'No compromise on principles',says chief negotiator
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China will not compromise on issues of principle at the ongoing UN climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, the country's chief negotiator said on Saturday.
Su Wei, the chief Chinese negotiator and head of the climate change department of China's National Development and Reform Commission, made the remarks in response to some parties' call for "compromise to make achievements."
"All the parties want to reach substantial achievements at the Cancun conference, which can lay a solid foundation for the completion of 'Bali Roadmap' negotiations," Su told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
"I think we can cooperate with other parties and even make compromises on some non-principle issues, but we will not compromise on the issues of principle, such as the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, which is the basis for a package of agreements to be made in Cancun," Su said.
The negotiator stressed that the developing countries have reached consensus on the principle issues. "We are keeping solidarity and trying to play a constructive role," he added.
Su said some country's opposition to the Kyoto Protocol is no good news to the developing countries, and has exerted negative influence on the conference.
Negotiators at the Cancun conference are trying to establish a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol, which obliges rich nations except the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012.
"At the end of the first week of the Cancun conference, there are some progress in adaptation, finance, technology and mitigation for the developing countries, but it is hard to say if the progresses are final ones," Su observed.
As for the rumors about a secret Mexican text, Su said that the president of COP16 has told the delegations from every country including China that Mexico will not put forward a secret text.
"As I know, Mexico, the host country of COP16, is always pursuing the principles of 'open, transparent and widening participation' for the climate negotiations this year. I believe Mexico will continue to keep the principles to try to get the results of balance at the Cancun Conference," he said.
Su noted that the ministers will arrive in Cancun in the second week of the conference. He hopes the ministers can play an active role in promoting the progress of the conference.
A 70-strong-member delegation of the Chinese government, headed by Xie Zhenhua, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, is cooperating with other parties to seek a solution to global warming in Cancun.
The Cancun talks, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, are aimed at finding solutions to global climate change. It has attracted about 25,000 participants from governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and research institutions in nearly 200 countries.
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