Chen, Gang

Abstract
As the latest scientific findings describe the connection between climate change and human activity with more accuracy, China, one of the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is now under closer international scrutiny. In contrast to the US withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, China’s previous active participation in the international cooperation against climate change has proved to be a diplomatic success, winning applause from both developing countries and developed countries. China’s climate diplomacy is highly motivated by economic interest, reaping billions of dollars in profit through the participation of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a market—based flexible mechanism stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol. China’s diplomatic stance has been shaped by its unique inter—agency bureaucracy on climate change and its overarching concern about economic growth. Facing more international and domestic pressure, China understands its image will be greatly damaged if its own emissions continue to grow rapidly. Observers are curious about whether China is willing to accept mandatory emission cutting targets in the post—Kyoto negotiations; the likely prospect is that China will continue to refuse such international obligations while mollifying the international community with voluntary carbon-intensity-based targets and high-profile bilateral and multilateral environmental programs.
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