And it seems that someone, somehow, has certainly held China's feet to the fire.
That surprise came with the country whose leader XI Jin Ping famously didn't attend COP26, suddenly announcing a new deal with the U.S. to ramp up cooperation on climate change.
And it seems that rumblings of the deal had already been making the rounds at COP with Ambassador Fuller giving us this almost prophetic perspective, yesterday.
Carlos Fuller - Ambassador
"No, it does not obviously they made their statement early by not coming, by not sending their leader but their negotiators are here. So, they are working, you know in the negotiation process and of course, defending that position, that there is a commitment by developed country Parties to provide that assistance and of course they have always said that they are not a developed country, they are a developing country. So, obviously, that is the line they are playing but I do know that there are discussions in the background among the highest leaders you need to come on board and obviously some kind of discussions are occurring at that level that will emanate in the final hours."
Emanate it did.
