For years, China has made great efforts to protect forests and other natural ecosystems by formulating and enforcing relevant laws and regulations, such as the Forest Law, Law on the Protection of Wildlife, Law on Water and Soil Conservation, Law on Prevention and Control of Desertification, Regulations on Conversion of Farmland to Forests, Forest Fire Prevention Regulations, and Regulations on Forest Diseases and Insect Pest Prevention and Control. The state is now working hard to draw up laws and regulations on the protection of nature reserves, wetlands and natural forests, and pushing forward the all-round implementation of a national program of eco-environment development and protection.

China will further strengthen the protection and management of forest land, forests and wildlife resources, continue projects for the protection of forests, conversion of cropland to forest and grassland, wildlife conservation and nature reserve development and wetland protection, so as to push forward the sustainable development and management of forests, and intensify efforts in ecological water and soil conservation. The government has established a comprehensive monitoring system for forest resources and ecosystem conditions; improved a forest fire, pest and disease evaluating system and an emergency-response system, as well as the training of professionals in this field; carried out a nationwide medium- and long-term program for the prevention of forest fires, pests and diseases, enhanced the protection of endangered species and their habitat ecosystems; and restored the functions of eco-fragile areas and ecosystems.

Water Resources

China has worked out and enforced laws and regulations in this regard, including the Water Law, Flood Control Law, and Regulations on River Administration. It has formulated and completed the program of flood control on major rivers and other water-conservancy programs, and has set up an elementary law regime and a program on water conservancy commensurate with China's conditions, and established an elementary flood-control and disaster-alleviation system for major rivers and a water-resource allocation and protection system. Meanwhile, great efforts have been made to control soil erosion. By the end of 2007, China had made efforts to bring soil and water erosion under control over an area of 1 million square km, thus effectively protected the soil and water resources and improved its eco-environment.

China will accelerate the pace of formulating nationwide comprehensive plans for water resources and river basins, drawing up a water-allocation plan for major rivers, and speeding up the construction of the south-to-north water-diversion and other water-diversion projects, so as to optimize the water resource allocation pattern, and increase the water supply capability for drought emergencies. Efforts are being made to enhance unified water resources management and allocation, and establish national water-right distribution and transfer systems as well as a water resources conservation and protection system. The state will strengthen the construction of projects to control floods on major rivers as well as a system to control floods caused by mountain torrents, thus basically establishing a flood-control and disaster-alleviation system mainly formed by reservoirs, river channels, dykes and a mountain flood-control system. Further efforts are being made to improve the national commanding system in control and prevention of floods and droughts, and establish a flood-risk management system, so as to enhance the country's capability in controlling floods and droughts. In river basins with serious ecological deterioration, China will set the cap on extraction of groundwater, strictly control excessive extraction of groundwater and adopt active measures to rehabilitate and protect water resources. Research will be strengthened into the impact of climate change over China's water resources and into the mechanisms of water conversion between atmospheric water, surface water, soil water and groundwater as well as related technologies for optimizing water-resource configuration. China is also strengthening study, development and popularization of technologies relating to reuse of wastewater and desalinization of seawater.

Coastal Zones and Coastal Regions

In accordance with the Marine Environment Protection Law, Law on the Use and Administration of Sea Areas, General System Development Plan for the Air-Sea Interaction, among others, China has worked out the objects and contents of a system to deal with climate change in marine areas, and established a decision-making mechanism and a coordination mechanism of comprehensive management, thereby striving to slow down and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Work is also done to increase the capability of the coastal zones and coastal regions to adapt to climate change. Through investigations and researches, China has strengthened study on air-sea interaction to deepen the understanding of air-sea interaction, and has initially formed an all-dimensional observation network pertaining to the marine environment, thus improving its capability to control and prevent marine disasters.

The country will further improve its all-round capability to control and prevent marine disasters in coastal regions through establishing and further improving an emergency response system for marine disasters. It will set up observation and service networks to analyze, evaluate and forecast climate change in coastal areas, establish a system to monitor, forecast, analyze and evaluate sea level change and do a better job in this regard, and improve the capability of the marine ecosystem and coastal region ecosystem to cope with and adapt to climate change. The state is promoting R&D of technologies for marine ecosystem protection and restoration, popularizing the research results, reinforcing the construction and management of marine reserves, carrying out restoration work in coastal wetlands and marine eco-environment, setting up demonstration areas with typical marine ecosystems, and building coastal protection forest belts with every effort. China will enhance the management of coastal zones, raise protection standards of coastal cities and major engineering projects, prevent excessive exploitation of groundwater and take measures against land subsidence in coastal areas. As one of such steps, fresh water will be taken from rivers or reservoirs to dilute brackish water and deter seawater intrusion in estuaries.

Other Fields

China has enhanced its capability of monitoring and issuing early warning over extreme climate events, and basically established mechanisms to deal with extreme meteorological emergencies, including their derivative and secondary effects. Great progress has been made in countering the effects of extreme climate phenomena like typhoons, regional intense thunderstorms and floods, and a comprehensive monitoring system for climate and climate change has taken initial shape.

