U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is urging China to cooperate with the United States in addressing the "existential threat" of climate change. Yellen, who is on a four-day trip to Beijing, emphasized the joint responsibility and leadership role that the two countries, as the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases and investors in renewable energy, have in tackling global warming. She called for deeper cooperation in climate finance and urged China to support US-led initiatives such as the Green Climate Fund, which helps developing nations adapt to climate change.

The call for cooperation comes as the US seeks to cool tensions and strengthen collaboration with China. While there has been no formal climate change cooperation between the two countries since the Trump administration, Yellen's visit signals a potential resumption of cooperation. However, a sticking point in the negotiations is China's insistence that it is still a developing country and that the US and Europe should bear the responsibility for funding the energy transition.

Yellen's visit is part of ongoing efforts to improve relations between the US and China, as she becomes the second senior Washington official to visit Beijing in the last two months. Both countries play a crucial role in addressing climate change, and cooperation between them is seen as critical in the fight against global warming.