Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The world is closely watching whether the US and China can cooperate on the issue of climate change. US Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta is visiting China from Wednesday to Friday.

Recently, extreme weather events have been occurring with increasing frequency worldwide. Swaths of China logged the hottest August on record. Extreme summer heat has also increased in the US and other countries. Ideally, countries should unite to address this global crisis, pooling their efforts to tackle it together. Unfortunately, the West has chosen to undermine global green cooperation, particularly regarding China's green efforts.

China's new-energy sector has been heavily targeted, portrayed as having "overcapacity" by the West - a typical tactic to manufacture accusations, which are then employed as a pretext for imposing whatever measures they deem "necessary." While China's "new trio" - EVs, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products - contributes green power to the global energy transition, these products have become the target of Western attacks.

On one hand, the West makes a big fuss about China's carbon emissions; on the other, it seeks to undermine China's efforts in tackling this global climate crisis. This contradictory stance reflects their narrow-minded geopolitical calculations. The West cannot tolerate China's rapid advancements in the green economy, particularly the revolutionary breakthroughs in EVs which have made them deeply upset. Their strategic suppression of China is actually aimed at curbing the country's leading position in this field.

China has not only started a fundamental revolution in the EV industry but also demonstrated the unlimited possibility of a green economy. However, to be blunt, the West's current stance implies that the West believes it has the right to dictate the terms of the green transition and that other countries, particularly China, are not recognized for their contributions or advancements in this area. Driven by this mind-set, the goodwill associated with environmental protection and the green economy has been distorted into a geopolitical tool. 

Climate change requires all countries to collaborate in saving the planet. We hope that Podesta's visit to China will demonstrate a shift in the wrong attitude of the West - or at least the US - toward green cooperation with China. To enhance climate cooperation, the US and other Western countries must demonstrate genuine cooperative gestures and cease their unfair crackdown on China's green industries. Otherwise, the actions of the West will continue to exacerbate climate crises, ultimately causing all of humanity to pay the price for their narrow-mindedness and selfishness.