One of the last items on Kerry’s agenda was a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who urged for proper handling of differences to return bilateral ties to the path of solid and stable development at an early date.
The prime minister stressed the importance of the implementation by the two countries of the consensus reached last year in Bali, Indonesia by Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden.
Regarding the fight against climate change, Li pointed out that developed nations should take the lead in reducing emissions and meeting their financial commitments. He also encouraged exploring pragmatic mechanisms for cooperation, promoting the multilateral climate governance process, and ensuring the effective implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
According to China Daily, Kerry expressed Washington’s desire for a stable relationship with China and expressed the willingness of the United States to jointly address pressing global challenges. Kerry also suggested previously that climate cooperation with Beijing could mark a new start in solving bilateral differences.
Kerry is the third senior Biden administration official to arrive in China in less than two months, following a visit by Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Experts interpret these exchanges as an attempt by both sides to ease the deteriorating bilateral ties, which have reached a critical point due to disagreements on issues such as Taiwan, human rights and economic warfare.
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