US Reps, ChicComs Discuss ‘Post-Bush’ Era

From Germany’s Der Spiegel:

Beijing, June 22, 2007

US, Chinese Officials Hold Secret ‘Post-Bush Era’ Meeting

By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington

SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that Chinese officials and members of the United States Congress have held a secret meeting without White House participation about the future of Washington’s climate protection policies. Beijing officials are trying to determine what they should expect in the post-Bush era.

A shift in American climate protection policies in the post-Bush era could force China to implement emissions limits.

The deputy chief of the Chinese National Development Reform Commission (NDRC), Xie Zhenhue, met on Wednesday morning with a bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic members of Congress to discuss future climate protection policy developments in the United States, SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned.

Officials held the meeting on the eve of a two-day conference on climate change organized by US President George W. Bush that will bring together the world’s biggest carbon dioxide emitters. Critics expect little to happen at the meeting because of Bush’s waning influence and the fact that the US has pushed for “aspirational” targets rather than mandatory emissions limits.

High-ranking sources close to the participants of the meeting between the Chinese delgation and Congress said the Chinese sought to find out how determined Congress is to push through rigorous climate protection laws in the future. During the discussion, members of Congress made clear that they would soon like to vote on legislation that would set binding emissions limits. However, the members of Congress said they didn’t provide the Chinese with a firm timeline for when this might happen…

Participants in the meeting said later that the Chinese grew evasive when the issue of China’s own contribution to climate protection was raised. The Chinese reportedly said, however, that they were concerned it might no longer be possible for them to delay action in the “post-Bush era.” They had set up the meeting to find out if the US position on climate protection would actually change under a new president.

The members of Congress reportedly informed the Chinese emissaries that legislators soon planned to respond to the American public’s broad support by pushing through climate protection laws.

It still remains unclear whether the White House was informed of the meeting. Nevertheless, it demonstrates the waning importance of the Bush administration in determining future climate protection policy in the country…

Unbelievable!

Strike that.

It is all too believable with our current Congress.

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