Despite significant logistical hurdles, Chinese participants at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, demonstrated remarkable resilience and creativity in advancing global climate dialogue through unconventional mediums including music, gaming, and traditional art.
The journey to COP30 proved exceptionally challenging for many Chinese delegates. Yang Yuntong, a senior sustainability official at Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, endured a 10-hour travel ordeal instead of the planned three-hour flight from Sao Paulo to Belem, resulting in missed speaking engagements. Undeterred, she delivered her climate messages via recorded videos while stranded at the airport. This experience was not isolated—many Chinese attendees faced similar travel disruptions, including flight cancellations and even a venue evacuation due to a fire incident.
Despite these challenges, Chinese organizations made significant impacts through innovative engagement methods. The Boke Foundation introduced its SDG Hero board game, an educational tool that transforms complex sustainability concepts into engaging gameplay. The multilingual game attracted substantial attention from global educators and delegates, serving as a prominent example of China’s cultural exports addressing global issues.
Music emerged as another powerful bridge for climate communication. The Plant Technology Alliance presented a specially composed anthem, “Love Never Ends,” featuring collaborative performances by 123 children from over 100 countries. The song’s lyrics emphasize practical climate actions while promoting global unity. Cheng Dan, the alliance’s co-founder who composed the piece, noted that the musical initiative originated from inspiration gained at COP29 in Azerbaijan.
Traditional Chinese art also played a role in cross-cultural dialogue. Jiang Xinyu, a Tsinghua University representative, conducted well-attended workshops on classical Chinese landscape painting, using Fan Kuan’s Northern Song Dynasty masterpiece “Travelers Among Mountains and Streams” to illustrate philosophical perspectives on humanity’s relationship with nature. The sessions attracted standing-room-only crowds, demonstrating art’s ability to transcend cultural boundaries.
Beyond cultural exchanges, the challenging journey to Belem fostered unexpected camaraderie among Chinese participants. Liu Shuo, climate director at Onewo Space-Tech Service, noted that the shared travel difficulties created strong bonds that laid groundwork for future collaborations in climate initiatives, including her company’s Zero-Carbon Partner Initiative.
These diverse approaches collectively demonstrated China’s growing and multifaceted contribution to global climate discourse, moving beyond traditional diplomatic channels to create meaningful connections through cultural and educational exchanges.