Xie Zhenhua (politician)

Xie Zhenhua was born in Tianjin. During the Cultural Revolution he was put to work on the countryside.[1] He graduated in 1977 from Tsinghua University with an Engineering Physics degree.

Xie was appointed head of the State Environmental Protection Administration in 1998, where he was noted for successfully holding companies to environmental rules, but was eventually forced to resign after the 2005 Jilin chemical plant explosions.[2]

In 2007 Xie was appointed vice minister at the National Development and Reform Commission. In 2015 he stepped down from this position to focus on being a Chinese representative on climate change.[3] He was the lead negotiator for China at most United Nations Climate Change Conferences since 2009. In 2019 he was replaced by his aide Zhao Yingmin,[1][4][5] before returning to the role for COP26.

Xie's role has been positively received among foreign politicians and climate change activists, as he has been a driver behind China signing binding commitments to reduce emissions. Xie is seen as "China's voice on climate change".[3] His speech at the 2010 climate conference in South Africa attracted notability and praise among other developing country envoys:[1][3][6]

We are developing countries. We need to develop and eradicate poverty while protecting the environment. We’ve done what we should do, but you [developed countries] haven’t. What right do you have to lecture us?