John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua are seen as uniquely capable of getting the U.S. and China to cooperate on climate change. But when it comes to the world’s two biggest emitters, a rivalry might be just as useful.
Listen to SupChina editor-at-large and Sinica podcast host Kaiser Kuo read this article.
Xie Zhenhua was supposed to retire long ago, but every time the Chinese bureaucrat tried to leave government service, something blocked his exit. In 2015, he tried to step down as China’s lead climate negotiator before the Paris Climate Change Conference, but he was reinstated just a few months later. Given his impressive career helping shape China’s environmental policy, he was seen as crucial to
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When Joe Biden took office, many of his supporters thought the first order of business would be unwinding Donald Trump's trade war with China. But his trade czar, Katherine Tai, has been largely MIA, a stark contrast to her predecessor, the fiery and ubiquitous Robert Lighthizer. So what has Tai been up to?
The academic tells us why it's important to understand the Chinese leader's political beliefs and where they come from — as well as their shortcomings.
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