Now this story in the Guardian is quite interesting:
China's strategy was simple: block the open negotiations for two weeks, and then ensure that the closed-door deal made it look as if the west had failed the world's poor once again. And sure enough, the aid agencies, civil society movements and environmental groups all took the bait.
and
Sudan behaves at the talks as a puppet of China; one of a number of countries that relieves the Chinese delegation of having to fight its battles in open sessions. It was a perfect stitch-up. China gutted the deal behind the scenes, and then left its proxies to savage it in public.
The question is why? Why go out of your way to pretend you want a deal, and then leave everyone hanging? Why go out of your way to make Obama look bad?
Mark Lynas explains what happened:
To those who would blame Obama and rich countries in general, know this: it was China's representative who insisted that industrialised country targets, previously agreed as an 80% cut by 2050, be taken out of the deal. "Why can't we even mention our own targets?" demanded a furious Angela Merkel. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, was annoyed enough to bang his microphone. Brazil's representative too pointed out the illogicality of China's position. Why should rich countries not announce even this unilateral cut? The Chinese delegate said no, and I watched, aghast, as Merkel threw up her hands in despair and conceded the point. Now we know why – because China bet, correctly, that Obama would get the blame for the Copenhagen accord's lack of ambition.
If this was a game to make Obama look bad, it worked. Our "friends" on the other side of the aisle have mocked Obama's attempts to make a difference with the cynical mantra that environmentalism = job losses.
So what now? Time for a new strategy for China. We need to lead with our strengths. Let's start by inviting the Dalai Lama to the White House.