The US and China yesterday announced an unprecedented joint plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, one of several agreements reached by US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at intensive bilateral talks.
The US and China have strong economic and commercial ties, but have been at odds over everything from China’s pursuit of territorial claims in East and Southeast Asia to cyberspying, trade and human rights.
Obama, meeting Xi in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People for their first formal talks in more than a year after a dinner meeting the previous night, said he welcomes a China that is “peaceful, prosperous and stable.”
Photo: EPA
On Tuesday, the two leaders spoke for five hours during and after dinner, two hours longer than scheduled, officials said.
Obama added that China and the US have important differences, but he was encouraged by Xi’s willingness to engage constructively.
“There are important differences that we have both practically, as well as our vision for our respective countries and our conduct in foreign policy,” he said. “But what I’ve been very encouraged by is your willingness, Mr President, to engage in constructive dialogue.”
“Our two countries have enormous stakes in each other’s success,” Obama said. “The United States welcomes a China that is peaceful, prosperous and stable.”
Xi told Obama that China and the US should expand the areas where they can and should cooperate.
Despite US officials projecting low expectations for any major successes before the trip, the two sides managed to roll out a series of agreements during the visit — on visas, trade, climate and military-to-military ties.
The agreement to cap greenhouse emissions throws the weight of the two nations behind a new global climate pact to be negotiated in Paris next year.
There were few tangibles agreed at last year’s informal summit between the two countries in California, their last major bilateral talks, aside from agreeing to work together to try to resolve disputes over cybersecurity, and relations in that area subsequently worsened.
In May, the US charged five Chinese military officers with hacking into US companies to steal trade secrets. China showed its anger over the allegations by shutting down a bilateral working group on cybersecurity.
Still, despite the bonhomie displayed by both leaders during their public interactions, especially at the APEC summit, there are still deep differences.
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