Chinese President Hu Jintao Monday called on the international community to improve cooperation in research and development, technological transfer and funding for the use of renewable resources to benefit the world.

Hu said giving priority to the exploitation and use of renewable energy is the only way for the world to deal with the growing energy and environmental problems, and the only way for mankind to achieve sustainable development.

During his written speech to the 2005 Beijing International Renewable Energy Conference, the president said it is the common aspiration of all countries to improve global cooperation to properly meet the energy and environmental challenges the world faces.

He said China attaches great importance to the utilization of renewable resources, making it one of the important moves to promote economic and social development.

Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan told the conference that China will do more to make use of its water resources, build a number of wind power plants with designed capability of generating a million kilowatts each, pay more attention to the use of solar energy, and methane in rural areas, and actively promote the biological energy sector, while boosting research and development of technology for the use of renewable energy.

By 2010, renewable energy will account for 15 percent of China's energy supplies, said the vice-premier.

He called on governments around the world to give priority to renewable energy while the developed world and international organizations should honor their commitments made in 2004 in Bonn,Germany, to offer assistance to developing countries for the use of renewable energy, including funding, technology, expertise and management.

Attending the meeting were officials in charge of energy and environmental affairs from nearly 100 countries, the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Commission.

Source: Xinhua