Vice Minister Li Ganjie of MEP met with the visiting Director of United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA) Larry W. Walther on June 25. The two sides exchanged their views on strengthening environmental cooperation and attended the signing ceremony of donor projects.

Vice Minister Li Ganjie welcomed Mr. Larry W. Walther on behalf of MEP and briefly introduced to them the environmental progress of China in terms of pollution control. He said, the Chinese Government attaches great importance to environmental protection and takes a series of measures to promote environmental protection. In particular, with great efforts of the whole society in emission reduction, the discharge of two major pollutants had both declined in 2007, which further enhanced our confidence in achieving the environmental protection target during the "11th Five-Year Plan" period.

Vice Minister Li Ganjie said, the development of the cause of China's environmental protection requires not only the efforts of China, but also the introduction of international advanced ideas and technologies, more environment-friendly products, services and talents. We sincerely welcome American enterprises to take part in competition in China's environmental market and make active contributions to environmental protection of China and bilateral economic & trade relations. At the Fourth China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue not long ago, China and U.S.A has signed the China-U.S.A 10 Year Cooperation Framework on Energy and Environment. This fully shows the determination of the two governments in the cooperation and promotion in this field. Among them, clean water and clean air will become the focuses of bilateral environmental cooperation under this framework. I am happy to see that the endowment agreement signed by USTDA and Environmental Protection Bureau of Shandong Province on the feasibility study of nitrogen removal projects in coal-fueled power stations and agreement with Environmental Protection Bureau of Liaoning Province on endowment for demonstration project on sulphur and nitrogen removal of medium and small sized coal-fueled boilers focus on grass-root environmental protection work in China and fall into the priority areas of environmental cooperation between the two countries, which will surely achieve mutual benefits and win-win situation.

Mr. Larry W. Walther spoke highly of the efforts of the Chinese Government in promoting environmental protection and hoped that the two sides keep close communications, continuously expand cooperation field and make greater contribution to environmental protection.