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In Beijing, Perry promotes US-China clean energy cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, left, shakes hands with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry during the opening ceremony of an international clean energy conference in Beijing Wednesday, June 7, 2017. China in recent years overtook the U.S. as the world leader in renewable power development. But it has also struggled to integrate its sprawling wind and solar facilities into an electricity grid still dominated by coal-fueled power plants. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, left, shakes hands with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry during the opening ceremony of an international clean energy conference in Beijing Wednesday, June 7, 2017. China in recent years overtook the U.S. as the world leader in renewable power development. But it has also struggled to integrate its sprawling wind and solar facilities into an electricity grid still dominated by coal-fueled power plants. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

By Associated Press June 7, 2017 1 min read

BEIJING (AP) – U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry says America and China have “extraordinary opportunities” to work together on clean energy, amid global criticism of President Donald Trump’s decision last week to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement.

In a meeting Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on the sidelines of a clean energy conference in Beijing, Perry cited liquefied natural gas, nuclear energy and carbon capture as areas where the two countries can cooperate.

In Japan on Monday, Perry said he hoped China will step forward to be a “real leader” on climate issues, while rejecting criticism that the United States is backing down.

Trump’s decision sparked speculation that he is creating a leadership void that could be filled by China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses.