Improved China-U.S. ties needed for climate change cooperation: Chinese FM

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry via video link, Sept. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry via video link upon invitation, urging the U.S. side to work with China and take active steps to bring ties back on track.

China-U.S. cooperation on climate change serves interests of both sides and the world, and enjoys broad development prospect, but such cooperation cannot sustain without an improved bilateral relationship, Wang said.

For China and the United States, as two major countries in the world, cooperation is the only right choice and the keen expectation of the international community, Wang told Kerry, who is in Tianjin for the China-U.S. negotiations on climate change.

Wang said the two countries had carried out fruitful dialogue and cooperation bilaterally and on major international and regional issues including climate change, delivering tangible benefits to the two countries and two peoples.

The past achievements indicated that the two countries should respect each other and seek common ground while shelving differences so as to reach win-win results, he said.

However, major strategic miscalculation by the United States has resulted in the sudden deterioration of bilateral relations in recent years, Wang said, adding the ball now is in the U.S. court.

He urged the U.S. side to stop viewing China as a threat and rival, cease containing and suppressing China all over the world, and take concrete steps to improve ties.

Wang also said the United States should conduct coordination and cooperation on bilateral, regional and global levels, in accordance with the principle of mutual respect and equality for win-win results.

Wang pointed out that the U.S. side had described climate change cooperation as an "oasis" of China-U.S. relationship. However, if the oasis is all surrounded by deserts, then sooner or later the "oasis" will be desertified.

Kerry said since U.S.-China cooperation is of vital importance for responding to the pressing challenge of climate change, the United States is willing to work with China to enhance dialogue, jointly improve ambitions, demonstrate leadership, and set an example for meeting the Paris Agreement goals.

This will also create opportunities for addressing difficulties facing U.S.-China relations, Kerry said.