BEIJING: China’s Vice President, Han Zheng, conveyed to US climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday that China is prepared to cooperate with the United States in combating global warming, but certain political conditions must be met.
Chinese Vice President Han emphasized that addressing climate change was an important aspect of China-US cooperation but insisted that it should be based on mutual respect and the US addressing core issues of concern to both parties.
During his visit, Kerry expressed the Biden administration’s commitment to stabilizing relations between the world’s two largest economies and revitalizing high-level contacts. Relations between China and the U.S. have reached a historic low due to disagreements over trade tariffs, technology access, human rights, territorial claims in the South China Sea, and the status of Taiwan.
China had severed contact with the Biden administration last year, including on climate change, in response to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. China considers Taiwan its own territory and has expressed willingness to use force to bring it under its control. Restoring contacts has been a gradual process, and dialogue between China’s People’s Liberation Army and the US Department of Defense remains suspended.
China-US Joint Efforts to Combat Climate Change
Kerry’s visit follows meetings between Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and their Chinese counterparts. No high-ranking Chinese officials have visited the US since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in late 2019, which led to a deterioration in bilateral dialogue, particularly on military and political matters.
During his visit, Kerry also met with Premier Li Qiang, who emphasized the need for closer cooperation between China and the US in addressing the significant challenge posed by global warming. Kerry expressed the importance of cooperation and the urgency to address climate change.
No meetings have been announced with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen publicly for three weeks. Kerry also had a face-to-face meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, to discuss climate issues, marking the first extensive climate discussions between representatives of the world’s two largest climate polluters in almost a year.
China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal and has continued to build new coal plants, contributing significant carbon dioxide emissions. However, the country has also expanded its use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. China has pledged to cap carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, although the U.S. and the European Union have called for more ambitious reduction targets.
Northern China has experienced record-breaking high temperatures during Kerry’s visit, threatening crops and prompting cities to open bomb shelters to provide relief from the heat.
