China’s Invisibility at the Africa Climate Summit and the Disappointing “Western Agenda” Nairobi Declaration

President William Ruto (C) with other African leaders during the closure of the Africa Climate Summit 2023 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on September 6, 2023. The Nairobi declaration attracted divergent views, especially on financing demands. [Luis Tato / AFP]

Economic issues back home and the recent BRICS summit in South Africa possibly contributed to China’s largely subdued presence at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS) in Nairobi this week.

Kevin Gallagher, director of the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, said that since the BRICS summit happened just a few weeks ago, this could have led China to scale down at the ACS which was driven by the African Union and Kenya.

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by Njenga Hakeenah

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