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美中之争开始威胁到应对气候变化的斗争，因为美国摆脱化石燃料的努力正与旨在使美国摆脱对中国的清洁能源装备（如太阳能电池板和电池）的依赖的政策发生冲突。这给拜登总统的气候议程带来了麻烦，并导致美国和欧洲之间的紧张关系，以及共和党对与中国有商业关系的美国公司的攻击。
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气候方面的推动正在卷入两国更大的军事、技术和经济竞争中，对企业和政府都有影响。两国之间的这种敌意有可能扼杀美中在清洁能源方面的合作。白宫坚持认为，美国应该主导未来的清洁能源技术，尽管财政部长耶伦、国家安全顾问沙利文和美国贸易代表凯瑟琳-戴都试图淡化与中国经济脱钩的想法。
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北京指责华盛顿的摩擦，并表示这种影响可能会减缓多个国家对清洁能源技术的采用。中国外交部发言人毛宁说，美国试图遏制的不仅是中国，还有大量的发展中国家。
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美国和中国在清洁能源方面的大国竞争可以增加电池、太阳能电池板、风力涡轮机和其他技术的全球供应，但也可能使全球部分地区的整个供应链失去流通。
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在美国使用来自中国的技术或矿物的阻力可能使拜登在2030年前将国家的碳污染减少一半的目标更难实现。
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美国和中国之间的贸易仍然偏向于中国的进口，这为共和党人攻击拜登的气候政策提供了一个话题。
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众议员迈克-加拉格尔（Mike Gallagher）宣称，北京和华盛顿正陷入 “一场关于21世纪生活面貌的生存斗争”，并将中国在太阳能制造业的主导地位与在新疆省使用强迫劳动联系起来。
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加拉格尔否定了合作的可能性，断言 “中国在环境问题上不是一个合作伙伴”，而且是 “全球第一大威胁”。
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众议院和参议院的共和党人和民主党人投票取消了拜登政府对来自马来西亚、泰国、柬埔寨和越南的太阳能设备暂停征收关税的规定。
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拜登否决了国会的决议，解释说这将给美国企业带来极大的不确定性。
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参议员谢罗德-布朗（Sherrod Brown）反对白宫的立场，说：“你们是站在中国共产党一边，还是站在美国工人一边？”
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中国主导着太阳能电池板核心部件的供应，并在过去的15年里，将资金用于建立其能源技术公司。
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美国对中国的态度发生了根本性转变，积极寻求遏制中国的军事力量、经济实力和对先进技术发展的影响。
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竞争激烈的中美关系和保护主义政策有可能妨碍扩大绿色技术制造业的规模。
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中国和靠近中国的亚洲国家运送了世界上大部分的太阳能设备。
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在去年颁布了一项提供3690亿美元清洁能源补贴的气候法之后，美国正在自己推动创建一个本土产业。
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然而，在中国之外建立一个贸易关系网络将比把中国挤出美国经济更有成效。
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美中之间的紧张关系正在定期产生小规模的震荡，国土安全部最近突击检查了中国太阳能电池板制造商金科太阳能控股有限公司在美国的设施。美国国土安全部最近突击检查了中国太阳能电池板制造商金科太阳能控股有限公司经营的美国设施，德克萨斯州和其他州禁止中国公民拥有土地，以回应一位中国大亨购买14万英亩土地的行为。计划在国内建设清洁能源工厂的美国大公司也面临着立法者的批评，如福特公司正在与一家中国公司合作，在印度尼西亚建设电动汽车电池厂和镍加工厂。
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美国国会议员要求能源部终止根据2021年两党基础设施法提出的对Microvast Holdings Inc.的2亿美元拨款，该公司是一家总部位于德克萨斯州的电池技术公司，在中国有业务。拜登的气候法包括对在北美制造的电动汽车的联邦税收减免，以及确保美国或其最接近的贸易伙伴提供电动汽车电池的关键矿物的目标，并禁止使用来自 "令人担忧的外国实体 "的电池部件。
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尽管可能受到华盛顿方面的抨击，但一些州正在推进与中国有关的能源交易，例如俄亥俄州最近宣布了中国面板制造商隆基太阳能和Invenergy LLC之间的合资企业，密歇根州也接受了福特与CATL的交易。参议员安格斯-金（I-Maine）说，立法者需要对中国投资者和企业参与能源项目的情况进行逐案审查。参议员乔-曼钦（Joe Manchin）说，美国不能允许中国控制某些关键资源的使用权，但美国不应该对每项安排都有膝跳反应。
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自2015年巴黎气候协议以来，美中关系变得越来越紧张，两国曾承诺在气候变化方面进行合作，并提供援助，帮助最贫穷的国家适应气候变化，建立碳密集度较低的经济。在前总统唐纳德-特朗普执政期间，美国增加了对中国的关税和贸易壁垒，而中国也进行了相应的报复。在乔-拜登总统的领导下，美国采取了更有针对性的方法，同时推动中国在经济的主要部分的市场力量。大流行病和由此产生的全球供应链中断加深了不信任。
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美国气候特使约翰-克里宣布，中国已邀请他回到北京重新开始气候讨论，这表明美中关系可能解冻。美国前气候谈判代表乔纳森-珀辛（Jonathan Pershing）警告说，如果两国没有接触，他们可能会失去在气候变化方面取得进展的信心。绿色和平组织在东亚的全球政策顾问李硕认为，如果两国在不激起国家安全关切的领域进行接触，例如在发展中国家共同执行人权标准，就可能导致积极的转变。
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在气候变化问题上，美中关系正处于一个关键的拐点。如果两国能够合作，它可能导致在向最贫穷国家提供援助、执行人权标准和部署清洁能源等领域取得进展。然而，如果这两个国家无法参与，经济冷战失控的风险是非常真实的。
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新兴经济体需要绿色技术的成本迅速下降。
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各国希望能够与多个合作伙伴合作，以满足其基础设施融资需求。
