The following is an excerpt from Kate Logan's op-ed in the South China Morning Post. Kate is the Associate Director, Climate, at the Asia Society Policy Institute. 

John Podesta, the top US climate diplomat, is heading to China. It is no coincidence that Podesta may be the last high-level US official to set foot in Beijing before the presidential election and that his predecessor, John Kerry, was the first dignitary to visit China in 2021 after Joe Biden took office. In fact, this reflects the important role climate has played in tempering bilateral ties. However, as the 2022 suspension of talks showed, this current model of engagement also has its limits and could be tested again after the U.S. election.

Yet, the envoy’s visit could position the Biden administration to cap off its climate legacy with China by allowing for a reset of the relationship on a stronger footing come November, if the Democrats are elected.

This will require tapping into China’s desire to stabilize bilateral relations as the U.S. transitions to a new administration and working with Beijing to take advantage of a confluence of events later this year, especially a potential meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

At a basic level, Podesta’s visit is an opportunity to sustain discussions with his counterparts on key U.S.-China working group topics, including accelerating the energy transition away from coal and strengthening the regulation of potent, non-carbon gases such as methane.

Read the full op-ed in the South China Morning Post.