China today accused the developed world of trying to back out of their obligations to tackle climate change despite being the maximum polluters, and pressed for close coordination with India to present a strong front to ensure positive results from Copenhagen.
Describing India and China as "emerging powers" and the "future of the world", Chinese ambassador Zhang Yan said the two countries should take a lead in mobilising all developing nations to achieve a "win-win" result, wherein development is not made to suffer at the cost of tackling global warming.
He noted that premier Wen Jiabao and prime minister Manmohan Singh had, during telephonic talks last week, discussed how the two countries could work together to achieve positive results from the Copenhagen conference on tackling climate change. The two leaders would meet in Copenhagen possibly on Thursday to discuss the issue further.
"Developed countries want to evade their obligations. They want to backtrack on their commitments to reduce emissions, provide funds and transfer green technology to developing nations," Yan told a select group of journalists.
"If they (rich nations) retreat from what they had promised, it only shows that they do not have sincerity to fulfil their commitments," the Chinese envoy said.
Pointing out that the developed countries have been polluting the environment since 1850 and contributed to most of 1.222 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide, the Chinese envoy said, "Those who created the problem, should bear the responsibility."
Seeking to draw a distinction in responsibilities between the rich nations and developing countries, he said, "For us, emissions are for development, but for the US the emissions are for luxury. How can we bear similar responsibilities?"
Noting that China's views were the same as that of India, he insisted on the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" to tackle the pressing challenge of climate change.
With regard to the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) pressing for a separate draft pact at the Copenhagen talks, Yan said the developed nations were trying to split the developing countries to weaken their voice.
"Developed nations are trying to split the ranks of developing countries to serve their purpose...If we are divided by developed countries, our strength will reduce and we may not be able to achieve the common goal," he said.
"So it is important for India, China along with Brazil and South Africa come up with one voice and achieve results which are in the interests of all developing nations," Yan said.
"We are relatively big and strong. We have weight. It is easy for us to work together, to take the lead in mobilising strength of developing countries," he said.
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