China Expects Doha Conference to Produce 'Balanced' Result

Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), attends a press conference for the annual "China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change" in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 21, 2012. [Xinhua]

China expects "comprehensive and balanced" results from the upcoming climate change conference in Doha, Qatar, the country's chief negotiator to the UN climate change talks said Wednesday.

Xie Zhenhua, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said, "We hope the conference, like the one in Durban (last year), will reach a comprehensive and balanced result."

"This means it will not only take care of the common interests of all human beings but also address the different realities and needs of different countries," Xie said at a press conference in Beijing.

China expects to see such a resolution, which would not only push forward the climate change talks but also cater to the basic interests of all countries, Xie said.

The 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP18/CMP8 Conference) will be held in Doha from Nov. 26 to Dec. 7.

In a report issued Wednesday by the NDRC, the Chinese government said the most important outcome of the Doha Climate Change Conference should be making definite arrangements for the implementation and enforcement of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

The conference must also ensure that the second commitment period is implemented in a timely fashion starting from Jan. 1, 2013.

"After nearly two decades of negotiations, we need to finalize the common understanding set up by the convention and the protocol, (in order) to take action and fulfill the promises made by countries," Xie said.

"We need to work out a legally-binding result for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that can be tabled for approval," he said.

China will not change its strategy in the negotiations, and it would like to work with other countries to cope with climate change, Xie said.

"Currently, there are big differences among parties and different countries have their own priorities. Let's hope that through two weeks of negotiations agreements will be reached on major problems," he said.

He pledged that China will play a constructive role in pushing the process forward.

In addition, China would like to see actual moves regarding issues of concern to all developing countries, such as mitigation, adaptation, funding, technology transfer and capacity building, he said.

The NDRC report said developed countries, in particular, should fulfill their promises to reduce emissions.