German climate envoy given cold shoulder on trip to Beijing after ‘dictator’ remarks
Jennifer Morgan was granted just one meeting with a government official, China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua, in three days in BeijingShe was told senior officials were too busy to meet, regarded as a sign of displeasure over Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s comments about Xi JinpingClimate change diplomacyFinbarr Berminghamin BrusselsPublished: 12:00pm, 29 Sep, 2023Why you can trust SCMP
A German climate envoy was given the cold shoulder during a trip to Beijing this week, in what sources believe was retaliation for Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator.
Jennifer Morgan, the German special envoy for international climate action, was granted just one meeting with a government official, China’s top climate envoy Xie Zhenhua, during a three-day visit to the capital.
But Morgan’s requests to meet officials from Chinese ministries went unfulfilled, according to people familiar with the trip. She was told that senior officials were too busy to meet her, in what is regarded as a signal of displeasure over Baerbock’s comments earlier this month.