On July 7, 2025, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said in an interview with the Financial Times that the EU decided to postpone the joint statement on climate action originally scheduled to be signed with China during the China-EU summit this month.

Wopke Hoekstra pointed out: "From our point of view, a joint statement only makes sense if it contains substantive content and shows ambition." He stressed that the EU does not oppose climate cooperation with China, but believes that China must commit to increasing greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts.

This decision will directly affect the China-EU leaders' summit scheduled to be held this month. The summit aims to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and was originally seen as an important opportunity for both sides to showcase the results of cooperation and promote multilateral cooperation.

At the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on the 7th, spokesperson Mao Ning responded: "I suggest you ask the relevant Chinese authorities for specific questions." She also emphasized that China has always actively promoted green and low-carbon development. In the past decade, China's non-fossil energy has increased to 17.9% of its total energy consumption, and carbon emission intensity has dropped by more than 34%. China will continue to work with other countries to strengthen international cooperation on climate change and contribute to green transformation and sustainable development of mankind.

However, some analysts believe that China's current internal climate goals may face the risk of completion. According to the "14th Five-Year Plan", China has pledged to reduce carbon intensity (i.e. carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP) by 18% by the end of 2025, but judging from the current progress, the goal may be difficult to achieve as scheduled.

As the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, China has been working to reconcile its climate goals with economic growth. Although China has pledged to achieve carbon emissions peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, some observers are concerned that continued reliance on coal-fired power generation may become an obstacle to achieving these goals in the absence of clear specific policy measures.

Last week, the European Commission proposed an amendment to the European Climate Law, setting the EU climate target for 2040 to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% compared with 1990. However, the target has been criticized by climate activists for allowing member states to use international carbon credits (up to 3% of 1990 emissions) to a limited extent from 2036.

At the same time, the EU is also facing internal pressure. Against the backdrop of US trade policy and President Trump's call for the EU to relax green regulations, some European industries and member governments have called for slowing down the green transformation process to reduce the burden and impact on companies.

Currently, Europe is one of the fastest warming continents in the world, partly because it is adjacent to the rapidly melting Arctic. This summer, many parts of Europe have experienced record high temperatures; and China is also facing more and more frequent extreme weather events such as floods.

Climate cooperation was once regarded as "a rare area of ​​consensus" in China-EU relations. Against the backdrop of constant friction between the two sides in recent years in areas such as trade, industrial policy, and geopolitics, a joint climate statement was expected to be a positive signal of "stabilizing China-EU relations."

Behind the postponement of the signing of the climate statement, it reflects the fundamental differences between the two sides on the sharing of climate responsibilities.

The EU adheres to the principle of "goal alignment" and requires China to keep pace with it in terms of emission reduction. China, on the other hand, emphasizes "common but differentiated responsibilities" and adheres to a gradual transformation path based on its own development stage.

The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) will be held in Brazil in November. By then, whether China and Europe can bridge their differences and jointly demonstrate global climate leadership will become the focus of attention from the outside world.

The EU's postponement of signing a joint climate commitment with China is ostensibly a fine-tuning of a diplomatic arrangement, but in fact it highlights the deep differences between the two sides in climate ambition, implementation path and responsibility concepts. At a critical window period for global climate governance, how China and Europe seek consensus in their differences will inevitably affect the future direction and intensity of global climate action.

Author：Qinger