“M aybe it is just the magic of the panda,” Liantong Zhou told me in a paroxysm of laughter, seriousness, and bemusement.

Something strange was happening at the Chinese pavilion in the Hangar Convention and Fair Centre, the venue of the COP30 climate talks in Belem, Brazil. These pavilions at the annual United Nations conference are where countries set up cultural displays that tout their commitment to sustainable development and clean energy. They are also venues for panel discussions and seminars, and provide opportunities for bureaucrats, ministers, and businessmen to network. They are like temporary embassies where all the countries mark their presence over the fortnight of talks.

What marked the Chinese pavilion were the queues. On all days, Ms. Zhou told me, people had been lining

See Full Page