Silk Road Cities Tap German Ingenuity to Tackle Climate in China

China is tapping German ingenuity to help cities at the farthest reaches of its ancient silk road adapt to climate change.

Scores of advisers from Germany and the European Union are working with officials in China to help transform hundreds of cities into oases of green power. Cleaning up China’s cities has become a test for whether President Xi Jinping’s government can hit pollution targets in the 2015 Paris agreement while spurring economic growth tied to its new silk road.

“The role of cities is crucial for reaching the Paris goals,” said Beijing-based Sandra Retzer, who leads urban sustainability programs ...