China called the US democracy a “weapon of mass destruction” on Saturday in response to the US Democracy Summit.
China, like Russia and Hungary, was not invited to the two-day virtual summit and reacted sharply, accusing US President Joe Biden of fueling ideological differences during the Cold War.
“Democracy has long become a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ used by the United States to interfere in other countries’ affairs,” the Chinese State Department said in an online statement accusing the United States of “inciting color revolutions” abroad.
The ministry also said the summit was organized by the United States to “set the boundaries of ideological prejudice, use democracy as a tool and weapon” and “provoke divisions and confrontations.”
China has promised to “resolutely reject and oppose any form of pseudo-democracy.”
In the run-up to the summit, China stepped up its opposition to US democracy as a corrupt and failed system.
Last week, China published a report promoting its version of “comprehensive people’s democracy.” With the report, it sought to strengthen the legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party, which has become increasingly authoritarian since Xi Jinping came to power.
Although the United States regularly rejects a new Cold War with China, tensions between the world’s two largest economies have grown in recent years, ranging from trade and technology competition to human rights, minority rights in Xinjiang and Taiwanese rights.
The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on two high-ranking Chinese officials for human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region and blacklisted SenseTime, an artificial intelligence company that developed facial recognition technology for the Uighur minority.-
The United States invited Taiwan, which China considers its territory, to attend the Democracy Summit.
China gained a diplomatic victory in the middle of the summit when Nicaragua announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Taiwan in the interests of China.
Nicaragua’s decision to withdraw diplomatically from Taiwan in order to build closer relations with China means that the island has only 14 diplomatic allies left.
The US State Department called on “all countries with democratic institutions” to expand relations with Taiwan.
– .
