(Photo Source: Deng Jia, China Environment News)

SEPA Minister Zhou Shengxian met with Masatoshi Wakabayashi, the visiting Japanese Minister of Environment and his retinue in Beijing on August 21. Mr. Zhou suggested that both countries should work together and cooperate in an all-round way on environmental economic policies, pollution control, and responses to the climate change, so as to contribute to the regional and world environmental issues.

Mr. Wakabayashi first sent the concerns of Mr. Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, with the bilateral environmental cooperation, and entrusted Mr. Zhou to forward Mr. Abe's letter to Premier Wen Jiabao.

Mr. Zhou introduced the new changes in the country's environmental protection, saying that in order to solve the conflict between rapid economic growth and the pressures on resources and environment, the government has adjusted its environmental policies, trying to upgrade the environmental protection level by achieving the historical transformations as soon as possible and by optimizing the economic growth by environmental protection. According to this guideline, the government issued the National Scheme for Energy Saving and Emissions Reduction, which is being implemented at local areas and has made some progress. China will try to meet the mandatory targets set out in the 11th Five-Year Plan for emissions reduction by introducing more effective policies and measures, economic restructuring and by shifting the economic growth patterns. For responding to the climate change, the government issued the National Scheme on Addressing Climate Change in recent days, indicating the positive attitude and clear position of China on climate change issues as a responsible developing country. China will continue to bear the common but differentiated responsibility, develop practical and effective policy measures in order to contribute more to addressing climate change.

Mr. Zhou stated that as near neighbors China and Japan face the same key issues of environmental protection. Since the two normalized their diplomatic ties 35 years ago, they have achieved good results in communications and cooperation in environment field as well. In Premier Wen's visit to Japan in April this year, governments of the two countries signed the Joint Declaration on Further Enhancing the Environmental Protection, which signaled a brand new era of bilateral ties in the environment field. Japan has advanced concepts, successful practice and practical technologies related to environmental protection. It is also a pioneer in balancing the environmental and economic ties, which is worthy of China's studies. SEPA hoped to keep close ties with its Japan counterpart, undertake cooperation on environmental management, energy saving and reduction of energy consumption, pollution control and environmental monitoring, in order to contribute to the regional and world environmental issues.

Mr. Wakabayashi appreciated the unremitting efforts of China in environmental protection, saying that the environmental policies and measures proposed by China are logical and strategic. Environmental issues are hot topics closely concerned by people in both countries, who share the same goals on pollution control, water resources management, sandstorms, and disposal of organic wastes. He hoped that both sides would have closer cooperation, share the experience and promote the common development of environmental protection efforts in two countries.