FM spokesman denounces US 'democracy summit'

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the so-called Summit for Democracy would only be remembered as an act to sabotage and manipulate democracy.

The upcoming summit on Thursday held by the United States will bring together a group of world leaders that meets US standards to defend what they term democracy and human rights.

Wang made the remarks on Wednesday at a daily news briefing as Hungary blocked a joint European Union position on the Summit for Democracy, saying it wouldn't back the bloc's joint contribution to the summit.

"The Hungarian move once again shows the attempt by Washington to stoke division and confrontation under the banner of democracy finds no support and meets universal opposition from the international community," Wang said.

He quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Washington is "trying to privatize the term 'democracy' and "prefers to create new dividing lines", which ran against the interests of the world.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also said "the selective convocation of a summit that claims to be about democracy is a sign of the weakness of the United States, incapable of facing the discredit and isolation of its foreign policy at the United Nations."

Wang noted scholars and media outlets from African countries called the US' true intentions into question, as African countries invited by the US counted for less than one-third of African nations.

Wang also said Middle East media outlets including Egypt Today and the Middle East Times also considered the summit a selective one and a political review in accordance with US-style values, which would only instigate division and confrontation.

"Claiming itself as the supporter of democracy and human rights, the US hides its dark history and current hypocrisy and has no moral authority to judge whether other countries are democratic," Wang noted.

Washington continued to engage in political manipulation under the banner of democracy, claiming the US approached the summit with "humility" amid universal opposition from the international community, he said.

Wang slammed the US' "humility" by putting forward three questions.

"How is 'humility' arbitrarily convening a summit in the name of democracy without coordination with international agencies like the UN and soliciting opinions from the international community?" he asked.

"How is 'humility' categorizing half the countries in the world as undemocratic in line with the sole yardstick of the US?" Wang added.

Wang said the US interfered militarily in many countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, costing tens of thousands of civilian lives and displacing tens of millions of people.

The US, rather than learn lessons and redressed its mistakes, further made democracy a tool and weaponized it, Wang added.

"How is 'humility' flagrantly convening the 'Leaders' Summit for Democracy', which instigates division and confrontation, to advance geopolitical strategy and seek political self-gains?" Wang asked.

No matter how the US glosses over its past and actions, its intention of pursuing true hegemony and pseudo-democracy have been exposed to the world, he said.