China is not happy. This is how one of the Chinese state-sanctioned newspapers summed up Beijing's feelings about the week spent negotiating on climate change in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. After a very public showdown with the United States in the early days of the global climate talks, China found itself attacked by smaller developing countries for benefiting more than anyone else from carbon credit funding. And as the Friday deadline for a deal approaches, Beijing has been seen deflecting the accusation that it was the stumbling block to reaching a deal. Describing the fighting camps in Copenhagen in terms borrowed from the famous Art of War by ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, the China Times newspaper said Beijing's gloom about the talks was growing and there was no sign of any "ceasefire" in sight. The talks have reached an impasse due to long-standing rifts between rich and poor countries, and a fresh division that has emerged among developing countries. China has featured prominently in both standoffs and Beijing appears worried that it is becoming a target of criticism over the deadlock.
"People will say 'if there is no deal, China is to blame'," Deputy Foreign Minister He Yafei said in an interview with the Financial Times published this week. "This is a trick played by developed countries. They have to look at their own position and can't use China as an excuse. China will not be an obstacle [to a deal]."
No comments:
Post a Comment