China plays broker for a deal
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With time running out on the Copenhagen climate talks the Chinese delegation appears to be softening its line. In a working lunch with Bangladesh, the Maldives, Ethiopia and Sudan, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, said that talks were at a very critical moment.
Chinese spokesman Mr He Yafei, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs said: “We need to take into account current realities and crystallize as much consensus as possible as fast as we can.”
This morning the developing states succeeded in preventing a Danish negotiating text from replacing painstaking progress based on two years of talks. China now appears keen to move on: “We should not continue to dwell on those issues dividing us, otherwise we might face the reality of the conference ending in failure.” said Mr He.
Hasan Mahmud, Environment Minister of Bangladesh refused to be drawn on what was agreed over lunch, hinting only that it would help to move talks forward.
