Xi promotes 'dialogue, cooperation' at UNGA, says won't build coal plants abroad
Sep 22, 2021
Beijing [China], September 22 : Chinese President Xi Jinping told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday (local time) that disputes among countries "need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation."
"One country's success does not have to mean another country's failure," Xi said in a prerecorded speech. "The world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries."
Xi's comments came hours after US President Joe Biden said he didn't have any intention of starting a "new Cold War" -- itself a response to criticism from the UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Neither President Biden nor Chinese President Jinping gave reference to one another's country directly in high-profile remarks at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, some say it's an apparent indication of both leaders' desire to find areas of cooperation.
Without mentioning the United States directly, he said "military intervention from the outside and so-called democratic transformation entail nothing but harm."
The Chinese President also declared that China will stop funding coal projects overseas.
"China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad."
China will also increase financial support for green and low-carbon energy projects in other developing countries, he said.
China currently produces the largest share of emissions. It is by far the biggest producer of coal domestically, and by far the largest financier of coal-fired power plants abroad, with an enormous 40 gigawatts of coal power planned.
China still has work to do on climate at home, Xi Jinping acknowledged, reiterating a prior pledge to "strive" to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
"This requires tremendous hard work and we will make every effort," the Chinese leader said. He also reiterated that China aims to provide two billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world by the end of the year, and stressed China's peaceful intentions in international relations, saying that China would never invade or bully others, or seek hegemony.
