China demands developed countries 'pay their debts' on climate change

Key sticking point at UN negotiations is how countries should account for their greenhouse gas emissions

China called on rich countries to "pay their debts" on climate change at global talks on Thursday, criticising developed countries for not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide finance to help poor countries do the same.

The trenchant intervention by Xie Zhenhua, the minister who leads the Chinese delegation and a veteran of the UN climate negotiations, came as China faced increasing pressure to shift its stance on some of the key rules required to implement the 2015 Paris agreement.