Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan has called for stronger cooperation between China and the United States in energy, the environment and other related areas, saying that bilateral cooperation in these areas would lead to win-win results.
"The Chinese government gives high priority to energy and resources conservation and the protection of the environment. It is committed to building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society," Vice Premier Wang wrote in an article published by The Financial Times on Monday in its North American edition.
"However, China is a big and populous developing country at a stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. This has led to heavy consumption of energy and resources and made the task of protecting the environment a daunting one," he said.
"So it is highly significant that the fourth China-U.S. Economic Dialogue, which will be held in the U.S. this week, will promote long-term cooperation in energy, the environment and other related areas," said Wang, who heads a Chinese delegation to take part in the fourth China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), scheduled to be held in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
To meet the challenges brought about by the pressures of growing demand, Wang said China has endeavored to achieve the following goals: intensifying energy and resource conservation, developing renewable energy, and actively adapting to global climate change.
"There is a broad scope for cooperation between China and the U.S. in energy and environment," he wrote. "Stronger cooperation between the two countries in energy and the environment will enable China to respond better to energy and environmental issues and also bring about tremendous business opportunities and handsome returns for American business."
According to the intent of the 10-year cooperation between China and the U.S. in energy and environmental protection, Wang said the two countries should, on the basis of the principles of mutual complementarity and win-win progress, focus their cooperation in energy, pollution reduction and protection of natural resources.
The Chinese vice-premier proposed three approaches to strengthen bilateral cooperation in these areas.
First, China and the United States should build joint laboratories or research and development centers for energy and environmental protection technologies, and provide platforms to promote industrial applications of such technologies.
Second, the two countries should jointly formulate and implement fiscal, taxation, financial and trade policies to encourage innovation and cooperation in and transfer of energy-conserving and environment-friendly technologies.
Third, the two sides should use existing multilateral and bilateral dialogue mechanism and exchange platforms to enhance consultation and coordination, strengthen cooperation in training, exchanges of technical personnel, and data-sharing.
Vice-Premier Wang hoped that through dialogue and cooperation in these areas, China and the United States will promote all-round development of the constructive and cooperative relationship between the two countries, to better serve the interests of their peoples.
The SED was launched jointly by Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush in September of 2006. The dialogue is held twice a year, alternating between the two countries. The previous meeting was held in December in Beijing.
(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2008)
