Not surprising. The USSR was right in the middle of the 'environmental movement'

for a long time, so why not the PRC?  They know a good thing(for them)when they see it.
What was remarkable about this meeting, though, was the surprising presence of an external delegation: joining the CCP apparatchiks on a collection of screens dotted around the room were a number of enthusiastic Britons and other Westerners. According to the official conference report, the “foreign committee members and partners lauded China’s ecological civilisation building and its new and greater contributions to promoting the construction of a clean and beautiful world”.

Who were these people? Strange to tell, they consisted of a veritable Who’s Who of British, European and American climate activists.
Who express their admiration of the PRC and its 'environmental goals'.  Even when they shit all over the activists.  Because either 'There are no enemies on the left!', or straight-up embarrassment.  The former being how they became nicknamed watermelons.