China added its voice to a series of announcements on the fight against climate change at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

Beijing will stop building coal plants abroad, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday (September 21) at the United Nations platform, but without specifying a timetable.

00:37

Such a promise has also been made recently by South Korea and Japan.

Beijing has long faced strong diplomatic pressure to stop funding coal-based projects abroad, in order to help move closer to the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement.

"China will step up its support to other developing countries to develop green and low-carbon energy," Xi Jinping also said in a pre-recorded speech, repeating promises made last year that China will achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

01:31

Similar measures expected in China

"The days of coal energy are numbered," COP26 President Alok Sharma said on Twitter on Tuesday, welcoming the Chinese announcement.

"At COP26 (which will take place in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12), we need to make coal from ancient history."

It is clear the writing is on the wall for coal power



I welcome 🇨🇳 President Xi's commitment to stop building new coal projects abroad - a key topic of my discussions during my visit to China



At # COP26, we must consign coal to history


#UNGA https://t.co/eW4vKHcxUJ

- Alok Sharma (@AlokSharma_RDG) September 21, 2021

This is a "historic turning point away from the world's dirtiest fossil fuel," Helen Mountford of the World Resources Institute said in a statement.

This organization recalls that over "the last decade", China has invested "billions of dollars" in coal factories in other countries.

This is the case, for example, in Indonesia, Vietnam or Bangladesh, as part of the "new silk roads" - a gigantic infrastructure program launched by President Xi Jinping.

"If the gradual abandonment of the financing of coal abroad is very important, this does not exempt China from taking ambitious measures within its borders," however recalled Helen Mountford.

Because Tuesday's announcement is far from signifying the complete end of Beijing's investments in coal.

With AFP and Reuters

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