China hopes for 'consistency' in US climate policy

Beijing hopes the US will maintain "consistency" in its climate policy and continue bilateral cooperation regardless of next week's election result, a Chinese official said Friday.

The two countries have expanded climate policy cooperation since Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in San Francisco nearly a year ago.

U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Filoli estate on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, November 15, 2023Reuters

But the US election on November 5 could see climate sceptic Donald Trump return as president.

Beijing "hoped the US can continue to maintain the stability and consistency of its policies in the climate field," Xia Yingxian, director of China's Department of Climate Change, told a news conference when asked about the potential impact of a new US administration on collaboration.

Xia also hailed the "very sustained and in-depth cooperation" between the two countries through mechanisms such the US-China Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action, established in January.

Since then, climate has been a rare area of cooperation between the geopolitical rivals.

In September, US climate envoy John Podesta visited Beijing and, after meeting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, said plans were moving forward for a summit with China on reducing methane emissions.

China and the US are the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases, which cause climate change.

Next month they will join hundreds of countries for climate talks at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan.

China plans to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.