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.

China's consistent stance is that developed countries should never shirk their responsibility for global warming and thus must take the lead in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. So the first priority is for developed countries to renew their pledges under the Kyoto Protocol before starting to negotiate a new one.

However, it seems that the US has turned a deaf ear to what most developing countries are saying about climate change and has turned a blind eye to the impact that global warming is having around the world.

No wonder that environmental groups and scientists have warned US President Barack Obama that the US is being viewed as the "major obstacle" to progress.

The onus is on the US to make a major shift in its negotiating stance.

True, China and some other major developing countries have become major greenhouse gas emitters in recent years. But such emissions are produced during the manufacturing of exported goods to industrialized countries. When consumers from those countries are benefiting from the manufacturing industries in China and other major developing countries, it is definitely unfair to say that the developing nations need to shoulder the responsibility for cutting emissions on their own.

Nor is it asking too much for developed countries to provide financial support and technology to developing countries to help them cope with climate change. So it is irresponsible and immoral for the US to block progress on the creation of a fund of up to $100 billion a year for this purpose.

Unlike developed countries, such as the US, which have already finished their industrial development, China needs to improve the living standards of its 1.3 billion people by developing its industries, which will certainly increase its greenhouse gas emissions.

The US' insistence that major developing countries must commit to the same emissions targets as developed countries is depriving people of their right to development.

China has promised that it has the political will to bear the responsibilities that match its development level and capability.

But as Xie Zhenhua, head of the Chinese delegation, has said, a comprehensive and scientific appraisal of the first commitment period of Kyoto Protocol needs to be made before formal negotiations begin on China's obligation after 2020.

Despite the intransigence of the US, China's only unwavering stance is that it will do whatever it can to cut emissions, not just as part of the common fight against climate change, but also because it is necessary for its own sustainable development.

(China Daily 12/06/2011 page8)