Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew co-chair the Economic Dialogue of the Eighth Round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues in Beijing, China, June 6, 2016. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
Senior Chinese and U.S. officials on Monday expressed willingness to address climate change together during a conference on climate change as part of the Eighth Round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues.
Breakthroughs in negotiating the historic Paris agreement on climate change, adopted without objection in December, are attributable to effective China-U.S. cooperation, according to Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang.
Cooperation between China and the United States on climate change demonstrated that the two countries can make major achievements to benefit both themselves and the whole world, he said.
The vice premier reiterated that both sides should follow the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" in climate change cooperation.
China has set its peak carbon emissions target for around 2030. The country also pledged 20 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars) to establish a fund for developing countries to jointly tackle climate change.
Wang said he hoped developed countries will honor their commitments to give 100 billion U.S. dollars to developing countries annually before 2020,realize emission reduction targets, and transfer environmentally friendly technology to developing countries.
Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate change, said the two countries agreed to use opportunities such as the Group of 20 summit to deepen cooperation in the areas of new energy, energy revolution, carbon emissions reduction and energy conservation, in a bid to push the Paris agreement to become effective at an early date.
He told a press briefing after the conference that China-U.S. climate change cooperation demands actions from local governments, enterprises, research institutions and social groups from both countries.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also said the United States and China should make joint efforts to push the Paris agreement to become effective as early as possible.
Kerry said he expected stronger leadership from the two countries in shifting away from intensive, high-polluting energy consumption.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said both sides should encourage enterprises to operate in a low-carbon way and promote the use of green financing.
The two countries need to create jobs, innovate in technology and drive economic growth in the fight against climate change, according to Lew.
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi hailed climate change cooperation as a bright spot in the establishment of a "new type of major power relationship" between China and the United States.
The two countries should expand cooperation on energy conservation and emissions reductions, clean energy, smart power grids, green ports and low-carbon cities, said Yang.
He urged China and the United States to push for the implementation of the Paris agreement and participate in further negotiations in a constructive way.
