The United States' senior climate change envoy, Todd Stern, stated that he does not anticipate reaching an agreement on climate change with China during President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Beijing. Instead, Obama will focus on discussing common understanding with President Hu in order to facilitate an agreement at the Copenhagen conference in December, where negotiators will work on a new accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the Kyoto Protocol's first phase expires in 2012. Progress in the talks has been slow, with the US hesitant to commit to a deal that does not require developing countries like China to agree to mandatory CO2 reduction targets. Chinese negotiators have suggested that the industrialized world should take on most of the responsibility for reducing carbon emissions. The meeting between Obama and President Hu Jintao, leaders of the top two greenhouse gas emitters, is seen as crucial for reaching a consensus on a new global climate agreement. Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell believes that China and the US may sign a bilateral agreement during Obama's visit, but US envoy Stern has stated that they are not seeking a separate deal. Despite plans for further cooperation on issues such as carbon capture and storage, analysts believe that differences between the two countries will make it challenging to reach a substantive agreement. Paul Harris, a professor at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the upcoming discussions in Copenhagen, noting that many kind words and discussions may not lead to significant outcomes. With the conference just six weeks away, Stern cautioned that success is not guaranteed, emphasizing the potential for a deal but acknowledging challenges in reaching an agreement. Analysts believe that the Obama administration's efforts to pass a climate plan before the year ends will play a key role in the negotiations. The US Senate Environment Committee is currently conducting hearings on a new climate bill. The administration has been pushing Congress to make progress, and any additional postponements could harm the United States' reputation during the Copenhagen talks.