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Hu: "Join Hands to Address Climate Challenge"

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-22 23:47

UNITED NATIONS: Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Tuesday the international community should tackle global climate change through common development.

"Global climate change has a profound impact on the existence and development of mankind and is a major challenge facing all countries," the president said when addressing the UN climate change summit.

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"Climate change is an environment issue, but also, and more importantly, a development issue," said Hu in his speech, entitled "Join Hands to Address Climate Challenge."

"We should and can only advance efforts to address climate change in the course of development and meet the challenge through common development," he said.

The Chinese leader highlighted four principles to be followed in the world's common endeavor to tackle climate change:

- Fulfilling respective responsibilities should be at the core of the effort;

- Achieving mutual benefit and a win-win outcome should be the goal of the effort;

- Promoting common development should be the basis of the effort;

- Ensuring financing and technology holds the key to the success of the effort.

"Out of a sense of responsibility to the world ... China has taken and will continue to take determined and practical steps to tackle this challenge," said the president.

The Chinese president arrived here Monday for the UN climate change summit and other UN meetings. He will also attend a financial summit of the Group of 20 (G20) in Pittsburgh scheduled for September 24-25.

Europe views itself as the world leader and wants to limit climate change to 2 C above pre-industrial levels by 2050. It has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020, and to raise this to 30 percent if there is agreement at Copenhagen.
In the past few years while adhering to the Scientific Outlook on Development Hu promotes, China has been working towards rigorous targets - which it had set for itself - to promote clean energy, push for energy efficiency and cut greenhouse emissions.
I hope China will categorically outline her stance on vital international issues. I would be totally disappointed if deliberations after this UN summits turn out to be "the same old wine in old cups."
 
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