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法国总统埃马纽埃尔-马克龙和欧盟委员会主席乌苏拉-冯德莱恩最近都访问了中国以巩固关系。
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中国一直在中东进行交易，并在非洲和拉美进行投资。
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亚洲协会政策研究所的凯特-洛根认为，美国应对气候变化和对抗中国的政策已经与发展中世界的外联和投资脱节。
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白宫正在推动美国与印度-太平洋地区的盟友建立联系，以确保中国以外的矿产和制造基地。
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目标是实现发展中国家能够负担得起的绿色转型。
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美国和中国之间的竞争可以阻止绿色技术价格更快地下降。
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两国之间的经济分裂将使发展中国家受到惩罚。
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最终目标是实现发展中国家能够负担得起的绿色转型。
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The U.S.-China battle is starting to threaten the fight against climate change, as the U.S.’s effort to move away from fossil fuels is colliding with policies meant to wean the nation off its dependence on China for clean energy gear such as solar panels and batteries. This is creating headaches for President Biden’s climate agenda and causing tension between the U.S. and Europe, as well as Republican attacks on U.S. companies with Chinese business ties.
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The climate push is becoming enmeshed in the countries’ larger military, technological and economic rivalries, affecting businesses and governments alike. This animosity between the two countries threatens to choke off U.S.-China cooperation on clean energy. The White House is adamant that the U.S. should dominate clean energy technologies of the future, though Treasury Secretary Yellen, National Security Adviser Sullivan, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai have all sought to downplay the idea of decoupling from the Chinese economy.
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Beijing blames Washington for the friction and says the fallout could slow the adoption of cleaner energy technology in multiple countries. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said that it is not only China that the U.S. is trying to contain, but also a large number of developing countries.
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The great power competition on clean energy between the U.S. and China could increase the global supply of batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and other technologies, but could also take entire supply chains out of circulation for parts of the globe.
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Resistance to using Chinese-sourced technologies or minerals in the U.S. could make it harder to meet Biden’s goal of cutting the nation’s carbon pollution in half by 2030.
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Trade between the U.S. and China remains lopsided in favor of Chinese imports, which has provided a talking point for Republicans attacking Biden’s climate policy.
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Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) has declared that Beijing and Washington are locked in “an existential struggle over what life will look like in the 21st century” and has linked China’s dominance in solar manufacturing to the use of forced labor in Xinjiang province.
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Gallagher dismisses the potential for cooperation, asserting that “China is not a partner on the environment” and is “the No. 1 threat, globally.”
