CHINA: Government says developed nations are responsible for global warming and should take action

China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (February 6, 2007) that developed countries were responsible for global warming, and should be the first to take action. "One point must be made - that climate change is caused by long-term emissions and a high level of emissions per capita in developed countries. Developed countries have inevitable responsibilities. Those countries are urged to stick to international environment treaties and the Kyoto Protocol. They should be the first to reduce their emission and carry out some practical measures," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu (pron: djee-ahng yoo) told a regular news briefing. China is hurtling towards possibly becoming the world's third-biggest economy by 2008, overtaking Germany and trailing only Japan and the United States. But that growth has been fuelled by coal-burning power stations and wheezing factories. China defended ongoing research in disputed waters with Japan. Jiang said China was not obligated to notify Toyko beforehand if the exploration is in waters that are clearly China's. "Diaoyu Island and the affiliated isles have been China's territory since ancient times. China has indisputable sovereignty over them. China will not accept any negotiations proposed by the Japanese side promising that Diaoyu Island belongs to Japan. Chinese ships were conducting normal scientific research in the area. And this case is nothing to do with the notification mechanism between the two countries," said Jiang. Japan's Coast Guard said on Sunday (February 4) it detected the ship inside what Japan says is its exclusive economic zone near a natural gas field. The field is the subject of a dispute between the Asian giants over who has the right to develop it. China said it hoped for concrete progress during talks this week aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear arms programme. Pyongyang agreed in Sept. 2005 to scrap its nuclear weapons programme in exchange for aid and security guarantees. "The focus of the next stage of six-party talks is to discuss the measures every party should take in implementing the initial steps proposed in last year's joint agreement. We hope all parties can make joint efforts to promote the process of the talks," said Jiang. Diplomats have pointed to signs that the impoverished communist state may be ready to agree to an initial deal over demands that it stop building a nuclear arsenal in exchange for energy aid at the six-way talks, which resume in Beijing on Thursday (February 8). China said Sudan accepts UN guidance for resolving violence in Darfur. Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir made the remarks to Chinese President Hu Jintao last week. "President Bashir made his response - highly praising China's efforts on the Darfur issue. Sudan basically accepts the resolution raised by Kofi Annan. The Sudanese government is willing to resolve the Darfur issue through political dialogue and to see a peaceful and stable Darfur," said Jiang. A 7,500-strong African Union peacekeeping mission has struggled to maintain a ceasefire in Darfur. Khartoum rejected a U.N. takeover of the force and has instead given loose approval for a U.N.-AU hybrid force. Sudan's Islamic government, under U.S. sanctions, has relied on China to expand oil production and build infrastructure like dams and roads. Jiang said she wasn't aware of a report that China had blocked an octogenarian doctor instrumental in exposing China's HIV/AIDS crisis from collecting an award from a U.S.-based advocacy group, but said all Chinese shared equal rights under the law. "China is a country governed by law. Everyone is equal before the law. China's jurisdictional authority protects people's rights according to law. No one has privilege above the law," said Jiang. Police barred Gao Yaojie from leaving her home in the central province of Henan, forcing her to miss her Sunday (February 4) flight to Beijing where she was travelling to apply for her U.S. visa, according to a fellow AIDS activist.

ITN Source | February 6, 2007

Tags:. .rejected. .negotiations. .joint. .factories. .ancient