US, China Pledge Urgent Climate Control Measures

WASHINGTON - China and the United States, the world’s two biggest carbon polluters, have reached a new agreement to take urgent measures to curb climate change.

The two countries said in a joint statement late Saturday that they “are committed to cooperating with each other” and other nations to deal with the climate crisis “with the seriousness and urgency that it demands.” U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry and Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua reached the agreement during three days of talks last week in Shanghai, just days ahead of the virtual summit on the issue being hosted this week by U.S. President Joe Biden. Kerry told reporters in Seoul on Sunday that he considers the language of the document to be “strong” and that China and U.S. agreed on "critical elements on where we have to go."