China Urges Developed Countries to Help Poor Nations Address Climate Change

Representatives from 190 countries are now in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, for a week-long UN talks on climate change, a prelude to the Durban climate conference slated for the end of the year.

Huang Huikang, China's envoy to the climate talks, says developed countries should take concrete steps to help developing countries tackle the climate change.

Wei Tong has the details.

Delegates to the current meetings are discussing detailed measures to implement UN climate deals made at previous climate conferences.

Huang Huikang, China's envoy to the ongoing climate talks, says the international climate talks have come to a critical stage.

"The climate change negotiations have entered the deep water. Countries need to exchange views and make concessions on certain core issues. As developed countries are instigators of global climate change, it's their duty to help developing countries address climate change."

Developed and developing countries are still split over issues like long-term emission targets, financial assistance and technology transfer, after the UN climate conferences in Copenhagen and Cancun.

Huang Huikang is urging all the countries to adopt a responsible measure so as to reach a new global climate agreement at the Durban climate conference.

"Each country needs to comprehensively implement relevant international agreements on climate change. We must take a responsible, comprehensive and balanced attitude to tackle the climate change. So we hope countries can join hands to combat climate change in a manner of cooperation and compromise."

The 2009 Copenhagen climate summit failed to agree a treaty and merely came up with a non-binding deal. And last year's Cancun climate conference also made little progress toward resolving splits over the Kyoto Protocol, which expires next year. The protocol is officially the first global legally binding contract to reduce greenhouse gases.

Global climate negotiators are now expected to determine how to extend or replace the Kyoto Protocal at this year's climate summit in Durban.

Huang Huikang adds that China will fight climate change with greater efforts.

"We will intensify our effort to save energy and cut emissions in an effort to deliver China's promise at the Copenhagen climate conference."

China has pledged to reduce its gas emissions by 40-45% per unit of GDP by 2020, compared with 2005 levels.

For CRI, I'm Wei Tong.