All Countries Must Adhere to Paris Climate Deal Amid US Withdrawal - Chinese FM

China considers the Paris Agreement a reflection of the broadest consensus of the international community on measures to combat climate change, and all countries must therefore value this commitment, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Friday, commenting on the US withdrawal from the agreement.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would no longer be part of the Paris Agreement because it hurts the US economy while unfairly benefiting other nations. In his speech, the US leader noted that the country would start negotiations on a new agreement in this sphere.

"The Chinese side is closely following the situation with the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. We also paid attention to the UN statement, as well as the statements of the other countries’ leaders. As for the Chinese side, we believe that the Paris Agreement represents the broadest consensus of the international community on climate change. We believe that all countries should value and protect the hard-won result of this agreement," Hua said at a briefing.

She also said comments from the international community on China's efforts in promoting the Paris Agreement were generally positive.

"President Xi Jinping during his visit to the UN headquarters in Geneva also stressed that China would fully fulfill its obligations to combat climate change," the ministerial spokeswoman said, adding that China continues to adhere to its obligations under the Paris Agreement.

The United Nations has already called the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement "a major disappointment" for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote global security. At the same time, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "remains confident that cities, States and businesses within the US – along with other countries – will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership by working for the low-carbon, resilient economic growth."

UN environment chief Erik Solheim said on May 31 in an interview with NPR that India and China were showing strong leadership to combat climate change. At the same time, Solhein also noted that the pressure on China from the international community would increase.

In recent years, China has been closing excessive coal and steelmaking capacities, as well as suspending polluting enterprises in some provinces to eliminate heavy smog.

The Paris Agreement, the first global climate agreement signed by 194 countries in December 2015, defines a global plan of action to contain global warming. It does not involve the abandonment of fossil fuels or the limitation of carbon dioxide emissions, but all parties should take measures to reduce emissions, provide technological re-equipment and adapt to climate change.