BEIJING (Reuters) – China and the United States will form a joint working group on climate change, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua said, in a potentially positive conclusion to what was an unusually spiteful high-level meeting.
Leading Chinese and American diplomats, at their first meeting of Joe Biden’s presidency on Thursday and Friday, publicly rebuked each other’s policies at the beginning of what Washington called “hard and direct” negotiations in Alaska.
But the Chinese delegation said after the meeting that the two sides are “committed to improving communication and cooperation in the field of climate change,” Xinhua said on Saturday.
They would also hold talks to facilitate the activities of diplomats and consular missions, “as well as on issues related to media reporters in the spirit of reciprocity and mutual benefit,” the report said.
The US embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment on Sunday.
Last year, as tensions between Beijing and Washington worsened dramatically, the two countries expelled journalists and the United States closed the Chinese consulate in Houston, prompting China to close the U.S. consulate in Chengdu.
The negotiations in Anchorage, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, started off explosively in front of TV cameras and seemed to yield no diplomatic advances.
But the Chinese delegation said that “both sides share the hope of continuing this type of high-level strategic communication,” Xinhua said.
“The two sides also agreed that … will maintain dialogue and communication, lead to mutually beneficial cooperation, avoid misunderstandings and errors of assessment, as well as conflicts and confrontations, in order to promote a solid and stable development of China relations. -USA.”
China and the United States also discussed adjusting travel and visa policies in line with the coronavirus pandemic situation, “and gradually promoting the normalization of personnel exchanges between China and the United States,” the report said.
After the meetings, Yang told Chinese CGTN television that the discussions were constructive and beneficial, “but of course, there are still differences”.
(Reporting by Tony Munroe; Editing by William Mallard)