The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) concluded on Saturday in Belém, Brazil, after running one day overtime, delivering what negotiators described as a hard-won package of outcomes at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and mounting climate risks.

Li Gao, head of the Chinese delegation and vice minister of ecology and environment, said in an interview after the closing plenary that the conference produced "a series of significant results," the most important of which was a new overarching agreement titled "Global Mutirao: Uniting humanity in a global mobilization against climate change."

"Achieving such an agreement was extraordinarily difficult," Li said, noting the backdrop of heightened geopolitical frictions, resurgent unilateralism and protectionism, and the United States' previous withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. "Its adoption demonstrates the strong political will of all Parties to work together in responding to climate change."

Li said that the Chinese delegation actively participated in nearly 100 agenda items and played a "constructive and solution-oriented" role throughout the two-week talks.

Li added that the phrase "strive to do better" appeared frequently during the Belém talks, and was eventually incorporated into the conference's outcome, reflecting a shift from China's own policy ethos to a shared direction for global action.

Li noted that the China Pavilion at COP30 remained "one of the busiest and most popular national pavilions," serving as a platform for showcasing China's climate actions, deepening exchanges with other countries, and supporting the negotiation process through dialogue and outreach.

Throughout the conference, China engaged in extensive bilateral consultations, he said, helping "enhance mutual understanding and push negotiations forward."

Going forward, Li said China will continue to be a firm defender of multilateralism, an active participant in global cooperation, a key driver of the green transition, and an important contributor to low-carbon technologies.

He emphasized that the successful outcomes of COP30 send a strong political signal that the global green and low-carbon transition is irreversible, multilateralism is irreplaceable and international cooperation is indispensable.

"Under very difficult circumstances, this conference has successfully advanced the implementation of the Paris Agreement into its next 10 years," Li said. "This is an achievement that should be remembered in the history of global climate governance."