China should show more flexibility in global negotiations on curbing greenhouse gas emissions, the UN climate chief said yesterday, although she praised the Asian nation’s “leadership”.

“It is absolutely indispensable that China show leadership, accompanied by all other countries, to be flexible in order to be able to reach the compromises that are necessary before Cancun,” Christian Figueres said.

The head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change spoke on the opening day of a new round of talks hosted by China that are aimed at paving the way for agreements at a UN climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, starting on November 29.

The six days of talks in the northern port city of Tianjin are part of long-running efforts through the United Nations to secure a post-2012 treaty to limit global warming and avoid potential environmental catastrophes.

China is now the world’s largest source of greenhouse gases and its emissions continue to increase as its economy expands at near double-digit pace.

It pledged last year to slow the growth in those emissions by reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP by 40-45 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020.

That is essentially a vow of greater energy efficiency that would likely, however, see emissions continue to increase.

Speaking at a press conference, Ms Figueres called the efficiency goal an “impressive target” and praised China for its “extraordinary leadership” in volunteering to host the Tianjin gathering.

“We are very appreciative of their efforts and we take it as a very symbolic act from China in support of the intergovernmental process,” she said.

Little progress in the climate change negotiations has been made since world leaders failed to broker a deal in Copenhagen last year.

After being blamed by many in the developed world for derailing the Copenhagen talks, China decided to host the ongoing event partly to demonstrate its commitment to the UN process and clean energy, analysts said.

Dai Bingguo, China’s top foreign policy official, called for a spirit of cooperation in a speech to the delegates but indicated China would hold firm on some of the key disputes with the US and other developed countries.