Claims by Britain's climate change minister Ed Miliband that China had blocked a deal at the Copenhagen summit were aimed at "escaping obligations and fomenting discord" among developing countries, China's foreign ministry said.

Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told state news agency Xinhua that China refuted claims made by Miliband in an article in Monday's Guardian newspaper.

Miliband wrote that China vetoed attempts to give legal force to the accord reached at the United Nations climate summit in the Danish capital. It also blocked an agreement on reductions in global emissions, he said.

"We did not get an agreement on 50 percent reductions in global emissions by 2050 or on 80 percent reductions by developed countries," Miliband wrote.

"Both were vetoed by China, despite the support of a coalition of developed and the vast majority of developing countries."

He added: "The last two weeks at times have presented a farcical picture to the public. We cannot again allow negotiations on real points of substance to be hijacked in this way."

But China's foreign ministry slammed the comments made "by an individual British politician."

"Such an attack was made in order to shirk the obligations of developed countries to their developing counterparts and foment discord among developing countries," Xinhua reported Jiang as saying.

"But the attempt was doomed to fail."

"We urge them to correct mistakes, fulfill their obligations to developing countries in an earnest way, and stay away from activities that hinder the international community's cooperation in coping with climate change," she said.

"China had made arduous efforts to push forward the progress of the talks, and contributed to safeguarding the rights of developing countries, which was obvious to all and undoubtable," she said.

The conference had "yielded fruit, reached broad consensus and won support from developing nations" she added

The summit set a commitment to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), but did not spell out the important global emissions targets for 2020 or 2050 that are the key to holding down temperatures.

It also promised 100 billion dollars for poor nations that risk bearing the brunt of the global warming fallout, but has not given a fixed plan to make payments.

earlier related report
China's role in Copenhagen 'important and constructive': PM
Beijing (AFP) Dec 21, 2009 - China played an "important and constructive" role at UN climate change talks in Copenhagen, Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday, after Britain blamed Beijing for helping to "hijack" the marathon negotiations.

China, the world's top carbon polluter, has been criticised following the talks in the Danish capital, as the final statement does not include firm targets for emissions cuts and is not legally binding.

China "played an important and constructive role in pushing the Copenhagen talks to yield the current results", Wen said in an interview with Xinhua news agency.

At the talks in Copenhagen which concluded last week, China "expressed its fullest sincerity and made its utmost effort", Wen said, according to excerpts of the interview posted on the foreign ministry website.

The Copenhagen Accord set "long-term goals" for the global community in addressing climate change, Wen said.

"This is the result of the efforts from all sides and has wide approval. This result did not come easy and should be cherished."

Britain's climate change minister Ed Miliband said China had led a group of countries that "hijacked" the negotiations which had at times presented "a farcical picture to the public".

Miliband blamed Beijing for the fact that the agreement finally put together by a select group of leaders -- including Wen -- set no target for greenhouse gas emissions cuts and is not legally binding.

"We did not get an agreement on 50 percent reductions in global emissions by 2050 or on 80 percent reductions by developed countries," Miliband wrote in The Guardian newspaper.

"Both were vetoed by China, despite the support of a coalition of developed and the vast majority of developing countries," he said.

But Wen defended Beijing's position, saying China was "willing to work with all sides, using the Copenhagen meeting as a new starting point for the complete fulfillment of commitments".

"China is willing to push forward continued progress on international cooperation on climate change and make the necessary contributions on mankind's efforts to address climate change," the Chinese premier said.

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