On September 21, 2007, Ambassador Yu Qingtai, Special Representative for Climate Change Negotiations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received interview of a number of media. The following is the text of the main questions and answers.

Q: from the G8 Summit to the 15th Economic Leaders Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), climate change has become one of the major concerns of the international community. What is the focus of the international negotiations on climate change? Could you give us some explanation?

A: climate change is gaining increasing importance in international relations and has become the core topic at various international conferences. The focus is how to arrange the international mechanism to cope with climate change after 2012.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol are the basic legal documents of the international community to cope with climate change. Defining the "common but differentiated responsibilities" of developed and developing countries on climate change, the Convention requires the developed countries take the lead in reducing the discharge of greenhouse gas. On this basis, the Protocol raises the quantified emissions reduction commitment for developed countries between 2008 and 2012.

As the year 2008 is arriving, the emission reduction arrangement after 2012 has been gradually put on the agenda. Climate change was mainly caused by developed countries that had been discharging greenhouse gases over the years. The greenhouse gas emission of developed countries is still growing. In 2004 it increased by 11% over 1990. The per capita emission of developed countries remains far higher than that of developing countries. In 2004, the per capita emission in developed countries was 16.1 tons and in developing countries was 4.2 tons, with the former almost quadrupling the latter. Therefore, the priority of the post-2012 arrangement is to define the obligations of the developed countries to continue to take the lead in reducing discharge and define related emission reduction commitment in line with the principles of the UNFCCC and the Protocol as well as the resolutions of conference of the parties to the UNFCCC.

Q: President Hu Jintao noted that climate change in essence is a development issue when expounding China's position on climate change in Sydney. What does he mean?

A: I believe the words of President Hu Jintao hit the essence of the question. First, climate change was mainly caused by the developed countries which have been discharging greenhouse gas since the industrial revolution. It arises in the process of development. Second, climate change can only be solved through development. If the developing countries cannot maintain economic and social progress, eliminate poverty or raise people's living standards, the material foundation for coping with climate change will not exist, not mentioning the capacity to fight against climate change. Third, to address climate change properly will enhance sustainable development. That's why climate change in essence is a development issue.

Q: what are the measures China has taken to cope with climate change? What are China's basic position and proposition on the issue?

A: attaching great importance to climate change, the Chinese government has set up a national leading group for the work of responding to climate change headed by Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan. While seeking economic development, the government has taken various measures to cope with climate change and improve ecological environment in line with the national sustainable development strategy. Such measures include first, readjusting the economic structure, advancing technological progress and raising the efficiency of energy consumption; second, developing renewable energy and optimizing energy structure; third, promoting forestation and strengthening ecological protection. According to the incomplete statistics, from 1990 to 2005 China has saved an energy equivalent of 800 million tons of coal, which equals 1.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide. With an average annual growth of 5.6% of energy consumption, China managed to achieve 10.2% of average annual growth of national economy during the same period of time. In the "eleventh five-year" plan China has set the goal of controlling greenhouse gas emission and reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20% by 2010 over 2005. China's national program on climate change not only defines the guiding principles to tackle climate change but also raises the measures and specific targets on alleviation and adaptation in the key areas to reach the above goals. China has made due contributions and will continue to make relentless efforts to address climate change.

Though climate change was mainly caused by developed countries that had been discharging greenhouse gas since the industrial revolution, it has affected the whole world and influences the development of all countries, the survival of mankind and the future of the earth. Hence global cooperation is needed to tackle the problem. China holds the following basic position and proposition on this issue:

First, the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" should be pursued and the developed countries should continue to take the lead in reducing emission after 2012;

Second, climate change should be addressed under the framework of sustainable development and measures including enhancing energy efficiency, energy saving, developing renewable energy and forestation should be taken to control greenhouse gas emission and strengthen sustainable growth;

Third, technology should play a core role. An effective mechanism of technological cooperation should be established. The R&D, application and transfer of technologies to address climate change should be advanced, obstacles to technological cooperation be eliminated, and incentives for technological cooperation and transfer be set up. It is necessary to establish the international technological cooperation fund so as to make leading technologies affordable and applicable to developing countries.

Fourth, the adaptation to climate change should be addressed properly. With fragile ecological environment, low development level and weak infrastructure, developing countries are vulnerable to climate change. The international community should reinforce cooperation to raise the capacity of developing countries to adapt to climate change.

Q: how does China plan to cooperate with the developed and developing countries on climate change?

A: though the responsibilities of different countries for addressing climate change vary, climate change is a global issue and needs to be tackled through global cooperation. China is ready to strengthen technological cooperation with developed countries to raise energy efficiency, save energy, develop renewable energy and try its best to control greenhouse gas emission in the process of economic development. It is also ready to enhance cooperation with developing countries on climate change and promote sustainable development. China has developed bilateral consultation and cooperation on climate change with the United States, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India and Brazil and participated in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate with the purpose of intensifying the cooperation on climate change.

