China hopes the United States will rejoin the Paris climate agreement and contribute to the global agenda on fighting climate change, a senior envoy said Tuesday.
"China is willing to step up cooperation with the United States in climate change negotiations after the United States said it will stay in the talks although it has withdrawn from the accord," China's Special Representative on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua told a press conference.
"China has made it clear that it is willing to enhance cooperation with the United States in the areas of clean energy utilization, energy and resource conservation, carbon capture and storage, as well as other research and development," he said.
The Paris Agreement, agreed on by almost every country in the world in 2015, aims to tackle climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and sets a global target of keeping the average temperature rise no higher than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in June that he had decided to pull the United States out of this landmark global pact.
Xie made the remarks ahead of the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Bonn, Germany from Nov. 6 to 17, at which a guideline for the implementation of the Paris agreement will be defined.
Speaking on expectations on the upcoming conference, Xie said China hoped participants could reach a draft guideline reflecting needs of all parties and all the key elements in the agreement.
The draft guideline could lay a foundation for all parties to complete the negotiation on the implementation details of the agreement in 2018, he said.
Xie also underlined the necessity of making reviews on the implementation of countries' pledges on tackling climate change before 2020.
Developed countries need to work out a timetable at the conference on fulfilling their promise of providing developing countries with funds and technology worth 100 billion U.S. dollars every year leading up to 2020.
"It will enable countries to build political trust and enhance confidence of the international community in fulfilling obligations and honoring commitment," he said.
China signed the Paris Agreement in April 2016, giving a strong push to international efforts against global warming.
German authorities expect 25,000 guests to attend the Bonn conference, including representatives of governments and non-governmental organizations, and 1,500 journalists.
