Cooperation on climate change between China and the United States is "very successful" and could set an example for South-North cooperation in this field, Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate change affairs, said in Washington on Monday.
Xie made the remarks on the eve of the seventh China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue, a platform for the two countries to address bilateral, regional and global challenges and opportunities.
China and the United States have engaged in policy dialogue on climate change for more than seven years and reached consensus on the science of climate change, Xie told an event celebrating private-sector engagement in advancing the China-U.S. Climate Change Working Group, which was initiated in 2013.
Xie noted that the Chinese government has attached great importance to the issue of climate change. For example, if China is to achieve its target of capping greenhouse gas emissions around 2030, it's estimated a total investment of 41 trillion renminbi yuan (about 6.72 trillion U.S. dollars) is needed to improve energy efficiency and develop renewable energy.
The world must work together to ensure the success of the Paris climate talks, scheduled for December this year, by reaching a multilateral deal that is acceptable to all parties, the veteran climate negotiator said.
U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern gave a speech on the same occasion, in which he also commended China-U.S. cooperation on climate change.
"Sometimes we agree, sometimes we argue, but we always move forward together," he said. "It's obvious to everyone cooperation between the United States and China on climate change is quite strong now."
Stern said a U.S.-China joint statement on climate change last year, which revealed for the first time both countries' post-2020 emissions targets, "demonstrated our capability, our will to work together constructively toward the challenge of dealing with climate change."
He added that climate cooperation between the two countries is important in a number of ways, such as being a strong boost to the U.S.-China overall bilateral relationship and a demonstration to the world that the United States and China can work together to solve difficult problems.
The seventh China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue is set to start on Tuesday in Washington. Climate change is one of the issues high on the agenda of the two-day event.
