China to host world climate talks in October

China will host an extra round of global climate talks in October before a UN summit in Cancun, Mexico, at year's end as nations attempt to devise a post-2012 treaty.

United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Achim Steiner said that the world body was working with Beijing to organize the meeting in the northern port city of Tianjin.

"China will introduce some ideas and opportunities to move the negotiation forward," Steiner said.

The dates have not yet been finalized for the Tianjin meeting, the report said. The next UN climate convention meeting will take place in Cancun from November 29 to December 10.

"China's gesture is quite positive" and can make a "great difference" in laying the groundwork for the Cancun meeting, Steiner said, but stressed the Tianjin meeting did not mean Beijing alone would set the agenda.

"By hosting a UN meeting it doesn't mean China, as host government, will determine the negotiation results," he said.

Nations are seeking to overcome the acrimonious divisions that surfaced at the Copenhagen summit on global warming last year to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

He Jiankun, vice-chairman of China's expert panel on climate change, said the Tianjin meeting was being organized because all sides saw a need for more preparations before Cancun.

"The extra session was added as all believe more preparatory talks would help nations reach more agreements during the year-end negotiations on which great hope (rests)," he said.

Yu Qingtai, Beijing's top climate negotiator, indicated over the weekend that China would maintain its argument of "differentiated responsibility" for developing countries at climate talks." No progress can be achieved if we deviate from such a principle," Yu said.

People's Daily Online