中国软化减排立场？ China inches toward binding climate agreement

China has thrown the UN climate summit into confusion as more than 100 senior ministers from around the world fly into the South African city of Durban for a final week of increasingly fraught talks on how to tackle climate change.

在100余名各国部长级高官从世界各地飞抵南非德班市、投入最后一周日趋棘手的气候变化谈判之际，中国最新表态使联合国气候峰会陷入混乱。

In a distinct shift in rhetoric from last week, the head of the Chinese delegation, Xie Zhenhua, said yesterday that Beijing was prepared to agree to some form of legally binding agreement that would cover all countries.

中国代表团团长解振华昨日作出与中方上周言论明显不同的表态，称北京方面准备接受覆盖所有国家的某种具有法律约束力的协定。

But he said this could only happen if five conditions were met, and probably not before 2020 when the current round of voluntary pledges agreed a year ago are due to end.

但他表示，这只会在5项条件得到满足的情况下才会发生，而且很可能不会在2020年之前成为现实；各国在一年前达成的当前这一轮自愿承诺将在2020年失效。

The conditions include the European Union and others signing a new round of legally binding pledges under the Kyoto protocol, developed countries financing poorer states’ efforts to tackle climate change as well as respecting the relative capacities of countries to deal with global -warming.

这些条件包括：欧盟(EU)及其它一些国家在《京都议定书》(Kyoto Protocol)框架下签署新一轮有法律约束力的承诺；发达国家资助较贫穷国家对付气候变化；以及尊重各国在应对全球变暖方面的相对能力。

Though he said his conditions were “not new”, the sight of the world’s largest emitter of carbon pollution talking openly about an apparently softer position threw negotiators into a round of debate about what the move actually meant.

尽管解振华表示，他提出的这些条件并不新，但面对全球最大碳排放国公开谈论一个明显放软的立场，各国谈判代表针对中国此举究竟意味着什么展开了辩论。

The EU, pushing hardest among developed countries for a new global deal, seized on his remarks, saying they showed a strong outcome was possible.

在发达国家中最积极推动达成新的全球协定的欧盟，抓住解振华的言论，称这些言论说明有可能取得强有力的结果。

“There are real signs from some of the things the Chinese are saying publicly that there may be a flexibility in their position,” said Chris Huhne, Britain’s -climate secretary, adding if this was the case there could be “a tremendous outcome in Durban”.

“中方公开谈论的一些话中有一些真正的迹象，显示他们的立场可能有一点灵活性，”英国气候变化大臣克里斯?休恩(Chris Huhne)表示。他补充道，如果情况真是这样，各方就有望“在德班取得巨大的成果”。

But the US, reluctant to embrace anything smacking of a legal treaty ahead of a presidential-election year, said it was still unclear precisely what Mr Xie meant by a new agreement.

但美国方面表示，解振华所说的新协定究竟意味着什么，仍不十分清楚。明年面临大选的美国，不愿支持任何带有法律条约意味的协定。

“I don’t know what he is saying yet,” said Todd Stern, head of the US delegation. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow and let you know.”

“我还不知道他究竟说了什么，”美国代表团团长托德?斯特恩(Todd Stern)表示。“明天我将与他会谈，然后我会告诉你。”

China’s position is crucial because for years the US and other developed countries have baulked at a comprehensive deal unless they are joined by China, the largest emitter. If the Chinese and the EU were able to agree it could isolate the US, though the talks are still far too fluid to be sure this would -happen.

中国的立场至关重要，因为多年来美国和其它一些发达国家不愿接受全面协定——除非全球最大排放国中国加入此类协定。如果中国和欧盟能够谈妥，那可能使美国陷入孤立，尽管目前谈判情况仍瞬息万变，不能肯定会形成这种局面。

There have been numerous signs the ground is shifting on the Chinese side. A small piece of history was made over the weekend when China launched the first pavilion it has ever erected at such a summit.

迄今有多个迹象表明，中国的立场在发生转变。周末出现了小小的历史性突破：中国首次在此类峰会上推出“中国角”。

Christiana Figueres, the UN’s top climate official, cut a red ribbon with Mr Xie to celebrate the most visible sign of a notable change of strategy.

联合国气候变化事务最高官员克里斯蒂娜?菲格雷斯(Christiana Figueres)与解振华一起为“中国角”启动仪式剪彩，庆贺这一中国战略转变的明显迹象。

She said she was “a little bit sad” it had taken Beijing 17 summits before they followed the EU and other large countries that use the conferences to showcase their green credentials. “But I’m trusting it is not the last,” she said.

菲格雷斯表示，她“有一点伤感”，因为中国在出席了17次峰会后，才效仿欧盟和其它大国的做法，利用联合国大会展示自己的绿色成就。“但我相信这不是最后一次，”她表示。

That seems unlikely given the unprecedented efforts China has put into promoting its policies. Apart from its pavilion, complete with glossy brochures and pamphlet-packed goody bags, the world’s largest emitter has scheduled or participated in more than 20 side events.

从中国在政策宣传方面投入的空前努力看，这确实不像是最后一次。除了“中国角”（配备印刷精美的图册和装满小册子的礼品袋）以外，全球最大排放国还安排或参加了20余场主题活动。

In another departure from the past, China is agreeing to allow its top negotiators to do many more individual interviews with foreign and Chinese journalists. Environmental groups are also being called in for separate briefings with Mr Xie.

与往年做法有别的另一个方面是，中国同意让其最高谈判代表接受中外记者的更多单独采访。环保组织也被请来与解振华一起举行专门的吹风会。

More intriguingly, a Chinese representative spoke in the opening plenary session on behalf of the four so-called Basic countries – South Africa, India, Brazil and China – a surprising move in itself.

更耐人寻味的是，在开幕式全体会议上，一名中国官员代表所谓的“基础四国”（Basic countries，即南非、印度、巴西和中国）发言，此举本身就出人意料。

“This is the first time the Basics are speaking as a bloc,” said Tasneem Essop of WWF, a nature conservation group, who like many summit veterans in Durban has mixed thoughts about China’s behaviour.

“这是基础四国首次作为一个集团发言，”自然保护组织世界自然基金会(WWF)的Tasneem Essop表示。与不少多次出席峰会的人士一样，她对中国的行为抱有褒贬不一的想法。

China’s position is still complicated. For years it has refused to heed a growing clamour from industrialised countries to stop clinging to its status as a developing country, meaning it is not legally bound to cut emissions under the Kyoto protocol, the world’s only binding climate treaty.

中国的立场仍是复杂的。多年来，它拒绝听从工业化国家有关停止坚称中国仍是发展中国家的越来越响亮的呼吁，这意味着根据世界上唯一有约束力的气候条约《京都议定书》，中国不具有减排的法律义务。

At the same time, it continues to insist industrialised countries must sign up for a new phase of Kyoto when the first expires at the end of 2012. Only a dwindling minority are prepared to do this, and then only if China eventually agrees to similar legally binding emissions targets.

与此同时，中国继续坚称，工业化国家必须在《京都议定书》第一阶段于2012年末失效后，接受第二阶段的减排承诺。只有少数国家愿意这么做，而且即使是这些国家也提出，这必须以中国最终接受有法律约束力的类似减排目标为前提。

It is therefore far from clear whether Beijing’s apparent shift amounts to enough for this summit to agree anything meaningful on tackling emissions.

因此，尚不清楚中国表面上的立场转变是否足以推动本次峰会在对付排放方面达成任何有意义的共识。