China will send a delegation to the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is scheduled for Nov 9-20 in Antalya, Türkiye, and will actively promote international climate negotiations, an official said on Wednesday.
As a primary channel and platform for international cooperation in addressing climate change, COP31 will feature negotiations and consultations on nearly 100 agenda items related to the implementation of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, covering mitigation, adaptation, finance and just transition.
As the focus of global climate governance shifts from rule-making to implementation, China supports COP31 in prioritizing implementation and addressing both longstanding issues such as insufficient emissions reductions and inadequate financial support from developed countries, and emerging challenges including unilateralism and protectionism that undermine collective climate action, said Li Gao, vice minister of ecology and environment, at a press conference in Beijing.
China will work to ensure that the multilateral process supports and enables all parties, particularly developing countries, to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions, thereby advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement through concrete action.
"The top priority is to consolidate political consensus on solidarity and cooperation in addressing climate change. COP31 should uphold multilateralism and adhere to the objectives of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, as well as the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities', sending a clear political signal to the international community that the global green and low-carbon transition is irreversible," Li said.
In order to make progress on climate finance, COP31 should host in-depth discussions on the roadmap for developed countries to deliver the 300-billion-U.S.-dollar climate finance goal by 2035 and to triple adaptation finance.
It should also advance the establishment of international mechanisms for a just transition, helping countries, particularly developing countries, address transition-related challenges and narrow the gap between the Global North and the Global South, Li said.
As a responsible major developing country, China has consistently participated in and promoted international climate negotiations in a proactive and constructive manner, and will contribute Chinese solutions, wisdom and strength to the success of COP31, he added.
China vows to actively promote climate talks at upcoming COP31
At least 16 people have been killed and 11 seriously injured as of 05:20 on Friday after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Thursday night, according to Nagqu City's earthquake relief headquarters.
Local rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the epicenter of the quake in Baqeng County in Xizang’s Nagqu City, with an advance team from the Baqen County Fire and Rescue Brigade, consisting of eight personnel and two vehicles, successfully rescuing one trapped survivor after arriving at the scene in the early hours of Friday.
The Xizang Fire and Rescue Corps immediately mobilized 347 rescue personnel, 82 fire vehicles, and 15 search-and-rescue dogs, along with over 4,200 pieces of equipment and more than 9,400 items of logistical support supplies, to the quake zone.
Public security departments in Xizang also dispatched over 300 police officers to assist emergency rescue and relief operations. The police contingent will help evacuate residents to safe areas, assess structural damage to buildings, and ensure security in affected areas.
The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 22:33 on Thursday at a depth of 10km, was monitored at 32.40 degrees north latitude and 93.79 degrees east longitude, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
Xizang has activated a Level-II earthquake disaster emergency response, according to the regional emergency command center.
Maru Township, at the epicenter of the earthquake, is about 70 km from the county seat.
Lhawang Dagpo, deputy head of the township, said there had been reports of collapsed houses in Maru, and that rescue and relief operations were underway in villages across the township.
He added that the tremor was clearly felt at the township government office, where the walls of the office building sustained cracks.
Strong shaking was reported in the county seat of Baqen, where power was cut off and telecommunications services were disrupted.
Tremors were also felt in other parts of Xizang, including Qamdo and Nyingchi.
The office of the State Council earthquake relief headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV emergency response after the earthquake, sending a work team to the affected areas to guide emergency response and disaster relief work, according to the ministry.
A 4.3-magnitude aftershock was felt in Zadoi County in Qinghai Province, which borders Baqen County, at 23:12 on Thursday, according to CENC.
Strong tremors were felt in townships along the border between the two counties, with cracks appearing in some houses. No building collapses or casualties have been confirmed in these areas.
At least 16 killed in Xizang earthquake: local emergency command
