China brands US democracy 'weapon of mass destruction'

A woman wearing a face mask to protect against COVID-19 walks past the logo for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Torch Relay during an event at the Beijing University of Posts and Communications in Beijing, Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. Already roiled by the pandemic and a partial diplomatic boycott, the Beijing Winter Olympics face another challenge in finding airplane seats for all the athletes and officials. - AP

BEIJING, Dec 11 (AFP): China branded US democracy a "weapon of mass destruction" on Saturday, following the US-organised Summit for Democracy which aimed to shore up like-minded allies in the face of autocratic regimes.

China was left out of the two-day virtual summit -- along with countries including Russia and Hungary -- and responded by angrily accusing US President Joe Biden of stoking Cold War-era ideological divides.