Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong on Tuesday said the country was ready to increase cooperation with the United States on climate change.

Liu made the remarks when meeting with assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren, and U.S. special envoy for climate change Todd Stern.

"To cope with climate change is a common challenge for all humankind," Liu said, hoping that the international community would take concrete actions and work together under the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" among developed and developing countries.

The Chinese government, with conserving energy and protecting the environment as its national strategy, attached great importance to issues concerning energy, environment, and climate change, she said.

China would work with the United States to contribute to the success of the Copenhagen Conference at the end of this year, she noted.

Holdren and Stern briefed Li on U.S. policy on climate change, saying that their country would enhance scientific and technological cooperation with China in such sectors as climate change, energy and environment.

A new protocol was expected to be born in Copenhagen by the end of this year to replace the Kyoto Protocol to prevent global warming and climate change, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular briefing on Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2009)