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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

US-China climate talks yield ‘positive results’ ahead of COP28 and possible Xi-Biden meeting

  • Climate envoys Xie Zhenhua and John Kerry wrap up five days of talks in California as Beijing releases long-awaited methane reduction plan
  • Meetings expected to lay groundwork for potential summit between leaders on Apec sidelines next week as well as UN climate change conference in Dubai

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US climate envoy John Kerry (left) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua at their previous talks in Beijing in July. Photo: Reuters
Cyril Ip
Climate talks between Chinese and US officials in California have yielded “positive results”, China’s environment ministry said on Thursday in a sign that the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters are closer to a new agreement.
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Beijing’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment said the five-day talks between Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry “concluded successfully” on Wednesday.
The meetings are expected to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden next week as well as for the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which will kick off in Dubai in three weeks.

The two sides “engaged in a comprehensive and in-depth exchange of views” and “achieved positive results on developing bilateral cooperation and operations on climate change”, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. It added that they would jointly push for the success of COP28.

Kerry shared positive sentiments on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, along with photos taken with Xie at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, where Xi and then US president Barack Obama held their first summit in 2013.

“We had comprehensive and constructive discussions with the [People’s Republic of China] over five days, and we reached common ground on a number of issues that we expect will prove productive in these critical weeks ahead of COP28,” Kerry wrote.

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Beijing on Wednesday published its long-awaited methane reduction plan, which emphasises improving monitoring and supervision of methane emissions through a clear framework for local Chinese governments, enterprises and financial institutions. Methane is more potent than carbon dioxide despite having a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere.
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