U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry concluded his flying three-day trip to Beijing on Wednesday with his reported admission no agreement with China, the world’s single largest producer of greenhouse gases, has been reached on further actions to slash carbon pollution.
Politico reports Kerry disclosed “it’s going to take a little bit more work to break new ground” in negotiations between the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas polluters, with more talks about further talks ahead.
The outlet went on to report Kerry said the two nations vowed to continue meeting and talking on climate issues — a modest step in the Biden administration’s efforts to restore relations with Xi Jinping’s government.
The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Vice President Han Zheng as telling Kerry that addressing climate change was “an important aspect of China-U.S. cooperation,” but was predicated on mutual respect.
He said it must proceed “on the basis of U.S. attendance to core issues that concern both parties, fully engaging and exchanging ideas,” AP reports.
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During this week’s visit, Kerry told China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, that President Joe Biden’s administration is “very committed” to stabilizing relations between the world’s two biggest economies as they seek to restart high-level contacts.
Ties between the countries have hit a historic low during the Biden administration amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights, China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and threats against self-governing Taiwan, AP noted.
Kerry is the third senior Biden administration official to travel to China in recent weeks for meetings with their counterparts following Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
No top-ranking Chinese officials have visited the U.S. since the late 2019 outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic first started in China.