Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

TheMK sports Korea US' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement as part of President Donald Trump's plans to halt US climate action has not only plunged global efforts to tackle climate change into a state of heightened uncertainty, but has also brought to the fore the pressing need for the rest of the world, particularly China and the EU, to strengthen cooperation on green development.

A sensible response to the US' gross dereliction of responsibility in tackling climate change is for China and the EU, two of the world's biggest economies, to lead the rest of the world on a cooperative path of green development, while jointly keeping pressure on the US to rectify its wrongdoing. 

There has already been growing talks about such an approach. The Financial Times, citing an energy expert, reported on Tuesday that "China, Europe and UK should form climate collation apart from US." With the US retreating, "the rest of the world has got to pull together agreements which are as effective as possible without the US," Lord Adair Turner, head of the Energy Transitions Commission, was quoted as saying in the report.  

To some extent, such comments reflect the profound anxiety and concern among many around the world about serious implications from the US' retreat from global climate action. These comments also showed that global attention has shifted toward China and the EU for climate actions, with many expecting two of the most influential economies in the world to take the lead in tackling a critical global issue. 

Notably, there are also positive signals from China and the EU to strengthen cooperation. In a speech on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that while the bloc will keep "de-risking" the economic relationship, there is also room to engage constructively with China. "I think we can find agreements that could even expand our trade and investment ties," von der Leyen said. 

Asked about von der Leyen's remarks at a press briefing on Wednesday, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that as the world is facing the risks of division, fragmentation and disorder, China-EU relations have more strategic importance and global influence. 

China stands ready to strengthen strategic communication and policy coordination, enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation, properly handle differences, and jointly respond to global challenges, Lin said. 

Green development is one area where there is room for China and the EU to deepen cooperation. Despite some differences, both sides have solid plans for green development and each side has its own advantages that could completement each other. 

European countries have long had obvious advantages in green technology research and development, and have made many breakthroughs in the fields of environmental protection technology and clean energy. However, the development of the EU green sector still faces pressures from high costs and other challenges. 

Meanwhile, China has a significant advantage in cost-effective green technologies. China has made great progress in solar energy, wind energy, electric vehicles (EVs) and other fields. By strengthening cooperation, China and the EU can complement each other's technological advantages, reduce the cost of green energy, and promote innovation.

There is no denying that due to differences in economic development stages and other areas, China and the EU have differences on issues such as market access. For example, the EU has taken protectionist measures against Chinese EVs and other green products. 

Yet, what cannot be ignored is that China and the EU share a common goal of promoting green development and tackling climate change. This common ground constitutes a solid foundation for China-EU cooperation. As long as the two sides can maintain an open, pragmatic and cooperative attitude, and address each other's concerns and interests through increased communication, there is every reason to believe that they will be able to find a way to resolve their differences and achieve win-win cooperation.