US Urges "More Effort on Climate Action," China "Refuses"... Climate Summit Fails to Reach Agreement

John Kerry, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, held a video conference with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party responsible for foreign affairs, on the 2nd. Kerry, who visited China for four days starting from the 31st of last month, conducted successive video meetings with Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Han Zheng, the Vice Premier, and then with Yang, a member of the Political Bureau.

During John Kerry's visit to China as the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, reports emerged that the high-level talks between the U.S. and China failed to reach an agreement.

According to the Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 4th, an anonymous source familiar with the U.S.-China negotiations stated, "The U.S. demanded that China make more commitments before the November United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), but China refused."

Special Envoy Kerry visited Tianjin, China, for three days until the 2nd, meeting both virtually and in person with Han Zheng, Vice Premier; Yang Jiechi, Political Bureau Member in charge of foreign affairs; Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister; and Xie Zhenhua, Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Kerry reportedly demanded that China make public commitments related to the 1.5-degree Celsius limit on global temperature rise, as agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

He also requested that China present a clear timeline for peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and strengthen efforts to combat climate change, including halting financing for overseas coal-fired power plants.

However, the source said China would not accept the targets and timelines demanded by the U.S., as it already has its own plans and roadmap to achieve its climate goals.

Additionally, China reportedly expressed concerns during the talks about U.S. regulations on China's solar industry, which are based on allegations of forced labor in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment stated on the 3rd that the talks involved "frank, deep, and practical discussions." Generally, the term "frank" in diplomatic negotiations is used when there are differences between the parties.

Shi Yinhong, a professor at Renmin University, said, "China is making commitments on climate change for its own interests and for the international community," adding, "This is led by China itself, and China will not act according to U.S. demands."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.