China Climate Leadership Rises As U.S. Skips COP30
November 15, 2025
7:10 am
For the first time in three decades, the United States is absent from the U.N.’s annual climate summit, and China is rapidly filling the void. From commanding the most prominent pavilion at COP30 to deploying a robust diplomatic and corporate presence, Beijing has stepped into a leadership role once associated with Washington.
China’s influence is visible across the sprawling conference grounds in Belem, where executives from its largest clean-energy firms address packed audiences in English and diplomats work behind the scenes to keep negotiations on track.
“Water flows to where there is space, and diplomacy often does the same,” said …
