The United States would pay a diplomatic price for withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change, a leading Chinese expert has warned.

Dr Chai Qimin, a director at the National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, which is funded by the Chinese government, told the Climate Home website that doing so would affect talks at the G7 and G20 groups of wealthy nations.

In the past there have been suggestions that the rest of the world should impose a ‘carbon tax’ or other form of tariff on products made by countries which refuse to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

While Dr Chai did not go this far, he said: “Definitely it will impact on other diplomatic arenas, already on G7 and G20, the Major Economies Forum as well,.

“President Xi [Jinping] and our ambassador to the United Nations have said several times that withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is irresponsible, which will harm the mutual trust in the multilateral mechanism.”

Donald Trump is currently considering whether to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement with the President having said in the past that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by China.

However several leading figures in his administration, including his daughter Ivanka, are believe to be in favour of staying a signatory.

Ethiopian diplomat Gebru Jember Endalew, head of the 48 least-developed countries negotiating group taking part in a United Nations’ climate summit in Bonn, Germany, told Climate Home that if the US left the Paris Agreement it would be “a betrayal”.

“At this stage when most of the political leaders are actively engaged, they are well aware of the issue,” he said.

“So, I feel that if the US withdraws, it’s a betrayal to the global community – especially the least developed countries and the most vulnerable groups of countries.”

And an island state negotiator, speaking anonymously, added: “The diplomatic consequences of the US pulling out of the Paris Agreement cannot be overstated.

“Every leader stood up in Paris and pledged to transform their economies, and every part of their governments are now engaged in that effort.

“Every conversation with the US at every level would therefore be touched by a decision to withdraw and the ill feeling that it would generate.