President Joe Biden is on offense again. After tackling soaring gas prices with the release of 50 million barrels of oil, the president is turning his attention to authoritarian regimes like China and Russia and the promotion of democracy around the globe, this time with Biden’s Democracy Summit.
Biden angers China by inviting Taiwan to summit
Mr. Biden is moving forward with a so-called democracy summit, a concept that is causing a lot of ink to be spilled. The Biden’s Democracy Summit event will be virtual, and the State Department has invited 110 participants.
In a surprising twist, Taiwan made the list for the Dec. 9 and 10 gathering. Experts say the move will anger China. Beijing has already responded to the news with a warning and reiterated the message that Biden is playing with fire.
For China, the event is just a way for the US to extend its reach.
Many people are wondering if China will retaliate. Moreover, there are a lot of questions about how committed Biden is to this new endeavor.
For moves like these to succeed, they need to be part of a broader strategy. It is not clear that Biden is willing to risk a huge conflict with a powerful rival.
China is a source of concern for the west
In recent months, China has taken many steps that have been problematic for the western world.
In October, the Asian superpower rushed to deny that it had tested a supersonic missile in August. Also, tension with India almost escalated over border issues. The Indian government accused its Chinese counterpart of using a new law to extend its grip on certain areas near the border shared by the two countries.
The Asian behemoth also had issues with Australia and Taiwan earlier this year. China is constantly challenging the strength of western values about free speech and democracy.
Thanks to its economic prowess, it was able to impact culture, entertainment, and even sports. Many businesses in the west are very wary of going against China and its market with limitless possibilities.
They are always careful not to offend. These developments forced Biden’s hand. He needed to react quickly before being accused of ceding more ground to America’s most serious competitor in the race for the global superpower mantle.
Biden’s Democracy Summit as a show of strength
Republicans have long been critical of Biden’s approach to China and Russia. They have often described him as weak on issues related to foreign policy.
It will be interesting to see if they will keep the same posture after the democracy summit has been announced.
Taking a strong stance against China and Russia on behalf of democracy has benefits for Biden. Politicians with hawkish views on China have found great success in America in recent years.
Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, took things to the next level. A trade war with the communist nation was even under consideration during the Trump years.
The president is trying to tread lightly because his administration needs China as a vibrant partner on a variety of issues like climate change and even diplomacy with rogue nations.
The Summit for Democracy has received some mild criticism for including countries like India and Brazil, where human rights and democracy face some challenges.
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