BANGKOK: China’s Environment Minister, Huang Runqiu, expressed his country’s desire to enhance collaboration with the United States in addressing climate change during his meeting with California Governor Gavin Newsom in Beijing on Thursday.
Newsom’s weeklong tour of China, dedicated to advocating for climate cooperation, has attracted considerable attention, especially given the escalating tensions between the U.S. and China in recent years.
In the realm of climate action, the United States and China have found common ground despite the deteriorating relations between the two nations in various other areas, including trade practices, tariff disputes, human rights concerns, and the status of Taiwan, which is a self-governing island claimed by China as its integral territory.
On Thursday, Huang emphasized that his ministry remained committed to implementing the agreements outlined in a memorandum of understanding inked between China and California the previous year. These agreements encompass carbon market investment, climate adaptation, environmental law enforcement, and fostering person-to-person exchanges, all with the overarching goal of enhancing cooperation and positively impacting Sino-U.S. environmental collaboration.
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California has set the pace when it comes to overseeing air quality and addressing climate-related concerns, as articulated by Governor Newsom during his opening statements on Thursday.
Governor Newsom acknowledged the limitations of regional leadership, emphasizing the need for more collaborative efforts. He expressed his commitment to cooperation and humility, acknowledging that they may not possess all the solutions.
Both parties discussed the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events within their respective nations.
On Wednesday, California and China jointly released a declaration, committing to a shared endeavor to combat climate change. This partnership extends to various areas such as offshore wind energy, advanced energy storage technologies, and the promotion of zero-emission vehicles, as described in the text.
