White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Friday that China played a role in President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate deal. "Part of the reason that the president said it was a bad deal is because countries including China were not making substantial progress in reducing their carbon footprint, " Spicer stated. He added that as a result of the lack of those countries' efforts, the US was "carrying the weight."
However, Spicer pointed out Trump and China's President Xi Jinping have a "remarkable" relationship and they will continue to work together on various issues including environmental ones.
The US hopes to negotiate a "better deal" which will work for both America and the world, Spicer noted. The press secretary said Trump made the decision to leave the Paris climate pact in order to "protect the interest" oh the US.
On Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang confirmed the country will continue to adhere to the Paris Agreement and insisted the country was "trying extremely hard" to honor its commitments regarding the accord.
