The world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters are charting a new course for cooperation after the departures of Mr John Kerry and Mr Xie Zhenhua two titans of climate diplomacy who paved the way for landmark agreements.
Representing the United States and China, the two men spent years on opposite sides of the negotiating table hammering out global deals to cut planet-warming emissions.
Their close personal relationship has endured even as ties between the two superpowers deteriorated over issues from trade to Taiwan, which is set to become a renewed source of tension after a weekend election that returned the USfriendly ruling party to power.
The challenge now is building a system that can continue even without Mr Xie and Mr Kerry's unique connection.
Their successors will be able to draw on a foundation of goodwill built during their years of leadership and already have a mechanism in place to keep talks going.
While China has named career diplomat Liu Zhenmin, 68, to the role, a replacement for Mr Kerry has yet to be announced.
The two countries in 2021 agreed to establish a working group and later tasked it with collaborating on the energy transition, methane, deforestation and the circular economy, among other issues. That group, which had a virtual meeting on Jan 12, is meant to sustain progress during the shift in envoys and potentially a change in US presidents, too.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 17, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 17, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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