World Leaders Move Forward on Climate Change, Without U.S.
“Nothing’s easy,” Mr. Trump said of the gathering on Saturday as he complimented its host, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who has toiled to bridge the gap between the United States
and other nations, for handling the challenge “so professionally.”
Hours later, at the start of a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping of China, Mr. Trump vowed to confront the threat posed by North Korea “one way or the other,”
and said he appreciated the Chinese leader’s efforts to respond to Pyongyang’s latest provocations.
The trade section in the statement the aides thrashed out read: “We will keep markets open noting the importance of reciprocal
and mutually advantageous trade and investment frameworks and the principle of nondiscrimination, and continue to fight protectionism including all unfair trade practices and recognize the role of legitimate trade defense instruments in this regard.”
In his meeting with China’s leader, Mr. Trump said
that “many things have happened that have led to trade imbalances” and that he wanted a new arrangement that is “equitable” and “reciprocal.”
The climate section is more of a dodge.
President Emmanuel Macron of France said he would continue to press Mr. Trump on climate
and would hold a follow-up summit meeting in Paris in December to move the Paris deal forward.
By STEVEN ERLANGER, ALISON SMALE, LISA FRIEDMAN and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVISJULY 8, 2017
HAMBURG, Germany — World leaders struck a compromise on Saturday to move forward collectively on climate change without the United
States, declaring the Paris accord “irreversible” while acknowledging President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the agreement.