Kerry Heads to China For Climate Talk  04/14 06:18

   U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is heading to China for talks between the 
world's two biggest carbon emitters ahead of President Joe Biden's climate 
summit of world leaders.

   (AP) -- U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is heading to China for talks between 
the world's two biggest carbon emitters ahead of President Joe Biden's climate 
summit of world leaders.

   Kerry will travel to Shanghai and Seoul, from Wednesday to Saturday, the 
State Department said in a statement Tuesday. The former secretary of state has 
been expected to talk with China's top climate negotiator, fellow veteran 
diplomat Xie Zhenhua.

   The trip marks the highest-level travel to China known so far for officials 
of the Biden administration.

   The governments of Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden are 
sparring over trade, human rights within China and China's increasingly 
assertive actions in the larger Indo-Pacific, among other points of tension. 
But China is the largest contributor by far of climate-damaging fumes from 
burning petroleum and coal, making its cooperation essential to any success of 
global climate accords.

   Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Xi, to participate in an April 
22-23 virtual climate summit. The U.S. and other countries are expected to 
announce more ambitious national targets for cutting carbon emissions ahead of 
or at the meeting, along with pledging financial help for climate efforts by 
less wealthy nations.

   Kerry has been pressing global leaders in person and over the internet ahead 
of the summit for commitments and alliances on climate efforts.