China affirms climate pledge after Trump rolls back rules

BEIJING (AP) - China's government says it will stick to its promises to curb carbon emissions after President Donald Trump eased U.S. restrictions on fossil fuel use that were meant to control global warming.

A foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said Wednesday that curbing climate change is a "challenge faced by all mankind" and said Beijing was committed to carrying out its pledges under the Paris climate agreement.

China is the world's biggest emitter of climate-changing industrial gases but has emerged as a leader in efforts to control emissions. It has promised to cap coal use and reduce output of carbon dioxide per unit of economic output.

Beijing's collaboration on climate with Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, had been seen as a bright spot in a relationship with numerous strains.