Quartz: Xi Jinping still refuses to leave China, even for COP26
The will-he-or-won’t-he guessing game around Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s attendance at a major climate summit in Scotland next week continues. In the latest development, it appears he won’t.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson was advised that Xi likely will not be showing up at COP26 in Glasgow, the BBC reports. Rumors to that effect have been circulating for weeks.
World leaders will be gathering at the conference from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 to discuss ways to minimize global warming and the effects of climate change.
China has been the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (which are responsible for rising temperatures) for a decade, largely because of its dependence on coal. It currently represents 30% of global carbon emissions, making Xi’s cooperation critical for the summit’s success.
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Update #1: Xi Jinping Hasn’t Left China in 21 Months, Keeping Diplomacy Virtual (Wall Street Journal) Update #2: Xi Jinping Hasn’t Set Foot Outside China for 600 Days (Bloomberg)
WNU Editor: China has been facing a number of crisis during this period of time.
Pandemic. Real estate implosion. Bond market crash. Electricity blackouts and a growing energy crisis. Internal division and opposition to his rule. Growing public dissatisfaction.
I can easily see him staying put for until 2022.
