New Delhi: Joe Biden gets going literally. Taking a new posture, he has kept China, Russia and Turkey at bay from his much-awaited Summit for Democracy in December.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to the 'Summit for Democracy' convened by US President Joe Biden next month.
Taiwan has been invited while China, Turkey and Russia were missed out on the list. Sources say PM Modi is likely to attend the virtual meet.
The Summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies and provide a platform for leaders to announce individual and collective responses.
The Biden administration's move to invite Taiwan to the Summit on December 9 and 10 has certainly left China anguished.
Beijing says the 'democratically governed island, Taiwan' is its territory.
Experts say the first-of-its-kind gathering is a test for President Biden, who has faced credibility challenges, especially since the fiasco in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, Biden had said that he would return the United States to a global leadership position against an authoritarian measure pushed by China and Russia.
There are 110 participants on the State Department's invitation list for the virtual event on Dec 9 and 10, which aims to help stop democratic backsliding and the erosion of rights and freedoms worldwide.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said Digital Minister Audrey Tang and Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's de facto ambassador in Washington, would represent the government.
An official US State Department statement says, President Biden will host the first of two Summits for Democracy, which will bring together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.
On December 9-10, 2021, President Biden will host a virtual summit for leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector. The Summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies. It will provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad.
For the United States, the Summit will offer an opportunity to listen, learn, and engage with a diverse range of actors whose support and commitment is critical for global democratic renewal. It will also showcase one of democracy's unique strengths: the ability to acknowledge its imperfections and confront them openly and transparently."
