What’s stalling China-U.S. climate cooperation?
Can China and the U.S. set aside rivalry for climate action ahead of COP28? Will China and the U.S. meet halfway through climate diplomacy?
China is becoming a leader in global climate governance and is on track to meet its 2030 wind and solar energy targets five years ahead of schedule. How can the country expand cross-border cooperation and international collaboration for combating climate change?
Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the recent National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection and said China would determine its own path to carbon reduction. How will China achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality? How can China and the U.S. collaborate on renewables and green, low-carbon science and technology?
John Kerry’s visit to Beijing
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s visit to Beijing was intended to bring about stability in China-U.S. relations, but progress on climate remains elusive.
Professor Josef Gregory Mahoney, from East China Normal University, sees U.S. pressure on China’s emission reductions as an obstacle to speeding up collaboration. Both nations must avoid new antagonisms and work towards real progress, he says, stressing the urgency due to a possible shift in the political agenda and also because U.S. President Joe Biden is under pressure both in the U.S. and in Europe.
John Kerry’s recent trip to China has followed a string of high-profile visits from U.S. officials over the last few weeks. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s surprise trip to Beijing on Tuesday now brings hope of improved ties between the two countries.
Can China and the U.S. set aside rivalry for climate action ahead of COP28? Will China and the U.S. meet halfway through climate diplomacy?
In a recent edition of The Hub from CGTN, Jiao Yang talks to Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs; Dimitri de Boer, chief representative for China at environmental organization ClientEarth; Sara Jane Ahmed, advisor to the Vulnerable 20 Group of the Climate Vulnerable Forum; and Josef Gregory Mahoney, professor of politics at East China Normal University.
Full video from CGTN’s The Hub (29 min)
Sources:
- CGTN The Hub, https://youtu.be/Ww_FsxGdia0
- CGTN Reality Check, Jul 21, 2023. https://youtu.be/xCbQxm4POyU)