On Friday, the Russian and Chinese ambassadors to the United States (US) jointly expressed their opposition over the list of invitees to Joe Biden’s ‘Summit on Democracy’ that is expected to be held virtually on December 9 and 10.
In a joint op-ed titled “Respecting People’s Democratic Rights,” Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang called the Summit a product of America’s “Cold-War Mentality.” Antonov and Qin accused Washington of unanimously “empowering” itself to decide which country is a democracy and which country is not, thereby “creating new dividing lines” and potentially stirring “ideological confrontation” in the world.
Antonov and Qin began the op-ed by defending the democratic nature of their respective countries, arguing that the “basic criterion” of a democracy should be based on “the people.” Qin called China an extensive “whole-process socialist democracy” rooted in the strong support of the Chinese people. “Policies and measures can only be introduced when there is a consensus that they are what the people want and will serve the people’s needs,” he said. Likewise, Ambassador Antonov categorised Russia as a “democratic federative law-governed state with a republican form of government.” He also highlighted that last year’s constitution amendments in Russia had solidified its democratic roots.
Next, Antonov and Qin endorsed the values of multilateralism championed by the United Nations (UN) while highlighting the importance of collective security and development.
In subtle, indirect jabs aimed towards Washington, Antonov and Qin said, “Certain foreign governments better think about themselves and what is going on in their homes.”
In a possible reference to last year’s civil rights protests following the death of George Floyd, Antonov and Qin added, “Is it freedom when various rallies in their countries are dispersed with rubber bullets and tear gas? It does not look very much like freedom.”
Furthermore, both the ambassadors urged countries to undertake matters of international relations with mutual respect and promote win-win cooperation.
The ambassadors concluded the op-ed by calling all countries to stop using “value-based diplomacy” that results in provocation and tension.
Following the op-ed’s publication, the Russian ambassador announced on Saturday that 27 Russian diplomats and their families had been expelled and will leave the US on January 30.
Diplomatic ties between the Cold-War enemies have continued to worsen in recent years. Since 2016, over 100 Russian diplomats have been forced to leave the US. Similarly, since 2017, America’s mission in Russia has also decreased to 120 from 1,200 due to expulsions and restrictions. Moreover, last month, Moscow cut off all diplomatic ties with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) over espionage accusations.
Simultaneously, a joint op-ed by the Russian and Chinese ambassadors is another sign of growing Russo-Sino cooperation following last week’s announcement of a new military partnership between the two countries.