US Democracy Summit Begins With Eye On China Competition

The White House will kick off its second virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ today. Full agenda

• Some analysts have criticised the summit’s nebulous goals and an inconsistent list of invitees, which includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi but excludes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, but a recent uptick in support for competition with China may increase the prospect of meaningful diplomacy.
• A China focus may be signposted by ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, two firm US allies who have recently aligned with the US on China issues, as co-hosts of the summit.
• Politico writes on the changing views in Europe: “How things have changed: Europe is waking up to the security threat identified by Washington. Earlier this month, the Dutch government buckled to U.S. pressure and said that it would impose export restrictions on... China.”
• The schedule today includes a session on “A Just and Lasting Peace in Ukraine,” which will be chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and feature remarks from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.