Australia is coming to Biden?s democracy summit ?empty handed? on anti-corruption, Labor says

The Australian government is at risk of coming to the US-trumpeted Summit for Democracy "empty handed" given its failure to put in place a promised anti-corruption commission, the opposition says.

With the virtual summit entering its second day on Friday, tax transparency campaigners also called on the prime minister, Scott Morrison, to pledge to ban anonymous shell companies and create a public beneficial ownership register.

While a lot of the early media focus was on the Biden administration's decision to invite Taiwan - a move that triggered protest and scorn from China - attention is now turning to the commitments the US is asking leaders to bring to the two-day event.

The summit is meant to focus on three key themes: defending against authoritarianism; addressing and fighting corruption; and promoting respect for human rights.

A spokesperson for the US embassy in Canberra said it anticipated all participants would "make ambitious - yet realistic and concrete - commitments toward the summit's objectives".

The spokesperson said it was an opportunity for leaders "to speak to their countries' experiences with and challenges to strengthening democracy".

"Individually and collectively, democracies must continually demonstrate that they can deliver for their people, and we expect the Summit for Democracy to serve as a rallying point to do just this."