COPENHAGEN, (Reuters) – China yesterday attacked a top U.S. envoy as either “extremely irresponsible” or lacking in common sense, for saying at a global summit to tackle warming that no U.S. climate aid would go to China.
Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei also said that developed countries would need to offer more than short-term financing at Dec 7-18 talks in Copenhagen, if they wanted poorer nations to sign up for a long-term emissions-cutting goal.
Todd Stern, President Barack Obama’s special envoy for climate change said earlier this week, that he could not “envision” public funds going to China.
China’s He said that was a dangerous betrayal of a globally agreed principle that rich nations had a responsibility to help poor nations adapt to a warmer world and cut emissions.
“I was shocked, personally, to read the American negotiator’s (comment),” he told a news conference.
“I don’t want to say the gentleman is ignorant, because he is very well educated, but I think he lacked common sense when he made such a comment vis-a-vis funds for China. Either lack of common sense or he is extremely irresponsible.”
He compared the wealthy world to people eating at a fancy restaurant, who are joined for desert by a poor friend, and then demand he pays a share of the whole meal.
“We are not asking for donations. They have a legal responsibility, the U.S. included. Whoever created this problem, they are responsible.”
