2023-07-08 08:58:59
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Chinese government officials and climate experts on Saturday that the United States and China, as the world’s two largest economies, must work together to combat the “existential threat” posed by climate change.
During her visit to Beijing, Yelin said the past cooperation between the two countries on climate change made global progress such as the 2015 Paris climate agreement possible, adding that the two governments want to support emerging markets and developing countries in pursuit of climate goals.
“Continued cooperation between the United States and China on financing climate goals is critical,” Yellen said in a prepared speech to be delivered at the climate talks in Beijing.
China, which is classified by the United Nations as a developing country, has long said that it is the responsibility of developed countries to help poor countries bear the cost of coping with climate change.
But Beijing says it can contribute to the “losses and damages” caused by climate change on a voluntary basis.
Given the size of the two countries, cooperation between the United States and China is vital to international efforts to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Funding for such initiatives should be coordinated efficiently and effectively, Yelin said, adding that support from Beijing, Washington and others to existing multilateral institutions concerned with climate issues, such as the Green Climate Fund and Climate Investment Funds, can enhance the impact of such efforts.
Last year, China briefly suspended talks with the United States on climate, security and other issues in response to then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
During today’s talks, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said he is looking forward to US Climate Envoy John Kerry’s visit to China.
Kerry announced that China had invited him to visit soon.
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