On the evening of April 22, 2021, after President Xi Jinping attended the Leaders Summit on Climate and delivered an important speech upon invitation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a press briefing for Chinese and foreign media at late night. Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu chaired the meeting and briefed on the summit and its main outcomes.

Ma Zhaoxu said that China never shies away from coping with climate change. China made the official announcement of its goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. This major strategic decision is made based on our sense of responsibility to build a community with a shared future for mankind and our own need to secure sustainable development. It manifests the requirement of the "highest possible ambition" in the Paris Agreement, and China's utmost determination to address climate change. According to relevant institutions, China's commitment to carbon neutrality will reduce the global temperature rise by 0.2-0.3 degrees Celsius, and China will transit from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality in only 30 years. It means that in order to achieve the world's largest decline in carbon emissions and to stride from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest time in the world's history, China needs an extensive and profound systematic revolution in its economy and society.

Ma Zhaoxu stressed that China has included carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the overall plan for ecological civilization and will make determined efforts to deliver on its commitment.