New Delhi: China’s foreign ministry has hit out at the United States over the Afghanistan-Taliban crisis, saying “democracy imposed and transplanted by others will not last or be firm”.
Addressing a press conference Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, said, “…Democracy cannot be predetermined or overstretched. There is no set model of democracy.”
“To give you an analogy, cold milk on a daily basis doesn’t agree with a Chinese stomach and chopsticks are not often used by Americans. A meal of hamburger or steak with fork and knife is not the only way to get one well fed. Democracy is not Coca-Cola, which, with the syrup produced by the United States, tastes the same across the world. Many Chinese prefer Beijing-based soda drink branded Arctic Ocean,” Hua said.
‘China’s democracy is people’s democracy’
Raising questions on the definition of democracy, the foreign ministry said that democratic rights “should not be monopolized by the US and its few allies”.
“In this sense, Chinese democracy is people’s democracy while the US’ is money democracy; the Chinese people enjoy substantial democracy while Americans have democracy only in form; China has a whole-process democracy while the US has voting democracy that comes every four years,” the statement said.
Chunying added that unlike the US, China’s socialist democracy is the “most based” — reflects people’s will, suits the country’s realities and is acclaimed by the people.
“The Chinese people’s satisfaction and approval rate of the Chinese government has been above 95% for years,” the spokesperson claimed.
Recent approval ratings for Joe Biden have shown the US president’s popularity had dipped below 50 per cent for the first time since he took office eight months ago. Biden administration’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the US troops pull-out from Afghanistan are widely being seen as the reasons for this dip.
The spokesperson went on to speak on the US’ Covid-19 crisis. “When tens of thousands of American people are struggling against Covid-19, the two parties are attacking each other ferociously and putting their own political interests above people’s life and health. The loss of more than 600,000 American lives still cannot awaken their conscience and responsibility.
“People like George Floyd cannot breathe, gun violence runs rampant and racial discrimination and hate crimes are deeply entrenched. To whom the US belongs? Can the US government win support from half of its people? Which party in the US can represent the interests of all American people?”
Speaking on the death of the 19-year-old Afghan national team football player who fell from a US plane while attempting to escape Kabul, Hua said, “Zaki Anwari’s fallen, American myth down. More and more people are awakening.”
On Thursday, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese state media CGTN television that China “can play a big role in rebuilding, rehabilitation, reconstruction of Afghanistan”.
Asked whether China will recognise the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the spokesperson said, “China’s position on the Afghan issue is clear and consistent. We hope Afghanistan can form an open, inclusive and broadly-based government, uphold moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies and respond to the shared aspiration of the Afghan people and the international community.”
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
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