US-China summit in Beijing, Kerry meets Wang

US climate envoy John Kerry met with top Chinese Communist Party diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing today as the world’s two biggest polluters resumed talks on climate change. Wang welcomed Kerry at the House of the People on his arrival in the Chinese capital on Sunday. The two shook hands and exchanged a few words before starting the meeting. Kerry spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua for four hours yesterday, according to state television CCTV. The U.S. ambassador later tweeted that Washington and Beijing “must take urgent action on multiple fronts, particularly the challenges of coal and methane pollution.” “The climate crisis requires the world’s two largest economies to work together to curb global warming,” he added. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said climate change is a common challenge for all of humanity. China will “exchange with the United States on issues related to climate change and work with them to address the challenges and improve the well-being of current and future generations,” he said. The climate dialogue was interrupted nearly a year ago: China suspended it in protest at then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.