Like many of her colleagues, McCabe appears to view China, like other members of the developed world, as a cooperative partner in resolving climate issues–especially air pollution issues–but sees the leadership of the United States in climate issues as essential to maintaining.

In one 2017 interview, McCabe characterized the departure of the U.S. from the Paris accord as “handing over leadership of this incredibly important international issue to other countries and, in particular, China,” adding the question of “Is that where the U.S. really wants to be? Is that where our businesses really want to be?”

McCabe has visited Beijing professionally as Acting Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. In March 2016, McCabe was one of the multiple American representatives to meet with representatives of environmental non-governmental organizations in Beijing and discuss a wide array of environmental challenges and “new opportunities for implementation of progressive policies.” As summarized, the meeting concluded “with sincere thanks from Assistant Administrator McCabe for the work of the NGOs, without which recent diplomatic successes—i.e., the two Xi-Obama announcements (in 2014 and 2015) and the COP 21 agreement—would have been far less notable. She expressed a desire for continued EPA engagement and collaboration with the NGOs, which they reciprocated.”

During the same 2016 trip, McCabe also conducted a roundtable for students at the John-Hopkins University Nanjing Center to discuss the challenges of air pollution and the potential future for U.S.-China environmental collaboration. As summarized by a participant, McCabe emphasized that “overcoming global environmental challenges will require a long-term, coordinated effort by dedicated professionals working in both countries.”