Li urges close climate cooperation

Premier Li Qiang meets with John Kerry, the United States' special presidential envoy for climate, in Beijing on Tuesday. (Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily)

Premier Li Qiang told United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry on Tuesday that China and the U.S. should cooperate more closely to address climate change, saying that enhanced cooperation between the two countries would not only benefit each other, but also the world.

Kerry started a four-day visit to China on Sunday, making him the third senior official of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to travel to China in recent weeks, after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

During a meeting with Kerry in Beijing, Li underlined the importance of the two countries implementing the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Biden in Bali, Indonesia, last year. China and the U.S. should properly manage their differences and bring bilateral ties back to the track of sound and stable development at an early date, he said.

While developing countries should make their due contributions, developed nations should take the lead in reducing emissions and fulfill their financial commitments, Li said, calling for adherence to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

The premier said developed countries should provide more technological support to developing nations in order to promote global transformation to green and low-carbon development.

Li expressed his hope that China and the U.S. will continue to uphold the spirit of cooperation, respect each other's core concerns and engage in full communication to seek common ground while reserving differences.

He also encouraged the two sides to explore more pragmatic mechanisms for cooperation, promote the multilateral climate governance process and ensure the full and effective implementation of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

Kerry expressed Washington's wish for a stable U.S.-China relationship, saying that the U.S. is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to jointly address climate change and other pressing global challenges.

Also on Tuesday, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Kerry in Beijing.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China-U.S. cooperation on climate change has great potential, but it requires understanding and support from the two peoples and also a good bilateral relationship.

It is hoped that the U.S. will pursue a rational, pragmatic and positive China policy, continue to adhere to the one-China principle, properly handle the Taiwan question, and work with China by upholding mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, he added.

Noting that the U.S. attaches great importance to stabilizing U.S.-China relations, Kerry said the U.S. is willing to make joint efforts with China to further improve bilateral relations for the benefit of the world.

He also said that the U.S. always adheres to the one-China policy.