As the Kyoto Protocol came into effect on February 16, Vice Minister Liu Jiang of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) stated that China will honor its commitments in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, and will work together with the international community to seek effective measures addressing climate change.

Speaking at a related conference on Wednesday, Liu said that China would observe the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities for developed and developing countries, continuing to work toward comprehensive, sustainable development while improving energy efficiency, developing and applying new and renewable energy sources and increasing forestation.

China signed the UNFCCC in 1992. In 1998 it signed the Kyoto Protocol and ratified it in 2002.

In accordance with the rules of the UNFCCC, China is now drafting its National Strategy on Coping with Climate Change, which it expects to promulgate this year.

In preparation for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, the government set up an examination council for the Clean Development Mechanism and promulgated the Interim Measures for Operation and Management of Clean Development Mechanism Projects. So far, two projects have received official approval and a number of others are at the preliminary preparation stage.

One of these projects -- a cooperative effort between China and Italy -- was officially launched on Wednesday. With US$1.4 million in funding from the Italian government over the next five years, 3,000 hectares of trees will be planted in Aohan Banner, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

A total of 2,500 impoverished local farmers and forest workers, particularly women, are expected to benefit directly from the project through ecological education, afforestation and related management and training.

The project is one of the most important cooperative ventures between industrialized countries and developing nations under the Kyoto Protocol.

(China.org.cn by Yuan Fang and Wind Gu, China Daily February 17, 2005)