China Names New Climate Envoy

What’s new: China has appointed Liu Zhenmin, a former vice foreign minister, to be the country’s new special envoy for climate change, according to an official announcement.

Liu replaces Xie Zhenhua, a veteran climate negotiator who worked closely on developing relations with his U.S. counterparts. The 74-year-old stepped down from the chief climate negotiator role “due to health reasons,” according to a Friday statement from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.