The advent of plastic mulch has electrified agricultural output globally, with China leading the way in its application. Sadly, plastic fragments are now heavily polluting China’s agricultural soils. New regulations within the 14th five-year plan set out to greatly restrict the use of the ultra-thin plastic and protect China’s soil.

In 2019, U.S. Customs seized 3400 pounds of invasive Chinese mitten crabs at the Cincinnati, Ohio airport. The mitten crab threatens commercial fishing and biodiversity and is listed on the top 100 worst invader list. China is hosting the 15th meeting of the Convention on Biodiversity and is in a position to show leadership in protecting aquatic environments.

Cooperation on this important issue will pave the way for joint efforts to overcome other global challenges. The wholehearted cooperation of China and the United States is essential for the success of any effort to solve global challenges. It is time for concerted action, not squabbling.

Last week, the world marked the 51st Earth Day. This year’s theme – “Restore Our Earth” – was apt. As the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us, the effects of human activity on the planet do not respect borders. The Earth is a single living, self-regulating system, and it demands a single, shared system of accounting that balances at the global level. We need a one-Earth balance sheet.

Xi was the first national leader to speak after Biden, emphasizing the need to advance global environmental governance.

As the United States prepares for a radical course-correction on climate change, China is raising its game. Climate action has become yet another front in the competition between the world’s two largest economies. Who will cross the net-zero-emissions finish line first?

Millions of people around the world are facing significant adversity. Governments must provide adequate financial and social protection, so that the poor and marginalized do not feel they must choose between protecting their health and providing for their families. And they must address the deeper social inequalities that the pandemic has exacerbated.

Can China’s green initiatives and the Green New Deal in the United States work in harmony? With both countries committed to a transition to new energy, it is more important than ever for them to communicate.

Chronic water shortages have become an entrenched issue around the world. In China and the United States, desalination solutions are being applied to replenish precious water supplies.

Around the world, breweries are seeking ways to lower their environmental footprint, while increasing production and profits. The brewery industries in China and the U.S. look at methane biogas capture from their wastes as a part of both their business plans and to meet environmental sustainability goals.