COP26: for Joe Biden, China made a “serious mistake” by “turning its back” on the climate crisis – franceinfo

“I think it was a big mistake for China not to come.” Chinese President Xi Jinping has committed “a serious mistake” by not coming to the G20 meeting in Rome and by “turning your back” at the COP26 on climate in Glasgow, estimated Tuesday, November 2 the American president. “The rest of the world looked at China and wondered, what are they bringing?”, estimated Joe Biden, during a press conference closing his visit to the climate conference.

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“It’s a huge subject and they have turned their backs. How can you do that and claim any leadership”, criticized the American president. By doing so, the Chinese President “lost an opportunity to influence people around the world”, continued Joe Biden. President Xi Jinping contented himself with a written message, posted on the conference website, no intervention by videoconference or video message being planned for the heads of state and government, who were to come and speak on the spot.

“It’s the same for Vladimir Putin”, continued Joe Biden with reference to the Russian president, who also did not attend these two meetings. Just before the COP26, the American president, who praised the return of his country on the international scene under his mandate, had already charged Beijing and Moscow during the G20 in Rome, saying to himself “disappointed” by the absence of climate commitments on their part.

China, the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, and Russia are among the main absentees from a flagship agreement reached Tuesday by a hundred countries to contain methane. As for the United States, they are lagging behind in the fight against global warming.