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U.S. and China to talk global warming

Presidents of China and U.S. to talk global warming.
Written by Harry Fuller, Contributor

The Copenhagen climate talks are less than four weeks away. President Obama and China's President Hu Jintao will meet soon for their own two-way climate talk. They are the world's two leading CO2 emitters and two major nations that refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. The stance of China and the U.S. when they arrive in Copenhagen could prove crucial to any attempt to craft a widely acceptable agreement on global warming.

Hu, of course, has a great deal of unilateral power in China. No Congress, no lobbyists, many of China's major companies are owned largely by the Chinese government. China's sovereign wealth fund is a huge investment force across the globe. In Washington it is clear no climate and energy bill will be voted on by the U.S. Senate before Copenhagen talks convene December 7. Still not clear: will President Obama personally appear in Copenhagen? Would it matter if he did?

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