Civic Register
| 11.26.21

China Criticizes U.S. for Inviting Taiwan to Democracy Summit

Do you support or oppose Taiwan’s participation in the Summit for Democracy?

What’s the story?

  • As part of an ongoing effort to increase Taiwan’s involvement in international bodies, the U.S. has invited the nation’s officials to an upcoming summit for democratic governments, prompting outrage by the Chinese Communist Party.
  • The inaugural Summit for Democracy will be a virtual gathering held on December 9th and 10th with a focus on resisting authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting human rights. Over 100 democratic governments will be invited, although countries like China, Russia, and other authoritarian regimes will be excluded. 
  • Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the U.S. and another government minister are set to attend the summit. Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs released a statement expressing gratitude for the invitation to the summit. The statement noted that “Taiwan is a front-line state standing firm in the face of authoritarianism,” and added, “As a force for good in the world, the country is committed to working with like-minded partners and civic groups from home and abroad in related areas of mutual concern”.
  • China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the CCP opposes Taiwan’s invitation to the democracy summit and warned the U.S. to stop promoting Taiwan’s autonomy in international venues. Zhao told the media at a briefing in Beijing that, “Playing with the fire of ‘Taiwan independence,’ you will eventually get burned.”
  • Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, including General Secretary Xi Jinping, have made China’s reunification with Taiwan a priority in what they see as an “unshakeable commitment” to China’s ascent into a position of global leadership. The CCP regards the self-governing democracy of Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China or ROC) as a rogue province and has threatened to compel a reunion by military force across the 110 mile-wide Taiwan Strait if the ROC pursues formal independence. 
  • Beyond the rhetorical posturing, China has recently stepped up its campaign of military intimidation against Taiwan by repeatedly flying its military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in a bid to tire Taiwan’s military, which responds to the incursions by scrambling aircraft to intercept and tracking them with surface-to-air missile batteries.

RELATED READING


— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / avdeev007)

  • 36
    Erialdo
    12/11/2021

    If we allow China to overpower Taiwan’s desire for liberty US has lost its greatness and beauty. Let us oppose China even if that means death!

  • 24
    Brent
    12/08/2021

    The Chinese are unhappy? But they are communist, not democratic. Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black isn’t it?

  • 24
    Bren1a
    12/06/2021

    Stand up for freedom! Keep up the resistance on China

  • 192
    Kathleen
    12/06/2021

    Anything that hurts commie, piece of crap China, I support.

  • 355
    Matt
    12/02/2021

    It's all meaningless with a CCP puppet in the White House.

  • 142
    Bruno
    12/02/2021

    Hey China - 🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻

  • 8,978
    Charles
    12/01/2021

    Why not support democracy?

  • 674
    Azrael
    12/01/2021

    Have to encourage democracy. All of us will need somewhere to go when this one fails next year. It will fail. Supreme Court killed women and poc. They’re just another politically motivated entity. No longer have respect for the court or it’s members. Bought and paid for. Now we have justification for term and age limits and for adding more and younger justices

  • 354
    deborah
    12/01/2021

    I fully support inviting Taiwan to the Democracy Summit. China has every intention of exerting world dominance & stopping Taiwan's Independence from China. We must do everything to Stop China, just like we need to Stop Putin overtaking the Ukraine. As these 2 Communist rulers continue to exert their Dominance we the US, must fully support both Taiwan & the Ukraine as Democracies at all costs.

  • 2,433
    michele
    11/30/2021

    We are dividing the world. All should be invited. All should have a say. This is what democracy is. This is not what we are doing.

  • 731
    Leslie
    11/30/2021

    Taiwan IS a participating democracy and definitely belongs at this summit!

  • 102
    Lee
    11/30/2021

    Taiwan and its' territories (several other small nearby islands) successfully resisted the takeover of Mao's communist regime and have been internationally recognized as an independent nation. Their voice and input is welcome in any discussion of democracy.

  • 3,405
    Adel
    11/30/2021

    The US can invite anyone they want to attend their meetings. China can not tell people who they can and can not invite to different meetings and events. China needs to shut up and sit down!

  • 676
    Dan
    11/30/2021

    Yes, we most stand for Democracy and freedom in all countries and that includes ours

  • 1,703
    Nancy
    11/30/2021

    Why not? Even more so because China doesn’t want them.

  • 2,934
    Gdbondii
    11/30/2021

    A slap to China which is needed.

  • 351
    Gary
    11/30/2021

    It is important for the US to support Democracies wherever they are located.

  • 2,503
    Joan
    11/30/2021

    China is accustomed to throwing its weight around and everyone kowtowing to it out of fear of economic retaliation. It's past time for the world community to come together and make a stand against authoritarianism (including in our own country) and human rights abuses (including in our own country.

  • 1,527
    Lael
    11/30/2021

    yes

  • 645
    Bob
    11/30/2021

    Yes, they have every right. And we should support them.