A senior negotiator informed Reuters that China is open to incorporating its voluntary carbon emissions target into a mandatory UN resolution, a move that could put pressure on developed countries to prolong the Kyoto Protocol. The success of the UN climate talks in Cancun depends 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 binds the emissions of nearly 40 developed countries, excluding the United States. Developing countries are in favor of continuing the protocol, while industrialized supporters like Japan, Russia, and Canada prefer a separate agreement that applies to all nations. China has previously been resistant to making its domestic emissions targets mandatory, unlike industrialized nations. Huang Huikang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's representative for climate change negotiations, stated that a resolution can be developed that would be binding on China. He also mentioned the possibility of a legally binding decision under the UN Climate Convention and expressed willingness to discuss the details. He emphasized the importance of integrating China's efforts into the global response to climate change, and argued against the idea of scrapping the Kyoto Protocol and beginning anew in addressing these issues. Jennifer Morgan from the World Resources Institute in Washington described the proposal as a significant change, while Alden Meyer from the Union of Concerned Scientists in the US called it a promising development. China's chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua later stated that China's targets could be aligned with the Convention, allowing developing countries to use their own resources to make voluntary emissions commitments within the framework of the Convention. Huang stated that China will not change its stance on including new emissions targets in an extended Kyoto agreement. China has always maintained that its efforts are only binding domestically and cannot be included in any international agreement. Huang explained that while China previously insisted on acting voluntarily without conditions, they now recognize the importance of international collaboration. Huang described this shift as a compromise, demonstrating China's willingness to be constructive and positive. However, Huang emphasized that there is no room for compromise on the issue of Kyoto. Last year at a summit in Copenhagen, developing countries, including China, the world's largest carbon emitter, agreed to voluntarily take action to limit the growth of their emissions. China pledged to reduce its "carbon intensity," which is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each dollar of economic growth, by 40-45 percent by 2020 compared to 2005. Huang suggested that this intensity target could be included in a resolution.