Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan Saturday called for a further
tripartite cooperation in the environmental sector among China,
Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).
China attaches great importance to ecological construction and
environmental protection, and hopes that the cooperation can help
improve regional ecological conditions and realize the harmonious
coexistence between man and nature, Zeng said, when meeting with
Japanese Environment Minister Koike Yuriko and ROK Environment
Minister Han Myung-sook.
The two ministers were in Beijing in Beijing attending the fifth
environmental ministerial meeting for China, Japan and the ROK.
Zeng said in recent years China has basically curbed the
deteriorating tendency of its national environment while
maintaining rapid economic growth.
He said China will get rid of the old developing model, which
was built on mass consumption of natural resources and sacrifice of
the environment, and look for a new scientific and economical
industrialization model which can produce less consumption and
pollution, and make full use of human resources.
Zeng said Chinese, Japanese and ROK leaders signed a joint
declaration at the fifth consultation in Bali, Indonesia, this
October, and reached broad consensus on cooperation on
environmental protection.
The Chinese government is willing to actively join in
international environmental cooperation based on mutual respect,
mutual benefit and enhanced communication, Zeng said.
He said China, Japan and the ROK have achieved fruitful results
in research into sand storms, the monitoring of acid rain,
environmental education and human resources development.
He said he hopes that the environmental departments of the three
countries can explore more cooperation areas, and improve
consultation and exchanges, so as to improve the regional
environment and make greater contributions to worldwide sustainable
development.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2003)