To counter the expansion of epidemic-infected area caused by climate change, the state will further build up its monitoring and control network, and establish a health-guarantee system. The government has worked out a city flood control and water drainage plan, and raised the design standards for city flood control projects. In the design, construction and operation of major projects, the factor of climate change has been taken into full consideration, and new standards have been established for adaptation to future climate change.

VI. Enhancing Public Awareness in Addressing Climate Change

China has all along attached great importance to education and publicity concerning the environment and climate change, as well as public participation in relevant activities. In recent years, the government has constantly guided the public in enhancing its awareness of climate change, and advocated the concept of harmonious development between man and nature through publicizing and implementing such advanced ideas as the Scientific Outlook on Development, establishing a harmonious society and sticking to the sustainable development road. The Politburo of the Communist Party of China particularly held a study session on global climate change and enhancement of the capability to cope with it. It stresses on vigorous enhancement of public awareness and capability in participation of addressing of climate change, and on the building of a good social atmosphere to this end. The state makes the concept of building a resource-saving and environmental-friendly society an important component of school education and the mass media, and disseminates knowledge about climate change by all ways and means to sharpen the concern of the whole society about global environmental issues.

China has produced large numbers of publications and audio-video products on climate change, set up dedicated TV weather channel and an information database to disseminate knowledge about climate change through the mass media. It has held the "International Forum on Climate Change and Science and Technology Innovation," and hosted many large-scale international seminars with topics such as "Climate Change and Ecosystems" and "Bio-Diversity and Climate Change." Since 1992, China has staged 18 sessions of National Energy Conservation Publicity Week in succession. The Chinese Government issued the Public Action Plan on Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction, carried out relevant activities throughout the country, with the participation of communities, young people, enterprises, schools, servicemen, government agencies, scientific and technological circles, popular science circles, and the mass media. As a result, a mechanism of energy conservation and emission reduction has been formed with the government taking the lead, enterprises as actors and everyone as participant. China fully utilizes the exemplary roles of government agencies and officials through a campaign to establish a "conservation-minded government." It carries out publicity and education of energy conservation and emission reduction in enterprises, mobilizes employees to participate in the management of energy conservation and emission reduction in enterprises. It encourages citizens to remold lifestyles and consumption patterns in their families, creates a platform for energy conservation and emission reduction in communities. It actively encourages citizens and social groups to plant trees voluntarily, and launches actions like restricting free use of plastic bags by charging fees so as to enhance their awareness of energy conservation and emission reduction. It fosters students' awareness of the importance of energy conservation and emission reduction through school education and practical activities. In recent years, many social groups and NGOs have participated in the campaign for energy conservation and emission reduction in various ways and played an active role.

Recycling economy represents the future trend of economic development. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the development of a recycling economy, and advocates such economy throughout the country. In recent years, with vigorous development of the recycling economy as focus, the government has launched a series of educational and publicity activities in order to root the idea of a recycling economy deeply in the people's minds and create a sound social atmosphere.

China will further enhance education and training in order to better deal with climate change. Knowledge about climate change will be included in basic education, higher education and adult education, with the focus being place on fostering among youngsters the awareness of climate change and a sense of participation in relevant activities. It will conduct training courses and seminars on climate change for government agencies, enterprises, consultation institutes, scientific research staff and communities, so as to improve their understanding of the importance and urgency in dealing with climate change, and encourage them to undertake their social responsibilities in an active manner.

VII. Enhancing International Cooperation on Climate Change

Based on the "mutually beneficial, pragmatic and effective" principle, China actively participates in and promotes international cooperation in the field of climate change, playing a positive role. In recent years, China's president and premier have both stated China's position on international cooperation on climate change at multilateral and bilateral exchanges, including the outreach session of the G8 summit, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, East Asia Summit (EAS) and Boao Forum for Asia, energetically promoting global action to cope with climate change.

Over a long period of time China has actively participated in and supported the activities of the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, working hard to accelerate the effective implementation of the two documents. Chinese experts have energetically taken part in the activities of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), making contributions to the composing of relevant reports. China earnestly performs its duties stipulated by the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, released China Initial National Communications on Climate Change in 2004, and issued the National Plan for Coping With Climate Change and China's Special Sci-Tech Campaign to Cope With Climate Change in June 2007.

As to multilateral cooperation, China is an official member of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, Methane-to-Market Partnership and Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. It is also a participant in the meetings of the leaders of the G8 and the five major developing countries on climate change, and Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change. At the APEC meeting, China moved the proposal of the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation, and hosted the International Forum on Climate Change and Sci-Tech Innovation. China strives for the enhancement of international exchanges and mutual trust in the sphere of climate change, as well as the establishment of an impartial and effective global mechanism to cope with climate change.

In bilateral exchanges, China has set up a dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change with the European Union, India, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, focusing on cooperation in the field of climate change. China has all along helped African countries and small developing island states to improve their ability to cope with climate change. China's African Policy makes it clear that China will actively promote China-Africa cooperation in climate change. The Chinese Government has sponsored two study courses on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), aiming to improve the abilities of African and Asian developing countries to carry out CDM projects.

