Talks between China and the United States, the world’s two biggest polluters, have been suspended for almost a year due to the worsening impacts of global warming, including deadly heat, drought, floods, and wildfires.
John Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate change, will arrive in Beijing on Sunday to restart climate negotiations with the Chinese government. He will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, and other officials for three days of talks. The goal is to find ways to collaborate on climate change despite ongoing tensions between the two countries on trade, human rights, and other issues. Here’s what you need to know:
Why is this meeting important?
China and the United States are the world’s largest economies, the biggest investors in renewable energy, and the largest contributors to fossil fuel emissions. Together, they account for about 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Experts agree that the speed at which these two countries reduce emissions and support other nations in transitioning to clean energy will determine whether the planet can avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.
“There is no solution to climate change without China,” said David Sandalow, a former official in the Clinton and Obama administrations who is now at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “The world’s two largest emitters should be engaging in dialogue about this existential threat.”
Why are the U.S. and China negotiating on climate now?
After a year of heightened tensions, leaders of the two superpowers are finally resuming talks.
In August, Beijing suspended high-level diplomatic engagement with the United States after Representative Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who was the speaker of the House at the time, visited Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. While Mr. Kerry had hoped to insulate climate negotiations from geopolitical conflicts, Chinese officials rejected that idea.
In November, President Biden and President Xi Jinping of China agreed to renew talks between their senior officials. However, these plans were disrupted earlier this year when a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted over the United States, causing anger in Washington and leading Beijing to slow down the resumption of talks.
In recent weeks, several U.S. cabinet secretaries, including Antony J. Blinken, Janet L. Yellen, and Gina M. Raimondo, have visited China in an effort to stabilize the relationship. Mr. Kerry’s trip is part of these diplomatic efforts.
“I think there is a way to establish a working relationship with China that benefits both them and us,” Mr. Biden said in a recent CNN interview.
What actions have the U.S. and China taken to address…
2023-07-15 04:00:26
Original from www.nytimes.com
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