China US Photo:VCG

East China’s Jiangsu Province and the US state of California signed a memorandum of understanding on climate and environment in the province’s Yancheng city on Saturday, in order to enhance cooperation on climate and green energy.

Yancheng is Californian Governor Gavin Newsom’s fourth stop in China. The city and San Diego, California became sister cities in 2003.

Xin Changxing, Secretrary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, met with Newsom on Saturday, saying that China-US relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world today. Jiangsu and California have been engaged in friendly exchanges for nearly 40 years, achieving fruitful cooperation in various fields. 

“Earlier this summer, Jiangsu was invited to attend the 2023 China-California Economic and Trade Forum as a guest province. After five months, your visit to Jiangsu in the golden fall is of great significance to consolidate the friendship and deepen cooperation between the two sides,” Xin said.

At present, Jiangsu is vigorously promoting the development of green low-carbon transformation. Yancheng, the site of the meeting, has become China’s first coastal wetland in the list of World Natural Heritage, where more than 20 million migratory birds passing through every year, and nearly one million waterfowl, including the red-crowned cranes, spending winter there, making it a vivid example of ecological protection and green development, Xin noted. 

“We are willing to work with California to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state (of China and the US) in their Bali meeting, to further expand two-way trade and investment, promote cooperation in green development and climate change response, in a bid to make a greater contribution to the healthy and stable development of China-US relations,” Xin said.

Jiangsu and California are both seaside provinces, enabling them more opportunities for cooperation in wind power. During his Yancheng’s trip, Newsom visited a factory of local wind power enterprise operated by Goldwind Co Ltd and visited offshore wind turbines. 

Inspecting offshore wind turbines with the world's largest single blade, Newsom asked in detail about the application of units in different depths of the sea, to understand the possibility of application in California. After receiving a reply, Newson invited the company to expand its investment and business in California. 

During the exchange, the two sides also discussed the desalination of seawater, wind power, hydrogen production which may pose more cooperation chances.

Yancheng is the world's largest wintering ground for red-crowned cranes. Newsom also visited a red-crowned crane reserve, asking details about the process of breeding in the northeast China and wintering in Yancheng. 

A one-year-old crane walked in front of the encourage possibly as a “tour guide”. Before saying goodbye, at the suggestion of fellow travelers, Newsom and his wife named the lovely crane "California," which means across the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, Jiangsu and California have another ambassador of friendship.

Global Times