Beijing: South Korea and China on Wednesday engaged in discussions focused on climate change and initiatives to enhance air quality, as stated by South Korea's foreign ministry. Kyun Jong-ho, South Korea's ambassador for climate change, met with Xia Yingxian, director general for climate change at China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, during their joint commission on climate change in Beijing.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the discussions involved sharing the status of their respective Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. These contributions are part of each country's action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kyun emphasized South Korea's commitment to a renewable energy transition to meet its emission reduction targets, outlining plans for detailed decarbonization strategies across various sectors.

Xia presented China's objectives and policies related to its newly announced five-year climate change plan and showed interest in South Korea's carbon market policy. The talks also included proposals from Kyun for both countries to intensify efforts to improve air quality, a concern linked to climate change.

The ministry highlighted that due to their geographical proximity, South Korea often experiences air pollution and springtime yellow dust attributed to seasonal dust and industrial emissions from China.