BRUSSELS — The European Union and China have vowed to together take on a leading role in global efforts to fight climate change, though their joint pledge featured no concrete promises.
At a leaders’ summit taking place in Beijing on Thursday, the two sides agreed to strengthen their cooperation and push for an ambitious outcome at this year’s global climate summit in Brazil.
“Green is the defining color of China-EU cooperation,” their joint statement reads. The document was described as a “press statement” and did not contain the names of any of the leaders at the summit, which was attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa and hosted by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
While the document was light on specifics, some observers welcomed the signal it sent — especially as a symbolic riposte to the United States’ retreat from climate action both at home and abroad.
