"Expanding Dictator Influence," Biden Faction Unites to Check China and Russia

Discussion on Containing China and Russia Expected at G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting
Chinese State Media Fiercely Criticize as 'America's Political Show'

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Cho Young-shin, New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "Dictators are expanding their influence."

U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a direct blow targeting China and Russia at the first 'Democracy Summit.' Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also emphasized the need to stand against human rights abuses, strengthening the U.S.-led anti-China and anti-Russia alliance.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In his opening speech at the Democracy Summit on the 9th (local time), President Biden said, "In a world where democracy faces alarming challenges, we need fighters to stand up for democracy," adding, "External dictators seek to grow their power and justify oppressive policies by expanding their influence worldwide." Although Biden did not explicitly mention China or Russia, he stressed the importance of U.S. allies uniting to confront these challenges.

Countries attending the summit that are in conflict with China and Russia took the lead in the offensive. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for collective cooperation to counter the erosion of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights abuses.

Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is in conflict with Russia-backed Belarus, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing the threat of Russian invasion, wrote on Twitter that "Democracy is not given; it is something you fight for and earn."

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who spoke as the first session's speaker, expressed his commitment to efforts to promote democracy but made no mention of China or Russia.

President Biden appeared conscious of criticism regarding the democratic crisis within the U.S. and the invitation of authoritarian leaders such as India’s, stating, "American democracy is striving to live up to its highest ideals."

Alongside the Democracy Summit, the 'Group of Seven (G7) Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting' is also being held. From the 10th to the 12th (local time) in Liverpool, UK, the meeting includes invitations extended to South Korea, Australia, India, South Africa, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries. This meeting, which strongly resembles a coalition-building effort to check China and Russia, serves as an extension of the Democracy Summit.

In fact, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced plans to discuss building a 'network of liberty' at the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting. Measures such as diplomatic boycotts of the Beijing Olympics may also be discussed at this meeting.

China’s backlash is also fierce. Chinese state media mobilized government-affiliated scholars to denounce the Democracy Summit as a U.S. political show aimed at containing China, fiercely criticizing President Biden and the Western camp.

The Global Times defined the Democracy Summit as "an incident where a wasp with poison threatened a swarm of honeybees." It also claimed that the summit signifies that American-style democracy is facing a crisis and that the event intends to further escalate tensions with China.

The Communist Party’s official newspaper, the People’s Daily, joined in. In an editorial on the 10th, it pointed out that the U.S., which claims to be the beacon of democracy, is increasingly isolated. It argued that political polarization in the U.S. has deepened, preventing checks and balances, and that the conflict between the two parties (Democrats and Republicans) has deteriorated from policy disputes into identity conflicts, revealing structural flaws in the American democratic system. It claimed that American-style democracy inevitably leads to social division.

Xinhua News Agency harshly criticized the U.S., calling it the "empire of lies," stating that the human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region claimed by the U.S. are false. It accused the U.S. of glorifying its plunder and exploitation under the guise of defending justice and justifying its tyranny as promoting democracy.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing, "The Democracy Summit is merely a meeting held for the interests of the U.S. and to maintain American hegemony," adding, "Since this meeting is unrelated to international justice and global democracy, it will face opposition from the international community," thereby belittling the Democracy Summit itself.

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