China and France Issue Joint Statement to Deepen Environmental Cooperation Across Multiple Sectors

On December 5, China and France released a joint statement on cooperating to address global climate and environmental challenges. The statement noted that both countries support tripling global nuclear power capacity by 2050 to advance energy transition; commit to strengthening global ocean governance and implementing the Agreement on the Conservation of Marine Biodiversity; and support developing an international legal instrument to curb plastic pollution while encouraging research and development of plastic alternatives. Additionally, both sides plan to explore establishing a working group to address climate and environmental challenges, with a meeting scheduled for the first half of 2026.