As the US and China resume climate talks, here's where things stand

John Kerry heads to Beijing for three days of talks, as the world's two biggest economies and the two biggest polluters try to cooperate on the climate action.

For nearly a year, talks between the world's two biggest polluters, China and the United States, have been on hold as the impacts of global warming are only intensifying in the form of deadly heat, drought, floods and wildfires.

John Kerry, President Biden's special envoy for climate change, is due to arrive in Beijing on Sunday to relaunch climate talks with the Chinese government. He is due to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, and other officials for three days of talks, aimed at finding ways to work together on climate change despite simmering tensions between the two countries over trade, human rights man and other issues. Here's what you need to know:

Why is this meeting important?

The United States and China are the largest economies in the world, the largest global investors in renewable energy and, above all, the biggest polluters of fossil fuels in the world. Together, they release about 40% of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Analysts agree that the rate at which the two countries reduce their emissions and helping other nations transition to wind, solar and other forms of clean energy will determine whether the planet can avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.

"There is no solution to climate change without China," said David Sandalow, a veteran of the Clinton and Obama administrations now at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. "The world's two largest emitters should talk to each other about this existential threat."

Why are the US and China negotiating on climate now?

Leaders of the two superpowers are finally talking again after a year of extremely high tensions.

Beijing froze high-level diplomatic engagement with the United States in August after Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who was the House speaker at the time, traveled to Taiwan, the democratic island that Beijing claims as its territory. Mr Kerry had expressed hope that the climate talks could be insulated from geopolitical rancor, but Chinese officials have dismissed that idea. meeting in Bali in November to resume talks between their senior officials. But those plans were derailed earlier this year after a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted hovering over the United States, sparking anger in Washington, leading Beijing to slow the resumption of talks.

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ImagePresident Biden with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali in November, when they agreed to resume talks between their top officials.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

In recent weeks, Mr. Biden has sent several cabinet secretaries to Beijing in the purpose of stabilizing relations. Mr. Kerry's trip follows visits to China by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State, and Janet L. Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo is due to go to China after Mr. Kerry.

"I think there is a way to solve, to establish a working relationship with China that benefits them and us,” Mr. Biden recently said in an interview with CNN.