China, US can clear the air through climate change cooperation

Cooperation on climate change has historically been one of the most constructive aspects of US-China relations, and there are many ways for both sides to re-envision cooperation amid tensions over other issues, experts said.

"We really can't address this issue (climate change) without both the United States and China acting. We're the largest emitters in the world, and the rest of the world looks closely at the US-China bilateral relationship when it comes to climate change," said Joanna Lewis, a climate expert at Georgetown University.

In the months leading up to the Paris Agreement, it was the US-China bilateral relationship and both countries' pledges to act that mobilized global action, said Lewis, an associate professor of energy and environment and director of the university's Science, Technology and International Affairs Program.