West News Wire: China’s climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, has stated that China would be willing to contribute to a system for paying poorer countries for losses and harm brought on by climate change.
Speaking on Wednesday at the COP27 environmental conference in Egypt, Xie said China was under no need to attend but emphasized his solidarity with those advocating for greater action on the issue from wealthy countries and detailed the harm caused by climate-related weather extremes in China.
Despite having the second-largest economy in the world, China is classified as a developing nation by the World Trade Organization.
China should contribute its own funds to loss and damage, particularly “if they think they’re going to continue to,” said John Kerry, the United States’ special envoy for climate change, telling reporters last month.
Xie noted that Kerry, “his friend for 25 years”, had not raised this issue with him during informal talks at COP27 this week. He added that China already contributed billions of yuan (hundreds of millions of dollars) to developing countries to help with their mitigation efforts.
After US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan this August, China said it would halt all dialogue with the US on climate, despite unveiling a pact with the US at COP26 in Glasgow last year to cooperate on climate change.
Xie 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.”
