SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) 鈥 California Gov. Gavin Newsom will try to reinforce his state's role as a global leader on climate change as he begins a weeklong visit to China on Monday, a trip that presents both political risk and opportunity for crucial international collaboration.
Newsom鈥檚 tour begins with a discussion in Hong Kong before he continues on to Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu. He'll visit the first Chinese city to deploy an all-electric bus fleet, tour an offshore wind facility and see a wetlands preserve. He鈥檒l sign agreements with leaders of Chinese provinces to set mutual commitments on a host of climate goals. California has already signed dozens of such agreements with subnational governments.
Newsom鈥檚 agenda also includes conversations on 鈥渟trengthening cultural ties and combating xenophobia,鈥 and he will visit a school with his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
His trip to China follows a brief .
Governors of California, which has an economy larger than most countries, have a long history of climate collaboration with China. Democrat and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger also traveled there to swap knowledge on reducing air pollution and emissions, and since leaving office, Brown has launched the California-China Climate Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
However, Newsom's trip comes at a very different political moment, with rising tensions between the United States and China over trade, human rights, the future of Taiwan and international conflicts. It follows a recent visit to Beijing by a led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who sought a sharper condemnation of Hamas by the Chinese government.
Climate remains one area where collaboration is seen as both possible and necessary. Both countries appear to have fully re-engaged in the run-up to the next U.N. climate change conference, .
China suspended climate and other talks with the U.S. in August 2022 to show its anger over by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resume climate talks three months later at a meeting with President Joe Biden in Indonesia.
John Kerry, the U.S. climate envoy, held in-person meetings in Beijing in July, and he and Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua have held regular video calls since then, Xie told a forum in Beijing last month.
David Victor, a professor and co-director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative at the University of California, San Diego, said state-level dialogue is an important avenue for progress given the complicated politics of the U.S.-China relationship. Animosity between the two countries has led to less travel and fewer joint research projects.
鈥淭he states really are where anything substantive is going to happen,鈥 Victor said, while at the national level, 鈥渢here鈥檚 no political constituency for opening the door and having a deeper relationship.鈥
The Newsom administration has been in close contact with the White House and Kerry ahead of the governor鈥檚 trip, said Lauren Sanchez, the governor's senior climate adviser. The White House did not comment on Newsom鈥檚 trip.
Brown, the former governor, said political tensions don鈥檛 change the fact that greenhouse gases are still being emitted at an alarming rate.
鈥淐ooperation is the absolute requirement. And at this time, I would say California has been pushing the federal government in the direction of more dialogue with China,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淚t has a very important long-term effect.鈥
California has passed some of the world鈥檚 most aggressive vehicle emissions rules, and Newsom has moved to of most new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035. The state has a mandate to be carbon neutral by 2045, meaning it will remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as it emits. California is already dealing with drought and made worse by climate change.
Still, the state is responsible for less than 1% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions, meaning its efforts can go only so far without global partnerships, Sanchez said. In 2020, China was responsible for more than , compared with the U.S. at 13.5%.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be very difficult to tackle the climate crisis just here in California,鈥 Sanchez said. 鈥淐limate change is a global issue, it requires global partnerships.鈥
California has shared its expertise on air pollution regulations, carbon pricing programs and conservation, Sanchez said.
China, meanwhile, is now more advanced at electrifying the transportation fleet and deploying offshore wind 鈥 it has more gigawatts of offshore wind power than the rest of the world combined, Sanchez said. The Biden administration recently held an auction for five along the U.S. West Coast.
Newsom's second term ends in January 2026, and he cannot seek re-election. He has repeatedly denied an interest in running for president, but he has sought to boost his national profile by campaigning for Democrats in Republican-led states and even agreeing to in late November.
The international trip stands to bolster Newsom's political and policy credentials beyond his state. However, opponents will likely be on the lookout for any signs of coziness between him and China's communist government that could be used against him in the future.
California Republicans said Newsom shouldn鈥檛 be visiting China at a time of tensions over international conflicts and the suppression of free speech. Instead he should focus on problems at home like poverty and crime, Republican state Assembly Leader James Gallagher said in a statement.
鈥淣ewsom shouldn鈥檛 be playing make-believe diplomat while ignoring the challenges facing our state,鈥 he said.
But climate experts said California has a significant role to play in advancing global climate policy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a major clean energy leader. It鈥檚 one of the leading economies in the world. It has a huge amount of technical expertise,鈥 said Nathaniel Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a natural role for California and the California governor.鈥
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Megerian reported from Washington. Associated Press journalist Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.
