By Joydeep Gupta, IANS,
Copenhagen : India and China will join hands to oppose attempts by rich countries to hinder their development in the name of fighting climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao decided at a breakfast meeting here Friday.
The two premiers, attending the finale of the Dec 7-18 Copenhagen climate summit decided to oppose the so-called “umbrella paragraph” of the political declaration that has been drafted, according to an Indian official. The declaration was scheduled for release later in the day by the 130-odd heads of state gathered here.
The “umbrella paragraph”, which was introduced in the political declaration draft in the dead of night by the ‘umbrella’ group of countries – US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – reportedly said emerging economies like India and China must indicate when their greenhouse gas emissions would peak and must make their domestic actions to control emissions “measurable, reportable and verifiable” by the international community.
These were points that had been opposed repeatedly by India and China throughout this summit, and the “last minute attempt to introduce it again” would be opposed by both countries “at the highest level”, an Indian official said.
Manmohan Singh, who arrived at the Bella Centre – the venue of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) summit – and went into the security-enveloped main hall straightaway, was planning to intervene at the plenary session to make India’s points, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Manmohan Singh and Wen had also discussed other issues in their bilateral relations during their 30-minute meeting, an official said. The issues included the long-standing border dispute between the two countries, where the old positions were reiterated, he added.
The prime minister did not have any other bilateral meeting planned, and was scheduled to leave Copenhagen early evening. Apart from attending the plenary sessions, his agenda included a lunch for heads of state hosted by the prime minister of Denmark, and a joint photo op.