US ‘Democracy Summit’ Another Misguided Attempt to Divide World: Russian Ambassador to China

By Fan Anqi and Fan Lingzhi

Nov 19, 2021 10:25 PM

Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov Photo: Li Hao/GT

The so-called "democracy summit" to be held by the US in December is another misguided attempt to divide the world into categories of "superior and inferior," Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told the Global Times on Friday, adding that "some diplomats from Western countries also disagree with the US way of categorizing democracy when talking to me in private, but they are just too embarrassed to say it out loud."

Denisov made the remarks in Beijing prior to the convening of a briefing on the sixth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, which has invited hundreds of foreign delegates and ambassadors to attend through online and offline channels. 

"The sixth plenary session was held at a key historical juncture marking the centenary of the founding of the CPC, and a systematic summary of past experiences is key to China's future development," Denisov said, adding that at a time when international situations are going through rapid changes, China not only has to deal with internal issues but also external challenges. 

He emphasized China's achievements in winning the battle against poverty and the completion of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "Under the leadership of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping, 100 million people have been lifted out of absolute poverty. This is the most remarkable achievement, and I hope China will only get better and better."

The US has said it will hold a so-called "Summit for Democracy" on December 9-10, which has been widely interpreted as a move aimed against China and Russia

When asked by the Global Times for his comment on such a move, Denisov said, "I am very surprised to see that some countries are desperately trying to impress the world as being 'a model of a democratic country' when they themselves are still struggling with a bunch of domestic problems."

"They define others as 'poorly developed' and 'undemocratic,' and divide the world into 'democratic' and 'undemocratic' countries according to their own Western criteria. And yes, I am referring to the US," he said. 

The US has experienced some serious domestic problems in recent years, putting them in a position which is far from one that could be considered a good example, Denisov said. China, on the other hand, has presented the world with some distinguished achievements both in battling the epidemic and the economic crisis it created. 

There are over 200 countries in the world, but only 30-35 could be regarded as "democratic" according to the US standard. "Obviously, they are not the majority, so this standard is incorrect," Denisov said. 

The Friday event discussed a landmark resolution on the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC's 100 years of endeavors, which was reviewed and adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. It reaffirmed and strengthened that "the Party's leadership with a strong core" is the key to answering the questions: "Why were we successful in the past? How can we continue to succeed in the future?"