Biden's Democracy Summit to Counter China and Russia... Including South Korea

U.S. President Joe Biden is taking questions from reporters at a press conference held at the White House on the 6th (local time). (Photo by NYT)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] South Korea has been included among the invited countries for the first "Summit for Democracy" hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. This summit, held to unite democratic governments against the expansion of influence by China and Russia, is expected to gather over 100 countries online on the 9th and 10th of next month. However, skepticism has arisen about whether the summit will lead to meaningful action, as some invited countries have shown authoritarian tendencies.

On the 7th (local time), major foreign media outlets, citing sources, reported that South Korea and Japan were invited from the Asian region, while Thailand and Vietnam were not included in the invitation list. Criticism has also emerged as countries regarded as mature democracies, such as France and Sweden, were invited alongside countries like the Philippines and Poland, which have been criticized for undermining democratic values. In the Middle East, Israel and Iraq were invited, but Turkey and Egypt were not on the list.

Annie Boyajian, Vice President of Policy at the nonprofit human rights organization Freedom House, said, "If this summit is more than just a meeting, participating countries including the United States must make meaningful commitments on democracy and human rights issues and produce tangible outcomes to fulfill these commitments."

The Summit for Democracy is an event aimed at uniting democratic countries worldwide to confront authoritarian regimes and was a campaign promise of President Biden. The summit is expected to address topics such as responding to authoritarian governments, combating corruption, expanding economic opportunities, and protecting fundamental rights including human rights.

However, skepticism about the sincerity of the summit has arisen as some countries showing signs of democratic backsliding were also invited. Critics argue that the summit is driven by U.S. national interests focused on countering the influence of China and Russia, the greatest threats to the Biden administration. Since taking office, President Biden has harshly confronted China and Russia by condemning human rights abuses and cyberattacks and imposing a series of sanctions.

Amy Hawthorne, Director of the Middle East Democracy Project, pointed out, "It is clear that strategic considerations regarding China’s response played a role in inviting highly problematic countries adjacent to China, such as India and the Philippines."

In response, a senior Biden administration official explained that the selection was made to ensure regional diversity and broad participation. Another official stated that the U.S., facing skepticism about the health of its own democracy following events like the Capitol riot, will present commitments to be fulfilled at this Summit for Democracy. The official said, "In all diplomatic communications surrounding the summit, we start with humility and recognize that no democracy, including the United States, is perfect."

Meanwhile, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s summit will be held virtually, but the plan is to hold the second summit in person next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.