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China refuted the idea of G2 in climate change

By Li Xing and Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-11 23:20

Copenhagen: Chinese vice foreign minister He Yefei refuted the idea of G2 in climate change mitigation and highlighted the priority of China for further development.

China is committed to bringing a successful outcome of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, however, mitigating climate change should not be done at the expense of the rights to development by developing countries, He Yafei, vice foreign minister, told the press on Dec 11.

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"The final documents should address the needs and aspirations of developing countries, but it should not be in favor of a certain group of countries," He said, and the priority for China and developing countries is poverty reduction.

He said that "the next few days will be crucial and negotiations will be intensified."

"Climate change is matter of survival, and we need to develop," He said.

Over the past few days, the negotiations have run into deadlocks over several issues, which include the long-term goals of limiting global temperature rise by 2 or 1.5 degrees Celsius, emission reduction targets of the developed countries, the amount of financing to be facilitated by developed countries and possible actions taken by developing countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

The idea of having a single one treaty is not "off the table" de Boer said, even though an "overwhelming number of countries" want a two-track outcome, meaning producing two separate documents.

Small island nations have demanded that the conference produce documents that set binding emission reduction targets not only for developed countries but also for major developing countries.

He Yafei said that China has been in close consultation with small island countries.

"We may not see eye-to-eye on specific issues, but we share the same view that the key to the success of the conference is for developed countries to keep promise and to deliver."

"They cannot postpone it," He said, noting that the first implementation period is almost over and yet the developed countries have not kept up their promise.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Vice-Minister stressed that tackle climate change needs multilateral cooperation.

"Nations should work together and not against each other," he said.