My Take | Who needs warmongers when you have US moral champions?
- Israel-Gaza conflict not on the agenda for Democratic and Republican senators who targeted California’s Gavin Newsom on Hong Kong talks
It’s hard to find something that China and the United States aren’t fighting over these days. One area that is always cited as an example, usually the only one, is climate change. Both are the world’s top two polluters and both have a moral obligation as well as a common interest to save the planet.
As they say, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Cooperating on climate change will take many thousands of steps. California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken a significant and brave step to help push climate cooperation with his trip to Hong Kong.
The goal was to promote a landmark annual forum for policy and research exchange on climate-related issues between the technology-driven bay areas of San Francisco and southern China. That it is being committed against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two world powers is another reason for people of goodwill to support the initiative.
It was clear that Newsom’s trip would focus only on climate and sidestep other sensitive political or economic issues. It was obviously preapproved by both governments.
Well, sure enough, Newsom drew fire not only from Republican politicians but his own Democrats as well. It was a blatant bipartisan hatchet job.