Illustration: Chen Xia/GT
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered video remarks to the United Nations Climate Summit on Wednesday, announcing China’s new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - China will, by 2035, reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent to 10 percent from peak levels, striving to do better. Against the backdrop of severe challenges facing global climate cooperation, China’s solemn commitment demonstrates the firm commitment of a responsible major country, strongly boosting global confidence in tackling climate issues and injecting new momentum into international climate governance. UN Secretary-General Ant肂3nio Guterres had highly praised China’s plan, emphasizing that it is "extremely important" for climate action.
President Xi proposed a systematic "1 3 3" framework - one overarching target, three quantitative indicators (the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption, the installed capacity of wind and solar power and the total forest stock volume), and three qualitative indicators (to make new energy vehicles the mainstream in the sales of new vehicles, expand the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market to cover major high-emission sectors and basically establish a climate adaptive society). This is the first time China has put forward an absolute emission reduction target covering economy-wide net greenhouse gases. The new goal not only fulfills its international responsibilities but also serves the strategic needs of China’s high-quality development and Chinese modernization. It is pragmatic, systematic, and highly actionable - a plan designed to deliver real results. Public opinion widely regards this as a critical leap in China’s institutional framework for climate governance.
The international community has warmly welcomed China’s latest announcement. UN climate chief Simon Stiell noted that China has "a long and impressive record of meeting and surpassing its targets for climate change and clean energy." The BBC described China’s new reduction target as a "landmark pledge," while The Economist observed that China’s "modest climate goals have been followed by considerable overachievement." Developing countries have also been encouraged. The Indian Express reported that "after a year of disappointments, during which climate action was pushed lower on the list of priorities for countries worldwide, some forward movement has finally begun on the climate change front in the last few days."
Why does the world trust China’s promises so deeply? This stems from China’s consistent fulfillment of its commitments. Tackling climate change is a long-term and complex endeavor that tests not only a country’s national governance capacity, but also its resolve and determination. China has always been one of the most determined, effective and results-oriented countries in fulfilling its emission reduction pledges. Over the past decade, China not only met its 2030 goals for wind and solar power capacity and forest stock volume ahead of schedule but also established the largest and most complete new energy industrial chain in the world. China’s production and sales of new energy vehicles have ranked first globally for years, with its pace of electrification far outstripping that of Europe and the US. By leveraging industrial scale and supply chain advantages, China has driven down the costs of green technologies, making clean energy more accessible and affordable worldwide.
The weight of China’s climate commitment must also be understood against the broader context of global climate governance. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, as well as the deadline for countries to submit new rounds of NDCs. Yet the US has twice announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and even prated on about "clean, beautiful coal" at the UN. Many of Europe’s once-ambitious climate goals have been abandoned or remain unfulfilled, and climate issues are regrettably becoming politicized. Sharp divides between developed and developing countries can be seen on the crucial question of climate finance. These all continue to erode confidence in collective action. Global climate cooperation now stands at a crossroads where failure to advance means falling back. Against this backdrop, it is only natural that the new commitment from a responsible major country would attract worldwide attention.
Recent international surveys conducted by several Western consulting firms highlight a clear trend: China’s global favorability is steadily rising, and its principles and practices as a responsible major country in global governance are being recognized by more and more people around the world. From its credibility in emission reductions - "keeping its word and acting on it" - to its proposals and implementation of the four global initiatives, China has been a steady source of certainty and security for the world. This confidence stems from China’s sense of responsibility as a major power and its vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity. The world can trust China, and this trust is becoming increasingly tangible.
Climate change is a challenge shared by all humanity, and should be a bridge for cooperation, not a tool of confrontation. China’s tangible contributions to climate action, together with its proven record as a responsible major country, testify to its unwavering commitment to multilateralism and to building a community with a shared future for humanity. No matter how international circumstances may change, China will continue to honor the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and build a clean, beautiful and sustainable world together with other countries.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0928/c90000-20372176.html