China’s Xi Jinping will participate in Biden’s climate summit
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping will take part in President Biden’s climate summit this week, the government announced Wednesday.
Xi will participate in the online event by video link from Beijing and “deliver an important speech,” the official Xinhua News Agency said.
China and the United States are the biggest emitters of climate-changing carbon pollution.
Xi said in December that China would reduce its emissions by 65% from 2005 levels by 2030. Sources say Biden will announce that the U.S. will cut its own greenhouse gas emissions by at least half by 2030.
Wednesday’s announcement gave no indication whether Xi might make additional commitments at this week’s meeting.
Despite the turbulent state of U.S.-China relations, the two nations recently agreed to cooperate with other countries to curb climate change.
The world must redouble efforts under the Paris agreement to combat carbon emissions and mitigate the worst effects of global warming.
The agreement was reached by John F. Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate, and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, during two days of talks in Shanghai.
“The United States and China are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands,” a joint statement issued Saturday said.
Kerry is the highest-level U.S. official to travel to China since Biden took office in January.
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