China Singles Out Australia On Emissions In Climate Conference Surprise - SMH

[hatrack]

SELDOM do things get as diplomatic as a United Nations summit on climate change. So the terse comments about Australia from a senior Chinese delegate to the Nairobi conference came as a surprise. Speaking at an all-nations dialogue, Gao Guangsheng said he had seen information "that accused China of risking becoming the biggest polluter in the world". But China's population was 65 times that of Australia, said Mr Guangsheng, head of the Climate Change Co-ordination Office.

If Australia's population was 65 times what it is now, its emissions would be huge, he said, according to notes taken by a Greenpeace activist. It was highly unusual, especially for China, to single out a country in that way, said Steve Sawyer, head of Greenpeace's delegation.

A senior member of the United Nations secretariat agreed, adding that China was "extremely touchy about any suggestion it is not taking big steps to address climate change - which it is".

EDIT

Australia's ambassador for the environment, Jan Adams, welcomed China's economic growth, spoke of the close relations between the two nations, and said Australia was "not interested in putting constraints on China's economic growth".

(Emphasis added - Oh, thank God. I was worried there for a second.)

EDIT/END

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/australia-given-cold-shoulder-on-gases/2006/11/16/1163266715754.html