Policy Alert #242 | December 13, 2021
On December 9-10, 2021, US President Joe Biden hosted the virtual Summit for Democracy focused on three pillars: countering authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights. Biden kicked off the two-day gathering with a dire warning that democratic rights and norms are under threat around the world, including in the US. The exclusion of China and Russia drew swift reactions from the countries’ leaders, who rejected the US’ notion of who is a “democratic country” and who is not eligible for such status. The summit comes after the US decision to stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
US officials have promised action following the gathering, but preparations were overshadowed by questions over some of the invitees’ democratic credentials. The event brought together democracies such as France and Sweden but also countries including the Philippines and Poland, where activists say democracy is under threat. In Asia, some US allies such as Japan and South Korea were invited, while others like Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam were excluded. An invitation was extended to Pakistan, although it did not attend. Hungary was the only EU country not to receive an invitation. An invitation to Taiwan outraged China, although it did not attend as a sovereign state.
