Summit of Democracies: US invitation to Taiwan irks China

Chinese mainland will never sit back and tolerate the US and the Island of Taiwan to break the bottom line if the US invites Taiwan to participate in the virtual summit for Democracy, cautioned China.

Hyderabad: Even before the United States President Joe Biden's proposed 'Summit for Democracy' takes shape, China has on Friday took umbrage over Washington's invitation to Taiwan to take part in the summit.The Global Times tweeted China's outrage saying: "Chinese mainland will never sit back and tolerate the US and the Island of Taiwan to break the bottom line if the US invites Taiwan to participate in the virtual summit for Democracy. By then, there will be unprecedented storms in the Taiwan Straits."

In a communique, the US Department of State noted that President Biden will convene dozens of elected world leaders in December for a virtual summit that celebrates democracy and explores ways that like-minded nations can link arms against authoritarianism, fulfilling a campaign promise clouded by the coronavirus pandemic and the legacy of former president Donald Trump.

The summit will serve "as an opportunity for world leaders to listen to one another and to their citizens, share successes, drive international collaboration, and speak honestly about the challenges facing democracy so as to collectively strengthen the foundation for democratic renewal," the White House said in a statement.

The summit will focus on three principal themes — "defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights”.

China always claimed Taiwan to be part of its territory, which Taipei resisted. In recent times, there were fears in the international community about the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Often, the Chinese combat aircraft make incursions into Taiwan-controlled airspace.

China is also mentioned specifically in Biden’s original campaign document pledging to hold the summit, in particular, Beijing’s efforts to restrict free speech through control of technology and social media.

At the time of filing this story, there are reports indicating that India could be a part of the Summit of Democracies.