Opinion | Biden's 'Summit for Democracy' is a hard sell
By Augustus K. Yeung
Introduction
More than 100 world leaders gathered virtually as US president hosted first 'Summit for Democracy', notably with China and Russia not on the list of invitation, drawing harsh words from the two countries.
Washington launched its two-day Summit for Democracy on December 9 and 10 with calls for "introspection, restructuring and renewal" at a time when democracies around the world are under pressure.
In his opening remarks, President Joe Biden welcomed more than 100 invited nations and pledged US$424 million to bolster media freedom, fight corruption and safeguard elections globally.
Biden Recognizes the Need to Renew the Concept
"Democracy doesn't happen by accident. We have to renew it with each generation," Biden told the virtual gathering. "And this is an urgent matter on all our parts."
The meeting comes as 'authoritarian governments' flex their muscles around the world—arguing that their top-down systems are faster at decision making and better at preventing social division and violence—even as China expands its economic, military and diplomatic reach and Russia massing troops on its border with Ukraine. Biden pushed back at the logic in his address in front of a screen filled with the images of global leaders.
"They seek to advance their own power, export and expand their influence around the world and justify their repressive policies and practices as a more efficient way to address today's challenges," he said. "That's how it's sold by voices that seek to fan the flames of social division and political polarization."
The high-profile event—which dovetails with Biden's bid to strengthen ties among allies and partners to counter China's growing might—comes as ties worsen precipitously between Washington and Beijing. The summit adds ideology and governance systems to the long list of differences, ranging from tech, trade and sanctions, to military posturing, nuclear weapons and the origin of Covid-19.
How did China Interpret the Summit?
China and Russia, pointedly not invited to the summit, slammed the meeting as divisive and a legacy of a Cold War mentality. "No matter how the United States glosses over itself, its true face of seeking hegemony under the guise of democracy has long been exposed to the world," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in Beijing.
"The so-called Summit for Democracy will only go down in history as a manipulator and saboteur of democracy."
Biden called on the scores of invitees to take concrete steps in the coming "year of action" to counter authoritarianism, fight corruption and protect human rights in keeping with the meeting's three main themes.
In one of several measures apparently aimed at Chinese government practices, Biden announced a "multilateral surge and sustain fund for anti-censorship technology" that would help connect more users to an uncensored internet. He also called for greater control over surveillance and other technologies used by strong-arm states to suppress their citizens.
(The announced US$424.4 million fund aimed at supporting the summit's objectives still needs to be approved by US Congress.)
What Did Biden Say about America's Weakness?
Biden honestly conceded that the US has more than its share of problems and that democracies are hardly perfect. But he also touted democracy's ability to self-correct. A report last year by civic group Freedom House noted global freedom has been in retreat for 15 years and ranked the US on par with Panama.
"This is the defining challenge of our time. Democracy, government of the people, by the people, for the people, can at times be fragile. It is also inherently resilient…and is capable of self-improvement." ("Biden seeks to rally nations against rise of authoritarians." South China Morning Post, December 10, 2021.)
Conclusion
From China's perspective, the US 'democracy summit' is a divisive move; it is pitching democratic countries against "authoritarian" states, including China and Russia, etc. Besides, Washington's selection of participants looks like return to Cold War paradigms.
The United States should focus on getting its own house in order before promoting its model of governance, observers said in response to the country's Summit for Democracy that ended on Friday.
Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, in a tweet hours before the two-day virtual gathering started, gave reasons for why the summit was "ill advised".
The US needs to work with "non-democracies" on regional and global challenges, and the summit's invitation list was filled with "inconsistencies".
"Most important, US not in a position to preach or provide model. We should be focusing on getting our own broken house in order," he wrote on the social media site.
Carlos Santamaria, senior writer with GZERO Media in New York, said in an analysis that "having a single country arbitrarily decide who's democratic is hardly democratic at all".
The stated goal of the summit is to help strengthen democracy in like-minded countries, and the US wants to draw an ideological line between governments that share or once shared common values with the US and the rest, Santamaria said on Saturday.
"But Biden has too many domestic political problems to pay more than lip service to his stated goal of promoting democracy worldwide," he said of the challenges facing President Joe Biden.
Wei Nanzhi, a researcher in the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US government should further rethink whether its hegemonism and power politics in the name of democracy "are popular and welcomed".
Jon Taylor, of the University of Texas, said the US may want to get its own house in order first, "given that the last year in the US saw an insurrection led by a former president who appeared to not only encourage it but use it as a pretext to overturn an election and abrogate over two centuries of constitutional law in order to stay in office".
Taylor, a professor of political science and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography, said the risk to US democracy is not from China, but "from ourselves".
"I'd like to see a foreign policy more devoted and centered on the challenges posed by climate change, income inequality…and migration, and enhancing international trade," he said in an email interview with China Daily on Saturday. ('Democracy' talkfest fails as vote winner." China Daily. Monday, December 13, 2021.)
Obviously, Biden's Summit for Democracy has drawn more harsh criticisms from scholars and commentators than praises. And the list of negative comments can go on and on.
Didn't the US president realize that pushing his version of a failed American democracy is a hard sell?!
The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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