Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) said he was snubbed at December’s Copenhagen climate change conference and fired back yesterday at critics who accuse China of arrogance.
China was blamed by some for undermining efforts to reach a binding agreement at the conference and Wen was himself criticized for skipping a meeting of top leaders attended by US President Barack Obama.
However, Wen says he was never formally notified of the late-night Dec. 17 event and sent then vice foreign minister He Yafei (何亞非) to register a protest. Wen said no explanation had been given about the lack of a formal invitation.
“Why was China not notified of this meeting? So far no one has given us any explanation about this and it still is a mystery,” Wen said at an annual news conference on the final day of the National People’s Congress.
“It still baffles me why some people try to make an issue out of China,” he said.
Wen said China remained fully committed to the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord that requires developing countries to propose voluntary actions to combat climate change.
“China worked with other countries attending the Copenhagen conference, and with joint efforts we have made the Copenhagen Accord possible,” Wen said.
“This result has not come easily and it is also the best outcome that could have been achieved on an issue that concerns the major interests of all countries,” he said.
As the world’s largest emitter of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, China has come under increasing pressure to commit to reductions.
Beijing said before the Copenhagen meeting it would cut its “carbon intensity” — a measure of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of production — by between 40 percent and 45 percent by 2020, compared with 2005 levels.
The dustup over Wen’s Copenhagen appearance was part of a series of controversies portraying China as more aggressive and intransigent in its relations with the outside world. Having weathered the economic downturn better than many nations, Beijing is increasingly regarded as seeking to assert its influence and resist demands for reform.
During his 60 hours at Copenhagen, Wen held numerous meetings and speeches but made no remarks to the media, as is standard with Chinese leaders.
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