The US-led three-day Democracy Summit is underway. All major Asian countries have been invited to the US event. India and Pakistan are invited. But China was not called. Instead, the US invited Taiwan, which China claims as its ‘own’. Soon after, Pakistan withdrew from the summit. Pakistan has said it will not attend the virtual summit. According to international media reports, China’s intervention was behind the move. According to Pakistani media reports, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on the phone with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi before taking a decision on the summit.
The U.S. has officially invited 110 nations from around the world to attend the summit. The US has invited India, Pakistan, Maldives, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines from the Asia-Pacific region. Pakistan did not forget to thank the US for not attending the event. On December 8, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement thanking the US. Pakistan claimed in the statement that it is a country with an independent judiciary, a vibrant society and media freedom. Pakistan is committed to strengthening democracy through the protection of human rights and the fight against corruption. “Pakistan values our partnership with the United States,” he said. Experts say the invitation to exclude China from the Democracy Summit has put Pakistan in a dilemma.
China, meanwhile, has come under fire for inviting Taiwan to the summit. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has accused the United States of trying to establish domination and not democracy. The US is interfering in the internal affairs of other countries in the name of democracy. They are undermining democratic values. Creating sectarianism in the world. China has made it clear that if the U.S. wants to discuss democracy, it can do so in a forum of mutual respect and equality.
Observers say Pakistan, which has benefited immensely from China through the economic corridor, had no choice but to stay away from the democratic summit. Pakistani media reported that Pakistan was worried that India would dominate the US-led summit if it did not attend. US-Pakistan relations have been strained for some time. The fact that Joe Biden has not spoken to the Prime Minister of Pakistan even once since taking office as US President is another reason for their feud.
The message of Pakistan
“Pakistan also wants to send a strong message to the US about US relations,” Michael Kugelman, deputy director of South Asia at The Wilson Center, told the international media. I think one or two factors are crucial in Pakistan’s decision. Pakistan should have decided not to attend because of the controversy surrounding the summit. Pakistan is upset that there have been no high – level talks between the US and Pakistan since Biden became president.
The government thinks that the people of Pakistan do not have much respect for the US. “Therefore, the Pak government should think that leaving the summit will make it more acceptable to the people,” he said. TCA, the former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, said that the decision was taken due to the turmoil in US-Pakistan relations. Raghavan told a national media. President Biden has never phoned the Prime Minister of Pakistan. This did not please Pakistan. TCA says it is a good place for India to discuss many issues. Raghavan claimed.
The U.S. announced last month that China and Pakistan were “particularly concerned” about religious freedom. China and Pakistan are among the top 10 countries released by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The list includes Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
English Summary: Is China Behind Pakistan’s Decision to Skip US Democracy Summit?
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