Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Wednesday that the Paris climate pact was “irreversible”, showing a united front after Washington formally withdrew from the accord this week.
The joint declaration came at the end of Mr. Macron’s second visit to China, which started on Monday in Shanghai and included talks on trade and the Iranian nuclear issue.
The French leader also said he told Mr. Xi there was a need for dialogue to resolve months of unrest in Hong Kong — ignoring Beijing’s prior warning that such sensitive topics should not be on the agenda.
But Mr. Xi and Mr. Macron found common ground on climate change.
Major powers expressed regret and concern after U.S. President Donald Trump went ahead with the pullout from the Paris accord despite mounting evidence of the reality and impact of climate change.
Washington presented its withdrawal letter to the United Nations on Monday, the first possible date under the accord negotiated by Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, making the world’s largest economy the sole major outlier from the agreement.
In a joint written statement, both leaders reaffirmed “their firm support for the Paris accord which they consider as an irreversible process and a compass for strong action on climate”.
