At least one governing party is having a worse factional fight than the Tories. Former president Hu Jintao was bundled out from the closing session of the Chinese Communist party meeting in Beijing by current President Xi’s goons. That’s really brutal power politics…
Neither China nor India has submitted updated climate plans to be included in an assessment of progress towards the Paris Agreement goals ahead of COP26. Only 110 out of 191 parties to the Paris Agreement have presented new or updated plans by the cut-off date for submissions to be included in the forthcoming UN progress report. This is despite the UN extending the deadline for them. The UN’s Patricia Espinosa has been pleading with governments to contribute their plans…
That the governments of half the world’s people have not complied suggests that either they are not taking the process seriously or they, more likely, don’t want to put in writing that they are failing to decarbonise. India and China are rushing to develop their economies and raise the living standards of hundreds of millions of their citizens from absolute poverty. That can’t be done if they are restrained by net zero commitments…
Academics have boycotted a government funded research centre, hailed by George Osborne as “putting the UK in pole position” in the new material’s research, after concerns were raised over industrial espionage.
Academics drafted into the National Graphene Institute (NGI) are worried by its collaboration with the Taiwanese owned BGT, which has recently announced further partnerships with a Chinese manufacturer and university. Chinese corporations are notoriously poor in their respect for intellectual property rights. Chinese intelligence agents steal trade secrets for their corporations…
Graphene, a newly developed ultra high-tech nano-material, is 200 times stronger than steel and has outperformed super-conductive materials in electrical tests. Scientists are worried that yet another Great British invention funded by British taxpayers will be commercialised by foreign corporations.
Academics might have seen this move coming, however, after Osborne showed off his pet project NGI to Chinese president Xi Jinping during his recent stay. Having pledged to protect UK subsidies for scientific research in the autumn statement, the British taxpayer should be keen to protect their own investment. There is a limit to kow-towing, by all means lay out the welcome mat, just don’t let the Chinese walk all over you…
H/T Sunday Times
David Cameron and President Xi have been for a pint near Chequers pic.twitter.com/njzCj1jBLV
— Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) October 22, 2015
— Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) October 22, 2015
It's the same pub the PM left daughter Nancy in but he jokes 'I'm not leaving my family here today' pic.twitter.com/MPS4Gyh0SE
— Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) October 22, 2015
Cameron and Xi tucked in to mini fish and chips during the visit to The Plough at Cadsden pic.twitter.com/8fqsY4LsUb
— Sam Lister (@sam_lister_) October 22, 2015
David Cameron wrote a little aide memoire to remind himself how to pronounce “Xi”. Don’t want to mess that up…
Via @CathyNewman
