US Summit: Urgent Need To Strengthen the Foundations of Democracy

Published in Yomiuri Shimbun
(Japan) on 12 December 2021
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Owen Hester. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
Efforts to strengthen the foundations of democracy and broaden its base are essential to curb the growth of Chinese and Russian authoritarianism. We need to deepen our cooperation to maintain a free and open international order.

The Summit for Democracy, hosted by President Joe Biden, was held online. Representatives from about 110 countries and regions, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, were invited to the summit and engaged in discussions.

Biden talked about an urgent global crisis of receding democracy and called for strengthening its foundations, including reinforcing the rule of law and freedom of expression.

In the background, China's growing influence and the decline in America’s prestige under the former Trump administration are likely factors. According to a Swedish research institute that codes countries as either democratic or authoritarian, the number of authoritarian countries in the world has increased since 2019.

It is very significant that the U.S. is trying to regain its leadership under President Biden as it leads the fight against authoritarianism.

It is noteworthy that Taiwan was invited to the summit, and chose a cabinet member with the current government as its representative. This is a strong reminder that Taiwan is a member of the democratic camp.

Taiwan has been excluded from international organizations such as the World Health Organization due to pressure from China, and has not been able to attend meetings even as an observer. Japan, the U.S. and Europe must continue to take steps to prevent Taiwan from being isolated.

At this year's summit, the opaqueness of the invitation criteria remained an issue. The Philippines and India, countries whose leaders have been criticized for their intransigence, were invited, but Thailand was not.

Isn't there a risk that countries that were not invited will consider this as being excluded from the democratic camp of ations and step up their efforts to get closer to China and Russia? The U.S. is reportedly planning to hold a face-to-face summit next year. In order to bring together a wider range of people, a certain degree of open-mindedness may be necessary.

China is fiercely opposed to the summit and is promoting the superiority of “Chinese-style democracy.” While it is true that different countries have different forms of democracy, China's system, which restricts the human rights and freedoms of its citizens, can hardly be called a democracy. Respect for human rights is also a universal value enshrined in the U.N. Charter. Criticism of China does not amount to interference in domestic affairs.

In his remarks at the summit, Kishida emphasized the importance of states voluntarily working together to deal with actions that harm fundamental values.

The unity and strengthening of the democratic camp cannot be left to the United States alone. Japan should play a greater role and help lead the charge.


中国やロシアの強権主義の伸長を抑えるには、民主主義の基盤を強め、裾野を広げる努力が不可欠だ。自由で開かれた国際秩序の維持に向け、協力を深めていきたい。


 バイデン米大統領が主催する「民主主義サミット」がオンライン形式で開かれた。岸田首相ら約110の国・地域の代表が招かれ、議論を交わした。

 バイデン氏は、民主主義が世界的に退潮傾向にあることへの強い危機感を示し、法の支配や表現の自由など、民主主義の土台を強化することを呼びかけた。

 背景には、中国の影響力増大やトランプ前政権下での米国の威信低下があろう。スウェーデンの調査機関が、各国を民主主義国家か強権主義国家かで色分けしたところ、2019年には強権国家の数が上回った。

 米国がバイデン氏の下で指導力を回復し、「強権主義との戦い」を先導する意義は大きい。

 特筆されるのは、サミットに台湾が招待され、閣僚にあたる現職の政務委員が出席したことだ。台湾が民主主義陣営の一員であることを強く印象付けたと言える。

 台湾は中国の圧力によって世界保健機関(WHO)などの国際機関から排除され、会合にオブザーバー参加すらできていない。日米欧は、台湾を孤立させない手立てを講じ続けねばならない。

 今回のサミットでは、招待基準の不透明さが課題として残った。指導者の強権が批判されている国で、フィリピンやインドは招待されたが、タイは見送られた。

 招かれなかった国が民主主義陣営からの「排除」と受け取り、中露への接近を強める恐れはないか。米国は来年、対面形式でのサミットを予定しているという。より幅広い結集のためには、一定の懐の広さも必要だろう。

 中国はサミットに猛反発し、「中国式の民主主義」の優位性をアピールしている。

 国によって民主主義の形態が異なるのは確かだが、国民の人権と自由を制限する中国の体制は民主主義とは到底言えない。人権尊重は、国連憲章で明記された普遍的価値でもある。中国に対する批判は内政干渉にはあたらない。

 岸田首相はサミットでの発言で、基本的価値観を傷つける行動には、有志国が一致して対処する重要性を強調した。

 民主主義陣営の結束と強化を、米国だけに任せるわけにはいかない。日本はより大きな役割を果たし、共に先頭に立つべきだ。
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