China energetically develops cooperation in research on climate change with foreign governments, international organizations and research institutes, covering scientific problems, deceleration and adaptation, policies and measures to cope with climate change, including China's trend of climate change, impacts of climate change on China, adaptation measures and actions adopted by China's farming and forestry departments, China's water resources management, and China's comprehensive management of coastal zone and marine eco-systems. This cooperation extends to the cost for China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and China's potential capability in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, China's laws and regulations and policy research to cope with climate change, as well as studies, development and demonstrations of technologies regarding low-carbon energies. China actively participates in corresponding international scientific and technological cooperation programs, including the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) under the framework of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP), International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP), International Human Dimensions Program on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Global Climate Observation System (GCOS), Global Ocean Observation System (GOOS), Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography (ARGO), and International Polar Year. In addition, China enhances information exchanges and resource sharing with relevant international organizations and institutes.

China energetically impels and participates in technology transfer under the UNFCCC framework, works hard to build a favorable domestic environment for international technology transfer, and has submitted a technological demand list. China believes that technology transfer under the UNFCCC framework should not solely rely on the market. The key is for the governments of developed countries to make efforts to reduce and eliminate obstacles to technology transfer, and adopt pilot and incentive policies and measures, thus playing an effective role in the promotion of technology transfer. For key technologies under study concerning climate change, it is necessary to take advantage of the joint efforts of the international community and lose no time in making breakthroughs, and such technologies should be shared by all countries in the world.

China attaches importance to the CDM's active role in facilitating its own sustainable development, and is willing to make contributions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by joining CDM programs. Through international cooperation, China has conducted systematic research on CDM, providing a scientific base for the making of international rules and domestic policies, as well as providing valuable information for the benefit of all sides. China has carried out a host of activities to improve the abilities of government departments, enterprises, academic institutions, advisory bodies and financial institutions to develop CDM projects. It has improved the relevant domestic rules, and promulgated the Measures for the Operation and Management of Clean Development Mechanism Projects in China. Up to July 20, 2008, China had had 244 CDM cooperation projects successfully registered with the United Nations, which were expected to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 113 million tons annually. CDM projects have effectively boosted the development of China's renewable energy, accelerated the improvement of energy intensity, and greatly enhanced the awareness of the seriousness of climate change on the part of relevant government departments, enterprises, organizations and individuals. China holds that CDM, as a comparatively effective and successful cooperation mechanism, should continue to be implemented after 2012. However, efforts should be made to promote fairness, transparency, simplicity, certainty and environmental completeness during the implementing of projects, and to encourage the transfer of advanced technology to developing countries. The host country should play a more important role in developing CDM projects.

VIII. Institution and Mechanism Building for Coping With Climate Change

The Chinese Government set up special institutions to deal with climate change in 1990, and established the National Coordination Committee on Climate Change (NCCCC) in 1998. In order to further enhance the leadership of the work on climate change, the National Leading Group to Address Climate Change, headed by Chinese premier, was set up in 2007 to draw up important strategies, policies and measures related to climate change, and coordinate the solving of major problems in this regard. During the institutional reform in 2008, the number of member units of the National Leading Group increased from 18 to 20. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) was vested to undertake the general work in respect of climate change, and the general office of the National Leading Group was set up and placed in the NDRC. And a special institution was established in the NDRC responsible for organizing and coordinating work on climate change all over the country. The Experts Committee for Climate Change has been set up to improve scientific decision-making on climate change, and this committee has done a great deal of work in supporting government decision-making and boosting international cooperation and nongovernmental activities.

In 2007, the State Council called on all regions and departments to strictly implement the National Plan for Coping With Climate Change in the light of their actual conditions. They were required to build and improve management systems, coordinating mechanisms and special institutions on climate change, organize teams of local experts to deal with climate change, make corresponding policies and measures in light of the local geographic environment, climate conditions and economic development level, set up statistical and monitoring systems on climate change, and organize and coordinate local actions to slow climate change.

In order to facilitate the implementation of the National Plan, governments at all levels will further improve industrial, financial, taxation, credit and investment policies, make full use of price leverage, form institutions and mechanisms conducive to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increase financial input and improve corresponding rules conducive to decelerating and adapting to climate change, thus enhancing work on climate change in accordance with the law.

Conclusion

China is now in a crucial period in the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and at an important stage for speeding up the country's industrialization and urbanization. It has onerous tasks to develop the economy and improve the people's livelihood, and faces a more severe challenge of climate change than developed countries do.

China will continue to follow the guidance of the Scientific Outlook on Development, unswervingly stick to the road of sustainable development, and adopt more powerful policies and measures to strengthen the ability to deal with climate change in an all-round way.

The whole world, without exception, faces the challenge of climate change. The solution demands the joint efforts of all countries and the entire international community. China will work unremittingly for global sustainable development with other countries and continuously make new contributions to the protection of the climate system which is the common wealth of mankind.