Foreign and Military Affairs

China supports drafts at Cancun conference

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-11 17:49

CANCUN, Mexico - China expressed support for the two draft documents presented at the UN climate change conference, the head of the Chinese delegation said Friday.

China are positive about the draft documents although they still have shortcomings, said Xie Zhenhua, head of the Chinese delegation.

"As a member of the Group 77 and China, China has participated in the negotiations comprehensively, actively and flexibly. The drafts have shown all parties' opinions evenly. We are satisfied with the drafts though they have shortcomings," he said.

"We have not finished our negotiations and are still faced with difficult tasks in the future. The Chinese government will continue to stick to green, low-carbon and sustainable development with a high sense of responsibility to the Chinese people and the world," he added.

Xie also showed his gratitude to the Mexican government for having upheld the principle of openness and transparency as the host country.

One of the two draft documents is under the auspices of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the other of the Ad Hoc Working Group on further commitments for Annex I parities under the Kyoto Protocol.

The drafts aim at setting up a new "Green Climate Fund" to help the world's least developed countries, as well as payments to protect tropical forests and another agreement to share low-carbon technologies.

Though the drafts have not included a commitment to extend the Kyoto Protocol after the expiration of first commitment period in 2012, they would prevent a collapse of climate change negotiations and allow for some modest advances on protecting the environment.

The drafts, which still need the approval of the ministers, were rejected by Bolivia alone. Latest media reports said the conference has approved the first part of the draft climate deal at Cancun, overruling the Bolivian objection.

The Cancun talks, scheduled from November 29 to December 10, have rallied about 25,000 participants from governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations and research institutions in almost 200 countries.