Both beliefs rest on a deeply flawed understanding of the Chinese Communist Party, its diplomatic tactics, and its ambitions. For while Washington has compartmentalized climate change, the issue is, for Beijing, enmeshed in the wider U.S.-China bilateral relationship. As a result, Xi Jinping and his Politburo strategically leverage dialogue on climate to elicit concessions in other areas, such as technology or trade. While Mr.
America’s folly is that it does not approach negotiations in a similar manner, and it appears not to have grasped the method of Beijing’s ways. In his exchange with CCP Defense Minister Li Shangfu this week, veteran diplomat Henry Kissinger America “and China should eliminate misunderstandings, coexist peacefully and avoid confrontation.” Yet the U.S. has attempted precisely this for more than 30 years, including on matters of the environment, with few substantive results.