Canada condemned at home and abroad for pulling out of Kyoto treaty

The Canadian environment minister, Peter Kent, said meeting the country's Kyoto treaty obligations would cost each family $1,600. Photograph: Fred Chartrand/AP

Canada has been condemned at home and abroad as "irresponsible" and "reckless" for pulling out of the Kyoto climate treaty, just a day after committing to a future legally binding deal at a major UN climate summit.

"I regret Canada's withdrawal and am surprised over its timing," said the UN climate chief Christiana Figueres. "Canada has a moral obligation to itself and future generations to lead in the global effort." China, which agreed for the first time to legal limits on its emissions at the summit in Durban, denounced Canada's decision as "preposterous" in its state media and called it "an excuse to shirk responsibility" in tackling global warming.

The domestic reaction was equally fierce with the announcement by Canada's environment minister, Peter Kent, described as "shameful" and "a total abdication of our responsibilities". Under the Kyoto protocol, Canada was committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% by 2012, compared to its 1990 levels. But its actual emissions have risen by over 30%, making failure inevitable. Canada's inaction was blamed by some on its desire to protect the lucrative but highly polluting exploitation of tar sands, the second biggest oil reserve in the world.

Kent claimed that Canada would have to pay billions to meet its Kyoto target in 2012: "To meet the targets would be the equivalent of … the transfer of CAN$14bn [£8.7bn] from Canadian taxpayers to other countries – the equivalent of $1,600 from every Canadian family – with no impact on emissions or the environment." He was referring to the cost of buying carbon emission permits (AAUs) from other countries to compensate for Canada's huge overshooting of its target.

But China dismissed Kent's claim that emission cuts damage economies as a "fallacy". A UK government spokesman said: "It's true that taking action to reduce emissions requires substantial financial investment but it is far less expensive than the cost of inaction." Canada's decision was "deeply regrettable", he added.

Figueres said other Kyoto protocol members such as Australia and the EU had been investing in a green and sustainable future and Canada's rising carbon emissions put it in a "weaker position" to demand carbon limits on fast-growing countries such as China and India. In Durban all countries, including China, India, Canada and the US, agreed for the first time to be legally bound to cut carbon, although Canada was given the "colossal fossil" award by campaign groups in Durban for its "reckless arrogance".

Warren Mabee, director of the Queen's Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy in Ontario, said: "Our economy is becoming ever more dependent upon the riches of the oil sands and other energy products. Ultimately, either we'll run out [of these fossil fuels] or the world will decide that it doesn't want them any more. The latter option is much more likely."

The Canadian government has been lobbying hard against international restrictions on its tar sands fuels, which result in much greater carbon emissions than conventional crudes. The Guardian revealed in November that the UK government had given Canada secret diplomatic help to block proposed European penalties on tar sands.

"The Harper government is more concerned about protecting polluters than people," said Greenpeace Canada's Mike Hudema. Pulling out of Kyoto was "a total abdication of our responsibilities", said Hannah McKinnon of Climate Action Network Canada. "Canada gave its word to the world and Canada broke its word," said the columnist John Ibbitson in Canada's Globe and Mail. "No one should feel anything other than ashamed."

Japan, which like Canada had said it would not sign up to an extension of the Kyoto protocol, still condemned Canada's withdrawal from the existing protocol as "disappointing". China's foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said: "It flies in the face of the efforts of the international community for Canada to leave the Kyoto protocol at a time when the Durban meeting made important progress by securing a second phase of commitment."

An official in India said Canada's decision could jeopardise any gains made at the Durban meeting. The climate official Ian Fry, from the tiny South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, one of those most at risk from rising sea levels, said: "It's an act of sabotage on our future, a reckless and totally irresponsible act."

Canada is within its rights to withdraw from the Kyoto protocol, according to the lawyer Josh Roberts, at the environmental law organisation ClientEarth. He pointed out that article 27 of the protocol allows any country to withdraw three years after the protocol is in force, a deadline that has passed.

Roberts said the get-out clause was fairly standard in international treaties, but was scarcely ever used. "Countries can trigger these release clauses, but it happens very rarely. For example, Norway and Iceland left the International Whaling Commission's treaty, but such moves are rare."

