The Paris climate agreement is irreversible, said the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after Washington began a formal process to withdraw from the agreement.

A joint statement was made as part of Macron's visit to China.

Beijing and Paris expressed regret and concern after President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris agreement, despite increasing evidence of the reality and impact of climate change, Reuters reported. 

The two countries “reaffirm their strong support for the Paris Agreement, which they consider an irreversible process and a compass for strong action on the climate,” the statement said.