The Chinese government attaches great importance to the issue of global climate change. With a high sense of responsibility to the Chinese people and humanity as a whole, it has proactively and constructively participated in international negotiations to address climate change, strengthened multi-level negotiations and dialogues with other countries, and strived to promote mutual understanding and consensus among all parties, making a positive contribution to building a fair and reasonable international mechanism for addressing climate change.

(I) Proactive Participation in International Negotiations within the UN Framework

China adheres to UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol as the basic framework of international climate mechanism, gives active play to the main channel of international climate change negotiations within the UN framework, upholds the principles of fairness and "common but differentiated responsibility," addresses the issue of climate change within the framework of sustainable development, abides by the principles of openness and transparency, extensive participation, signatory leadership and consensus through consultation, proactively and constructively participates in negotiations, strengthens communication and exchanges among the various parties, and promotes international negotiations on climate change to achieve positive results.

In 2011, China continued to proactively participate in international talks on climate change within the UN Framework. It took an active part in the negotiations and consultations at the Durban Climate Change Conference in South Africa and firmly adhered to the principles of maintaining openness and transparency, extensive participation and consensus through consultation. With a conscientious, responsible, open and practical posture, China made important contributions to helping the conference achieve a balanced package of results and ensuring the climate talks proceed on track. During the Durban conference negotiations, the Chinese delegation held a nine-day Chinese Corner series of side events with 23 themed activities, the first such initiative China took during a UN Climate Change Conference. Thanks to the efforts of China and other developing countries, the Durban Conference followed the Bali Road Map, promoted the implementation of UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and achieved important results, building on the achievements of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and Cancun Climate Change Conference. During the conference, Chinese president Hu Jintao sent a letter to South African President Jacob Zuma expressing wholehearted support for the host country. The Chinese delegation held open and in-depth negotiations and dialogues with all parties through various channels to promote understanding and consensus and boost confidence, making proactive and constructive contributions to the positive achievements of the conference.

(II) Extensive Participation in Relevant International Dialogues and Exchanges

Promoting the process of negotiations with high-level visits and major meetings. At the meeting of the leaders of BRICS nations and on other significant multi-lateral diplomatic occasions, Chinese President Hu Jintao made important speeches to encourage the international community to deepen cooperation and jointly address the global challenge of climate change. When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, he called on all parties to fight climate change in accordance with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," develop the green economy and advance sustainable development.

Proactively participating in the international process of climate change talks. China took part in a series of international consultations and exchanges, including the United States Conference on Sustainable Development, the Leaders' Representatives Meetings of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, the ministerial-level dialogue meeting on climate change in St. Petersburg, the Pre-COP18 Preparatory Ministerial-Level Meeting, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and meetings of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization. China also actively participated in climate change-related initiatives and international mechanisms outside the UNFCCC, such as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the Global Methane Initiative, the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas and the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, while promoting negotiations on the UNFCCC as the main channel to make progress.

Strengthening consultations and dialogues with other countries. China continues to strengthen consultation mechanisms among the BASIC countries and holds dialogues and communications with other developing countries by adopting the "BASIC plus" framework, and actively safeguarding the interests of developing countries. China is actively conducting joint research with think tanks in other developing countries, jointly organizing academic discussions to further mutual understanding and promoting international cooperation in scientific research on climate change, domestic and international dialogues on climate change polices as well as technology transfer, capacities building and information sharing. Meanwhile, China maintains dialogues and consultations with developed countries and regions including the United States, the European Union, Australia and Japan to promote understanding and expand common ground. China is also proactively conducting academic exchanges and dialogues with think tanks in developed countries.

(III) China's Basic Positions and Stand on Participation in the Doha 2012 UN Climate Change Conference

At the end of this year, the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol will be held in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The Doha Climate Change Conference is of great significance for maintaining the basic legal framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, strengthening the enforcement of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and safeguarding the legitimate development rights of developing countries. At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2011, government leaders reiterated that addressing climate change is based on the principle of fairness and the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities and own capacities" stipulated in the UNFCCC. The Doha Climate Change Conference should actively implement this important political consensus reached among government leaders, continue to insist on the principles and rules of the UNFCCC, and make sure that multilateral talks within the UN framework keep moving in the right direction.

China maintains that the Doha Climate Change Conference should give priority to the implementation of the consensus reached among all parties; in the first place, the key to the successful accomplishment of the negotiations on the Bali Road Map is the establishment of a legally-binding second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and its guaranteed timely implementation. Developed countries should take genuine actions to fulfill their promises to take the lead in reducing emission and provide funding and technology to developing countries. To be specific, the Doha Climate Change Conference should yield results in the following four areas: First, make definite arrangements for the implementation and enforcement of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and ensure that the second commitment period is implemented in a timely fashion on January 1, 2013. This will be the most important outcome of Doha Climate Change Conference. Second, make further substantial progress on the issues of concern to all developing countries, such as mitigation, adaptation, funding, technology transfer and capacity building. Developed countries, in particular, should fulfill their promises to reduce emissions and provide support in terms of funding, technology transfer and capacity building, and ensure that the already-established mechanisms and institutions start substantive work, and play a substantial role in offering support to developing countries in coping with climate change. Third, make proper follow-up arrangements issues left unsettled in the Bali Action Plan, such as fairness, trade and intellectual property rights, in order to successfully complete talks on the Bali Action Plan. Fourth, fully exchange views on issues relating to the continued enforcement of the UNFCCC after 2020 and align the process of the Durban Platform negotiations with the Bali Road Map negotiations in order to lay a solid foundation for further negotiations.

China supports Qatar, the host nation for the Doha Climate Change Conference, in abiding by the principles of maintaining openness and transparency, extensive participation, reaching consensus through consultations and signatory leadership, and pushes for the conference to yield a positive outcome. China will play a positive and constructive role in the process and join hands with all parties to ensure a successful conference.

Back to top >>