Kerry asks China to separate climate policy from other political tensions
Breanne Deppisch
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U.S. climate envoy John Kerry called on the United States and China on Wednesday to separate climate policy from other diplomatic tensions between the two nations, calling it a “universal threat” during his last day in Beijing.
Speaking to Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Wednesday, Kerry said climate change is a “free-standing” challenge to all countries and one that will require collaboration from the world’s two largest economies.
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“We have the ability to … make a difference with respect to climate,” he told Han during their meeting at Beijing’s parliament building.
“If we can come together over these next months leading up to COP28, which will be the most important since Paris, we will have an opportunity to be able to make a profound difference on this issue,” he told Han.
Kerry also said President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping could meet this fall for climate talks ahead of the COP28 summit.
“We pledge to work with you very closely in order to help our presidents to be able, hopefully, to be able to produce real results should they be involved at the [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] meeting in San Francisco,” Kerry said before meeting with Han, though he added, “We don’t know what will take place yet.”
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Kerry’s visit is the third trip U.S. officials have made to Beijing in the last five weeks, following Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.