Climate change and environmental protection will form a large
part of discussions at the European Union(EU)-China Summit, which
starts in Beijing today.
Major areas of cooperation between the two sides, including
efforts to combat climate change by setting up a clean-energy
research center, will be high on the agenda of the annual
meeting.
The discussions come at a crucial time, as next month will see
about 180 countries' environmental leaders meeting in Bali,
Indonesia, to revisit post-Kyoto Protocol issues and decide on
joint efforts to reduce global warming.
China and the EU are expected to play influential roles at the
negotiation table then.
Environmental experts also believe that a cooperation agreement
mapped out at the ongoing summit will usher both sides into a new
era of environmental development.
Cooperation on climate change and environmental protection
between the two sides has a long history, which has in turn helped
China - a fast-developing country facing many environmental
challenges - move forward on a green and sustainable track.
The country's rapid economic growth and energy-related
challenges impact directly on climate change, energy security, air
pollution and the environment in general - both locally and
globally.
Over the last decade, China and EU have been working together
closely on environmental and energy issues through established
ministerial-level dialogues, high-level working groups, joint
workshops or conferences, and through the Sino-EU cooperation
program.
The 2005 EU-China Summit in Beijing also established a firm
partnership on fighting climate change.
Bilateral cooperation in the environment and sustainable
development sectors will continue to cover a wide range of topics -
from biodiversity protection, water management and waste
management, to energy saving and climate change.
(China Daily November 28, 2007)
