US envoy John Kerry takes part in climate change summit co-hosted by China
- Kerry, the top US climate official, won’t meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, on the sideline of the virtual gathering, says US State Department
- Amid contentious talks in Alaska last week, the two countries did agree to form a ‘joint working group’ on climate issues
John Kerry, the Biden administration’s top climate official, joined a virtual meeting on climate change co-hosted by China on Tuesday but had “no plans” to meet with his Chinese counterpart during the event, a US State Department representative said.
The meeting – an annual “Ministerial on Climate Action”, in which high-level officials discuss their implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement – comes just days after top diplomats from Washington and Beijing met for the first time, in Alaska, verbally sparring in front of cameras over a range of issues from human rights to trade policy to proper diplomatic protocol.
By the end of their meeting, though, and behind closed doors, the two countries had agreed to form a “joint working group” on climate change. It was the latest sign that President Joe Biden and his team have not given up on the possibility of collaborating with Beijing on climate issues, even as tensions soar in almost every other aspect of the relationship.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, there was speculation that Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, might speak privately on the sidelines of the virtual meeting, but the State Department said that would not happen.
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“Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has been in touch with his counterpart, Minister Xie Zhenhua, since they were both appointed, and we expect conversations between the two will continue, given that China is the largest emitter in the world,” the State Department representative said, adding: “We know the climate challenge does not get successfully addressed without significant additional action by China.”
The virtual ministerial session was organized by China, the European Union and Canada, and representatives of more than 30 countries were invited.