Blinken comment on India, U.S. ‘shared values’ riles China

American Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasising the “shared values” of India and the USA as two democracies, throughout his go to to India on Wednesday, introduced a pointy response from Beijing.

Mr. Blinken, at his assembly with Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, mentioned: “There may be larger crucial than ever on cooperation, coordination, collaboration amongst nations, particularly amongst nations who share fundamental views, fundamental values, and fundamental pursuits.

“And that’s actually the case with the USA and India,” he mentioned underlining a theme that discovered frequent point out throughout his occasions on Wednesday.

A query from an American media outlet throughout a day by day press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, about Mr. Blinken talking of two of the world’s democracies standing in assist of shared beliefs at a time of a rising international menace to democracy even when he didn’t instantly title China, introduced an extended and sharp response from Chinese language International Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

Additionally learn: Blinken sends messages on democratic freedoms to India, China in civil society meet

“I need to stress that democracy is a typical worth shared by all, not a patent owned by any nation,” mentioned Mr. Zhao. “To realize democracy, there are numerous methods relatively than a set formulation or a regular reply. ‘One-man, one-vote’ and a multi-party system is just not the only real type of democracy. Democracy shouldn’t be used as a label or instrument to belittle or smear different nations or stoke confrontations. Which nation is a democracy and which an autocracy shouldn’t be decided by a really small variety of nations. Debasing others whereas elevating oneself in itself is just not democratic in any respect.”

Mr. Zhao appeared to hit out on the U.S. not directly. “Some self-proclaimed democracies are deeply troubled at dwelling by wealth disparity, social division, racial divide and political polarisation,” he mentioned, referring to themes typically talked about within the Chinese language official media’s essential protection of the U.S.

“Is that how their so-called democracy appears like?” he continued. “In some nations, it’s ‘no cash, no vote’ and partisan pursuits above public pursuits. Is that democratic politics or cash politics? Some nations blatantly meddle in different nations’ home affairs, shift blames and suppress and include different nations’ growth. Is that this what the so-called democracy is all about? Is that this democracy or truly hegemony?”

The spokesperson mentioned in China’s view “the important thing yardstick to measure a political system lies in whether or not it fits the nationwide circumstances of a rustic, whether or not it brings about political stability, social progress and betterment of individuals’s livelihood, whether or not it’s supported by its personal folks, and whether or not it makes contribution to the reason for human progress.”