China to host UN climate change talks in October

China will host UN climate change talks in October, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang here Tuesday.

The 12th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) and the 14th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) will be held in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, Qin told a regular news briefing.

It is the first time for China to host the UN climate change talks, Qin said. It is also the last round of negotiations before the next big UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gathering, taking place in the Mexican resort of Cancun from November 29 to December 10.

The Tianjin talks, part of the UNFCCC, will aim to consolidate the status of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol as the main channel for negotiation and promote the dual-track negotiating mechanism of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol to make new progress, Qin noted.

He said China has started the preparation work for the talks and is maintaining communication and coordination with the Secretariat of the UNFCCC.

As the host country, he said, China would ensure the negotiations have the necessary logistical support and security.

China will work with all the parties to push forward the Cancun conference, in line with the Bali Roadmap, to achieve a comprehensive and balanced result and promote the full implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, Qin stressed.

"China will continue to play a constructive role in the process," he said.

Source: Xinhua