Wen: Developed countries should help developing nations on climate

Dec 2, 2007, 13:36 GMT

Beijing - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday that developed nations should help developing countries in the efforts in the field of climate change, and said China would attend the upcoming climate conference in Bali with a 'positive' approach.

According to the Chinese agency Xinhua, Wen discussed climate change issues by telephone with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday and called climate change a 'common challenge' to mankind.

He said that close cooperation was needed by the international community whereby efforts should be made under the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities,' Xinhua reported.

The Chinese premier argued that developed nations, in taking the lead in sharply reducing emissions, should assist developing countries in building their capacity to respond to climate changes.

He said Beijing had always attached great importance to the issue of climate change, and had adopted a series of energy-conserving and emission-reducing approaches in keeping with its strategies for sustainable development.

Wen said China had achieved 'remarkable success' in its climate efforts, the Xinhua report said.

His comments came while a spokesperson for a visiting Japanese ministerial delegation, which had discussed climate issues with Wen, said the Chinese premier had said China was not ready to accept a clear commitment for emission targets.

China is the world's largest consumer of coal and is on the verge of passing the United States as the largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions.