Pandemic and politics cause Xi Jinping to absent from global talks

Beijing (Associated Press)-The global climate negotiations in Scotland this week and the recent G-20 summit in Rome are not the only international conferences where Chinese leaders have not personally attended. Since the first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, Xi Jinping has not left China for nearly 22 months.

His absence drew criticism from U.S. President Joe Biden And questions about China’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China is the world’s largest emitter and has pledged to reduce production by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The United States and other countries have urged China to advance these goals, but so far have been hesitant.

China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said in Glasgow: “We have fulfilled our promises, and we have fulfilled our promises with actions,” accusing the United States of “wasted five years” of withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement under the leadership of former President Donald Trump to combat climate change.

China may not be ready to propose any new measures on the climate issue, but Xi Jinping’s absence also reflects the ruling Communist Party’s zero tolerance attitude towards controlling the coronavirus. After becoming the first country to be overwhelmed by this disease in early 2019, it adopted strict lockdowns, quarantine and travel restrictions to prevent its recurrence.

The government is doing its best to protect Xi Jinping and other leaders from COVID-19. He met with other world leaders and participated in global conferences, but only through video links from China. Xi Jinping usually does not hold press conferences, but Premier Li Keqiang and other leaders only meet with the media via video. Even so, reporters have to test negative for COVID-19 to participate remotely.

The last time Xi Jinping left China was in January 2020 for neighboring Myanmar. That was shortly before the outbreak first detected in Wuhan, China, began to spread globally. China faces pressure from the United States and other countries to disclose more information about the origin of the pandemic, and was accused of mismanagement of the initial outbreak, and then tried to cover up its mistakes.

As China faces severe criticism of its Muslim policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong’s suppression of individual rights, the epidemic provides Xi Jinping with a convenient excuse not to travel. Chinese leaders pay great attention to image, and Xi Jinping’s public appearances have been carefully designed to avoid potential embarrassing confrontation.

The way he currently stays at home is in stark contrast to the heavy travel itinerary before, and he travels across continents while trying to enhance China’s international image. The first lady Peng Liyuan is a versatile musician. She is often present, adding a touch of charm and human touch.

He met the emperor of Japan at the time in Tokyo, rode a gilded carriage with Queen Elizabeth of England, and visited the North Korean capital, which included crossing the city streets lined by tens of thousands of cheering citizens.

As the world’s second-largest economy seeks to extend its influence beyond East Asia through its iconic “Belt and Road” overseas infrastructure investment plan, such travel highlights the more confident foreign policy of Xi Jinping.

Xi Jinping was not the only one who was absent from the Rome and Glasgow meetings. Russian President Vladimir Putin (Vladimir Putin) formed an alliance with China to oppose the influence of the United States in world affairs and stayed at home.

Biden said at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow on Monday: “Frankly, I think it’s a big mistake that China did not show up.”

In response to the US President’s speech, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that China’s response to climate change was concrete, pointing to recent achievements in reforestation and renewable energy.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, said that frictions in bilateral relations complicate cooperation between the two countries on climate change.

Biden regarded the Glasgow Climate Conference as “an important occasion for China and the United States to compete for global influence, ideology, and image.” Shi said that he blamed China’s zero tolerance for the epidemic on Xi Jinping’s absence.

Zhao Kejin, who teaches international relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said that Xi Jinping has been keeping in touch with foreign heads of state through virtual meetings.

Zhao said that the United States hopes that China will cooperate in tackling climate change, but Beijing is seeking changes in US policy, including support for Taiwan, an autonomous island that China claims to be its territory.

“This is the result of the United States’ failure to incorporate its relationship with China into its overall multilateral relationship,” Zhao said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Xi Jinping’s absence “does not mean that China is not involved” in the fight against climate change, but he added that he hopes China will take more measures to reduce carbon emissions.He told reporters that China has made substantial commitments and praised Beijing’s decision to terminate financing of overseas coal-fired power plants, even though it has not yet done so domestically.