Taiwan welcomes China's environmental assurances

Taiwan would be glad to see China fulfill its promises made at the UN Would Summit on Sustainable Development, Minister without Portfolio Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) said yesterday in Johannesburg.

At the summit, China pledged to follow international environment conventions, to promote cooperation between the north and the south and to respect the diversity of development in different countries.

"We'd especially like to see China treat neighboring countries, including Taiwan, with respect when dealing with global environmental problems," Yeh said at a press conference yesterday.

In a speech yesterday, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji (朱鎔基) said the promotion of sustainable development at a global level should be based on five conditions: awareness of sustainable development, international cooperation, technology transfer, the establishment of a beneficial economic environment and world peace.

Zhu said that peace was a prerequisite for the survival and development of human beings, adding that international disputes and regional conflicts should be solved through peaceful means.

Responding to Zhu's speech, Taiwanese delegates to the summit said that it would be a good thing if China could stick to its pledge of promoting sustainable development.

Yeh said that even though Taiwan is not a UN member, the national action plan being carried out to implement Agenda 21 -- a global plan for achieving sustainable development -- would be released this month.

China yesterday announced at the summit that it has approved the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"I would like to announce that the Chinese government has ratified the Kyoto Protocol," Zhu told summit delegates.

But as a developing country, China is not bound by targets for restraining emissions of carbon dioxide, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

Targets under Kyoto so far apply only to developed states but might in future be extended to China, the world's most populous nation with more than a billion people.

The agreement holds industrialized nations to cutting emissions of carbon dioxide to around 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. On Friday, the permanent representative of China to the UN, Ambassador Wang Yingfan (王英凡), deposited the instrument of approval of the Kyoto Protocol.

China hopes that other developed countries will ratify or approve the protocol as soon as possible to enable it to come into force within the year.

Yeh said yesterday that Taiwan was glad to see China vowing to follow international conventions.

"However, controversial issues surrounding China's environmental problems, including nuclear testing, sandstorms, acid rain and others, will be still questioned by the international community," Yeh said.

Also yesterday, Russia gave its backing for the protocol.