Climate change a major area U.S., China can potentially work together: U.S. expert

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Climate change is a major area that the United States and China can "at least potentially work together" though U.S.-China relations are "in many ways at their worst point in almost half a century," a leading U.S. expert has said.

"There are some areas where the two countries can at least potentially work together where they have common interests. And I think one area that often rises to the top of the list in suggestions is climate change," said David Sandalow, an inaugural fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, at a recent virtual talk hosted by the Institute for China-America Studies on the U.S.-China relationship regarding climate change.

Sandalow, also co-director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the university's School of International and Public Affairs, said that "there is some progress" towards joint work on the climate change between the two governments, but what exactly comes out of it is "uncertain" right now.

The two big countries have demonstrated a strong willingness to cooperate against the common threat, said Sandalow, who has served in senior positions at the White House, State Department, and the Department of Energy.

On April 14-17, China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry held talks in Shanghai.

The two sides issued a joint statement on climate change cooperation, which Sandalow said "seems to be some progress" and "expressed the determination of both countries to do that, some specific ideas about how to do that."

"They've also indicated that there've been a number of conversations at working levels between the two governments on climate change. So there does seem to be some progress, (although) exactly what will come up is yet to be determined," he said.

"I recall hearing an entrepreneur say this is the biggest economic opportunity of our lifetimes as we redo the global energy system ... to decarbonize our economies, and we need to do it, or we're going to be in extraordinary trouble from climate change," he said.

Even during the tenures of former U.S. President Donald Trump, there was cooperation with the Chinese government, and the state of California, in particular, was active in that regard, said Sandalow, who writes and speaks widely on energy and climate policy.

"Cooperative programs included on things like emissions trading and air pollution reduction related topics," he said.

There was also cooperation in other sectors including clean energy businesses, financial firms and academic and professional exchanges, "the type that I've been involved in at Columbia University," Sandalow said.

"We have partnerships with Renmin University (of China), for example, in Beijing and the Tsinghua University and others working on these issues," he said.