A senior negotiator informed Reuters that China is open to including its voluntary carbon emissions target in a mandatory UN resolution, a move that could potentially push developed countries to prolong the Kyoto Protocol. The success of the UN climate talks in Mexico's Cancun beach resort relies on reaching an agreement to solidify national emissions targets post-2012, when the current round of Kyoto carbon caps expires. China's willingness to compromise is contingent on the United States committing to mandatory emissions reductions and an extension of the Kyoto Protocol, which currently mandates emissions reductions for nearly 40 developed countries, excluding the United States. Developing nations are in favor of continuing the protocol, while industrialized countries such as Japan, Russia, and Canada are pushing for a separate agreement that would regulate emissions for all nations. China had previously resisted the idea of making its domestic emissions targets mandatory, as is currently the case for industrialized nations. Huang Huikang, China's envoy for climate change talks, stated that a resolution can be created which would be binding on China. He mentioned that under the UN Climate Convention, a legally binding decision can be made, and the specific form of this decision can be discussed. He emphasized the importance of making efforts to address climate change a part of international efforts. He also expressed the opinion that overturning the Kyoto Protocol and starting from scratch is unnecessary to address concerns about climate change. Jennifer Morgan from the World Resources Institute in Washington described the proposal as a significant change. She believes it is a positive step towards reaching an agreement in Cancun. Alden Meyer from the Union of Concerned Scientists also sees promise in the proposal, although he acknowledges that the specifics will be crucial. China's chief negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, later explained that China's targets could align with the Convention, allowing developing countries to voluntarily commit to reducing emissions using their own resources. Huang stated that China will not change its stance on requiring new emissions targets to be included in an extended Kyoto agreement. China has always maintained that its efforts to reduce emissions are mandatory only within the country and not subject to international agreements. However, Huang acknowledged that China is now willing to participate in international efforts and sees this as a compromise. While China is open to compromise and playing a positive role, Huang emphasized that there is no room for compromise on the issue of the Kyoto agreement. Developing countries, such as China, the largest carbon emitter in the world, made a commitment at a summit in Copenhagen to voluntarily reduce their emissions. China's goal is to decrease its "carbon intensity" by 40-45% by 2020 compared to 2005, meaning reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each dollar of economic growth. Huang suggested that this intensity target could be incorporated into a resolution.