On February 1, 2024, following the restoration of diplomatic relations with Nauru, a former ally of Taiwan, Qian Bo, China’s special envoy to Pacific Island nations, expressed China’s readiness to collaborate with Nauru in addressing climate change. This move is part of a broader trend in China’s engagement with developing countries on environmental issues.
Over the last decade, China has experienced a significant shift in its approach to climate change. Instead of focusing on climate equity like its predecessors did and emphasizing China’s status as a developing nation, President Xi Jinping has positioned China as a global leader in climate action. Xi’s strategy aims to achieve two main objectives: to reduce international interference in China’s domestic environmental matters and to utilize China’s advanced clean energy technologies to stabilize its diplomatic relationships. By tackling nontraditional security issues such as climate change, China aims to strengthen and expand its alliances, as demonstrated by its collaboration with Nauru. In this context, China’s environmental diplomacy serves as a tool to advance broader political and strategic interests in regions where it lacks strong traditional security ties.
Historically, China portrayed itself as the largest developing country in the world, framing its approach to climate change within the context of climate equity. This perspective was used to justify its limited obligations, positioning China more as a participant than a leader in global climate governance. Chinese officials argued that developing nations were unfairly burdened by the historical carbon emissions of wealthier countries. Despite becoming the top emitter of greenhouse gases and the world’s second-largest economy in the early 2000s, China continued to invoke climate equity to justify its adherence to voluntary commitments. This stance was evident at the 2009 Copenhagen Conference, where China resisted additional international obligations beyond what it had already committed to. Moreover, China rejected the notion of “China-U.S. co-governance” in climate matters, denying any legal or factual basis for such a role. Beijing continued to stress the primary responsibility of developed countries in leading and financing climate solutions.
Since assuming office in 2012, Xi Jinping has significantly raised China’s role in global governance. From his initial interactions with the international press as president, Xi has been vocal about China’s commitment to taking on more international responsibilities. This ambition was complemented by the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the introduction of three major global initiatives: the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative. Through these efforts, Xi has sought to redefine China as a responsible emerging power, positioning it as a leader within a global governance framework that benefits Beijing. Regarding climate change, Xi has framed it as a global challenge, advocating for global cooperation and pledging new contributions to address the issue. This marked a significant departure from China’s previous reluctance to engage in shared climate governance with the United States. The joint climate announcement with then-U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014 signified China’s acceptance of significant climate responsibilities, showing a willingness to assume a leadership role in global climate governance for the first time.
At the 2015 Paris Conference, Xi reiterated China’s role as an active participant in addressing climate challenges. Beyond mere declarations, he took concrete action by establishing a 20-billion-yuan fund for climate change to assist developing countries in the Global South with their climate issues. In contrast to the United States which withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, China continued to affirm its role as a committed leader in climate governance. Following the U.S. withdrawal, Xi declared China’s unwavering support for the Paris Agreement. In the same year, Xi expressed China’s ambition to lead international climate change negotiations. He made significant commitments, including goals to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030, achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, and halt the construction of new coal power projects abroad.
Despite Xi’s commitments to address climate change, his actions are driven by motives beyond environmental concerns alone. There is a noticeable gap between his public statements on climate governance and China’s actual policy implementations. While positioning itself as a leader in global climate initiatives, China’s domestic efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage remain tentative. In 2022, amidst energy shortages, Xi stated that “China won’t stop burning fossil fuels until it is confident that clean energy can reliably replace them.” While China is hesitant to phase out fossil fuels within its borders, it actively encourages other countries to cooperate on climate issues. Xi’s embrace of climate leadership can be seen as an attempt to counter long-standing international criticism of China’s environmental passivity, aiming to reduce foreign interference in its domestic affairs. By strategically positioning itself as a proactive leader in global climate governance, China has shifted from opposing international climate norms to redirecting global attention from itself to developing regions through initiatives like South-South cooperation and the BRI International Green Development Coalition.
This strategic pivot, along with China’s progress in clean energy technology, places China as a key player in global climate discussions, leveraging its technological advancements to assist developing countries. As a result, the international discourse has shifted, placing less emphasis on pressuring China to comply with global climate standards and more on its leadership in promoting climate action in the developing world.
In contrast to the United States, which prioritizes military coalitions and strategic alliances, China’s diplomacy primarily focuses on fostering economic interdependence. This economic focus is pragmatic, but without meaningful value-sharing that deeply influences host countries, it can quickly become unstable during an economic downturn in China. To mitigate these risks and clarify its geopolitical motives, China has turned to addressing nontraditional security issues like climate change. Engaging in climate cooperation and sharing clean energy technologies allows China to present itself as a reliable ally, even without immediate economic benefits. This approach strengthens its relationships with neighboring countries, cultivating a dependence on China’s leadership to effectively address nontraditional security challenges. This strategy is particularly evident in climate finance and technical cooperation, demonstrated by entities such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund (SRF), which have initiated various renewable energy financing programs throughout Asia. In 2019 alone, Chinese investment in solar power projects within the ASEAN region reached $10.4 billion. Despite tensions in the South China Sea, countries like Vietnam and Indonesia have benefited from investments by Chinese clean energy firms.
Furthermore, China’s efforts to support climate change mitigation in countries like Nauru, which are severely impacted by climate change, highlight its strategic use of climate diplomacy to cultivate potential allies. This comprehensive strategy not only enhances China’s influence in the region but also underscores the importance of climate diplomacy within its foreign policy framework.
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