U.S., China Reach Landmark Deal on Climate Change

Leaders of the United States and China reached a landmark deal regarding climate change during months of secret talks that culminated during private meetings at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Beijing this week.

President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping both agreed to actively stop carbon emissions by 2030, with Obama vowing to try to eliminate the U.S.'s carbon emissions in 2025 by 26 to 28 percent less than it did in 2005. Jingping agreed to use clean energy sources that would eliminate his country's carbon production by 20 percent come 2030.

Prior to Obama speaking on the agreement, a senior White House official told media outlets that: "The United States and China have often been seen as antagonists."

"We hope that this announcement can usher in a new day in which China and the U.S. can act much more as partners."

As the two biggest producers of greenhouse gases, China and the U.S. are hoping to set an example for the rest of the world to put in place policies that would reduce the effect of climate change in the coming decades.

Obama spoke at a press conference in Beijing, calling the deal between the two countries "historic," adding that it represents "a major milestone in the U.S.-China relationship."

"It shows what's possible when we work together on an urgent global challenge," the U.S. president added.

The president's agreement with China quickly received criticism from the Republican party in the U.S., with Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky calling the plan "unrealistic."

"Our economy can't take the president's ideological War on Coal that will increase the squeeze on middle-class families and struggling miners," McConnell said.