China urges developing countries to coordinate on climate change

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met here on Friday with Brazilian, Indian and South African ministers attending the 21st BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change.

Ministers from BASIC countries -- Brazil, South Africa, India and China -- have been meeting regularly since 2009 to exchange views and evolve a coordinated approach on climate change.

Zhang said the coordination mechanism of the BASIC group has played a vital role in multilateral negotiations on this matter.

It has become a mainstay of safeguarding the solidarity and fundamental interests of the developing world, he said.

The ministers are all eyeing the upcoming Paris Conference as a milestone in the multilateral process on climate change, as it will set up post-2020 international regimes to tackle this challenge.

China is willing to work with Brazil, India and South Africa to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and strive for outcomes that will benefit them at the Paris Conference, said Zhang.

The other ministers agreed with him that it is important for the BASIC countries to coordinate their positions on key issues related to climate change negotiations before the Paris Conference. Endi