Xi to give speech at opening of Paris climate conference

Chinese President Xi Jinping with US President Barack Obama

President Xi Jinping will speak at a key climate change conference in Paris later this month, before making state visits to South Africa and Zimbabwe, officials announced yesterday.
Xi will also meet on the sidelines of the conference with the presidents of France and the United States, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said. Xi will discuss climate change and bilateral relations with Francois Hollande and Barack Obama on Nov. 30, he said.
US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said the opening-day meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and China, the two largest emitters of carbon dioxide, “sends a strong message to the world about their shared commitment to combat climate change and see an ambitious agreement achieved.”
Ahead of Paris, Obama struck major climate deals with China, hoping that a commitment by the world’s largest polluter to cut emissions would make it impossible for other developing nations to avoid making promises of their own. China, which is still building coal plants to fuel growing power consumption, plans to max out its carbon emissions around 2030, if not sooner.
The Paris conference is aimed at crafting a new international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases. China has emerged as a leader in curbing such emissions six years after it was accused of obstructing the last high-level climate talks in Copenhagen. Observers hope China will persuade other developing nations to sign up to a deal.
From Dec. 1-2, Xi will visit Zimbabwe for the first time and meet with President Robert Mugabe. The visit will include cooperation agreements on infrastructure, investment, wildlife protection, financing and culture, said Zhang Ming, another vice foreign minister.
Xi will travel to South Africa from Dec. 2-5 to serve as co-chairman of the Forum on China-African Cooperation and for his second state visit to that country, including a meeting with President Jacob Zuma.
The China-African forum started as a ministerial-level dialogue 15 years ago. So far, 36 heads of state and five heads of government have confirmed they will attend to discuss “faster and better development,” Zhang said.
Zhang said the forum will also discuss continued security cooperation between China and Africa.
Three Chinese civilians were among 19 people killed in an assault on a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital last week claimed by an Islamic extremist group. AP

Beijing urges ‘differentiated responsibilities’ on climate change

China has called for the upcoming Paris Climate Conference to be realistic about the different capabilities and responsibilities among developed and developing countries. The country hopes the gathering of world leaders later this month will stick to the principles outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said at a press briefing yesterday. “The principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities should be highlighted as they reflect the fact that developed countries have made a greater historical contribution to climate change,” said Liu. The conference should push for more concrete actions from developed countries, who are expected to honor their commitments to offer financing and technology to developing countries, he added.