China, UK meet to discuss climate in COP26 runup

China and the United Kingdom reaffirm their commitment to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to complete negotiations over rules for the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, urging developed countries to honor their commitment to support poor nations in their climate progress, according to a media release from China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The release was published on Thursday, following a visit of Alok Sharma, president-designate of this year's United Nations climate change conference to take place in the UK, known as COP 26, to China from Sunday to Tuesday.

During that time, Sharma talked in Tianjin with Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change affairs. Vice-Premier Han Zheng and Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu met Sharma via video link.

"COP 26 should send out a strong signal of safeguarding multilateralism and strengthening international cooperation," the statement read.

The summit should adhere to the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, which is included in both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, it said.

The agreement aims to limit the temperature rise this century to 2 C from preindustrial levels while pursuing efforts to further curb it to 1.5 C.

Although the Paris Agreement entered the implementation phase after 2020, parties haven't finished negotiations over its rules. A consensus has yet been reached over Article Six, which is very technical and includes a market-based mechanism.

China and the UK hope the negotiations over the rulebook for the Paris Agreement could be finalized through an open, transparent and parties-driven process in COP 26, according to the release.

It said the two countries expressed their concerns over ensuring developed nations materialize their commitment of providing $100 billion per year by 2020 to support developing economies, adding support to the poor nations' climate mitigation and adaption should be strengthened.

Recalling the goal of the Paris Agreement, China and the UK concur that parties should intensify actions under the framework of the treaty and identify and address related challenges and opportunities.

China pointed out developed nations should bolster their emission reductions, and rich countries should make concrete efforts to support developing nations in financing, technology and capacity building and play an exemplary role in accelerating global green and low-carbon transition.

China and the UK will continue to conduct in-depth dialogues in the lead-up to COP 26 and carry out close communication over key topics of the summit, the statement said, concluding the two nations will step up cooperation over climate change and environmental protection.