Beijing, Washington resume climate talks after nearly year-long pause

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) — China and the US on Monday resumed talks on how to combat climate change after a hiatus of nearly a year.

Beijing's climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his counterpart John Kerry held a four-hour meeting in China's capital, according to Chinese broadcaster CGTN.

The two countries had suspended climate talks after then-US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year.

Underlining that climate change is an issue "that all mankind is facing," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Beijing would implement the spirit of a summit held by President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden last November in Bali, Indonesia.

China will also "hold in-depth exchanges with the US, and work together to address the issue," she added.​​​​​​​

Kerry arrived in Beijing on Sunday. He is the third senior US official to visit China in the last two months.

Last Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Indonesia's capital Jakarta.

The meeting between the top US and Chinese diplomats, who were in Jakarta for meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), came less than a month after Blinken visited Beijing.

Analysts say Washington is trying to stabilize ties with Beijing, particularly the climate change talks, despite China's strong reaction to Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.