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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.

published by
The British Embassy's 100 Voices 100 Days
 on October 15, 2009

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.