Name? Xi Jinping
Westphalian identity? Chinese
Age? 68
Why is he in the news? Biden wasn’t the only one to speak at the UN General Assembly, but Chinese President Xi as well. While Biden mostly spoke to say anything, Xi spoke to announce an increased effort from China to meet the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. Xi announced that China is ending its foreign investments in coal, one of the most harmful sources of energy to the environment.
Why do we care? With this move, China is showing more global leadership on the climate issue than other nations. While many Western nations are still very much focused on internal efforts, Xi seems to be the only one who grasps the Paris Agreement as a global effort. Of course, Xi is not doing this out of goodwill but because he also felt the impact global warming has on extreme weather events this summer with the devastating flooding in the Henan province.
Why should you care? With extreme weather events all over the world, any leadership is welcome at this point. But it also shows the different approaches Xi and Biden have to global leadership. While the USA is still very much focused on preserving its military might, China is focussing on economic and climate leadership. The fact that Xi is at least doing something to combat global warming and that he is taking another step towards global leadership should make you care 10/10.
Who else cares? British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow this November, he said that this year had to become a turning point in humanity’s efforts towards global warming and also welcomed Xi’s move.
Any further comments? Another reason for China to stop investing in coal in foreign countries is that Chinese solar panels have become very cheap lately. All Xi is doing is changing what technology he exports to developing countries, but he is definitely staying in these markets.
