“Our response to climate change bears on the future of our people and the wellbeing of mankind”, he said.
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Xi met Obama in the eastern city of Hangzhou on the eve of the G20 summit, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ahead of his arrival, Obama made clear he viewed the valedictory trip as a moment to burnish his legacy. Both countries are responsible for about 38 percent of worldwide of greenhouse gas emissions (China accounts for the 25 percent).
Referring to the long history of the friendship between the two nations, Renzi said Italy would like to deepen its cooperation with China in economy and trade, finance, port construction, culture as well as health care.
But the U.S. and China accepting the agreement themselves will still be a big deal, both because they’re responsible for a large chunk of global emissions and because of the shift that move will represent.
For China, ratifying the agreement fits with Beijing’s domestic political agenda of being seen to make efforts to clean up the environment, after years of breakneck industrial development led to soaring air, water and ground pollution.
The agreement will come into force after a critical mass of polluting countries has joined.
Obama, now in the last five months of his presidency, wants to put a final stamp on his signature policy shift toward the Pacific, setting the tone for his White House successor, who will be elected in November and take office on January 20.
Obama and Xi committed to cooperate on two other global environmental agreements this year – an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down air-conditioning refrigerants and on a market-based measure to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. For his part, Xi told Obama that China objects to the deployment of a US missile shield in South Korea to help protect against the North Korean nuclear threat.
President Barack Obama has arrived in China for talks on climate change and global economic growth.
The routine red-carpet greeting took a confrontational turn on Saturday when a Chinese official tried to shoo reporters and even some top White House staff away from the president. The leaders are expected to announce their countries are formally taking part in the Paris agreement to cut carbon emissions.
Xi welcomed Renzi’s attendance at the G20 summit, on Sunday and Monday, saying China is willing to work with Italy to push forward their comprehensive strategic partnership.
The US leader will also meet Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom relations have become more complex following the country’s intervention in Syria. In the U.S., Senate ratification is not required because the agreement is not considered a formal treaty.
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China has announced it will formally ratify the Paris climate change agreement, paving the way for a hotly anticipated joint US-China statement on the fight against global warming later today.
