China and US ratify Paris climate pact

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping before a group photo session for the G20 Summit in Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama handed over their countries’ instruments of joining the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon successively on Saturday, a day before the start of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou.

The simultaneous ratification of China and the US, as the world’s top two economies and emitters, demonstrate their determination to address global challenges together. The two nations also launched productive dialogues and cooperation in coping with climate changes previously.

In his speech at the submission ceremony, President Xi stressed that as a responsible major developing nation, China is doing its utmost in energy conservation, emission reduction and low-carbon development.

He also urged that developed nations to fulfill their promise to help improve developing countries’ capability in dealing with climate change by providing capital and technological support.

President Obama said that the simultaneous ratification and acceptance of Paris Agreement by the US and China is of historic significance.

Ban appreciated the leading role played by China and the US in coping with climate change, saying that the ratification will draw UN’s goal of bringing the pact into effect within this year closer. The Paris Agreement was adopted at the UN Conference on Climate Change last December. China and the US signed the agreement this April. (People’s Daily)