In
rare move, China criticizes Trump plan to exit climate change pact
By Sue-Lin Wong |
BEIJING
China on Tuesday
rejected a plan by U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald
Trump to back out of a global climate change pact, saying a wise
political leader should make policy in line with global trends, a
rare comment on a foreign election.
The world is moving
towards balancing environmental protection and economic growth,
China's top climate change negotiator told reporters, in response to
a query on how China would work with a Trump administration on
climate change. . .
"If they resist
this trend, I don't think they'll win the support of their people,
and their country's economic and social progress will also be
affected," Xie Zhenhua said.
"I believe a
wise political leader should take policy stances that conform with
global trends," China's veteran climate chief said.
Trump has threatened
to reject the Paris Agreement, a global accord negotiated by nearly
200 governments to battle climate change that takes effect on Friday.
Chinese officials
are often hesitant to weigh in on foreign elections, although they
will defend Chinese policies when attacked in candidates' policy
platforms.
Xie's comments come
as China plans to launch a national carbon trading scheme in 2017.
The scheme is on
track and pilot programs have already traded 120 million carbon
allowances with total transactions amounting to 3.2 billion yuan
($472.29 million), he added.
"It will take
time for the market to be fully operational, but once it's
operational, it'll be the largest carbon trading market in the
world," said Xie.
China's coal
consumption has declined as the world's second-largest economy slows,
but Xie said it was too early to decide if it had peaked.
China's delegation
of more than 80 negotiators will begin departing from Tuesday for
global climate change talks in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh set for
Nov. 7 to 18.
(Reporting by
Sue-Lin Wong; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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