China’s support on climate change ’essential’, says French President François Hollande

French President François Hollande said on Monday that Chinese support was “essential” to reaching an effective deal at the forthcoming climate change conference in Paris, as he began a visit to the Asian giant.

Hollande said while in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing that he was seeking “a global and ambitious agreement that will allow global warming to be limited to two degrees”.

“The support of the Chinese is essential.”

He added: “The fight against global warming is a humanitarian issue – how the planet can be preserved – and it is also an issue of considerable economic importance, of what we call ‘green growth’.”

READ MORE: China's US$3 billion pledge to help countries tackle climate change is a sign of growing confidence as a leading player in world affairs

China is the world’s largest polluter and will be a key player at the UN conference, which starts on November 30, in the face of disputes over whether developed or developing countries should bear more of the burden for reducing emissions.