China and the United States agreed to work together to combat
illegal logging and the associated wood trade in order to promote
sustainable forest management, according to statement by both
countries on Thursday.
Under a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed after the
3rd Strategic Economic Dialogue, the two countries would start
immediately to share information on shipments of timber, step up
law enforcement against illegal activity and encourage
private-sector partnerships to promote sustainable forest
management.
Calling this move "ground-breaking," the U.S. statement said
that it was the first time that the world's top two consumers of
natural resources had used an MOU to address illegal resource
trade.
A detailed bilateral agreement would be negotiated on the basis
of the MOU, said the Chinese statement.
Describing environmental protection and promoting clean energy
"a shared priority" for both sides, the U.S. statement said,
"Illegal logging contributes significantly to the high rates of
deforestation currently occurring worldwide." "Deforestation not
only threatens the health and survival of forests and the humans
and wildlife that depend on them, it is also estimated to
contribute to 20 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas
emissions".
This pact was one of several timber-protection agreements signed
by China recently.
To better protect forests and improve global cooperation, China
has signed agreements and memoranda with Russia on joint
development, forest fire prevention and nature reserve
protection.
In June, it agreed with India, Singapore and the United Arab
Emirates to sign a joint agreement with Tanzania that calls for
information sharing on timber exports, to curb tax evasion in
Tanzania.
China consumed nearly 330 million cubic meters of timber last
year, a volume second only to the United States.
China is the world's leading producer of timber-based items such
as man-made boards, wood flooring, carbon and furniture, according
to a report of the China Green Times, run by the State Bureau of
Forestation.
In another initiative on environmental sustainability, China and
the United States also agreed to establish a national sulfur
dioxide emissions trading program in China, with the U.S. side
providing technical assistance to support the development of the
necessary infrastructure and institutional capacity for the
successful implementation of the program.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2007)
