Can liberal democracies 'be friends' with authoritarian states?
How can liberal democracies create a working partnership with authoritarian states â and at the same time maintain their values and succeed as open societies offering political freedom? For some years now, we have seen the splintering of the post war system of international order. The number of authoritarian states around the world is growing, and China is becoming an increasingly important player. The rise of Vladimir Putin and the struggles of Hong Kong offer valuable lessons about how to deal with authoritarian regimes.
