China and Taiwan seek involvement in upcoming COP31 climate talks

As the COP31 climate summit approaches in Turkey, China and Taiwan are positioning themselves to influence global climate governance.

China’s environment vice-minister, Li Gao, has emphasized the importance of upholding multilateralism and creating a clear political signal of global unity. China is expected to advocate for an open and efficient international trade system to facilitate the flow of clean-energy technologies, while also addressing the perceived lack of emission reduction efforts and financial support from developed nations toward developing countries.

In a separate diplomatic effort, Taiwan’s representative to Turkey, Huang Chih-yang, has called for international support for Taiwan’s substantive participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Highlighting Taiwan’s success in decoupling economic growth from carbon emissions, Huang argued that political factors should not exclude partners capable of providing practical solutions to climate adaptation and manufacturing decarbonization.