DUBAI: The scene would be unthinkable elsewhere these days – US and Chinese envoys, smiling and embracing, hailing their friendship as they lead the world together in the right direction.
But the spirit of cooperation was on full display in Dubai, where a UN climate summit on Wednesday sealed a historic if watered-down agreement to begin to transition away from oil, gas and coal, the main culprits in the planetary crisis.
Hailing the summit as a success, US climate envoy John Kerry – the former US Secretary of State, senator and presidential contender – was joined by a beaming Xie Zhenhua, his retiring Chinese counterpart whom he has known for years.
Kerry had welcomed Xie a month earlier for a long weekend at the Sunnylands resort in the California desert, where the two countries – together responsible for 41 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – agreed on outlines of climate action that partly served as a basis for the nearly 200-nation Dubai deal.
Xie recalled their work together on another major climate accord, in Paris eight years ago, and said he brought his grandson – himself eight years old – to Dubai to meet Kerry, who turned 80 on Monday during the negotiations.
His grandson wanted to say “happy birthday to my good friend Mr. Kerry,” Xie said.
Stepping up to embrace the silver-haired American, Xie said, “I would like to invite you to join me to wish my good old friend good health and a happy life.”