PM Modi likely to join Biden Democracy Summit; Taiwan invited, China and Russia off list

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to join the “Summit for Democracy” at the invitation of US President Joe Biden. India is among more than 100 countries that have been invited to the virtual summit scheduled for December 9-10.

The summit will mainly focus on issues of erosion of democracy. Leaders should also discuss how to protect freedom and rights.

“The virtual summit, which will take place on December 9 and 10, will galvanize commitments and initiatives on three main themes: the defense against authoritarianism, the fight against corruption and the promotion of respect for human rights,” said a White House press release.

The meeting will take place days after Prime Minister Modi welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to his Lok Kalyan Marg (LKM) in New Delhi on December 6.

TAIWAN IN, CHINA AND RUSSIA OUT

The United States invited Taiwan for the “Summit for Democracy”. However, Russia and China are not on the guest list.

Afghanistan and Myanmar, which recently witnessed the overthrow of democratic regimes, are also not on the list. The situation in these countries is likely to be discussed by the leaders.

Among the nations of Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, Nepal and the Maldives were invited, according to a report by Politics.

HOW COUNTRIES REACTED

Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told the Global Times on Friday that the “democracy summit” was another misguided attempt to divide the world into “upper and lower” categories.

Andrey Denisov said: “Some diplomats from Western countries disagreed with how the United States categorizes democracy when they spoke to me in private. But they are just too embarrassed to tell aloud.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in New Delhi for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying, while responding to a question from the US Democracy Summit, said in August that democracy should be tangible rather than empty slogans. It must not become a spiritual opium that deceives or numbs the people, much less an excuse to attack and smear other countries and maintain its own hegemony.

Hua Chunying said, “To come together in the name of democracy, to interfere without motive in the internal affairs of other countries and even to arbitrarily suppress the normal development of other countries and the legitimate right of people to a better life is more. undemocratic than anything else. It is autocracy, hegemony and totalitarianism.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese media quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou as saying that they had received the invitation and that Taipei was “eager to share its democratic experience.”

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FACING THE FLAK

The Biden administration faces criticism of the list of countries chosen for the summit. Although the list has not been officially released, Politico was the first to access the list of countries.

The choice of nations becomes an issue for the administration, with many wondering why some countries have been left out and others included. Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates are not on the list. Some are key allies of the United States in the Middle East.

“For the United States, the summit will provide an opportunity to listen, learn and engage with a wide range of actors whose support and engagement are essential for global democratic renewal. It will also present one of the unique strengths of democracy: the ability to recognize its imperfections and confront them openly and transparently, so that we can, as the Constitution of the United States says, “form a more perfect union” , said the US State Department.