In what was a bad day for COP15, the Chinese statement is a ray of light that will help move things forward.
In a bold move, China has effectively offered reassurances to the USA and other industrialised countries that had expressed concerns that any proposed pot might be swallowed up by growing ‘middle tier’ economies like China, India and Brazil rather than supporting the genuinely poor developing world.
It is also making a statement, distancing itself from the developing countries and making it clear that it can stand on its own two feet and should not be considered part of what would once have been called the Third World.
Sam Bond