President Joe Biden said China’s President Xi Jinping made a “big mistake” not showing up to a major United Nations climate conference happening in Glasgow, Scotland.
“They lost the ability to influence people around the world,” Biden said during a press conference Tuesday, closing his two days of attendance at the event.
CHINA AVOIDS NEW EMISSIONS PLEDGE IN BLOW TO HOPES FOR CLIMATE CONFERENCE
Biden added that China and Russia have “walked away” from staking out a global leadership position on addressing climate change.
“How do you do that and claim to have any leadership mantle?” Biden said.
Biden and his top officials have been blunt this week in criticizing China’s decision to stand firm on its previous emissions reduction pledges rather than boost its targets. Instead, the country reiterated that it plans to keep increasing its world-leading emissions this decade in what could be a blow to reaching the goals of the Paris agreement.
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Biden’s rhetoric is a stark departure from the tack taken previously by climate envoy John Kerry, who has cautioned against public criticisms of Beijing in order to foster cooperation.
