Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned US climate change envoy John Kerry that deteriorating relations between their nations are undermining efforts to combat climate change.
Wang explained this to Kerry in a video, adding that such co-operation is inseparable from the overall ties between their countries. A statement from China's foreign ministry stated that Wang had advised the United States to take steps to strengthen ties.
Kerry, who is in the Chinese city of Tianjin for climate change talks, said the United States was ready to work with the rest of the world to address the challenge and called on China to take further steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The former US Secretary of State also said China plays a key role in tackling climate change challenges. After all, China is the world's largest polluter, followed by the United States.
Relations between the United States and China have been strained by trade, technology, and human rights disputes. But the two nations have agreed that the threat of climate change is an issue they can work together to combat.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said although China and the United States differed on a number of issues. But at the same time, there are things they can work on including the issue of climate change.
China and the United States should respect each other for the benefit of their countries
Wang added that both sides should continue negotiations with mutual respect and for the benefit of their nations.
China is the world's largest consumer of coal. Sixty percent of its energy comes from coal which is a major source of greenhouse gases.
However, China intends to use alternative methods to generate 20 percent of the country's energy needs by 2025. It also plans to reduce carbon emissions by 2060 and begin to reduce such levels by 2030.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has announced his goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 52 percent by 2030, double the standards set by Barack Obama in the 2015 Paris agreement.
The 2030 targets place the United States at the forefront of nations' efforts to combat the problem of climate change.
