Taiya M. Smith
{
"authors": [
"Taiya M. Smith"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "AP",
"programs": [
"Asia",
"Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"East Asia",
"China",
"North America"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Climate Change"
]
}Source: Getty
China's Role at Copenhagen
China has a unique role to play at Copenhagen: it is not a developed country nor is it simply a developing country, but rather somewhere in the middle.
Source: The British Embassy's 100 Voices 100 Days
China has a unique role to play at the Copenhagen negotiations. The Chinese already have a domestic plan in place, laid out by President Hu. They intend to use this plan to pressure developed nations to recognize China's unique position as a rapidly growing developing nation that has taken on a leadership role, yet still does not fit the profile of an industrialized nation.
Even if a global deal is not reached at Copenhagen, the negotiations will be a success if the world comes up with a framework that allows all countries, including China, to move forward to the next stage of international action while continuing to deal with climate change on a domestic level.
About the Author
Former Senior Associate, Energy and Climate Program, Asia Program
Smith has spent the last decade working in international negotiations. Most recently, she served as a member of Secretary Hank Paulson’s senior management team from 2006 to 2009 as the deputy chief of staff and executive secretary for the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
- Why Go Strategic?: The Value of a Truly Strategic Dialogue Between the United States and ChinaOther
- After CopenhagenArticle
Uri Dadush, Vera Eidelman, Taiya M. Smith
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Colombia’s Climate Displacement Law Can Be a Model for the WorldCommentary
The groundbreaking legislation faces an uphill battle, but it creates a framework for others to follow—especially as the effects of climate change intensify.
Liliana Gamboa, Kayly Ober
- In Yemen, Climate Finance Must Respond to Entrenched InstabilityArticle
The world’s climate adaptation funds must adapt to address the ways that climate change is deepening state fragility.
Ray Salvatore Jennings, Paul Andrew Mayewski
- A Grand Strategy for Europe’s Clean Industrial FuturePaper
Europe’s industrial supply chains leave it vulnerable to global shocks. The EU needs a pragmatic green industrial strategy that balances durable partnerships and bolsters homegrown clean tech without sacrificing low-carbon ambition.
Milo McBride, Pauline Gerard
- President Lee Jae Myung: A Year in PowerCommentary
President Lee marked his first year in office after one of the most tumultuous periods in South Korean politics. Though Lee has enjoyed a high approval rating, a large majority in the National Assembly, and foreign policy victories, Lee and his party’s political fortunes depend on generating economic growth, learning the right lessons from the recent local elections, and managing contentious factional strife within his political base.
Chung Min Lee
- The Overlooked Link Between Disaster Response at Home and U.S. Power AbroadCommentary
Natural disasters are no longer local incidents but sources of systemic risk that threaten vital infrastructure and the economy—and public support for international engagement.
Leonardo Martinez-Diaz