"The last two agreements the world made to battle climate change came only after the United States and China, by far the two biggest carbon polluters, made deals with each other. Now the successful dynamic is in jeopardy with China cutting off climate talks with the U.S. because of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.

Just how much this will sidetrack momentum -- especially in the United States where there’s congressional action to cut emissions of heat-trapping gas — depends on how long the rift extends, experts said. But they said there’s hope that climate actions already set in motion in both countries will matter more than unspoken words.

“China’s announcement that it’s suspending talks on climate change is not surprising, but it definitely stings,” said Joanna Lewis, an expert on China, energy and climate at Georgetown University. “I hope this is only a temporary pause.”"

Seth Borenstein and Christina Larson report for the Associated Press August 6, 2022. [2]