John Kerry, a special envoy of the President in relation to climate issues, will be journeying to Beijing between 16th and 19th July, according to reports made by both the US and China. This will be the third occasion in the space of a month in which a senior US figure has gone to the Asian nation for discussions. Negotiations in the area of climate were briefly halted after Nancy Pelosi, the then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives, made a trip to Taiwan in August.
John Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate, has been scheduled to visit Beijing from July 16 to 19, according to announcements from both the U.S. and China. In a statement, the U.S. State Department stated that during his meetings, Secretary Kerry intends to have discussions with the People's Republic of China on how to tackle the climate crisis, including strengthening implementation and ambition, as well as aiding in a successful COP28. Kerry's journey will make him the third top-ranking U.S. official to take part in talks with China in the past month.
Although no concrete conclusions have emerged yet, this marks a revival of in-person dialogue that was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic and strained diplomatic relations. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen concluded a four-day mission to Beijing on Sunday, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken came to Beijing in late June, following a prior plan to travel there in February, which he had to amend following news of a Chinese spy balloon that allegedly drifted into U.S. airspace. The Chinese government claimed the balloon was a weather one that had been carried away by the winds.
During Blinken's trip to China, the two countries agreed to substantially increase flights between them; however, the Secretary of State revealed he was unable to reestablish military-to-military contact. In a Tuesday interview with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC, he stated: "It's in both nations' best interests to avert any kind of misinterpretations, especially in the military realm, so that's something we will continue to search for." He further noted that lengthy conversations with Yellen had included recognizing differences between the U.S. and China, and also areas of collaboration. "And that will go on," he added.
Following Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan in August, the U.S. and China suspended talks regarding climate. After the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, however, the two countries started working together again on climate. Xie Zhenhua, China's special climate envoy, participated in the virtual Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, as well as the U.S.-led event at COP 27 in Egypt in November. John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, is set to travel to Beijing to discuss climate change cooperation with China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
The China Meteorological Administration reported that the average national temperature in June was 0.7 degrees Celsius (33 degrees Fahrenheit) higher compared to the same period last year, making it the second-hottest June on record since 1961. Beijing has experienced temperatures nearing 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) or more in the past few weeks, while other parts of the country have had to contend with heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding. Meanwhile, wildfires in Canada, triggered by record heat and drought, have sent smoky air over New York and other U.S. cities. John Kerry, who served as Secretary of State during the Obama administration, was appointed as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate in 2021, at the beginning of President Biden's term. It should be noted that NBCUniversal is the parent company of MSNBC and CNBC.
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