China and U.S. to resume climate talks halted after Pelosi trip

Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to resume climate change talks with the United States, President Joe Biden said Monday.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia — Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to resume climate change talks with the United States, President Joe Biden said Monday, three months after Xi suspended those contacts in anger over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.

China and the U.S. are the world’s No. 1 and 2 climate polluters. Resumption of what have been the two countries’ give-some-and-get-some negotiations on climate efforts is seen as crucial to achieving the massive cuts in use of coal and other fossil fuels needed to slow global warming.

Biden and Xi met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Both committed Monday to directing their governments’ senior officials to “maintain communication and deepen constructive efforts” on matters including climate change and security of the world food supply, the White House said.

John Kerry’s one-on-one relationship with his Chinese government counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, proved pivotal to striking the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord. Kerry was then secretary of state and is now Biden’s climate envoy. Persuading China to move much faster to cut its reliance on dirty-burning coal has been a main — and so far unrealized — effort of Kerry’s climate diplomacy under Biden.

Ani Dasgupta, head of the World Resources Institute, said in a statement Monday that the global community “was breathing a sigh of relief” at news the two nations were resuming joint climate efforts.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-us-resume-climate-talks-rcna57182

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