China-US climate cooperation is important despite differences, Kerry said

Kerry spoke to Reuters outside St Peter’s Square after meeting Pope Francis, the first official to have a private audience with the pontiff since his release from hospital last Friday.

The former US secretary of state said she wants to meet with current Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is now in Beijing, to help Kerry decide when to travel to China for talks to avert the global climate change crisis.

Kerry confirmed an invitation to visit “soon”, but no date has been set yet.

“We’re talking about things that we believe China can do with us. We need to build a partnership here. China and the US are the two biggest emitters in the world,” he said.

He said there was no stipulation between China-US talks on climate and other issues.

Last year, China briefly suspended talks with the US on climate, security and other issues in response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Although China later resumed these talks, relations between the two countries soured again after the US described a Chinese spy balloon as having crossed US airspace in February, prompting Blinken to postpone his trip until now.

“They are President Biden[அமெரிக்கா-சீனா காலநிலை பேச்சுக்கள்]believes in secession, and the Chinese have told me they now believe that and should secede,” Kerry said.

“I think there is general agreement that you should not allow threats to any community, to any country, to any human being — wrapped up in bilateral differences, which are real,” Kerry said.

He hoped that climate cooperation would open up other opportunities for cooperation.

Kerry is holding a series of meetings ahead of COP28, the last UN climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates later this year.