Abstract
The state of the U.S.-China relationship on climate change has been changing rapidly in the wake of the Beijing presidential summit and the Copenhagen negotiations that took place in the final months of 2009. The bilateral talks on climate and energy issues between the two countries are critically important, not just for addressing climate change, but for the future of the U.S.-China relationship. Bilateral talks may also facilitate a multilateral agreement on climate change that involves both countries. Fundamental differences exist, however, between the United States and China in how they each view the bilateral relationship, and how they see their roles in the multilateral system; and these must be carefully navigated. There clearly can be no solution to global climate change without the United States and China, and such a solution will depend on the ability of these two countries to see eye to eye. It will take many years for them build the trust needed to overcome their differences on this issue, to develop and adopt low-carbon technologies, and to transform their economies. As the entire world looks to the United States and China to make a move, the fate of the global climate system remains in their hands.
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