WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has stumbled on an unusual partner in his quest to combat climate change: China.
The world's two biggest emitters of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are finding common cause in efforts to reduce global warming, cooperation the U.S. says could clear the way for other developing, heavily polluting nations like India and Brazil to get on board, too.
Skeptics question whether either nation will follow through on lofty aspirations. Still, the budding agreements are allowing the two rivals to present a positive front at a time when tensions are running high over espionage, alleged cybertheft and American fugitive Edward Snowden.
Last week, top American and Chinese officials announced new joint initiatives, including cutting emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and upping energy efficiency of buildings, transport and industry. They also agreed to team up on large-scale experiments with "carbon capture" — technology to isolate carbon dioxide from power plant emissions so it can be safely stored. Lack of commercially viable technology has been a major barrier to making plants cleaner in the U.S. and abroad.
A month earlier, Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in the California desert for a summit aimed at forging closer ties. The sole concrete achievement was a deal to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas used in refrigerators and air conditioners.
"This is a priority for the president and for me," Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday during a speech on Asian relations, specifically mentioning the accord with China. "The impact of climate change also has an impact as growth as well as security."
