China slams US 'democratic model' ahead of Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy

As US President Joe Biden prepares to hold a virtual conference - Summit for Democracy - China criticised the Biden administration for failing to impose a 'democratic model'.

Taking a dig at the US, Xu Lin, vice-minister of the publicity department of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party, questioned how a polarised country that botched its response to COVID-19 could lecture others, AP reported.

Speaking at a press conference held to release a government report on what the Communist Party calls its form of democracy, Lin hailed China for exercising a "healthy democracy" in the country. According to Lin, the United States has always forced other countries to follow their working protocol to minimise casualties, but has failed to impose a "democratic model". 

US excludes China, Russia in Summit for Democracy

The Chinese official's statement comes days before the United States hosts a global democracy summit virtually with 110 countries. The Summit for Democracy is scheduled for December 9-10. Notably, despite inviting 110 countries including, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Switzerland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria and the Republic of Korea, the Biden administration decided to keep China and Russia of the list of invitees. 

"President Biden will host the first of two Summit for Democracy, which will bring together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action," read the statement released by the US Department of the Treasury.

China mocks US democracy 

Addressing reporters in Beijing, the vice-minister said that the US had dropped China "intentionally" as the Communist government leads the country to become a superpower. According to him, the US is "frustrated" to witness China "transforming into a superpower country".

Mocking US' democratic system, Lin said that political disputes and a divided government led to the high death toll during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Such democracy brings not happiness but disaster to voters," AP quoted Lin as saying. 

It should be mentioned here that US President Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had held a virtual summit last month. Despite the meeting, the difference between the two countries appears to be widening. The invitation of Taiwan- a self-governing democracy that China claims as its own - to the Sumit has further deteriorated relations between Washington and Beijing.

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)