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Climate: ‘Collaboration has never ceased’
will have a long-term impact on the transformation of economic structures worldwide.
TheDavos forum comes at a time when the United States could withdrawfrom the Paris pact and policies including trade have added uncertainty to global affairs. This has led to expectations that China will play a more significant role, said Robert Hormats, vicechairman of the consulting company Kissinger Associates and a former undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.
ButXie said he was not worried about bilateral cooperation with the United States.
“Collaboration on climate change has never ceased amid the political tensions,” he said.
Bilateral collaboration continues under the leadership of the US-China Climate Change Working Group, and the US-China Climate Smart/Low Carbon Cities Summit will be held in Boston this year, according to Xie.
Xie said he expected US president-elect Donald Trump’s attitude toward climate change to shift after he takes office on Friday. Trump has said he is skeptical of climate change and might withdraw from the Paris agreement.
“Trump has softened his tone on whether climate change is real,” he said, noting that two weeks after the Nov 8 election, Trump acknowledged that global warming is linked to human activities.
In the meantime, the international community and US citizens will pressure the Trump administration to continue clean energy policies, Xie said.
Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, said last week that climate change is real and that the consequences of climate change warrant serious action. More than 600 businesses in theUS released a letter last week calling for Trump to take steps to combat climate change.
“Industrial upgrades aiming for more sustainable growth is a global trend,” said Xie. “It is not something that can be reversed by a single political leader.” © 2017 China Daily All Rights Reserved Vol. 37 — No. 101051