Merkel Speaks Out over Summit - 'We Experienced a Self-Confident China'

[FarCenter]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she expected more out of the global climate summit in Copenhagen. Speaking early Saturday, the German leader had no qualms about identifying China as one of the major hindrances to a global deal. Germany is now expected to organize the next interim climate meeting for mid-2010.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had imagined a different outcome for Friday evening. Originally, she wanted to leave the global climate summit in Copenhagen late in the afternoon -- hopefully after reaching a deal on a wide-ranging agreement to save the global climate. It didn't happen.

She didn't step onto the stage at the Hilton hotel in the Danish capital until five minutes after midnight. Nor did she try to hide the fact that she had just completed a very difficult day.

Once christened the "climate chancellor" because of her successes in international negotiations, Merkel said she had "mixed feelings" on Friday. "The negotiations were extremely difficult. We were faced with the question of whether to suspend the process or to continue." The choice, she said, had been a difficult one. "We would have lost years if we had suspended."

But Merkel was also very open about the fact that the compromise reached Friday doesn't go far enough. "The deal isn't enough for us to achieve the 2 degree goal," she said, referring to the aim of preventing climate change from increasing average global temperatures by more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.

'A World in Transition'

Merkel added that the summit came close to failure several times -- and she also made clear who she felt had been responsible. We are living in a "world in transition," she said, and in Copenhagen the international community "experienced a self-confident China." Emerging economies and developing nations, she added, weren't prepared to yield any national souvereignty. There is still no other alternative, however, to a global treaty, she said: "We will have to continue with this process."

The German chancellor urged other countries to take action and was also a prodding participant at the summit. But, in the end, she was unable to have major influence on the outcome. At the end of the day, the compromise came together because US President Barack Obama pressured Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao into an agreement.

Merkel said it had been a "stroke of luck that Obama was there." And, in the end, she said the work had been worthwhile and that things had been moved "a step forward." Nevertheless, she warned, the path to a new treaty is still a long one. "The wall is thick, but we are continuing to drill," she said.
<SNIP>http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,668104,00.html

[SoCalDem]

1. So... the worm has turned?

China's emergence was kick-started, and within a very short time, they TOOK power..financial power.

It reminds me of someone who won Lotto.. They have a LOT of money, and bargaining power, and now they are using it..

had they evolved naturally, they would not be where they are now.. We invited them to the party, delivered them to it, paid them to come to the party, and we cannot now claim that they crashed it..

No one can really blame them for throwing their weight around..

[malaise]

2. 100% correct

and everyone owes them money these days. World leaders can't argue against it since they defend the bankers.