U.S. climate envoy John Kerry recently visited China, allegedly to pave the way for a climate summit advocated by Biden. In a video meeting with Kerry, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng asked the United States to “make a contribution” and mentioned the Green Climate Fund, which has benefited China. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said China is unlikely to make new commitments at the climate summit.
Kerry made a low-key visit to Shanghai from 14 to 17 for closed-door talks with China’s climate envoy. Neither the U.S. nor China disclosed details during the visit. Only on the 17th, after reporting on the video climate summit between Xi Jinping and the heads of France and Germany, did the Chinese Party media announce that Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Political Bureau, had held a video conference with Kerry on the 16th. Han is the vice premier of the State Council in charge of climate issues.
Party media reported that Han claimed during the video conference that China “attaches great importance to dialogue and cooperation with the United States on climate change” and welcomed the U.S. return to the Paris agreement, expecting the U.S. to “assume its responsibility and make the necessary contribution. Han also asked Washington to “explain how it will fill the gaps left by the past four years, especially in terms of funding for the Green Climate Fund.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a mechanism established by the United Nations that is funded by developed countries “to help developing countries actively address climate change. At the end of 2019, a $100 million Green Climate Fund was set up in Shandong province, the first Green Climate Fund China has received, according to official Chinese media reports.
On the same day that Han spoke with Kerry, Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told the Associated Press that the U.S. emphasis on U.S.-China confrontation is “too negative. Le Yucheng also said Beijing is unlikely to make any new commitments at next week’s Biden-inspired climate change summit.
Zhang Jiadun, a leading conservative columnist and lawyer, told VOA that it would be pointless for the United States to talk about climate change with the Chinese Communist Party if the Chinese side does not make new commitments.
Before his trip to Shanghai, Kerry said that China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the world’s emissions, so it “must” work with China on climate issues. But the U.S. and China are now in full confrontation in various areas, and Kerry also said he has “no confidence” in U.S.-China cooperation.
Although Kerry has repeatedly stressed that the U.S. will not use climate issues to make deals with Beijing on human rights and trade, there are still concerns that the Chinese Communist Party will use this as leverage to force the Biden administration to make certain compromises.
Under Biden’s initiative, a global summit on climate change will be held next week with the leaders of 40 countries, and the leaders of China and Russia are among those invited. AFP reports that Beijing and Washington have put aside many of their differences for the time being during discussions between the two sides during Kerry’s visit to China.
Before the Biden-initiated climate summit, the Chinese Communist Party pre-empted the announcement of a climate summit between Xi Jinping and the heads of France and Germany. External analysis suggests that this may be Beijing’s intention to compete with Washington for dominance over global climate change issues.
U.S. Senator Rubio recently warned that Biden’s climate policy, which profits a genocidal Chinese Communist regime, is a great gift to the CCP and will have disastrous consequences for the United States.
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