China,US have Great Potential in Energy and Climate Cooperation

China and the United States have signed a joint statement in Beijing, agreeing that "the transition to a green and low-carbon economy is essential." Experts from both China and the US say Sino-US energy and environmental cooperation has a bright future.

Shuangfeng has more.

Reporter:

The Sino-US joint agreement signed during US president Barack Obama's visit to China says both sides welcome significant steps forward to advance policy dialogue and cooperation on climate change, energy and environmental protection.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei says President Hu Jintao and Obama have talked of the need to jointly combat climate change.

"As the world's biggest developing country and developed country, both China and the US are big energy producers and consumers. We certainly should take the responsibility to work with the international community to combat climate change. In the joint statement, both sides agree to take mitigating action based on each country's circumstances."

Yang Mingjie, a researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, says the consensus reached on climate change will play an important role in the success of next month's UN Climate Conference.

"I think the joint statement sends a clear signal to the Copenhagen Conference that both sides will join other countries to make efforts in the next few weeks to bring success to the meeting."

Yang Mingjie adds that China-US energy and environmental cooperation is significant in future economic development.

"In the joint statement, China and the US take green economy, low-carbon economy and new energy as the direction of future economic development. And they have vowed to devote manpower and financial resources in these fields. So I think the cooperation will play a leading role in directing future economic development."

William Chandler, a leading expert on energy and climate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says a better understanding of China's energy policy will pave the way for the passage of the US Climate and Energy legislation.

"China takes the issue of the climate and energy efficiency seriously. We are hopeful that through this summit, through better understanding of what China is actually doing and what China and the US can do to improve the chances of success, some of the barriers to the passage of that legislation can be removed."

Some of the important new initiatives the two leaders agreed to tackle climate change include a joint clean energy research center, as well as agreements on energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric vehicles and cleaner use of coal.

Shuangfeng, CRI News.