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China to announce climate pledge as Xi visits U.S.

Sep 25, 2015, 12:24 AM EDT
This picture taken on June 23, 2024 shows a cyclist wearing a mask in Beijing covered by heavy smog.
AFP/Getty Images

China's President Xi Jinping is set to unveil a landmark pledge on climate change and curbing harmful emissions, White House Officials have said, according to the BBC.

The moves comes after Mr Xi arrived in Washington D.C. for the next leg of his week-long U.S. tour.

Mr Xi and U.S. President Barack Obama held informal talks at the White House on Thursday evening, where they also discussed Iran's nuclear programme.

The visit has been overshadowed by ongoing cyber security disagreements.

On Friday, Mr Xi - who is making his first state visit to the US - will be hosted at the White House for a banquet, with a 21-gun salute.

A White House official told reporters that Mr Xi would announce on Friday plans to launch a national carbon emissions trading scheme in 2017.

The "cap-and-trade" scheme would see Chinese companies charged to emit pollutants beyond a certain level.

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