According to regional experts quoted in reports, China has avoided and even suppressed media reports on the climate crisis except in general terms. But apparently the situation is now so dire that this officially sanctioned statement was made, and it pulled few punches.
Different news organizations emphasized different aspects of the statement. International Business Times for example highlighted the statement that Chinese "wealth accumulation" adds to the problem. (This article however provides interesting details and background.)
Interestingly, the BBC report included this quotation from the statement:"To face the challenges from past and future climate change, we must respect nature and live in harmony with it," the Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. "We must promote the idea of nature and emphasise climate security."
There's a certain philosophical basis in Chinese culture for the idea of respecting nature and living in harmony with it that may well resonate. The phrase "climate security" may appeal to Chinese cultural as well as political nationalism. It seems possible if not likely that this statement is creating groundwork for some actual changes that the Chinese government has in mind.
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