This is not about the people. Key coal-based industries remain central to China’s economy, including coal-to-chemicals, and coal-based hydrogen among others. Among these industries are steel, cement, concrete, of which China produces massive overcapacity no one needs. It is also noteworthy that these ‘new’ coal-based hydrogens are often framed as green transition strategies (e.g., as ‘green steel’), but in reality that’s often just rebrand of carbon-emitting energy sources rather than true transformation.

According to the Chinese Communist Party’s recently released 15th five-year plan: compared to the 14th five-year plan, China’s goals for non-fossil energy additions would see China’s annual green energy additions fall by more than half in the next five years, while at the same time, fossil fuel energy consumption would increase by 8-10%.

So this is not about ‘China bad’ but rather an objective fact: China is not on track to meet its 2060 carbon neutrality goal, according to climate think tank, Carbon Action Tracker.

According to the Chinese Communist Party’s recently released 15th five-year plan: compared to the 14th five-year plan, China’s goals for non-fossil energy additions would see China’s annual green energy additions fall by more than half in the next five years, while at the same time, fossil fuel energy consumption would increase by 8-10%,

China is not on track to meet its 2060 carbon neutrality goal, according to climate think tank, Carbon Action Tracker.

Germany’s energy consumption and power mix in charts

As an addition: In its report, The Global Coal Exit List 2025: Troubling Trends Towards Chemicals and Captive Power, the NGO Urgewald identifies India, China, and the U.S. as the main obstacles for a coal phase-out.

To provide and example: You will easily find stories about Ford CEO Jim Farley saying that Chinese EVs are ahead of those by Western manufacturers - this story has been appearing in various (and also Western) outlets for some time now. The framing is always a bit different, but the story is always the same.

Here we have the same pattern - one story, published with a slightly different framing (and often with a misleading title, as it is the case also here, because the survival rate of these trees might be too low in the long run as several of these article also say - see here -, but it’s a bold headline).

Another recent propaganda push is probably the (false) narrative that China has banned all investments in Israel over Gaza. I read headlines here on Lemmy and on many outlets, including Western media. But it is complete fantasy. It’s a completely fabricated story as China-Israel ties are stronger than ever, with both investment and trade at record levels.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say planting trees is a bad thing. It’s good. But such headlines and the endless stream of always the same news don’t aim at informing on climate policy, but rather to distort reality and serve authoritarian propaganda while creating narratives that are outright false. The only goal here is to promote “the West bad, only China good” stance, which is, of course, complete rubbish.

Yeah, that’s great ‘news.’

Just two months ago, in December 2025, the same news has been published by the same outlet and written by the same author (see here).

Reuters new agency reported about that already in November 2024.

And this is by far not everything. The web is full with it. This same story has been appearing in the various outlets for several years now, mostly citing a ‘new’ study or ‘Chinese state media’ reports so that there is a reason to present it as ‘new.’

And it’s not the first time that OP is repeatedly posting the same ‘news’ over and again, just with a different framing, and obviously only to make China look good and to promote its propaganda.

Wow, what a strongly worded comment.

This is not bullying but legitimate critique. The state that is often bulling its neighbors is elsewhere.

Yeah, the world should rather hail the reasonable people of the governments who are refusing to exit from fossil fuels. These Europeans and their allies get it all wrong (s/, just to be safe).

… late in the second week Colombia upstaged their hosts when it announced the creation of an initiative whereby a group of countries would meet to plan the phase out of fossil fuels. The 24-country bloc will meet next April in Santa Marta for a conference co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. Other participating countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Nepal, Panama, Spain, Slovenia, Vanuatu and Tuvalu.

So basically it is Latin America, Europe, and Island Nations that take serious action to phase out fossil fuels.

The world’s two largest polluters - China and the U.S. - as well as Russia and some oil-producing countries in the Middle East are doing business as usual.

I mean all those who have said that China is leading in the fight against climate change shall now be silent. If you read the reports on the COP it is obvious that Beijing is interested in money and in money only.

The BBC wrote on Beijing;s pavillon at the COP 30 in Brazil that China ramps up charm offensive with extra pandas:

Was it the many copies of Xi Jinping’s speeches on sale? Or the ubiquitous cuddly pandas?

Perhaps it was the much-needed fans here for the heat and humidity outside. Whatever the reason, China’s pavilion here proved a huge draw, with long queues forming of people keen to get their hands on Chinese tat.

The pandas definitely seem to be part of the charm offensive from the world’s biggest emitter of planet-warming carbon.

Many expected China to take a bigger leadership role – but the world’s dominant producer of renewable technology has a different view.

China was content to sit quietly and support others who want to slow down the transition away from fossil fuels like India and Saudi Arabia. It is the world’s biggest coal producer after all.

Despite their current power and size, it seems to still suit China to play the role of the developing country that it was when the UN climate body was formed back in 1992. With extra pandas!

We could all hope that China would lead the world in climate change as the country is the world’s biggest polluter (with coal consumption still on the rise as I wrote just in another thread).

However, China’s is far away of any leadership when it comes to reduce carbon emission.

The scientists from the Climate Actions Tracker call China’s recent announcement to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 7% to 10% by 2035 as ‘disappointing’ as China - given the country’s size and economy - would need to cut emissions by around 30% for the world to be on track to the Paris goal.

According to the scientists, no country is on track to Paris, but while the EU and Brazil’s climate actions are insufficient, China and India’s are considered highly insufficient.

So it doesn’t look like leadership.

Carbon Brief made its analysis based on emission data by the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, just read the report. This data is skewed and highly biased.