China said it would be willing to contribute to a facility that compensates poorer countries for loss and damage caused by the effects of climate change, its climate envoy said on Wednesday.
Xie Zhenhua told reporters at Cop27 in Egypt that China had “no obligation” to contribute but was open to doing its part. However, a spokesperson from the Chinese delegation later said it would not contribute with cash, Reuters reported.
During the briefing, Mr Xie said China was happy to see “loss and damage” added to the UN climate forum's agenda for the first time and China itself had suffered from recent climate-linked weather events. He pointed to floods and drought this year that killed thousands. “That is a huge loss,” he said.
“China strongly supports claims from developing countries claiming loss and damages.”
Mr Xie added that China was also a developing country.
Speaking in China’s first media briefing on the summit, Mr Xie said he had informal contacts with the US and its climate envoy John Kerry during the summit despite ties being formally frozen since House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August.
He said he and his “friend of 25 years” Mr Kerry “never stopped personal communication and exchanged eight letters”. But he said responsibility lay with the US to come back to the table.
“At this Cop when we both arrived, we decided to maintain communications between the two delegations,” he said.
“Me and Mr Kerry both agreed to make joint efforts to support the Egyptian presidency. [But] the door is closed by them and we are trying to open it.”
The issue of loss and damage is quickly becoming a major issue of the summit in Sharm El Sheikh. The US and other richer countries had long resisted the establishment of such a mechanism in case they would be made liable for huge sums.
Mr Xie said during informal meetings Mr Kerry, he did not raise the issue of China paying loss and damage.
Responding to a question from The National on whether such a facility would be established at the summit, Mr Xie said China did not wish to “prejudge” the talks but would be studying “sustainable solutions”.
“If we can have a fund established at this Cop, China is happy to see that and will support that but it all depends on the negotiations.
“Now the biggest difference lies in that some countries want the fund to be about compensation and say clearly what are the responsibilities, but others are against it and they also have different opinions on the source of funds. China supports the positions of developing countries and hopes to find a good result through negotiations at this Cop.”
Mr Xie separately said the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, was not in town because of a busy domestic schedule and high-level visitors after the Communist Party congress.
“When you have guests at home you cannot just leave,” he said.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
