FM denounces 'democracy summit' as exercise in hypocrisy

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi further expounded China's position on the so-called Summit for Democracy, calling for rejecting a Cold War mentality and safeguarding and developing true democracy.

Wang made the remarks during his phone conversation with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday.

The upcoming summit will be held on Dec 9, which will bring together those democracies only in line with the US' own standard.

"The US' purpose lies not in democracy but hegemony," Wang said.

He called the move an effort to uphold its hegemonic position in the world in the name of democracy.

"The US seeks to meddle in internal affairs of other countries under the banner of democracy and abuse democratic values to create divides," he added.

On democracy, as the US itself has a pile of problems, Wang said if Washington continued to claim itself to be a defender of democracy, it would be hypocrisy.

He noted many countries hold the US has no qualification to set a standard for other countries, nor the right to require other countries to follow US-style democracy.

He stressed discussion around democracy should be conducted on platforms of the United Nations in an equal-footed manner and in the spirit of mutual respect.

Wang suggested the international community perform two tests. One is to ask countries in the world whether they consider Washington the model of democracy. Wang surmised the results would be awkward for the US.

Another is to measure people's satisfaction toward their governments. Wang said the result would put a certain country on the spot.

"China has full confidence in its democratic path and process," he said.

Wang said socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics is whole-process people's democracy, which has enjoyed wide popularity and support from Chinese people.

Wang said China stands ready to carry out exchanges with countries on the matters of democracy and human rights with an open and inclusive attitude, through which countries learn from each other and improve themselves to advance global democracy and the cause of human progress.

China is willing to work with all parties to uphold justice and reject a Cold War mentality to defend and develop true democracy and earnestly safeguard justified and legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, he added.