China has thrust itself into the global spotlight this week, unveiling ambitious new plans to tackle climate change and reaffirming its commitment to international development at a series of high-profile meetings at the United Nations headquarters in New York. With world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly and a climate summit looming, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping delivered a one-two punch of pledges, positioning China as a champion of green growth and multilateral cooperation—even as critics questioned whether the nation’s actions match its rhetoric.
At the heart of China’s diplomatic push was the Global Development Initiative (GDI), a sweeping framework launched by President Xi in 2021 to address the world’s most pressing challenges, from poverty and food insecurity to climate change and uneven economic growth. According to South China Morning Post, Premier Li Qiang took the stage at a high-level GDI meeting on September 23, 2025, declaring, “To solve the many problems we now face, we must remain committed to development, dedicate all our efforts to it and work together to make the pie bigger.”
The numbers behind the GDI are striking. In just four years, the initiative has drawn participation from more than 130 countries and organizations, mobilizing over US$23 billion for the Global South. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the GDI as “an important mechanism to help accelerate progress on the 2030 agenda” for Sustainable Development Goals, citing its close alignment with poverty eradication, food security, climate action, and inclusive growth.
Li Qiang outlined four key priorities for the GDI going forward: safeguarding multilateralism and free trade to build an open world economy; addressing the needs of developing nations through more balanced and inclusive partnerships; strengthening international cooperation on science and technology; and advancing green, low-carbon growth through coordination in renewable energy. He stressed that China would continue increasing investment in development projects, expand global scientific collaboration, and push forward a green transformation. Notably, Li pledged that Beijing would not seek preferential treatment in future World Trade Organization negotiations—a move likely intended to reassure skeptical trading partners.
China also used the occasion to roll out its new “AI+ International Cooperation Initiative,” inviting all countries to join in harnessing artificial intelligence for sustainable development. This reflects Beijing’s belief that technology and innovation are essential levers for tackling global challenges, from climate change to food security.
But it was climate change that dominated the headlines. Just one day after Premier Li’s remarks, President Xi Jinping announced a new target for reducing China’s carbon emissions by between 7 and 10 percent by 2035. According to The Times, this target will be measured against the year China’s emissions peak—a milestone that may have already occurred in 2025, five years ahead of schedule. “We need to promote green and low-carbon development with greater sustainability,” Li said at the UN forum, underscoring the urgency of the climate crisis.
China’s new climate goal comes at a time of deep division among major powers. President Trump, in his own speech to the UN, dismissed climate science as the “greatest con job in history,” while the European Union has struggled to reach consensus on its own targets. Against this backdrop, President Xi has sought to cast China as a responsible global leader, committed to upholding the “rules-based order” and driving progress where others falter.
The country’s record on green industries is impressive by any measure. China now enjoys a near-monopoly on the production of cheap solar panels and is rapidly expanding its wind-power sector. It is also the world’s most advanced major country in the shift to electric vehicles, with half of all new car sales last year being electric—accounting for about two-thirds of global new EV sales. “China’s energy transition is happening, and it’s happening fast,” said Biqing Yang, Asia energy analyst at Ember, as cited by The Times. Fossil fuel use in Chinese electricity generation fell in the first half of 2025, thanks to the rapid growth of wind and solar power.
China’s influence extends far beyond its borders. Between 2022 and 2024, total overseas investment by Chinese clean tech firms exceeded the amount spent on the post-war Marshall Plan for Europe, according to The Times. This surge in investment has helped drive down the cost of renewables globally and accelerate the decarbonization of energy systems in developing countries.
Yet not everyone is convinced that China’s new targets go far enough. The European Union was quick to criticize the 2035 emissions goal, calling it “well short” of what is necessary to meet the world’s climate ambitions. “This level of ambition is clearly disappointing, and given China’s immense footprint, it makes reaching the world’s climate goals significantly more challenging,” said Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commissioner for Climate. Climate experts also note that limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels—a key aim of the Paris Agreement—would require a 30 percent cut in emissions, not the 7-10 percent China has promised.
Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society in Washington, told The Times there is “a big gap between what China is willing to put on the table and what climate science requires.” The baseline year for China’s new target—likely 2024 or 2025—also matters, as most countries pick their peak emissions year as a starting point to make progress look more impressive.
China’s status as the world’s largest emitter is largely a function of its size, accounting for nearly a third of all global emissions. Last year, it began construction of enough new coal power plants to power Britain’s grid twice over, a fact that has fueled skepticism about its green credentials. Meanwhile, China is struggling to meet its earlier “carbon intensity” target—a measure of emissions per unit of GDP—of a 65 percent reduction by 2030. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, China achieved a 48.4 percent cut from 2005 to 2020, but progress has slowed since the pandemic, averaging just 2 percent per year.
Still, many analysts argue that China’s leadership on climate change is vital, especially as the US and EU face their own political and economic headwinds. Bernice Lee of Chatham House, a London-based think tank, told The Times that other countries “would be influenced by China’s new target as they prepare for the Cop30 UN climate summit in Brazil this November.” She added, “Everyone is watching each other, because everyone has people at home saying, ‘Look at them: if they’re not doing it, why should we?’”
For developing nations, China’s message resonates. Li Qiang emphasized that the developed world became prosperous through polluting heavy industry and is now asking poorer countries to forgo similar growth in the name of climate action. By focusing on inclusive partnerships and technology transfer, China hopes to position itself as both a leader and a partner for the Global South.
As the world looks ahead to the next round of climate negotiations, China’s actions—both at home and abroad—will be under intense scrutiny. Whether its new commitments are enough to bend the curve of global emissions remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Beijing is determined to be at the center of the conversation.
