China wants talks on 'restrictive trade measures' at UN summit

China has requested that countries hold talks at next week's COP29 UN climate summit on carbon border taxes and other "restrictive trade measures" that Beijing says are hurting developing countries, according to a document seen by Reuters.

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The request raises the prospect that mounting trade tensions between major economies could disrupt this year's United Nations climate talks, which begin on Nov 11 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

China, on behalf of the Basic country group which also includes Brazil, India and South Africa, has submitted a proposal to the UN climate body, the UNFCCC, to add talks on "concerns with climate-change related unilateral restrictive trade measures" to the COP29 agenda, the document showed.

The Basic countries have been stern critics of the European Union's trade-related climate policies, including its anti-deforestation law and its carbon border levy, which will impose fees on imports of high-carbon goods.