U.S. should not to dig holes while repairing roads: Chinese FM spokesperson on climate talks

The U.S. should not to dig holes while repairing roads, a spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday when briefing climate talks between China and U.S. last week, slamming a reported U.S. tariff on EVs and other green energy imports.

China's special envoy for climate change Liu Zhenmin led a delegation to the U.S. from May 7 to 16 for talks with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Podesta, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said last week.

China and the U.S. agreed on climate change cooperation including deploying emission reduction technologies for methane emissions control and reductions, following talks between Liu and Podesta.

The meeting reviewed the "The Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis”, which was reached by China and U.S. in November 2023, on strengthening cooperation to address the climate crisis, which was established during the previous meeting between two heads of state in San Francisco, Wang said.

In-depth discussions were held on energy transition, methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases, the circular economy, and resource efficiency between Liu and Podesta. The meeting also discussed cooperation on relevant multilateral issues in preparation for the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29).

Both China and the U.S. shared their experiences and challenges in climate policies and actions, and expressed willingness to engage in technical and policy exchanges. The two sides plan to hold the second Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases during COP29, and look forward to the China-U.S. Local Climate Action High-Level Event in Berkeley, California on May 29-30.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration reported plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, local media quoted U.S. officials and a others familiar with the plan as saying.

Tariffs on electric vehicles, in particular, could quadruple — from the existing 25 percent to 100 percent, according to ABC news. The tariffs, expected to be announced Tuesday, come as officials across the Democratic administration have expressed frustration over China's manufacturing “overcapacity” of EVs and other products that they say pose a threat to U.S. jobs and national security.

In response, Wang said that the U.S. has expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in addressing climate change, while at the same time hyping up the so-called "overcapacity of China's new energy production" and threatening to impose high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, solar products, and other goods.

This contradictory approach not only goes against the consensus reached at the summit between the Chinese and U.S. leaders on cooperating to address the climate crisis, but also harms the global green transition and undermines efforts to combat climate change worldwide.

“We urge the U.S. side not to build roads on one hand while digging pits on the other, and to create favorable conditions for cooperation between China and the U.S. on climate change and for global green transition,” Wang said.