US, China Announce Emissions Reduction Goals | WPN World People News

The United States and China have announced ambitious new plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as their top leaders meet in Beijing on Wednesday.

The announcement could help play a key role in global efforts to combat climate change. The U.S. and China are the world's top emitters of carbon dioxide.

President Barack Obama said the U.S. agreed to cut emissions by 26 to 28 percent by 2025. That is double the pace of current pollution reduction efforts.

President Xi Jinping announced targets to peak CO2 emissions by about 2030. China is the world's top polluter, and CO2 emissions there continue to grow.

The announcement is the result of months of dialogue between Washington and Beijing, which hope the move will spur progress on climate talks next year in Paris.

At a news conference, President Obama called the deal a "major milestone in the U.S.-China relationship," saying it shows what is possible when the two countries work together.

Obama also praised what he said was the Chinese leader's willingness to discuss topics that have strained relations between the world's two largest economies.

The U.S. leader said his talks with Xi provided a chance to "debunk" suspicions that the White House's new Asia focus was aimed at containing China.

The two leaders also sparred over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, which some in Beijing have suggested are being organized by Washington.

President Obama said the U.S. "had no involvement in the demonstrations," but stressed he would like to see free and fair elections in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

President Xi repeated Beijing's insistence that the protests are illegal, saying the matter is "exclusively" the internal business of China.

As a whole, both leaders sought to play down their disagreements, instead focusing on the series of agreements reached during Obama's visit.

A White House statement said the two sides agreed to notify each other of major military activities in the Pacific in order to reduce military tensions.

Earlier this week, the U.S. and China reached a breakthrough that could lead to fewer tariffs on high-tech products. They also announced a deal to extend the lengths of visas granted to U.S. and Chinese citizens.

Source: Voice of America