What’s new: China’s special envoy on climate change Xie Zhenhua will meet with his U.S. counterpart John Kerry in the northern city of Tianjin this week to discuss bilateral climate cooperation and the United Nations climate talks scheduled for later this year, according to the Chinese environment ministry.
It will be the pair’s second face-to-face meeting, with the previous in-person discussion taking place in Shanghai in April. Kerry is scheduled to arrive in Tianjin on Tuesday and hold meetings with the Chinese side until Friday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Environment and Ecology on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Beijing and Washington have been communicating and coordinating positions on issues including climate change and the Afghan power transfer as part of their effort to reengage after four years of turbulent relations under former U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked with his U.S. counterpart Secretary of State Anthony Blinken by phone, noting that those communications were beneficial to China-U.S. relations. “Dialogue is better than confrontation, and cooperation is better than conflict,” Wang said, “The Chinese side will consider how to engage with the United States based on its attitude toward China.”
Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com)
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