Undemocratic conclave

MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

American democracy is threatened, not by other countries but by its own weakening vitality, problematic governance and declining credibility.

The so-called Summit for Democracy that US President Joe Biden will convene is Washington's response to the growing sense of crisis among the liberal elite in Western countries.

Their democracy is in jeopardy. Domestically, it is no longer attractive to the younger generation, who regard it as a byword for money politics. In the global arena, along with its relative decline, US democracy has been weakened by emerging powers represented by China.

Hence, such an event, bringing together the "democratic countries "with common beliefs, creates a perfect opportunity to sell the lie to the American people that its democracy remains appealing to the world. At the same time, the summit, a commitment to support democratic regimes abroad by the US, is a channel to show off the influence of American democracy to countries including China that oppose the US hegemony.

Amid the pandemic, the US has worked at raising its global expectations in its aspiration for vaccine distribution leadership with the joint efforts of its allies. The attempt to foster unity and smear China's contribution to the global fight against the virus as vaccine diplomacy seeks to counterbalance China's growing influence.

In addition, the US government is demanding that US pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturers return or relocate to its allies from China in the name of public health security.

Predictably, the summit due to be held on Dec 9 and 10 will continue to pursue those strategies.

During the summit, the US will support the actions of two groups. The first group is made up of the democrats and pro-US forces, especially the opposition forces in countries that are friendly with China. At the summit, they could ask for more support from the US in terms of finance, public opinion and organizations to weaken or even overthrow the pro-China regimes. By granting help, the US would thus win the geopolitical competition by sabotaging the Belt and Road Initiative. The secessionist authority and separatists in China's Taiwan are the second group. Some in the US may hope to make the island a beacon of democracy and a base for the Westernizing of China. But peeling off the hypocrisy, Taiwan is a mere card or pawn in the bigger scheme of neo-containment, and the invitation of Taiwan alone shows the true color and intention of this summit.

The US government is placing high expectations on the "Summit for Democracy", but it cannot win people's recognition globally. They do not accept the US treating the ideological struggle of "democracy vs. autocracy" as today's principal problem. The world, facing a period of major changes unprecedented in a century, will simply not go back to the era of American hegemony.

At the 2021 Bund Summit in Shanghai on Oct 23, Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state and national security adviser, said no nation is able to dominate the whole world, though every country can maximize its own potential.

True democracy should guarantee people's livelihoods and meet their material and cultural demands. The summit, advocating electoral politics, is a product of capitalist "money politics". Instead of people being masters of their countries, the "democracy" promoted by the conference safeguards the interests of crony capitalism.

True democracy takes various forms that conform to the different conditions of countries. The "Summit for Democracy" dominated by the US denies diversity, especially the diversity of people's democracies. Due to differences in history, culture, religion and ethnic groups, US-style democracy cannot work in all countries, and when grafted onto countries by the West it lacks legitimacy and fails. The way of control by splitting countries or religions is inoperative after the colonial period. The democratization of global governance requires respect for pluralism of democratic progress and equality of each UN member.

Democracy should promote global development rather than seek to intensify its geopolitical game. The US-led "Summit for Democracy" is a political tool of the country and its allies to suppress China. The mainstream political will of China and other countries is to promote human development through democracy, solve common challenges and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The summit without an emphasis on development, poverty alleviation and narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor is nothing but a party for the Western elites. Failing to meet the demands of developing countries, the summit will only be a political farce.

The author is director of the International Politics Program at the National Institute for Global Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn