China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system.
Party officials questioned how a polarized country that botched its response to COVID-19 could lecture others and said that efforts to force others to copy the Western democratic model are “doomed to fail.”
Click to Gallery
China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system.
“Such democracy brings not happiness but disaster to voters,” he said at a news conference to release a government report on what the Communist Party calls its form of democracy, which is firmly under party control.
A journalist reaches for a copy of a Chinese government-produced report titled "Democracy that Works" before a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Xu Lin, left, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party, speaks as Xu Yousheng, vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee listens during a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Tian Peiyan, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party, speaks during a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Journalists line up for copies of a Chinese government-produced report titled "Democracy that Works" before a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Officials arrive for a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Journalists reach for copies of a Chinese government-produced report titled "Democracy that Works" before a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Tian Peiyan, the deputy director of the party's Policy Research Office, said the pandemic exposed defects in the American system. He blamed the high COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. on political disputes and a divided government from the highest to the lowest levels.
Xu Lin, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party attends a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
“Such democracy brings not happiness but disaster to voters,” he said at a news conference to release a government report on what the Communist Party calls its form of democracy, which is firmly under party control.
Biden, who has made a competition between democracies and autocracies a central theme of his presidency, has invited about 110 governments to a two-day virtual “Summit for Democracy” starting Thursday. Neither China nor Russia have been invited.
Officials attend a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
A journalist reaches for a copy of a Chinese government-produced report titled "Democracy that Works" before a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Xu Lin, left, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party, speaks as Xu Yousheng, vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee listens during a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Tian Peiyan, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party, speaks during a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Journalists line up for copies of a Chinese government-produced report titled "Democracy that Works" before a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Officials arrive for a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)
Journalists reach for copies of a Chinese government-produced report titled "Democracy that Works" before a press conference at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. China's Communist Party took American democracy to task on Saturday, sharply criticizing a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. (AP PhotoMark Schiefelbein)