(Washington) US President Joe Biden concluded his virtual summit for democracy on Friday under sharp criticism from China and Russia, but also from some in the United States.
Democracy “knows no borders. She speaks all languages. She lives among anti-corruption activists, among human rights defenders, among journalists, ”he told the participants, via videoconference.
The United States will stand with those “who allow their people to breathe freely and do not suffocate their people with an iron fist,” he said.
The 79-year-old Democrat, who repeats over and over again that the world has reached a “turning point” in the opposition between healthy autocracies and threatened democracies, had promised on the first day of his summit $ 424 million in support for freedom press, free elections and anti-corruption campaigns.
“Democracy needs champions,” he said.
But his attempt to reaffirm the United States as a democratic benchmark has met with much criticism.
The guest list – hundreds of governments, NGOs, businesses and charities – angered those excluded, led by China and Russia.
Beijing, all the more furious that Taiwan, despite being considered a Chinese province, was invited, won a victory in the middle of the summit: Nicaragua announced on Thursday that it was severing diplomatic relations with Taipei and recognizing the People’s China.
And Joe Biden has come under criticism in the United States as well.
On the one hand, the Republicans criticize him for not being more intransigent with China.
On the other hand, Daniel Ellsberg, a whistleblower for the Vietnam War, criticized his administration for seeking the extradition of Julian Assange, sued in the United States for having lifted the veil on the wars in Afghanistan. and Iraq.
“How dare Biden lecture at his democracy summit today while refusing to pardon,” the founder of WikiLeaks, Mr. Ellsberg tweeted Thursday.
Joe Biden “assassinates press freedom in the name of” national security “,” said the former whistleblower.
A survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted in the spring of 2021, showed that only 17% of respondents in 16 developed countries “see American democracy as a role model.”
On the other hand, 57% “think she was a good example before, but has not been in recent years”.