The United States does not anticipate reaching a climate change agreement with China during President Obama's upcoming visit to Beijing, according to Todd Stern, the US Special Envoy for Climate Change. Stern stated that the goal of the visit is to establish a common understanding with President Hu in order to facilitate an agreement at the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations in December. The United States is hesitant to commit to a deal that does not require developing countries like China to agree to mandatory CO2 reduction targets. Chinese negotiators have also expressed that the industrialized world should take on the majority of the responsibility for reducing carbon emissions. The meeting between Obama and President Hu Jintao, who lead the world's two largest greenhouse gas emitters, is considered essential in the efforts to establish a consensus on a new global climate agreement. Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell stated in Beijing that China and the US are expected to sign a bilateral agreement during Obama's visit, although Washington is not seeking a separate deal. Discussions on issues such as carbon capture and storage are likely to occur next month, but analysts believe that differences between the two sides will make it challenging to reach a substantive agreement. Paul Harris, a professor of global and environmental studies at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, expressed skepticism about the possibility of significant progress being made towards a climate deal in the lead-up to the Copenhagen conference. He noted that while there may be a lot of positive talk and kind words, he believes that concrete action may not materialize yet. With the conference just six weeks away, Stern also cautioned that success was not guaranteed, emphasizing that while a deal could be reached in Copenhagen, it was not a certainty. Analysts highlight the importance of the Obama administration's efforts to pass its own climate plan before the end of the year, with the US Senate Environment Committee currently holding hearings on a new climate bill. The administration has been encouraging Congress to make progress, and any additional postponements could harm the reputation of the United States in the Copenhagen talks.