US President Joe Biden (left), flanked by US Climate Adviser John Kerry, reacts as they attend a meeting focused on action and solidarity at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, on November 1, 2021. Biden apologized to other world leaders at the COP26 for the Trump administration's decision to leave the Paris climate agreement. Photo: VCG

US President Joe Biden, who showed up at COP26 empty-handed, has tried to turn the summit into a "political show" by repeatedly name-checking Chinese and Russian leaders, so he is the real culprit in ceding the effect of negotiations, analysts said, in response to Biden's repeated criticism of the Chinese leader's absence at the summit.

In addressing climate change, what we need are firm commitments and continued action. What we don't need are empty slogans, ever-changing policies, luxury motorcades and entourage, irresponsibly exposing numerous people to infection, Zhang Jun, the permanent representative of China to the UN, tweeted on Wednesday.

Zhang's remarks were made after Biden, speaking at the end of the second day of COP26 in Glasgow, lashed out at both Chinese and Russian leaders for their absence at the climate summit.

Biden also said that China has walked away from the biggest issue of our time, according to the New York Times.

In response, Zhang said that "the Chinese leader addressed the meeting [via video link] to share China's solutions on climate change. The Chinese delegation attended the meeting in person. China announced its carbon peak and neutrality targets, and released an action plan and policies. China's achievements have been widely recognized."

China has been supporting climate action and we are not the one who withdrew from the Paris Agreement, said Zhang, noting that "the US has backpedaled its climate policies many times. Instead of shifting blame, it should shoulder responsibility and take concrete actions."

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also refuted Biden's statement at a Wednesday briefing, saying that action prevails over hollow promises on tackling global warming.  

We hope the US can shoulder its responsibility, make specific plans on cutting emissions, realize its financial promises and stop backpedalling on climate issues, said Wang. 

"Leaders participated in the summit mainly for political mobilization. But Chinese leaders have done enough political mobilization on climate issues," said Wang Mou of the research center of urban and environment studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences during a recent online conference. Wang is also a member of the Chinese delegation to COP26.

Wang Mou said President Xi Jinping has participated in multiple meetings on climate change and environmental protection, and made promises at international conferences. "Our leader's determination to push the climate change agenda is unquestionable," he remarked.

Biden has tried to turn COP26 into a political show, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He said Biden arrived in Glasgow empty-handed, and made him diffident in engaging in climate issues. So he tried to push the political angle of the event.  

The expert also doubted whether Biden really cares about climate change, citing video footage shared by a foreign journalist showing him dozing off and struggling to stay awake at the summit. 

Some foreign media also chided China and several other countries for not signing a pledge led by the US and the EU to slash emissions of methane by 30 percent by 2030 from 2020 levels.

Emissions of non-carbon dioxide gases, including methane, are not included in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) China submitted before COP26, Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times. He noted that cutting methane emissions is already included in China's documents such as the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development, and China is piloting this plan on oil and gas exploration and other areas. 

The US is the real "hooligan" on the climate issue, said Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University. He said that Biden set a high target on curtailing greenhouse emissions at COP26, and signed a bunch of pledges. But the US Congress' approval is needed for the pledges to take effect, which is unlikely. 

Xin said that throwing mud at China also exposed Biden's reluctance to contribute to the world's effort on climate change and economic recovery, as well as his attempt to blame China.

Experts warned that Biden's politicization of the climate issue would not only obstruct negotiations at COP26, but also threaten climate cooperation between Beijing and Washington. The US talks about cooperation on one hand, but publicly and technologically thwarts China on the other.  

US President Joe Biden (left), flanked by US Climate Adviser John Kerry, reacts as they attend a meeting focused on action and solidarity at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, on November 1, 2021. Biden apologized to other world leaders at the COP26 for the Trump administration's decision to leave the Paris climate agreement. Photo: VCG

US President Joe Biden, who showed up at COP26 empty-handed, has tried to turn the summit into a "political show" by repeatedly name-checking Chinese and Russian leaders, so he is the real culprit in ceding the effect of negotiations, analysts said, in response to Biden's repeated criticism of the Chinese leader's absence at the summit.

In addressing climate change, what we need are firm commitments and continued action. What we don't need are empty slogans, ever-changing policies, luxury motorcades and entourage, irresponsibly exposing numerous people to infection, Zhang Jun, the permanent representative of China to the UN, tweeted on Wednesday.

Zhang's remarks were made after Biden, speaking at the end of the second day of COP26 in Glasgow, lashed out at both Chinese and Russian leaders for their absence at the climate summit.

Biden also said that China has walked away from the biggest issue of our time, according to the New York Times.

In response, Zhang said that "the Chinese leader addressed the meeting [via video link] to share China's solutions on climate change. The Chinese delegation attended the meeting in person. China announced its carbon peak and neutrality targets, and released an action plan and policies. China's achievements have been widely recognized."

China has been supporting climate action and we are not the one who withdrew from the Paris Agreement, said Zhang, noting that "the US has backpedaled its climate policies many times. Instead of shifting blame, it should shoulder responsibility and take concrete actions."

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also refuted Biden's statement at a Wednesday briefing, saying that action prevails over hollow promises on tackling global warming.  

We hope the US can shoulder its responsibility, make specific plans on cutting emissions, realize its financial promises and stop backpedalling on climate issues, said Wang. 

"Leaders participated in the summit mainly for political mobilization. But Chinese leaders have done enough political mobilization on climate issues," said Wang Mou of the research center of urban and environment studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences during a recent online conference. Wang is also a member of the Chinese delegation to COP26.

Wang Mou said President Xi Jinping has participated in multiple meetings on climate change and environmental protection, and made promises at international conferences. "Our leader's determination to push the climate change agenda is unquestionable," he remarked.

Biden has tried to turn COP26 into a political show, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He said Biden arrived in Glasgow empty-handed, and made him diffident in engaging in climate issues. So he tried to push the political angle of the event.  

The expert also doubted whether Biden really cares about climate change, citing video footage shared by a foreign journalist showing him dozing off and struggling to stay awake at the summit. 

Some foreign media also chided China and several other countries for not signing a pledge led by the US and the EU to slash emissions of methane by 30 percent by 2030 from 2020 levels.

Emissions of non-carbon dioxide gases, including methane, are not included in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) China submitted before COP26, Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times. He noted that cutting methane emissions is already included in China's documents such as the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development, and China is piloting this plan on oil and gas exploration and other areas. 

The US is the real "hooligan" on the climate issue, said Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University. He said that Biden set a high target on curtailing greenhouse emissions at COP26, and signed a bunch of pledges. But the US Congress' approval is needed for the pledges to take effect, which is unlikely. 

Xin said that throwing mud at China also exposed Biden's reluctance to contribute to the world's effort on climate change and economic recovery, as well as his attempt to blame China.

Experts warned that Biden's politicization of the climate issue would not only obstruct negotiations at COP26, but also threaten climate cooperation between Beijing and Washington. The US talks about cooperation on one hand, but publicly and technologically thwarts China on the other.