China Likely To Gain As US Withdraws From Paris Agreement

WASHINGTON (AP) — Count China as a probable winner in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of an international agreement on climate change.

China has already been rising toward leadership in the effort to stem global warming and promote green technology. And it's becoming a leader on global matters far removed from the environment.

International criticism followed Trump's announcement that the U.S. would leave the Paris accord. That, and recent reversals on free trade and foreign aid, are deepening perceptions of an America in retreat.

China may be poised to fill the breach. The Asian nation is the world's largest emitter of man-made carbon dioxide, considered a top cause of climate change. It's making rapid progress toward its Paris goal of stopping emissions growth by 2030.