Warming Sino-Japan ties with green fight

By Lan Lan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-09 07:45

Forty-two projects related to energy-saving and environmental protection were signed between China and Japan on Sunday.

The effort to deepen cooperation in tackling environmental change and the economic downturn comes ahead of the climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, next month.

Vice-Premier Li Keqiang called for cooperation on key projects and strengthening technological cooperation at the fourth Sino-Japan Energy-saving and Environment Protection Forum in Beijing Sunday.

"Japan has a lot of experience in solving energy and environmental issues, while China has put years of effort into forming its energy saving industry. China's potential market and Japan's technology complement each other," said Xie Zhenhua, deputy minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

The two sides have worked together in building recycling eco-cities and personnel training, Xie said. About 300 Chinese experts were sent to Japan for training, while more than 300 Japanese experts came to China to help nurture local talent.

The Chinese central government has arranged 58.1 billion yuan ($8.5 billion) to support 10 major energy-saving and emission reduction projects, including sewage treatment and industrial pollution control. China will also help qualified environmental-friendly companies expand their financing channels, Xie said.

Masayuki Naoshima, Japan's minister of economy and trade, said in the near future Japan can assist China with water treatment and carbon emissions control.

China pledged to "strengthen efforts in intellectual property protection" to create a healthy environment for technology transfers, said Chen Jian, deputy minister of commerce.

The two countries are also seeking ways to recover from declining trade in the face of the financial crisis. Bilateral trade declined 20 percent year on year to $162 billion in the first nine months, and the number of Japanese-investment projects in China slumped nearly 15 percent to about 900 during the same period. China is Japan's biggest trading partner and export destination.

"Japanese companies with expertise in fuel-efficient technologies, particularly small and medium companies, need China's broad potential market," said Chen.

By the end of 2010, products of the energy-saving and environment protection industry will reach 2.8 trillion yuan in China, according to figures released by the National Development and Reform Commission.

The United Nations will hold a climate change conference in Copenhagen next month to reach a deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in 2012.