Q: climate change was originally a specialized subject but has increasingly become a political topic. What is the reason do you think behind such a change?

A: climate change seems to be a simple specialized subject but is in fact a comprehensive question with scientific, environmental and development implications and involves the security of agriculture and food, water resource, energy, ecology and public health and economic competitiveness. It is related with the overall situation of social and economic growth. If the climate changes dramatically, the survival of mankind and the future of earth might be impacted. It is no wonder that such an important question becomes a political topic.

Q: what are the main functions of the Special Representative for Climate Change Negotiations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Could you introduce your diplomatic working experience? What is your general schedule after taking this new position?

A: the special representative is mainly responsible for organizing and participating in the international negotiations on climate change. Prior to taking this position I was the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania. Earlier I also worked in the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the foreign ministry, the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and the Department of African Affairs of the foreign ministry.

To cope with climate change is an important task. I will be fully committed to the diplomatic efforts to tackle climate change and try my best to fulfill my functions and contribute to controlling climate change.

Q: could you explain under what background the foreign ministry decides to set up a leading group? What is the organizational structure and purpose of the group?

A: climate change is a focus of the international community. As a responsible country, China attaches great importance to the issue. Not long ago China set up a national leading group to cope with climate change headed by Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan. To strengthen the coordination and leadership of diplomatic efforts on climate change, the foreign ministry also established a leading group headed by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei.

We will try our best to provide services and raise advices from the diplomatic point of view for the national leading group on climate change.

Q: what do you think is the biggest problem faced by the international community to cope with climate change? What is your suggestion to solve the problem?

A: the biggest problem of the international community to cope with climate change is how to make proper arrangement for the emission reduction after 2012 under the framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. I personally think that the arrangement should be discussed according to the resolutions of the 2005 Montreal conference. In other words, the ad hoc working group set up according to Article 3.9 of the Kyoto Protocol should discuss the emission reduction commitment of countries listed in Annex 1 to the UNFCCC after 2012; the long-term cooperation dialogue under the UNFCCC should discuss how to strengthen the implementation of the Convention so that all the parties to the Convention make contributions to tackling climate change.

Q: the Kyoto Protocol designed to limit greenhouse gas emission of developed countries will expire in 2012, while the new emission reduction plan is yet to be finalized. The developing countries which are the major energy consumers face huge pressure from the developed countries to reduce emission. What is the position of China, a major developing country in the world, on the international negotiations to limit greenhouse gas emission after 2012?

A: I would like to stress that the Kyoto Protocol itself will not expire in 2012. What expires is the first phase of commitment, in other words, the obligations on emission reduction between 2008 and 2012 defined in the Protocol. The Protocol will remain valid after 2012.

The reason that China is a big energy consumption country is not because it has high per capita energy consumption but a large population. In fact, China's per capita energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission are far lower than those of developed countries, even lower than the world average. But China still has adopted various measures to address climate change. In the future China will continue to make efforts in this regard in line with its "eleventh five-year" plan and the national program on climate change.

President Hu Jintao put forward four proposals to tackle climate change, i.e. to strengthen cooperation, pursue sustainable development, maintain the dominant position of the UNFCCC and promote scientific and technological innovation, at the 15th Economic Leaders Meeting of APEC earlier this month. China will follow the four proposals and, as always, try its best to make active efforts to address the global issue of climate change in the spirit of being responsible for the Chinese people and the entire mankind.

Q: coal still makes up 70% of China's energy consumption structure. According to the Eleventh Five-Year Plan of Energy Development formulated by the National Development and Reform Commission coal will remain the major energy source for China in the next 5 years. Such an energy structure will undoubtedly bring huge pressure for China, including the pressure on greenhouse gas emission. Faced with the pressure and criticism from developed countries, what specific measures will China take in terms of raising the proportion of quality clean and renewable energy in its energy structure, developing new energy and getting rid of the development path characterized by high energy consumption and serious pollution? What achievements has China made?

A: the energy structure of a country depends on its energy endowment. Coal is the major energy source for China and hence holds a dominant position in its energy structure. It is hardly possible to change such a structure within a short period of time. But it does not mean that we will remain idle. The Chinese government has and will continue to strengthen efforts to control energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission in the following areas: first, raising energy efficiency. The eleventh "five-year" plan requires reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20% by 2010; second, saving energy; third, developing renewable energy and raising the proportion of renewable energy to 10% by 2010; fourth, strengthening forestation and trying to raise forest coverage to 20% by 2010. Those measures have shown initial results. For example, in 2005 the proportion of coal to China's primary energy consumption has reduced to 68.9% from 76.2% in 1990. China has saved an energy equivalent of 800 million tons of coal, which equals 1.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide from 1990 to 2005. China's contribution is clear to all.