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)