US-China climate talks brought goodwill, modest progress
US-China climate talks brought goodwill, modest progress Reuters
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Climate Talks Between China and US Focus on Diplomatic Relations Rather Than Climate Change
BEIJING/SINGAPORE, July 20 (Reuters) – Climate talks this week between China and the United States were buoyed by goodwill, but the world’s two biggest carbon polluters achieved more on righting their diplomatic relationship than battling climate change.
Low Expectations for Breakthrough in Climate Talks
Despite a strong rapport between the countries’ veteran envoys, expectations for a breakthrough were low when John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua sat down for three days of talks in Beijing through Wednesday.
Progress Made on Diplomatic Relations
Kerry claimed progress, if mostly on getting relations back on track, but issues from U.S. politics to the diplomats’ job prospects could make further advances difficult. China has not yet published an official reaction to the talks.
Focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
“We came here first of all to get back into sync,” Kerry told reporters. “That is breaking ground: We were stopped, stymied for almost a year.”
Efforts to Repair Relations Between the Two Biggest Economies
With relations at a low over national security issues, U.S. export bans on advanced technologies and China’s state-led industrial policies, Washington has been trying to repair ties between the world’s two biggest economies.
Visits by US Officials to China
High-level U.S. visits to China had been halted due to Beijing’s anger at a visit by U.S. then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022 to Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China. But in recent weeks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited ahead of Kerry, a former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate.
“As Good As It Can Get”
Washington and Beijing share a desire to accelerate the transition away from coal and abate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Kerry said China agreed that a target to keep global temperatures rises within 1.5 Celsius of pre-industrial levels should remain “alive”.
China’s Skepticism and the Paris Agreement
China has previous shown scepticism around the ability to achieve 1.5C, favouring the less stringent Paris target of 2C.
Building Resilience in the Diplomatic Relationship
Li Shuo, climate adviser with environmental group Greenpeace in Beijing, said building more resilience into a still “fragile” diplomatic relationship was a crucial element in the talks.
Long-Term Challenges and Optimism for COP28
Kerry and Xie focussed on progress headed toward COP28, the annual U.N. climate summit in November. Questions remain about the longer term, should political winds shift in the United States or the two diplomats leave their posts.
Challenges Ahead and Political Climate
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