Flexibility for progress

It cannot be more obvious that China does not want the Durban climate change meeting to be a failure.

But while China has shown it is willing to be flexible about binding emission cuts after 2020, it is quite unlikely that the United States will show a similar willingness.

It has already said it will not consider committing to a new legally binding treaty proposed by the European Union unless major developing countries such as China and India first agree to take actions equivalent to those of the industrialized nations.