Global Times (12 December 2021) – Just after the “Summit for Democracy”convened by Biden concluded on Friday, the G7 Summit for Foreign and Development Ministers took place in Liverpool, UK from Friday to Sunday. New British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss called on the Western world to “come together strongly to stand up to aggressors who are seeking to limit the bounds of freedom and democracy.” Media largely interpreted that she was targeting Russia and China. Previously when addressing a think tank in London, Truss said “now is the time for the free world to fight back” the erosion of “autocratic regimes.” “The free world’s age of introspection must end now,” she said.
Britain in many cases is keen on serving as the promoter and megaphone of the US’ foreign policy. It is obvious Truss is helping to consolidate the result of the “Summit for Democracy,” preventing it from vanishing like the wind. Facing a world with diverse interests where US influence is being challenged, Washington is trying to use “democracy” as a new political mobilization slogan to organize strategic containment against China and Russia. Democracy is being weaponized by the US and Britain. They are instigating the fever of fundamentalism over the Western definition of democracy and tapping the destructive power of the concept.
Washington has laid bare its ambition to completely divide the world with so-called “democracy” or “autocracy”. Truss and her like represent the most radical forces that promote such a dichotomy. The world is being described by them as two systems with daggers drawn and all countries and regions have to pick a side.
However, the diversity of democracy is obvious. Using the concept of “democracy” as a gun and bayonet to launch attacks is a challenge to the 21st century and to the peace of the humankind.
China is a country that has been highly integrated into globalization. It has already been the world’s top manufacturer and trading country. Washington is attempting to construct a global supply chain based on Western democratic values that excludes China and to use it as a trump card to contain China’s rise. This obviously is not in line with the interests of most countries in the world, including many Western powers.
Many companies that have grown and expanded in a globalized environment are at a loss as to what to do. A small number of US and Western political elites are imposing their extreme fantasies onto the world. This is an evil process. If it leads to deep restructuring of international relations, there will be very fierce confrontation. The shocks it will bring will be much bigger than those caused by a regional war.
A small number of extreme Western politicians must be clear about what they are doing. They should know that they may give a fatal blow to the world’s unity while human beings urgently need to unite in face of global public crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They are provoking fundamental hostility. They may become the most unforgivable sinners in the 21st century.
China has shown the world the greatest cooperation in the globalization era, and Russia is in a continuous strategic contraction brought by the disintegration of the Soviet Union 30 years ago. Both countries have some disputes of interests confined to the surrounding areas and left over from history. Neither China nor Russia is interested in global geopolitical expansion. The US and its major allies treat those disputes of interests with a mentality of a major power competition. They do not hesitate to support neighboring countries to confront China and Russia, and promote regional disputes into a powder keg big powers.
The US and the UK covered their vicious plans with the disguise of “promoting democracy and freedom,” trying to obscure their nature of suppressing China, Russia and safeguarding US hegemony. Through this way, they try to mobilize as many countries as possible and rope them into anti-China and anti-Russia camps. If the last Cold War formed naturally, then the US and its major allies are now bluntly changing the programming of human society in the 21st century. They are doing everything possible to create a new cold war and reshape the political outlook of the 21st century.
Most members of the international community should stay clear-headed, think independently, not be coerced by the US and the UK, and avoid unwittingly becoming cannon fodder in the confrontation between major powers. Peaceful development is the most precious. Whoever wants to turn division into the main political theme in the 21st century will be the common enemy of all mankind, and the new “Hitlers” and “Mussolinis” of today.