UN climate envoy says China won't fill in financially for US

China will not fill the climate financial vacuum left by the United States' withdrawal, but other developed nations will, Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate envoy said.

"Others expect us to fill the financial gap, but we do not plan to do so," said Xie Zhenhua, China's top climate envoy during the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference held in Bonn, Germany. "We are not obliged to pour money into the Green Climate Fund. We insist on our stance as a member of the developing countries."

The call from the least developed and some developing countries for more financial support from industrialized nations has grown louder as the climate talks are approaching the finish line.

Negotiators have yet to reach agreement on the contentious issue.

An energy policy specialist attending the climate talks said China acts as a mediator, as China is not the one among countries with high demand for financial support.

China has yet to apply for any financial support from the fund.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have pledged to fill the financial void left by US withdrawal earlier this week.

"We need to wait and see if the money can be in place," said Xie.

Established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Green Climate Fund, with an onus on developed nations, has set itself a goal of raising $100 billion a year by 2020.