In short, Robert said: "The Kyoto protocol has very few teeth beyond international diplomatic censure." But the UK's secretary of state for energy and climate change, Chris Huhne, said: "They are still bound by what was agreed in Durban. They are still part of working towards a legal outcome in 2015."

• This article was amended on 14 December 2011. In the original, Josh Roberts was quoted as saying that Japan left the International Whaling Convention, along with Norway and Iceland. This has been corrected. Japan notified of their exit, and after substantial pressure from the US, they withdrew their notification. Canada withdrew from the Whaling Convention in 1982.

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Chinese villagers in standoff with riot police call on government to intervene

Police outside Wukan, blockaded by villagers after the death in custody of a man who was negotiating for compensation over land seizures. Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

Chinese villagers who have barricaded themselves in from a ring of riot police have called on the government to intervene in a land dispute that has claimed at least one life and prompted several bloody skirmishes.

Residents of Wukan village in Guandong province have blocked the road with trees and cars, established a rota of tree-top lookouts and put in place a warning system in case the authorities try to break the standoff.

They are demanding an investigation into the death in custody of the village butcher and chief negotiator, Xue Jinbo, who had been detained on charges of inciting a riot. They also seek the release of four other jailed villagers and fair compensation for land that they say was seized illegally for development by the local authorities.

Thousands of villagers have taken to the streets in recent days to mourn the death of Xue and press for justice. The local Shanwei city government says Xue died of a heart attack, but his family say his body showed signs that he had been beaten to death.

"The officials call us several times a day and tell us to give up," said a relative of the dead man. "But we want them to admit that it was not a heart attack. We call on the central government to come and investigate because we don't trust the local officials."

Compared with the violence and mass protests of the past week, he said the situation was quiet on Wednesday. Residents had electricity, water and internet access and could travel to and from the village on back roads and paths.

But, while the standoff continued, most people were afraid to leave.

"They are afraid they might be arrested if they leave," said the source. "So they are making do with food from their farmland and in their cupboards."

There were signs that village unity was under pressure. He said some residents had accepted compensation from the authorities and were trying to persuade others to do the same.

Another villager said the authorities were using food as a weapon, by refusing to provide rice unless the residents agreed to stop protesting. But he said the residents held daily protest meetings to remain united and organised.

"We have lookouts up in the trees 24 hours a day. If they see the police, they will raise the alarm and we'll all come out and throw stones and fight with sticks," he said.

The villagers are particularly concerned that the police may try to quell the unrest before Friday, when a major conference will be held in Shanwei.

China has seen a wave of protests over land seizures in recent years. In many cases, villagers have attacked local officials and temporarily driven off the police. When the authorities regain control, they often arrest the ringleaders.

 

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China imposes tariff on US car imports

China is to charge import tariffs on US cars such as these General Motors SUVs. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

The tension between America and China over international trade escalated on Wednesday when Beijing imposed additional duties on cars imported from the United States.

China's commerce ministry accused America's car industry of "dumping and subsidising", thereby causing substantial damage to China's domestic car industry. From Thursday, levies will be charged on larger-engined cars from several manufacturers, some being European firms with factories in the US.

General Motors faces the greatest impact, almost 22% extra on some sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and other cars with engine capacities above 2.5 litres. Chrysler faces a 15% penalty, while a 2% levy will be imposed on BMW, whose US plants make many of the cars it exports to China.

Existing taxes and duties already push up the cost of US imports by 25%, and the new levies make it even more expensive for Chinese consumers to buy American. The move was swiftly attacked in the US. Carl Levin, the Democratic senator for Michigan (which includes the motor city of Detroit), called it an "unjustified" attempt to circumvent international trade laws. "Instead of ending its unlawful trade practices, China is choosing to take further steps that are unauthorised by world trade rules," he claimed."The livelihoods of American families and the integrity of global trade law are at stake."

GM says the levies will have little immediate impact, as it mostly exports lower-power cars to China. Analysts, though, said the decision underlined China's determination to protect its car industry.

