging has not yet eased tensions.
For example, Pakistan and the Philippines participate, while the nationalist government of EU member Hungary does not. Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro was invited to attend, while the leader of NATO member Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was shunned.
