“China-US Relationship Has Never Been Smooth Sailing”: Energy Experts Raise Concerns Over Joe Biden’s Deal to ‘Accelerate’ Oil and Gas Shutdown

Jo ShawNov 22, 2023

Minute Read

President Biden and President Xi Jinping have recently come to an agreement to phase out fossil fuels and replace them with renewable green energy. However, experts are warning that the new green energy agreement with China is nothing more than a “political sop” to “keep the America-hurting climate hoax going.”

The World’s Largest Greenhouse Gas Emitters

China and the United States are the foremost contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. The combined economic prowess of China, the United States, and the European Union represents 60 percent of the world’s GDP, with these entities collectively responsible for nearly half of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, as the Peterson Institute of International Economics reports.

Transitioning From Fossil Fuels

Notably, the recent climate agreement between the US and China emphasizes a commitment to transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

Wind and Solar Power to Replace Fossil Fuels

The State Department revealed that it had agreed with its Chinese counterparts to commit to the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

Speeding Up Renewable Development

The recent agreement between the US and China outlines the intentions of both nations to “accelerate the substitution for coal, oil and gas generation” over the next seven years.

Agreement to Reduce Carbon Emissions

In the agreement, both the US and China agreed to “deepen policy exchanges” on reducing carbon emissions. This new agreement will apply to various sectors such as power, buildings and transportation.

Taking Concrete Action Over Climate

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The US climate envoy, John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, met at the Sunnylands retreat in California. In separate statements from the US State Department and China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, they underscored the shared commitment of both nations to “engage in dialogue and cooperation to accept concrete climate actions.”

A Crucial Threshold Warn Scientists

Maintaining the global temperature increase at 1.5 degrees Celsius is a critical threshold, beyond which scientists warn that the impacts of climate change will pose significant challenges. Taking this into consideration, both nations have agreed to implement comprehensive reductions of all greenhouse gases in their respective international climate commitments for 2035. This includes adherence to reducing emissions of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrofluorocarbons.

China and the US Will Work Together

In a statement, Kerry and his counterpart Xie Zhenhua stated that both nations “are aware of the important role they play” and “will work together to rise up to one of the greatest challenges of our time.”

Smoothing the Way to Green Energy

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As reported by Time magazine, the lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, Lauri Myllyvirta, explained: “If the two countries can work together to shore up the buy-in for the target, that will very considerably smooth the way for having it adopted.”

China Has Rarely Followed Through on Agreements

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Nevertheless, Biden encountered substantial criticism regarding the agreement, with experts cautioning that China has a history of not consistently adhering to international agreements. They also pointed out that China stands to gain financially from the deal, given its dominant position in the global green energy supply chain.

The Agreement Is Favorable to China

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Daniel Turner, the founder of Power the Future, told Fox News in an interview, “You’re basically writing an agreement that guarantees China a customer and guarantees their manufacturing sector decades of purchasing.”

Guaranteeing China Decades of Wealth

Turner further explained, “Of course, China would love this agreement. And their obligations — they’ll just ignore that. They’ve ignored every other obligation.” “It is basically guaranteeing China decades of wealth, guaranteeing America is going to buy their products,” he added.

The America-Hurting Climate Hoax

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Fox News interviewed Steve Milloy, a senior legal fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute. He further added to Turner’s concerns, stating, “The Sunnylands agreement is nothing more than political sop from Communist China to try to help Biden and Kerry politically and to keep the America-hurting climate hoax going. The agreement does not bind China to cut emissions or to do anything else of importance.”

US and China’s Responsibility

During their meeting, the White House published statements by President Biden and President Xi Jinping. Biden stated, “We also — I also believe that’s what the world wants from both of us: candid exchange. We also have a responsibility to our people and the work — and the world to work together when we see it in our interest to do so.”

The Most Important Bilateral Relationship

President Xi Jinping responded, “The China-U.S. relationship, which is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, should be perceived and envisioned in a broad context of the — of the accelerating global transformations unseen in a century. It should develop in a way that benefits our two peoples and fulfills our responsibility for human progress.”

It’s Not Been Smooth Sailing

President Xi Jinping continued, “China-U.S. relationship has never been smooth sailing over the past 50 years and more, and it always faces problems of one kind or another. Yet, it has kept moving forward amid twists and turns.”

The Planet Is Big Enough for Both to Succeed

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“Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed, and one country’s success is an opportunity for the other,” he declared.

Shouldering Heavy Responsibilities

The president of China concluded his statement, “Mr. President, you and I, we are at the helm of China-U.S. relations. We shoulder heavy responsibilities for the two peoples, for the world, and for history.”