Before environmental protection became a global issue, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping taught that “only development is a solid truth.” Deng saw the degradation of the environment as a “necessary evil” in the drive for Chinese growth. As a result, China now leads the world in carbon-dioxide emissions, land and water pollution, and the depletion of natural resources.
China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, has pledged to build what he calls an “ecological civilization” in service of a net-zero future. This is a claim ripe for re-evaluation, especially with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on a visit to Beijing and Earth Day approaching. The Chinese Communist Party isn’t a serious steward of the global commons, and Western leaders must refute this dangerously misleading narrative.
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