President Xi Jinping to meet Barack Obama at climate change summit, but will offer no new concessions
The president will be among world leaders adding political weight to the climate change conference, vice foreign minister says
Chinese President Xi Jinping will bring no new concessions to the negotiating table when he attends key UN climate change talks in Paris next week, a senior Chinese diplomat said yesterday.
World leaders were going to France “to lend political impetus” to the meeting but were “not there for negotiations”, said Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin .
“The Paris conference is not about tabling new proposals – it’s about narrowing differences and reaching agreement on the basis of existing proposals,” he said.
Liu also called for countries to be “realistic” about the different capabilities and responsibilities of rich and poor nations.
His remarks came as a White House official said US President Barack Obama would meet Xi and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of the Paris talks on November 30.
Obama’s meetings with Xi and Modi at the start of the two-week summit would “send a strong message to the world about their strong commitment to climate change”, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said.
READ MORE: Climate change deal in Paris is crucial for Asia’s ability to thrive
The French ambassador to China, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, said the talks would use a 51-page text prepared by negotiators as their basis, and numerous options would be debated. France, as chair of the summit, wanted any agreement to be legally binding.
He said a review mechanism requiring countries to increase emission cuts every five years needed to be a key element in the new climate agreement, dealing with the post-2020 period.
France also wants countries to agree on transparency of emission reporting, climate financing, carbon markets and long-term commitments to cut emissions.
If by December 12, we don’t have the major elements in the agreement – especially the review mechanism – it will be a huge problem
“If by December 12, we don’t have the major elements in the agreement – especially the review mechanism – it will be a huge problem,” the ambassador said in Beijing on Wednesday.
China would play a “pivotal” role, bridging developing and developed countries on these issues, and a successful summit would be in China’s interest, he said.
Most of the key elements were included in a joint statement between France and China, which set the bar high for their ambitions, he said.
China pledged last year to peak carbon output by around 2030, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and offer help to poor countries adapting to the impact of global warming.
Xi is to have a private dinner with French President Francois Hollande on November 29. They would discuss issues including counterterrorism and global governance ahead of China’s hosting of the G20 meeting in Hangzhou next year, the French ambassador said.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters
