Challenged by China and Russia Joe Biden concludes summit on democracy

The American president completed the digital conference organized for democracy yesterday, Friday, but he received sharp criticism from China, Russia, but also from inside the USA.

“Democracy knows no borders. It speaks all languages. It lives in the midst of anti-corruption activists, human rights defenders, journalists,” he told participants via video link.

The United States stands by those who “allow their people to breathe freely, who do not suffocate their people by exercising power with an iron fist,” he said.

The 79-year-old Democratic president, who has repeatedly said that the world is at a “turning point” in the conflict between authoritarian regimes and threatened democracies, pledged $ 424 million on the first day of the summit in support of press freedom. , free elections, anti-corruption campaigns.

“Democracy needs strong defenders,” he said.

However, his attempt to reaffirm that the United States is a benchmark for democracy on an international scale is being challenged in several ways.

The guest list – some 100 governments, non-governmental organizations, aid agencies – has caused outrage among those excluded, most notably in China and Russia.

Beijing, even more outraged by the fact that Taiwan, an island considered a Chinese province, was invited to the summit, managed to win a diplomatic victory: Nicaragua announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with Taipei and recognizing China.

In addition, Joe Biden is receiving criticism from within the United States.

On the one hand, Republicans continue to accuse him of not being strict and uncompromising enough with China.

On the other hand, Daniel Elsberg, a public interest witness during the Vietnam War, strongly criticized the Democratic government for continuing to demand the extradition of Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks website, who faces persecution and risks being threatened. in the US for revealing hundreds of thousands of confidential and secret US military and diplomacy documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“How dare Biden give lectures at his Democracy Summit (…) when he refuses to give thanks,” WilsLeaks founder Elsberg asked via Twitter.

“Joe Biden is killing the press in the name of ‘national security,'” he said.

After all, a Pew Research Institute survey conducted in the spring showed that only 17% of those polled in 16 developed countries “consider the American Republic an example to follow.”

In addition, 57% “consider it a good example in the past, but not in recent years”.

Source: AMPE

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Source From: Capital

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