BEIJING: A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday welcomed Japan’s goal of achieving net carbon neutrality by 2050 and showed Beijing’s readiness to work with Tokyo in tackling climate change.

“China appreciates and welcomes Japan’s announcement,” Zhao Lijian said at a press conference, adding that the Japanese move will help strengthen the collective efforts by the international community to address global warming.

Noting that climate change is a major challenge facing all mankind and that all countries should uphold multilateralism, join forces and pool resources to deal with the issue, Zhao said, “China and Japan have maintained good communication in this regard.”

“We stand ready to enhance discussions with Japan on realizing” green recovery, or the promotion of economic recovery from the slump caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic while being considerate of the environment.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in a policy speech at the parliament on Monday, unveiled a goal for the country to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions effectively to zero by 2050.

Zhao also said that China is willing to work with all parties, including Japan, to promote “the full and effective implementation” of the Paris Agreement on the fight against the climate change and to work together to build “a win-win, fair and reasonable” climate governance system.

In an online speech for the UN General Assembly session last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the country aims to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions effectively to zero by 2060.

JIJI Press