US and China agree to cooperate on climate crisis with urgency

US and China agree to cooperate on climate crisis with urgency

The United States and China, the world's two biggest carbon polluters, agreed to cooperate to curb climate change with urgency, just days before President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss the issue.The agreement was reached by U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua during two days of talks in Shanghai last week, according to a joint statement.The two countries “are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands,” the statement said.China and the United States are the world's top carbon polluters, pumping out nearly half of the fossil fuel fumes that are warming the planet's atmosphere. Their cooperation is key to the success of global efforts to curb climate change, but frayed ties over human rights, trade and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea have been threatening to undermine such efforts.Kerry's Shanghai trip marked the highest-level travel to China by a U.S. official since Biden took office in January. From Shanghai, the former secretary of state flew to South Korea for talks.Biden has invited 40 world