China Rubbishes British Minister’s Claim that it Obstructed Climate Talks

Rejecting a British Minister’s claims that it hindered climate change talks in Copenhagen, China has described it as a political plot.

British Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband had claimed that China ‘hijacked’ efforts to reach an agreement at the climate summit in Copenhagen accusing it of vetoing two agreements on limiting emissions.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that the accusations were a political plot made by leaders who wanted to shirk their own obligations.

It may be mentioned that the summit ended without the 192 nations reaching a binding agreement.

The delegates simply committed to taking note of a deal recognising the need to limit temperature rises to 2C.

Without mentioning Miliband by name, Jiang Yu was quoted as saying by the Xinhua state news agency that statements from ‘certain British politicians’ were ‘plainly a political scheme’.

The aim, she said, was ‘to shirk responsibilities that should be assumed towards developing countries, and to provoke discord among developing countries.’

“This scheme will come to nothing,” said Jiang.