Summit for Democracy: What constitutes democracy is for actual democracy to define

News: USA President hosted the “Summit for Democracy“. There are 100-plus countries that participated in the summit to build a wide-ranging alliance against autocracies.

Why China and Russia are against the Summit for Democracy?

Both countries criticized the summit as they believe it exhibits a “Cold War Mentality” that would inflame “ideological confrontation and rift in the world”.

In retaliation, China hosted its own International Forum of Democracy, where it claims China as true democracy as it integrates process-oriented democracy with result-oriented democracy, direct democracy with indirect democracy, procedural democracy with substantive democracy. It further released a white paper titled China: Democracy that works” which says there is no fixed model of democracy as China itself manifests democracy in various forms.

What are the reasons for conflicts between the USA and China?

Former US President, Bill Clinton believed that economic freedom can eventually bring political changes in China. But, being the world’s largest economy in purchasing parity terms, 2nd largest at market exchange rates, and the world’s largest trading union, democracy is nowhere to be found in China. Instead, China started using its global economic influence for geopolitical ends, as reflected in trade coercion of Australia since 2000 and recently in Lithuania.

USA blamed China for drawing policies that are disadvantaged to the USA and other foreign companies in sectors that seemed strategic. To control China’s distorted trade policies, the US urged its business community to not see themselves as mere bystanders in US-China strategic engagement, but to be mindful of how the activities can affect USA National Security and fundamental values.

What is India’s view of democracy?

At the summit, the Indian PM  talking about democracy in India said that democracy can deliver, democracy has delivered and democracy will continue to deliver.

Source: This post is based on the article “What constitutes democracy is for actual democracy to define” published in the Livemint on 21st December 2021.