China’s successful practice in addressing global climate change

The Earth, bearing a population of seven billion, is the common home of all mankind. As Chinese President Xi Jinping brought up, we shall protect ecosystems as preciously as we protect our eyes, and cherish them as dearly as we cherish our lives. China is committed to working with all countries in the world to address the issue of climate change and to making contributions to the promotion of global ecological civilisation.

From November 30 to December 2, President Xi Jinping’s Special Representative, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, Ding Xuexiang, attended the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) in Dubai and delivered an address.

In his address, Vice Premier Ding recalled that eight years ago, President Xi worked with leaders of other countries to reach the Paris Agreement with utmost political determination and wisdom, and embarked on a new journey of global cooperation to address climate change. He said that China has always kept its promise and made important contributions to global climate governance and put forward a three-point proposal on global climate governance: firstly to practise multilateralism, secondly to accelerate green transformation, and thirdly to strengthen action implementation.

His address demonstrates China’s sense of responsibility as a major country in actively tackling climate change and leading in global climate governance, which will help 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28 for short, achieve positive outcomes, boost full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and build a clean and beautiful world.

I would like to briefly summarise what China has done in the area of addressing global climate change, which proves that China is a real doer in this field.

China attaches great importance to the development of renewable energy. China is making solid strides in deepening the energy revolution, contributing to the global response to climate change. China’s investment in renewable energy has topped the world for seven years in a row. The installed capacity of renewable energy also topped the world, exceeding 1.4 terawatt, higher than the coal-fired energy. More than half of the NEVs are in China. Green and low-carbon development has become part of the life of the Chinese people. At the Hangzhou Asian Games successfully held this year, the conventional power of all the stadiums was generated with green energy. More than 100 million people contributed their “green energy” with low-carbon activities, making the Hangzhou Asian Games the first ever carbon-neutral Asian Games.

As a responsible major developing country, China has over-shot the climate action targets of 2020 ahead of schedule, will make the steepest cuts in the world to the intensity of our carbon emissions, and will complete the process from carbon emissions peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest span of time, actively contributing our strength to global climate governance. The climate policies and objectives that China has adopted now are fully consistent with the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

Besides, China is actively promoting international cooperation on clean and renewable energy, assisting more countries achieve green and sustainable developments to the best of its capability.

From the Karot Hydropower Project in Pakistan, to the Al Dhafra PV2 Solar Power Plant in the UAE, the Al Kharsaah PV power station in Qatar, and to the De Aar Wind Power Project in South Africa, the Noor III solar-thermal power plant in Morocco, and the Garissa PV power plant in Kenya, China-contracted renewable projects are all over the world, lighting up the dreams of green and low-carbon development of more countries. All these are vivid examples of China acting on the vision of green development, supporting the green and low-carbon construction and operation of infrastructure and enhancing international cooperation in climate response. Currently, 50 per cent of the world’s wind power equipment and 80 per cent of the PV equipment are from China. By September this year, China had signed 48 South-South MOUs on climate change with dozens of developing countries, built four demonstration zones on low-carbon development, carried out 75 projects on the mitigation and adaptation of climate change, and brought the benefit of green and low-carbon development to more countries. China’s cooperation with Nigeria in green and low-carbon development is also promising.

I would like to point out in particular that, In China’s active participation in global climate governance, the Taiwan question is completely China’s internal affair, and it is futile for the Taiwan authorities, together with some external forces, to clamor for “inclusion in COP28”. This clamour is nothing more than another political farce staged by the Taiwan separatist forces news-jacking the ongoing COP28. It is essentially political manipulation under the disguise of Taiwan’s so-called international participation.

Actually, the so-called Taiwan’s participation in COP28 is a false narrative through and through. First, there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole lawful Government of China. As a province of China, Taiwan has no basis, reason, or right whatsoever to participate in either the 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), or the UN and its relevant agencies. The principle of sovereignty is stipulated in the UN Charter, and all member states must follow it and abide by as an obligation. Such a matter of principle leaves no room for ambiguity.

Secondly, upholding the one-China principle, the Government of the People’s Republic of China previously made proper arrangements for the Taiwan region’s participation in UN’s relevant assemblies. However, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have been stubbornly pushing for “Taiwan separation” and refused to accept the 1992 Consensus, thus erasing the political foundation for such arrangements. The responsibility lies solely with the DPP authorities. If they really care about the well-being of the people in Taiwan, the cause of global climate governance, they should earnestly return to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus.

Third, the one-China principle is a general consensus of the international community and is consistent with the basic norms of international relations. To date, 182 countries including Nigeria have established diplomatic relations with the PRC on the basis of the one-China principle. In recent years, more and more countries have chosen to rupture so-called diplomatic ties with Taiwan, reflecting that China’s determination to pursue national reunification has been widely recognised by the international community. In today’s world, reunification is in line with the trend of history and the right path, while Taiwan independence, secessionist forces is a historical trend against the will of the people and a dead end.

I would like to stress it again that, mankind shares a common destiny in the face of the challenges of climate change, and China, Nigeria, and all other countries should strengthen their determination and capacity to jointly address it for a better world and leave a home for our next generation to survive and thrive.

Yan Yuqing is the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos.