China Gives Proposals on Sustainable Development

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, September 04, 2002

China Gives Proposals on Sustainable Development

China on Tuesday gave its propositions on sustainable development, saying that the international community must adopt a correct attitude towards the relations between environment and development. China will, as always, take the road of sustainable development, Chinese Premier Zhu said on Tuesday at the final session of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

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Zhu Attends the Round-table of the World Summit

China on Tuesday gave its propositions on sustainable development, saying that the international community must adopt a correct attitude towards the relations between environment and development.

"We are called upon by the new situation to proceed from the larger interest of harmony between man and nature and complementarity between environment and development and to take the road of sustainable development with stronger determination and more solid steps," Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said at the final session of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Economic development must contribute to the continuous use of resources and the virtuous cycle of the eco-system, and must not be achieved by abusing the resources and destroying the eco-system,according to the Chinese premier.

"We should deepen understanding of sustainable development," Zhu told world leaders.

In achieving sustainable development, the Chinese premier said concerted efforts of all countries and enhancement of scientific cooperation are of vital importance.

Global sustainable development requires a fair and equitable new international economic order and a new regime of world trade, according to Zhu.

Therefore, "we should endeavor to create an international economic environment conducive to sustainable development," he said.

Zhu also said peace is the most essential prerequisite for mankind's survival and development, "sustainable development cannot go forward without world peace and stability".

Historical Changes

The Chinese Premier predicted that historical changes will take place on the African continent.

"I am confident that with the establishment of the African Union and the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the African continent will take on a new lookwith historic changes and fresh contributions to world peace and development," Zhu told world leaders.

NEPAD is a holistic, comprehensive integrated strategic framework for the socio-economic development of Africa that provides the vision for the continent's developmental program of actions.

"What is particularly meaningful is that this summit meets in Africa shortly after the inauguration of the African Union," said the Chinese premier, who is participating in a WSSD final session of heads of state and government.

The ongoing summit is expected to focus on building a commitment at the highest levels of government and society to better implement Agenda 21, adopted 10 years ago in Rio, as the roadmap for achieving sustainable development.

Active Part

Zhu said that after the Rio Earth Summit China has acceded to a series of international conventions and completed the domestic procedure for the approval of the Kyoto Protocol.

"Since the Rio summit, the Chinese government, acting in a highly responsible manner to discharge its commitment, has taken the lead in formulating China's Agenda 21," Zhu added.

Under China's Agenda 21, China has mapped out the strategy of rejuvenating the nation through science and technology and the strategy of sustainable development, and identified the key sectors of China's sustainable development for the early years of the new century and relevant programs of action, according to the Chinese premier.

"Having formulated and improved more than 120 laws, rules and regulations concerning population, family planning, environment protection, natural resources management, disaster prevention and relief, China now has an organizational and administrative system operating at various levels that involves multiple agencies of both the central and local governments," Zhu said.

Big Headway

Thanks to 10 years of hard work, China has made big headway on sustainable development, Premier Zhu said.

"China's strategy of sustainable development has now run through all aspects of the country's economic and social development efforts, which effectively promoted a sustained and harmonious development of the economy, population, resources and environment and delivered remarkable successes," Zhu told the leaders.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 158 percent in the past decade or so, he said.

In recent years, China has stepped up its financial input in environment, Zhu said.

From 1998 through 2002, a total of 580 billion yuan (69.88 billion US dollars) was invested in environment protection and preservation of the eco-system, accounting for 1.29 percent of the country's GDP in that period and 1.8 times the combined investment in this area from 1950 to 1997, according to the Chinese premier.

"After years of searching, we have found for ourselves a development model with Chinese characteristics and our sustainable development is holding out a promising prospect," he said.

By 2005, the tendency of ecological degradation will be on the whole arrested, and the total discharge of major pollutants will drop by 10 percent compared with 2000, according to Zhu.

In 2010, China's GDP will double that of 2000, he said.

Takes the Road

The Chinese Premier pledged his country will, as always, take the road of sustainable development.

As the world's largest developing country and a major player in environment protection, China is an important force in international environment cooperation, Zhu said at the high-level segment of the Earth Summit.

"We are deeply aware of the responsibilities on our shoulders," he said.

"If we do a good job in running China well, it will be a great contribution to the world cause of sustainable development.

"We will continue to work hard, unflinchingly shoulder our responsibilities, honor our commitments with deeds, and steadfastly take the road of sustainable development."

Developed Countries' Responsibilities

Zhu Rongji urged developed countries to undertake greater responsibilities so as to realize global sustainable development.

"To realize global sustainable development is a common task for all countries. Both developed and developing countries should undertake obligations. However, developed countries should shoulder greater responsibilities," Zhu said.

The implementation of the global sustainable development strategies hinges, to a considerable extent, upon the materialization of the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" adopted 10 years ago at Rio summit, according to the Chinese premier.

In the past decade, there have been both progress and setbacks in this regard, Zhu said, adding that some commitments have not been honored in earnest.

"The Chinese government maintains that the international community should strive to make greater headway in international cooperation on environment and development under the continued guidance of this principle."

On the capacity building of developing countries, Zhu called on developed countries to assist developing countries in such areas as technical consultancy, personnel training and mechanism building.

He also urged the international community to take effective action to help developing countries improve their level of education.

On the financial resources for sustainable development, Zhu hopes that developed countries will honor their commitments by taking effective action in respect of financing and technology transfer.

"Constrained by their level of economic development, developing countries lack financial resources," Zhu bemoaned.

The Chinese premier also urged developed countries to remove restrictions, currently imposed on exports from developing countries under the pretext of environmental protection.

Finally, Zhu said he believed the ongoing summit will usher in a better implementation of the sustainable development strategy in all countries.

"We are destined to have an even better future for China and for our entire world," said the Chinese premier.

The three-day debate, which follows seven days of meetings between thousands of delegates, features five-minute presentations from 187 states, 103 of them at the level of head of state or government, on eradicating poverty and preserving the Earth's environment.

It is due to wind up on Wednesday with approval of the Plan of Implementation, which is non-binding but will set the environmental agenda for the next 10 years, and a political declaration.

The draft of the declaration calls for support for multilateralism, corruption-free government and a commitment to fight terrorism.

The outstanding issue in the Plan of Implementation was a timetable for access to electricity for the impoverished of the world and increasing power from solar panels, windmills and ocean waves to reduce dependence on polluting and finite fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas.

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