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The US along with its strategic partners and allies wishes to uphold democratic values to counter challenges posed by expansionist authoritarianism seen in countries such as China.
The "Summit for Democracy," which brings together some 100 countries and regions has added to tensions between the United States and China, with Beijing criticizing it as a divisive event that labels half of the world's countries as non democracies based on a U.S. yardstick, according to Kyodonews. Further, dozens of world leaders rallied behind the US calls to uphold democracy and human rights as President Joe Biden on Thursday hosted a virtual summit to counter challenges posed by authoritarianism seen in countries such as China. Also, US strategic partners and allies such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines took part in the virtual summit. Warning that autocrats seek to expand their influence around the world and justify their repressive policies as more efficient than democratic governance in addressing today's challenges, US President Joe Biden said the world is now standing at an "inflection point" in history, according to Kyodonews. Also, the Biden administration vowed to provide up to US $424.4 million for a "democratic renewal" that will include efforts to support independent media, defend free and fair elections globally and work with other countries toward using export controls to ensure technologies do not enable human rights abuses. Meanwhile, the US State Department will set aside US $4 million to establish a multilateral fund to counter "authoritarian censorship" of the internet and invite like-minded partners to contribute jointly. During the summit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for working collectively against moves to undermine freedom, democracy, and rule of law and vowed to speak out against serious human rights violations, according to the Kyodonews. (ANI)
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