Sept. 3-5, 2021 — (LONDON): China President Xi Jinping called on an extension of cooperation with Russia, including on climate action.
“We need to redouble our efforts to advance mutually-beneficial cooperation. We need to deepen the collaboration between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, support the innovative development of the digital economy, jointly tackle global climate change, and promote social and economic development in the region.” Xi said Sept. 3 at the Sixth Eastern Economic Forum, thanking Putin for his speaking invitation. See note 2.
These are not just nice words.
More specific actions are taking shape as the U.S. leaves Afghanistan, a country that’s now boosting ties with China. See note 5.
Here are some of those actions:
Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic on Aug. 23 formed a high level climate group. See these translations from a document on the website of the Eurasian Economic Union — see also note 3:
And this:
This EAEU group of countries is digitizing rail, other transport and trade routes, which would make it easier to track the carbon content of products traded across borders.
China and the Taliban in Afghanistan are seeking to cooperate and exploit the nation’s mineral resources, potentially allowing the troubled country’s economic production to rebound. The resources include copper and rare-earth materials that are crucial for the climate transition. See note 4.
The group of nations in Eurasia plus China will be a formidable bloc at climate talks set for Glasgow in November. The World Trade Organization is meeting on climate measures immediately after the Glasgow negotiations.
Other than the EU, other blocs are cooperating on climate policy including African nations, those in Latin America, North America and the Asia Pacific.
And despite what President Donald Trump said and did …
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NOTES
1. The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization for regional economic integration. It has international legal personality and is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.
The EAEU provides for free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, pursues coordinated, harmonized and single policy in the sectors determined by the Treaty and international agreements within the Union.
The Member-States of the Eurasian Economic Union are the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation.
The Union is being created to comprehensively upgrade, raise the competitiveness of and cooperation between the national economies, and to promote stable development in order to raise the living standards of the nations of the Member-States.
2.
3.