The Chinese government attaches importance to the issue of
climate change, a senior Chinese official said on Tuesday at an
environment meeting held in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"The Chinese government, while engaging to economic development,
tries in a responsible way to change the economic growth pattern by
adjusting economic structure and energy mix," said Zhou Jian, Vice
Minister of China's State Environment Protection Administration at
the 3rd ASEM Environment Ministers' Meeting.
Zhou Jian pointed out that climate change is a problem caused by
economic development. Under the new circumstances, the Chinese
government shifts the past development principle of "fast and
healthy growth" to "healthy and fast growth," pays more attention
to the equality of economic growth.
To the issue of energy and climate change of common concern, "
the Chinese government has been in light of its own national
conditions taking a series of policy measures aiming at win-win
situation of the environment and developments so as to address the
climate change," the vice minister said.
The two-day ASEM meeting, which ends Thursday, brings together
37 EU and Asian ministers and their delegations to discuss climate
warming, sustainable energy, threats to biodiversity and
deforestation.
No decisions were expected at the meeting, held ahead of the
launch of UN negotiations at a climate change conference in Bali in
December where the aim is to ensure a continuation of the Kyoto
Protocol, which is due to expire in 2012.
(China Daily April 25, 2007)
