its view that the International Court of Arbitration did not have jurisdiction. The Court’s award found that China’s claims were not supported by international law, and that the construction of artificial islands contravened the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. China has rejected the ruling. China is challenging international human rights efforts to an everincreasing extent. Messages about the importance of “mutual respect” and “constructive cooperation” rather than accountability and the individual as a rights holder are attractive to many UN Member States, who are often under political and economic pressure from China. China has also exerted itself in the UN General Assembly, where, among other things, it seeks to restrict funding of the UN system’s work for human rights. Chinese influence impacts norms, standards, definitions and rhetoric. In the longer term, this threatens human rights and the structures created to ensure that they are respected. Climate and environment China is the world’s single largest emitter of carbon dioxide and currently accounts for around 27 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The volume of emissions is increasing. The country suffers serious problems linked to air pollution, water safety and other environmental impacts. In recent years, China has been the largest source of plastic in the oceans. Coal is still its largest energy source. New power stations are being built, and coal power plants are exported. At the same time, China has a key role in the area of climate change, and without China’s participation the goals of the Paris Agreement will not be achievable. In China, there is increasing awareness among the population of environmental impacts on health, and measures have been taken to reduce air pollution, which also synergises with climate action. Demands are being made of China –by the EU and others – that it peak its emissions before 2030 and that drastic reductions in line with the Paris Agreement must be ensured. China is making major investments in climate technologies and digitisation technologies, as well as climate and green financing. It is a world leader in solar cell production and an important partner in global environmental cooperation in areas such as the oceans, climate change, chemicals and biodiversity. The Belt and Road Initiative 6 The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a cornerstone of China’s foreign policy, is an overarching framework of projects in a wide range of areas, primarily transport infrastructure, but also telecommunications and energy supply. At the core is a number of land and sea corridors to link together Asia and Europe. The BRI also encompasses research and education exchange, industrial development, health, and development cooperation. As part of the BRI, China has also launched the terms ‘Polar Silk Road’ and ‘Digital Silk Road’. According to analysts, since 2013 the BRI has encompassed around 2 200 contracts worth a total of USD 1.12 trillion. At the same time, the BRI is a part of China’s ambition to shape the