The United States and China have an "incredible working relationship" on climate, a U.S. diplomat said Saturday on the sidelines of COP22 held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.
"We have incredible working relationship on that. And I think it would portend well for leadership for the future," said Catherine Novelli, the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment at the U.S. Department of State.
"I think everybody acknowledges that the momentum for Paris was generated by the agreement between the U.S. and China," she added.
The diplomat highlighted that the two countries pushed forward an agreement through the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in 2015 to designate the Ross Sea and Antarctica as a marine protected area.
"It was really a partnership that actually pulls us together," said Novelli. "Our partnership on oceans has been a strong one, and our partnership on climate has also been strong."
Over the doubts about the U.S. future climate policy after Donald Trump takes office next January, Novelli said her country would continue the existing cooperation with China.
