Xi to join French-German virtual climate summit
Move comes as US envoy visits China to drum up support for environmental collaboration
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
A vehicle with US climate envoy John Kerry arriving at a state guest hotel in Shanghai, during his visit to China on Wednesday. Chinese and US officials are expected to discuss environmental challenges, as well as the upcoming United Nations-led climate talks to be held in Glasgow at the end of the year.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SHANGHAI • Chinese President Xi Jinping will join a virtual climate summit with France and Germany, Beijing has announced, as United States envoy John Kerry visited Shanghai to drum up support from the world's biggest polluter for America's drive to address environmental challenges.
Beijing unexpectedly announced that Mr Xi would join the online French-German climate summit to be held today "at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron".
Mr Kerry, US President Joe Biden's climate tzar, is in Shanghai for meetings with his Chinese counterparts until tomorrow - the first visit by an official from the new US administration.
Mr Kerry is not expected to meet Mr Xi, on a trip that has so far taken place behind closed doors.
The trip was seen as a chance to put aside high political tensions - following a heated initial meeting last month between diplomats in the US - and focus on areas of potential climate collaboration.
The two sides had clashed in Alaska over accusations about China's policies in Hong Kong and its treatment of Uighurs in the north-western Xinjiang region, criticisms Beijing rejects as interference in its domestic affairs.
In Shanghai, officials are expected to discuss environmental challenges, areas which both China and the US say are top priorities, as well as the United Nations-led climate talks to be held in Glasgow at the end of the year.
Mr Biden has made scuttling the climate-sceptic policy of his predecessor Donald Trump a priority of his administration.
He has rejoined the 2015 Paris accord, and is hosting a virtual summit of world leaders next week that the US hopes will result in stronger climate pledges.
China's President Xi has yet to confirm if he will attend the summit.
The US consulate said Mr Kerry would meet his Chinese counterparts at a Shanghai hotel in a day of closed-door talks.
China announced an ambitious target to be carbon-neutral by 2060, but analysts have warned that a high reliance on coal and modest short-term targets could scupper the ambition.
As Mr Trump turned away from the national climate agenda, Mr Xi made bold promises to cut carbon emissions.
China "now shouldered the responsibility of global climate governance" and will not be part of a US-centred climate campaign, the nationalistic Global Times cited experts as saying yesterday.
Mr Biden has yet to announce any new targets under the Paris Agreement.
No global solution on climate change is likely without both the US and China on board, since the world's top two economies together account for nearly half of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Li Shuo from Greenpeace China said he hoped the talks might yield agreements on China's huge use of polluting coal.
"China is the largest coal consumer, it is still building coal-fired power plants, both domestically and along the Belt and Road region," he told Agence France-Presse, referring to China's sprawling international infrastructure plan.
"There needs to be a reverse on that. In terms of potential outcomes, that would be top on my list."
While Beijing and Washington have clashed over Hong Kong and Xinjiang, the climate issue is seen as a shared interest that cuts through the rancour.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
