Biden invites Taiwan to democracy summit
WASHINGTON: Joe Biden has invited Taiwan to a virtual summit on democracy alongside more than 100 countries – a move that sparked indignation from authoritarian China, which is not on the list.
Taiwan thanked Biden for the invitation and said the gathering would be a rare opportunity for the self-ruled democracy to burnish its credentials on the world stage.
“Through this summit, Taiwan can share its democratic success story,” Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang told reporters.
China said it “firmly opposed” the inclusion of an island it regards as “an inalienable part of Chinese territory”.
Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary.
The global conference was a campaign pledge by the US president, who has placed the struggle between democracies and “autocratic governments” at the heart of his foreign policy.
The “Summit for Democracy” will take place online on December 9 and 10 ahead of an in-person meeting at its second edition next year.
The meeting was long advertised, but the guest list – published Tuesday on the State Department's website – will be closely scrutinised.
Unsurprisingly, America's main rivals China and Russia are not on it.
The invitation is a major coup for Taipei at a time when Beijing is ramping up its campaign to keep Taiwan locked out of international bodies.
Only 15 countries officially recognise Taipei over Beijing although many nations maintain de facto diplomatic relations with the island.
The US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent country but it holds it up as a rare model of progressive democracy in Asia and maintains it as a crucial regional ally. It opposes any change to Taiwan's status by force.
China balks at any use of the word “Taiwan” or diplomatic gestures that might lend a sense of international legitimacy to the island.
“I agree Taiwan more than qualifies – but it does seem to be (the) only democratic govt invited that the US govt does not officially recognise. So its inclusion is a big deal,” tweeted Julian Ku, a Hofstra University law professor whose specialties include China.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said it would be represented at the summit by its de facto US ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao and digital minister Audery Tang, who is one of the world's few openly transgender national politicians.