"The move shows that China is always capable of intervening politically in its markets," Juergen Pieper of Bankhaus Metzler, the German investment bank, told Bloomberg. Georges Dieng, a Paris-based analyst with Natixis Securities, said the levies had been set to "inflict pain on the Americans, above all". Shares in General Motors fell by over 3%, while BMW's shares slipped 5%.

China and the US have peppered each other with legal actions and tariffs over the past few years.

Earlier this month, the US International Trade Commission ruled against China's solar-power industry after an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation. Last week, the US pledged to take China's anti-dumping measures against American poultry imports to the World Trade Organisation.

Debbie Stabenow, the junior senator for Michigan, urged the US government to take China's car levies to the WTO as well. "China relentlessly breaks international trade rules, and seeks to gain an anti-competitive advantage over our companies and workers. America must be equally relentless in fighting back," she said.

 

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Chinese fugitive evades police for 13 years – by becoming TV actor

Chinese fugtive-turned-actor Ji Siguang was arrested while playing a Buddhist monk in Shaolin Tigers (picture posed by model). Photograph: Giulietta Verdon-Roe

A Chinese fugitive who spent years hiding in plain sight as an actor on popular TV shows has been arrested over the assault of a police officer 13 years ago, state media have reported.

Police seized Ji Siguang as he was filming a costume drama, said officials in Qiqihar, northern Heilongjiang province. His best-known role was in the appropriately named hit spy drama Lurk, three years ago.

Ji, who acted under the name Zhang Guofeng, appeared in more than 30 shows but reportedly told police he had been too frightened to watch his performances because he was nervous he might be recognised.

The 39-year-old's capture in Jinhua, eastern Zhejiang province, appears to have been the result of a tipoff from anonymous informants rather than police scrutiny of primetime TV.

Ji is accused of assaulting a police officer and taking his gun in a 1998 street robbery in Qiqihar. Three others were caught by police within days of the attack.

According to the Guangzhou Daily, Ji confessed to police, saying he had moved from city to city before settling in Zhejiang, where he found work as an extra at Hengdian World Studios, China's biggest film-making base. With previous experience as a radio host, Ji gradually worked up to larger roles and was playing a Buddhist monk in the new series Shaolin Tigers when arrested.

In July, another fugitive was arrested for a 1998 murder after appearing on a dating programme. Officers checked tapes of the show after a viewer told police he recognised music teacher Wu Gang, who had used the alias Liu Hao.

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Jean Tigana set to follow Nicolas Anelka to China's Shanghai Shenhua

Jean Tigana is set to complete his move to Shanghai Shenhua. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

The former France international Jean Tigana will land in Shanghai on Saturday to finalise his move to manage the Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua.

Tigana, who has managed in England, France and Turkey, resigned as coach of Bordeaux earlier this year, and is now expected to follow Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka in agreeing to move to China.

The club's spokesman Ma Yue said: "Jean Tigana will arrive in Shanghai … and we will have final talks with him on the details of his contract. His contract will be for one year because that was what he had proposed during initial talks.

"If the results on the field are good, we will be talking about an extension. He will bring in his own coaching team for this assignment."

Ma said he did not anticipate there being any problems or barriers to Tigana signing up, and that he was expected to be formally announced on Sunday.

The deal will follow the expensive acquisition of Anelka, who signed a two-year contract understood to be worth £175,000 a week – and an approach for Anelka's team-mate Didier Drogba is also being considered.

"It's like with the opening up of China," said the club's director Zhou Jun. "We needed to bring in the good stuff from foreign countries for us to learn from."

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Investment in China falls as west's economic downturn takes toll

A micro-electronics factory in China – foreign direct investment has fallen. Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images

Foreign investment in China fell nearly 10% in November in the latest evidence of the rising toll that weakness in the west is taking on the world's No 2 economy.

The $8.8bn (£5.7bn) in foreign direct investment in November – down 9.8% from a year earlier – was a sudden deterioration compared with an increase of 8.8% in October, the commerce ministry said. Foreign direct investment covers spending on physical assets such as factories and does not include financial assets such as stocks.

Exports, industrial production and property dealings are slowing, and China's leaders wrapped up their annual economic planning conference on Wednesday with statements suggesting they will be more pro-active in moving to fend off the chill from the European debt crisis.

