All that glitters is not gold. The “Summit for Democracy” that took place on Thursday and Friday, initiated by the Biden administration, has pleased no one but the US president himself. The event structure is inherently flawed, and the content curation was heavily biased, leading to criticisms from near and far.
For one, the summit was designed to divert attention of the international community away from the domestic crisis ballooning in the United States.
Democracy is not a mere slogan, as (Nathan) Law put it. It should be a tool to solve people’s real problems. Apparently, Western-style democracy has not lived up to our standards. But the world has now learned that the whole-process democracy implemented on the Chinese mainland can deliver real results, considering the nation’s pandemic control, economic recovery and respect for human rights
The country continues to hold the top spot in terms of COVID-19 infections and deaths globally. In addition, its economy is plagued by the “Great Resignation”, in which millions of Americans are quitting their jobs month after month because of pent-up frustration from the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic.
Social and economic rights may not come first in Biden’s agenda. But the political rights of US citizens are in noticeable decline as well.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, during the first nine months of this year, at least 19 US states enacted 33 laws that make it harder for Americans to vote, including but not limited to restricting mail voting and early voting, and imposing harsher voter ID requirements.
The summit did not offer a platform to discuss the issues above. However, the mainstream media is clearly aware of the intentional omission.
NPR remarked that Biden’s kick-off speech at the summit left out “the obvious context in the United States and elsewhere”. The New York Times quoted activists who urged their government to devote more attention to problems at home before turning the focus abroad: “You can’t be the global fireman when your house is on fire.”
It is worth reminding that Biden hosted the summit to fulfill one of his many campaign promises. This might be a lower-hanging fruit ahead of midterm elections in 2022.
Many observers in the West noted the guest list of the summit reflects more of the US government’s own interests over objective measures. The summit divided the world into two camps by ideology. No wonder that it quickly prompted tension and anger. Once again, the US’ provocative act puts international relations on the brink of a new Cold War.
Among the attendees was Nathan Law Kwun-chung, a fugitive Hong Kong activist. He accused his hometown of “democracy backsliding”, while being oblivious to the crisis-ridden state of his host.
Law’s so-called painful personal story is a justified outcome of his serious and repeated national security violations and other criminal offenses, which brought Hong Kong into deep troubles, almost irreversible.
Before receiving the court verdict he deserves, Law continued to collude with foreign forces, misrepresent the city, and put Hong Kong at risk.
He lacks an understanding of the new electoral system, but incited people to boycott the Legislative Council election scheduled for Sunday. Law fled Hong Kong and went on a tour to defame the place that raised him to adulthood. His three-minute speech at the summit was filled with empty words and no constructive suggestions.
In contrast, there are 153 LegCo candidates in Hong Kong actively advocating for policy changes on the ground with a strong commitment to create positive changes in our society.
Democracy is not a mere slogan, as Law put it. It should be a tool to solve people’s real problems. Apparently, Western-style democracy has not lived up to our standards. But the world has now learned that the whole-process democracy implemented on the Chinese mainland can deliver real results, considering the nation’s pandemic control, economic recovery and respect for human rights.
Through our improved electoral system and the National Security Law for Hong Kong, Hong Kong has returned to order from chaos, and people in Hong Kong are eager to welcome a new legislature that genuinely serves people’s interests at its core.
The author is a board member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and a board member of the United Nations Association of China. He is vying for a LegCo seat through the Election Committee Constituency.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
To view the complete list of LegCo election candidates, please go to https://bit.ly/3rtNdu2.