In Counter to Trump, China Opens Up to EU During Climate Talks
Negotiators at COP29 are struggling to forge a consensus to boost funding to help poor countries. The fading US role has created a bigger opening for China.
Liu Zhenmin, China's special envoy for climate change, at COP29 in Baku.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergChina has an opportunity at the COP29 climate summit to score points with the European Union, potentially easing trade tensions over its green exports to the bloc by helping to secure agreement on the key unresolved issue at the two-week negotiations.
President-elect Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House has weakened US credibility at the United Nations conference and increased pressure on the EU to step up and help secure a deal to raise more financial aid for developing countries. China wants to play a role in making that happen without dragging out the meeting, according to people familiar with the country’s negotiating strategy.