With the European Union – China's largest export market – in the doldrums, commerce ministry spokesman Shen Danyang described trade prospects as "grim".

"The impact of the global economic climate means the foreign trade environment is very severe," Shen said. He said China would step up efforts to encourage imports and boost exports by focusing on faster-growing regions such as Russia and other emerging economies.

Export growth has fallen steadily since hitting a peak of nearly 36% in March, and economists are forecasting foreign trade will be a drag on growth next year.

Foreign direct investment from January to November rose 13.2% to $103.8bn – a slowing from the 15.9% increase seen between January and October, when total foreign direct investment was $95bn.

An 18% increase in investment from other Asian economies to $89.6bn helped to offset a 23% decline in US spending this year, as of the end of November, to $2.74bn. Investment from the EU held steady, edging up 0.3% from a year earlier to $5.98bn.

At their yearly economic work conference, Chinese leaders pledged to ensure stable and more balanced growth while fighting inflation, but offered no major shifts in policy.

The gathering endorsed the ruling Communist Party's agenda for keeping a "prudent" monetary policy to counter inflation and a "pro-active" fiscal policy to support growth.

It also pledged to curb the property sector to guard against a rebound in prices, and called for keeping the value of China's currency, the yuan, "basically stable," according to a statement issued by the official Xinhua News Agency.

China plans to prop up falling exports by setting up special trade "bases" and aiding exporters in inland areas, which have lagged behind the richer coastal regions, state media quoted commerce ministry officials as saying.

Tax cuts and increased government spending in key areas such as technology and energy are also likely, though analysts say they do not expect stimulus comparable to the 4tn yuan (£405bn) package deployed in response to the 2008 global crisis.

By targeting specific sectors, authorities aim to prevent the sort of runaway investment, driven by bank lending, that drove inflation to 6.5% in July and has left housing prices prone to inflate into financially risky bubbles.

With labour unrest flaring and financial conditions deteriorating across many sectors, from small companies to government-backed building projects, Beijing's mantra is "stability".

That word was repeated five times in just one sentence of the official dispatch that vowed continuity in policies for the sake of keeping social stability.

An expected transition next year to a new generation of communist leaders has accentuated Beijing's obsession with keeping control.

China's economy grew 9.1% in July to September but is expected to slow to below 9% growth in the coming year, as weaker demand at home compounds the impact from fragile conditions in Europe and the United States.

Given the weakness in demand for Chinese exports overseas, the leaders reiterated their intention to boost domestic demand to build an economy less dependent on foreign trade and investment.

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US satellite snaps China's first aircraft carrier at sea

US satellite company DigitalGlobe has captured this image of the refitted former Soviet carrier as it underwent five days of trials in the Yellow Sea. Photograph: Reuters

A US satellite company says it has taken a photograph of China's first aircraft carrier during trials in the Yellow Sea.

It is believed to be the first time the 300-metre ship, a refitted former Soviet carrier, has been photographed at sea since it was launched in August.

DigitalGlobe said one of its satellites took the picture on 8 December and an analyst at the firm spotted the ship this week while searching through images.

Stephen Wood, director of DigitalGlobe's analysis centre, said he was confident the ship was the Chinese carrier because of the location and date of the image. The carrier has generated intense international interest because of what it might portend about China's intentions as a military power.

The former Soviet Union started building the carrier, which it called the Varyag, but never finished it. When the USSR collapsed, the ship ended up in Ukraine.

China bought the ship from Ukraine in 1998 and spent years refurbishing it. It had no engines, weapons or navigation systems when China acquired it. It has said the ship is intended for research and training, which has led to speculation that it plans to build copies.

China initially said little about its plans for the vessel but has been more open in recent years, said Bonnie S Glaser, a China expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

"It wasn't until the Chinese actually announced they were sending it out on a trial run they admitted, 'Yes, we are actually launching a carrier,'" she said. China announced two sea trials, which took place this year, she added.

Michael Schiffer, the US deputy assistant defence secretary for east Asia, said in August that the vessel could become operationally available by the end of next year, but without aircraft. "It will take a number of additional years for an air group to achieve the sort of minimal level of combat capability aboard the carrier that will be necessary for them to start to operate from the carrier," he said.

 

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