China expands partnership with California to combat climate change

San Francisco, Sept.13 (People's Daily Online)-- China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Vice Chairman Xie Zhenhua signed Friday an agreement with California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in San Francisco to expand bilateral cooperation on climate change.

The signed Memorandum of Understanding is the first-of-its-kind agreement between China’s NDRC and a subnational government on climate change. The MOU is signed to boost bilateral cooperation on climate, clean energy and low carbon development, which includes a range of activities, such as mitigating carbon emissions, strengthening performance standards to control greenhouse gasses, designing and implementing carbon emissions trading systems, sharing information on policies and programs to strengthen low carbon development.

Xie Zhenhua said: “The negative effect of climate change will affect the developing countries and the developed countries. We need to work together to address the climate change issue.” He added that China and America are taking active actions to address climate change and California is taking a lead in this regard.

"The fact that the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China is entering into an agreement with one of the fifty states reflects the important position of California not only in the economy, but in science, technology and climate change initiatives," said Governor Brown before signing today's agreement. "I see the partnership between China, between provinces in China, and the state of California as a catalyst and as a lever to change policies in the United States and ultimately change policies throughout the world."

The singing of the MOU follows Governor Brown’s Trade and Investment Mission to China in April and meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping in June. Partnership on climate change was one of many subjects the Governor discussed with President Xi and a key component of the trade mission.