Let the people decide: China says the US is not the only judge of what democracy looks like

Name: Don’t ‘play with fire’: Mainland China tells US for inviting Taiwan to democracy summit
Uploaded: 2021-11-26T11:57:54.000Z
Duration: 1 min 16 s
Description: Don’t ‘play with fire’: Mainland China tells US for inviting Taiwan to democracy summit

In a meeting with Hungarian minister, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says US ambiguity over Taiwan independence proves it cannot be trusted

Hungarian foreign affairs and trade minister looks to expanding business with China

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Hungarian counterpart in a virtual meeting on Thursday. Neither country was invited to US President Joe Biden’s Smmit for Democracy. Photo: Reuters

Jack Lau

Published: 7:57pm, 26 Nov 2021Updated: 8:12pm, 26 Nov 2021

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has again accused the United States of trying to impose its definition of democracy on others and of using it to promote the independence of Taiwan.

“The US claims it does not support Taiwanese independence, yet it provides Taiwanese independence forces an international stage loudly and clearly,” Wang said, according to a statement on a virtual meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto on Thursday. “This only goes to show its words are not to be trusted.”

Hungary is not among the 110 governments invited to US President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy in December, making it the only European Union member state left out. China was also not invited but Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, was on the list.

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Don’t ‘play with fire’: Mainland China tells US for inviting Taiwan to democracy summit

The US State Department has described the virtual meeting as a forum for democratic governments, civil society and the private sector to put forward concrete plans to promote human rights, fight corruption and fend off authoritarianism.

Under Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his right-wing populist Fidesz party, Budapest has introduced laws that banned depictions of homosexuality among minors and help for asylum seekers, moves that have been criticised as an erosion of human rights.

“Whether a country is democratic should be judged by its people, not for some foreign country to point fingers and make arbitrary judgments on,” Wang said.

The US has recently moved to boost ties with Taiwan, with lawmakers arriving in Taipei late on Thursday to have talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Taiwan was a key focus for the virtual summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Biden this month, with Xi saying China was still committed to peaceful reunification but that it would take resolute action against those seeking Taiwan independence.