John Kerry Emphasizes the Need for 'Real Progress' in US-China Climate Dialogue

John Kerry, the special envoy of the United States for climate change, who has traveled to Beijing, China, emphasized on Monday, July 17, that China and the US must achieve 'real progress' in the remaining four months before the UN-led climate talks begin in Dubai. While Mr. Kerry met with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, to rebuild trust between the two main greenhouse gas-producing countries, the US, Italy, and Greece were under warnings for extreme heat. Meanwhile, in South Korea, flooding killed 40 people, and floods claimed at least five lives in the northeastern US. Additionally, relentless and unprecedented rainfall in India has led to the evacuation of hundreds of homes in New Delhi, the capital. China has also been grappling with extreme heat for months; on Sunday, temperatures in the Xinjiang region reached 52.2 degrees Celsius. Mr. Kerry stated that floods and severe storms are occurring more frequently compared to the past, while wildfires destroy millions of hectares of natural land every year. He urged China to cooperate with the United States to reduce methane pollution and mitigate the effects of coal use. Mr. Kerry's meetings in Beijing will continue until Wednesday. This is his third visit to China in his capacity as the US climate change envoy. The US Treasury Secretary described his discussions with Chinese officials as constructive.