1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the third meeting of the Republic of Korea-China joint committee for cooperation on climate change in Jeju on June 28. In the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to work together in moving negotiations on climate change forward as well as in the area of climate on the bilateral and multilateral levels.

° The ROK and Chinese delegations to the meeting were led by Ambassador for Climate Change Yoo Yeon-chul and Director-General of the Department of Climate Change Li Gao of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, respectively.

※ The ROK-China joint committee for cooperation on climate change was formed pursuant to the bilateral “Agreement for Cooperation on Climate Change” concluded in 2015. Its second meeting took place in Beijing, China, in 2017.

※ The Joint Committee meeting brings together officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance from the ROK; and officials of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from China.

2. At the third Joint Committee meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress in negotiations on climate change; shared with each other their positions on key relevant issues -- nationally determined contributions (NDCs), adjustment, transparency and resources -- as well as ways to work on the issues; and agreed to continue working closely together in order for the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), slated to take place in Katowice, Poland, from December 3 till 14, to come up with detailed implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement.

3. In particular, the ROK side underscored the need to use the momentum of bilateral cooperation created by the opening of an ROK-China cooperation center in Beijing, China, on June 25, 2018, to work more closely together to resolve issues concerning fine-dust and other forms of air pollution, as proper responses to climate change help to reduce fine dust.

° In response, the Chinese delegation suggested having relevant agencies of the two countries continue consultations to seek concrete measures to that end.

° The ROK delegation, invoking the agreement reached at the 20^th ROK-China-Japan meeting of environment ministers in Suzhou, China, on June 23 and 24, asked for the Chinese government’s cooperation toward the launch of the “North-East Asia Clean Air Partnership (NEACAP)” -- an integrated framework for a stronger cooperation among Northeast Asian countries to reduce air pollution. The Chinese side spoke of its plan to make strong efforts toward the launch of the mechanism.

* The goal of NEACAP is to discuss findings from scientific studies on fine dust and other forms of air pollution as well as possible policy measures to take in response to this issue.

4. On the sidelines of the Joint Committee meeting and in conjunction with the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2018, the Foreign Ministry hosted a “seminar on ROK-China cooperation on climate change” on June 28. At the seminar, the government delegations and experts from the two countries covered in depth climate change and forestry; climate change and co-benefits; and carbon markets, exploring potential areas for cooperation.

※ On June 29, the ROK and Chinese delegations will visit a sewage facility in Seoul to be briefed on the ROK’s carbon neutral program and to tour the facility.

※ The carbon neutral program calls for the Ministry of Environment and provincial/municipal governments setting up and running solar and other new and renewable energy facilities in cooperation with one another and thereby helping to curtail the use of fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions from wastes.

* unofficial translation