China says the US is not the only judge of what democracy looks like

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has again accused the United States of trying to impose its definition of democracy on others and of using it to promote the independence of Taiwan.

“The US claims it does not support Taiwanese independence, yet it provides Taiwanese independence forces an international stage loudly and clearly,” Wang said, according to a statement on a virtual meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto on Thursday. “This only goes to show its words are not to be trusted.”

Hungary is not among the 110 governments invited to US President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy in

December, making it the only European Union member state left out. China was also not invited but Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, was on the list. The US State Department has described the virtual meeting as a forum for democratic governments, civil society and the private sector to put forward concrete plans to promote human rights, fight corruption and fend off authoritarianism.

Under Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his right-wing populist Fidesz party, Budapest has introduced laws that banned depictions of homosexuality among minors and help for asylum seekers, moves that have been criticised as an erosion of human rights. “Whether a country is democratic should be judged by its people, not for some foreign country to point fingers and make arbitrary judgments on,” Wang said.

The US has recently moved to boost ties with Taiwan, with lawmakers arriving in Taipei late on Thursday to have talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen. Taiwan was a key focus for the virtual summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Biden this month, with Xi saying China was still committed to peaceful reunification but that it would take resolute action against those seeking Taiwan independence. Wang and Szijjarto also discussed Lithuania’s decision to allow a de facto embassy of Taiwan under the name “The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania”. Other representative offices in Europe and the US have only used “Taipei” to refer to the island.

“Hungary firmly adheres to the one-China policy, respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly supports China’s legitimate position,” Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted Szijjarto as saying.

“Cooperation with China is supported by the Hungarian people and no external force can influence or change the country’s friendly policies towards China.”

China has since downgraded its ties with Lithuania to the level of charge d’affaires, a category lower than ambassador, and accused the country of presenting China and Taiwan as equals.

In a Facebook post, Szijjarto said Hungary would continue to cooperate with China on coronavirus vaccines, including to negotiate on a licence to produce a vaccine from Sinopharm. Another Hungarian consulate will open in Guangzhou in southern China.

The foreign affairs and trade minister’s statement also focused on expanding trade with China, which he said was expected to be Hungary’s second-largest investor in 2021 after being its biggest investor last year.

In April, Hungary was the sole EU member state to block EU statements that criticised Beijing for imposing its national security law on Hong Kong, arguing that the bloc was clashing with China on too many issues.

Courtesy - South China Morning