New Report | What Does China Want from COP28?

WASHINGTON, DC; November 6, 2023 – There is a narrow window ahead in the last quarter of 2023 to revive China’s climate momentum through international engagement, a new paper from the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) argues.

Li Shuo, the Asia Society Policy Institute’s incoming China Climate Hub Director, reviews China’s climate policies over the past three years to unpack the challenges and opportunities Beijing is facing in the lead-up to COP28 in his first ASPI report, What Does China Want from COP28?

In it, he summarizes the domestic factors shaping China’s climate politics and pledges, offers his assessment of Beijing’s stances on particular COP28 sticking points, and offers six key observations on the U.S.-China climate relationship that inform the dynamic between Washington and Beijing going into the APEC summit and COP28.

“Climate action still enjoys a special role in China’s strategic calculation. It is an area where progress is not only possible but arguably most likely compared to other geopolitical issues,” he writes. “In the last quarter of 2023, COP28 and U.S.-China climate talks will receive high-level political attention in China and are therefore key opportunities for climate progress. Leveraged well, these events could serve as platforms for Chinese leaders to recommit to climate action, putting the agenda back on the political radar.”

Read the full report here.

This report will be accompanied by an in-person conversation and reception with the author on Monday, November 27 from 5:30-7:30PM at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C. There, Mr. Li will discuss the APEC Summit, China's increasing influence in international leadership, and Beijing’s role in climate diplomacy. Learn more about the event here.

To connect with Mr. Li for an interview or to RSVP for the event, please contact pr@asiasociety.org.