China is prepared to help compensate poorer countries for losses and damage caused by climate change, the United Nations COP27 climate summit in Egypt was told on Wednesday.
But Beijing’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua added China also stood side by side with those calling for more action from wealthy Western nations on the issue, and outlined the damage China had suffered from climate-linked weather extremes.
“We strongly support the claims from developing countries, especially the most vulnerable countries, for claiming loss and damage compensation because China is also a developing country and we also suffered a lot from extreme weather events,” Xie said.
“It is not the obligation of China but we are willing to make our contribution and make our effort.”
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China is designated by the World Trade Organization as a developing country, despite having the world’s second largest economy.
Last month, United States special envoy John Kerry told reporters China should contribute its own funds to loss and damage, “especially if they think they’re going to continue to go on to the next 30 years with increasing their emissions,” Politico reported.
Xie said that Kerry, “his friend for 25 years”, had not raised this issue with him during informal talks at the climate conference this week. He added that China already contributed billions of yuan to developing countries to help with their mitigation efforts.
“Our attitude is very constructive and active,” he said.
After US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan this August, China said it would halt all dialogue with Washington on climate, despite unveiling a pact with the United States at COP26 in Glasgow last year to cooperate on climate change.
Xie on Wednesday said Pelosi’s visit had “hurt Chinese people’s feelings”, but noted that informal discussions and personal correspondence with US delegates continued.
“The door is absolutely closed by [the United States],” he said. “It is we, China, who are trying to open it.”
- Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara
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