Kerry: Climate Cooperation Could Reshape U.S.-China Relations

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday, "The United States and China can benefit from climate cooperation to reshape their troubled diplomatic relationship and lead efforts to combat global warming." Kerry stated to Wang in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that "the talks could represent a fresh start for relations between the two largest countries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, which have been strained by disagreements over Taiwan and trade." Kerry expressed hope that "this could be the beginning of a new framework for cooperation and the ability to resolve our differences," adding, "We are very optimistic as this could mark the start of not just a dialogue between you and me on climate, but also allow us to begin changing the broader relationship." Wang referred to Kerry as "an old friend" and noted that they had worked together "to resolve a range of issues between the two sides." He also mentioned their previous collaboration related to nuclear talks with Iran.