US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry speaks to the press as he leaves after a meeting with the French president (not in frame) at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France, on March 10, 2021. (LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP)
WASHINGTON – Differences on human rights between the United States and China should not get in the way of fighting climate change together, US President Joe Biden's climate envoy John Kerry said, according to US media reports on Tuesday.
My sense is the Chinese know that there is a benefit to both of us being able to resolve the climate crisis because our citizens are deeply affected by our failure to do so.
John Kerry, 1st United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
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"Right now, climate is enough of an imperative for all of our countries. China doesn't benefit by not having America as a partner in dealing with climate. And the United States doesn't benefit from not having China as a partner in climate," Kerry told Foreign Policy magazine in an interview.
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While the two sides have differences in a host of fields, including human rights, "those differences do not have to get in the way of something that is as critical as dealing with climate … When I was in China the other day, we negotiated back and forth in good faith," Kerry said.
"My sense is the Chinese know that there is a benefit to both of us being able to resolve the climate crisis because our citizens are deeply affected by our failure to do so," he added.