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Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate voted to rescind a Biden administration moratorium on tariffs for solar equipment from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
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Biden vetoed the congressional resolution, explaining it would create deep uncertainty for American businesses.
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Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) argued against the White House’s position, saying “Are you on the side of the Chinese Communist Party, or are you on the side of American workers?”
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China dominates the supply of core components for solar panels and has spent the past decade and a half channeling money to build up its energy technology companies.
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The U.S. has made a fundamental shift in its approach to China by actively seeking to curtail its military power, economic strength, and influence over the development of advanced technology.
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Hypercompetitive U.S.-China relations and protectionist policies risk getting in the way of scaling up green technology manufacturing.
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China and countries close to it in Asia ship most of the world’s solar equipment.
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After enacting a climate law last year that offers $369 billion in clean energy subsidies, the U.S. is making its own push to create a home-grown industry.
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However, creating a network of trade relationships outside of China would be more fruitful that pushing China out of the U.S. economy.
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U.S.-China tensions are producing small temblors on a regular basis, with the Department of Homeland Security recently raiding U.S. facilities operated by Chinese solar panel maker Jinko Solar Holding Co. Ltd. and Texas and other states banning Chinese nationals from owning land in response to a Chinese tycoon’s purchase of 140,000 acres. Major U.S. companies planning to build clean energy factories at home have also faced criticism from lawmakers, such as Ford who is collaborating with a Chinese company to build an electric vehicle battery plant and a nickel processing plant in Indonesia.
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GOP lawmakers are demanding that the Energy Department terminate a $200 million grant proposed under 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure law to Microvast Holdings Inc., a Texas-based battery technology company that has operations in China. Biden’s climate law includes federal tax breaks for electric vehicles built in North America, as well as targets for ensuring that the U.S. or its closest trading partners provide the critical minerals for electric vehicles’ batteries, and bars the use of battery components from “foreign entities of concern”.
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Despite potential flak from Washington, some states are forging ahead with China-linked energy deals, such as Ohio recently announcing a joint venture between Chinese panel-maker Longi Solar and Invenergy LLC, and Michigan embracing the Ford deal with CATL. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said lawmakers need to take a case-by-case look at the involvement of Chinese investors and businesses in energy projects. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said the U.S. can’t allow China to control access to certain critical resources, but that the U.S. shouldn’t have a knee-jerk reaction to every arrangement.
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U.S.-China relations have become increasingly strained since the 2015 Paris climate accord, where the two countries had pledged to cooperate on climate change and provide aid to help the poorest nations adapt to climate change and build less carbon-intensive economies. Under former President Donald Trump, the U.S. increased tariffs and trade barriers against China, which retaliated in kind. Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. has taken a more targeted approach while pushing against China’s market power in major parts of the economy. The pandemic and resulting global supply-chain disruptions have deepened distrust.
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John Kerry, U.S. climate envoy, announced that China had invited him back to Beijing to restart climate discussions, indicating a possible thaw in U.S.-China relations. Jonathan Pershing, a former U.S. climate negotiator, warned that if the two countries do not engage, they could lose the confidence to move forward on climate change. Li Shuo, a global policy adviser at Greenpeace in East Asia, believes that if the two countries engage in areas that do not stir national security concerns, such as jointly enforcing human rights standards in developing countries, it could lead to a positive shift.
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The U.S.-China relationship is at a crucial inflection point with regards to climate change. If the two countries are able to cooperate, it could lead to progress in areas such as providing aid to the poorest nations, enforcing human rights standards, and deploying clean energy. However, if the two countries are unable to engage, the risk of an economic cold war spinning out of control is very real.
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Emerging economies need the costs of green technology to come down quickly.
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Countries want to be able to work with multiple partners to meet their infrastructure financing needs.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have both visited China recently to shore up relations.
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China has been making deals in the Middle East and investing in Africa and Latin America.
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Kate Logan of the Asia Society Policy Institute believes U.S. policies to address climate change and counter China have been disconnected from outreach and investment in the developing world.
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The White House is pushing for the U.S. to forge ties with allies in the Indo-Pacific region to secure minerals and manufacturing bases outside of China.
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The goal is a green transition that developing countries can afford.
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Competition between the U.S. and China could prevent green technology prices from falling faster.
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An economic split between the two countries would penalize developing nations.
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The ultimate objective is a green transition that developing countries can afford.