German Economy Minister Robert Habeck emphasized China's indispensable role in achieving global climate targets during his visit to the country on Sunday.

"Without China, it would not be possible to meet the climate targets globally," Habeck stated to reporters in Hangzhou, following his meetings with Chinese officials in Beijing.

While other issues currently overshadow efforts to curb global warming, Habeck stressed that tackling climate change remains a critical challenge, necessitating strengthened cooperation with China.

Habeck reported that Chinese officials cited the expansion of coal production for security reasons. "China also imports large amounts of gas and oil and has observed the energy crisis that Europe and Germany experienced over the past two years following Russia's invasion of Ukraine," he noted.

Habeck urged China to find a secure alternative to coal. "You don't have to teach them that CO2 emissions are bad for the climate. They understand that," Habeck said, suggesting that an alternative should provide the same level of energy security with fewer coal-fired power plants.

During Habeck's visit, Chinese and EU officials announced their agreement to initiate discussions on proposed tariffs for Chinese-made electric vehicles entering the European market. Photo by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung from Berlin, Deutschland, Wikimedia commons.