Abstract At the 2009 Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, China became the target of public discussion when each and every country successively approached China’s leaders asking them to take up responsibility for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2007, China’s discharge of carbon dioxide had already surpassed emissions caused by the United States, turning China into the world’s number one polluter and a major contributor to climate change. In the years to come, the pressure China has to face from international climate organizations is going to increase notably. This paper investigates the relationship between China’s leverage in the discourse on climate change on the one hand and the pressure originating from climate conventions on the other. It provides an in-depth analysis of the country’s position and conduct in the climate change debate. This paper shows that China has been going through two different phases for addressing climate change. During the first phase, corresponding with the period of the Kyoto Protocol, the country passed through a stage of “partial boycott” and “cooperation with strings attached”. During the second phase which parallels the post-Kyoto era and the time around the Copenhagen summit, China’s behavior has involved a high degree of coordination, agreement and cooperation. The article thoroughly traces the progression of these different phases, as China’s evolving political position and its theoretical discourse regarding global climate change. It also attempts to answer the questions as to whetherChina is actively going to abide by international climate change conventions and whether it is becoming a cooperative partner in the international climate arena. Finally, the paper tries to answer the question – Will China adopt an active approach and play the role of a “responsible power” in the field of global environmental and climate change?