UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday commended a joint statement announced by China and the United States on strengthening their cooperation on climate change.

Ban called it "an important contribution" to the new climate agreement to be reached in Paris next year.

The statement was issued after Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama in Beijing, the Chinese capital.

According to a press release, the two countries announced their respective post-2020 goals of coping with climate change. They will also jointly push international climate change negotiations for a new agreement to be reached as planned at a conference in Paris next year.

China and US will also step up cooperation in the fields of clean energy and environmental protection, said the press release.

Obama arrived in Beijing Monday to attend the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting and pay a state visit to China at Xi's invitation.