China and Europe have enormous space for cooperation on both climate response and in the new energy sector, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday.
Spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments in response to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's speech at the opening of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue held recently in Berlin, in which she urged "those who can to join our effort, and particularly the strongest polluters of today, particularly looking at the G20." Baerbock has reportedly called on countries including China to invest more money to fund developing countries' response to climate change.
Wang said Chin has noted relevant reports and the remarks from the foreign minister that Germany and Europe need to cooperate with China on climate issues and competition in clean technology is positive for green transition.
"Developed countries have the historical responsibility and capability to take the lead in climate response and fulfill their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement," he stressed.
Wang then expounded on China's contribution to global climate action.
"As the largest developing country, China is a doer in fighting climate change. We have not only exceeded the climate action goals committed for the year 2020 ahead of schedule, promised to make the biggest reduction in carbon emission intensity in the shortest time span in world history, but also actively contributed to the global climate response," said the spokesman.
In 2022, the wind and photovoltaic products exported by China helped other countries cut around 573 million tonnes of CO2 and cut 2.83 billion tonnes of carbon emissions in total, accounting for around 41 percent of the world's total carbon emissions reduction converted from renewable energy from the same period, he said.
"Regrettably, however, the EU has recently launched a couple of anti-subsidy investigations and other trade remedies on China's new energy vehicles and wind power equipment, which sends a negative signal of protectionism. The EU cannot ask China to contribute to climate response, while going after China's new energy sector. This self-contradictory move will not only harm the EU itself, but also disrupt the global response to climate change," Wang noted.
He called for win-win cooperation between China and Europe.
"China and the EU have enormous space for cooperation on both climate response and in the new energy sector. The two sides should and can be partners. Both sides and the world stand to benefit. We hope the EU will not adopt discriminatory policy against China's new energy products, which could make everyone lose," said the spokesman.
China, Europe enjoy huge cooperation potential in climate, new energy: spokesman
Actors from the new comedy "The Last Frenzy" shared the behind-the-scenes stories on China Central Television (CCTV), as the film has performed quite well at the box office and earned great viewership from the audience.
As of Monday, the sixth day of the film's release, the total box office revenue from the film had surpassed 400 million yuan (about 55.48 million U.S. dollars), ranking the first among all the films screened around the May Day holiday from May 1 to 5.
The film tells the story of a middle-aged man named Jia Youwei, played by veteran comedian Jia Bing, grappling with life-altering decisions when he is confronted with an incurable illness and a mere 10 days left to live. Choosing to spend his million yuan property proceeds on unforgettable experiences with friends, Jia embarks on a poignant journey of camaraderie and self-discovery.
In the CCTV interview, Jia Bing analyzed into the character he played.
"Jia Youwei is a little bit stingy because of the family he was born into. He is reluctant to spend money because after his parents died, he didn't have any other people to rely on. He saves money as a way of guarantee for himself. He is portrayed as a careless person in the film, but actually he has a delicate mind. As the movie unfolds, you'll find Jia Youwei is actually quite generous, especially to his friends. He is willing to give up everything he has in order to help his friends realize their dreams," Jia said.
Dong Baoshi, a rap singer-turned actor, played one of Jia Youwei's friends in the film. He said many of the scenes were improvised.
"Many of the scenes in the film were improvised. I didn't know much about acting before working with Jia Bing and Xiao Shenyang (another actor). They have a lot of inspiration and many of the lines in the film were improvised by them. I often laughed out on the set because there were many interesting lines that they came up with in a way like freestyle," Dong said.
Jia agreed with Dong and said director Urna is very fond of the improvised scenes.
"We are the same both in and outside the film. What we look like in the film is the same with that in our daily life. There is no difference. Director Urna says she hopes we can be ourselves and that she loves the 'freestyle' scenes in which we play roles," Jia said.
As a rookie actor, Dong said he has learned a lot from Jia and other actors in the film.
"Jia offered me much advice on playing a comedy, such as the rhythm of saying the lines. He also helped me adjust my performance, which I think is a wonderful process. I was a little bit shy at first. But with his encouragement, I began participating in the creation process with other actors in a very relaxed mood," Dong said.
Jia has so far played roles in more than 50 films and TV series, mostly comedies. Unlike other actors who pursue an all-around and versatile development, Jia said he wants to stick to the comedy business.
He also performed in many comic sketches before and once performed on China Media Group's Spring Festival Gala, a TV show enjoyed by almost every household in China on the eve of the Chinese New Year.
"I once made a promise to myself that I would devote my whole lifetime to comedy. Since comic sketches have gradually lost attraction to young people and I couldn't come up with good punch lines any more, I decide to spend more time on films and think carefully about each character I will play, so as to bring laughter to the audience. I think I haven't reneged on my promise," Jia said.
Comedy film actors share behind-the-scenes stories
