Wen makes proposals for climate deal

0 CommentsPrint E-mail CRIENGLISH.com/Xinhua, December 18, 2009
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday laid out five issues that need to be addressed in order to reach a deal on climate change at UN-led talks in Copenhagen, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (3rd, R) poses for a group photo with President of the Maldvies Mohammed Nasheed (3rd, L), Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (2nd, L), Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (2nd, R), Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas (1st, R) and Sudanese Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie (1st, L) ahead of their meeting in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, on Dec. 17, 2009. [Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (3rd, R) poses for a group photo with President of the Maldvies Mohammed Nasheed (3rd, L), Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (2nd, L), Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (2nd, R), Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas (1st, R) and Sudanese Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie (1st, L) ahead of their meeting in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, on Dec. 17, 2009. [Xinhua]

Wen told some world leaders he met on Thursday that negotiators should try to reach consensus on what documents to serve as basis for negotiations, emission targets, monitoring mechanisms, long-term goals, and funding as the talks moved into the final segment.

Negotiators from more than 190 countries are running against time to wrap up the 11-day talks, hoping to seal a deal to move forward the global fight against climate change before world leaders meet on Friday.

Also on Thursday, Premier Wen said that China is not obliged to subject its voluntary climate action to international monitoring.

The Bali Action Plan has clear stipulations regarding whether a country's mitigation action should be subject to international scrutiny, He Yafei quoted Wen as saying.

The United States said Thursday it was prepared to join other rich countries in raising 100 billion U.S. dollars annually by 2020 to help developing countries combat climate change, but set a condition that emerging countries including China should accept international monitoring of its mitigation action.

Wen said China's refusal of international monitoring does not mean the country is afraid of supervision.

"It is a matter of principle, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities," said the Premier, who called for mutual trust among the countries.

"Mutual trust is extremely important. We should not go for suspicion. We should not go for confrontation. We should go for cooperation," he said.

Wen noted that China will take necessary domestic measures to ensure full transparency and implementation of its national mitigation action.

"As Premier Wen has decided, the mitigation action we have set for China will be fully guaranteed legally, domestically," He Yafei said. "There would be a monitoring and verification regime inside China, which is legally binding in China."

The Chinese government recently announced a plan to reduce the per unit of GDP energy consumption by 20 percent till 2010, and it is poised to put the target into its national social and economic development plan.

Wen said China would also consider dialogue and cooperation with other countries, warning there should be no infringement on China's sovereignty.

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