October 22 (Xinhua) –Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Wednesday China and
the
United States
should make joint efforts to push forward cooperation on clean energy and
climate change in a substantial way.
Wen said such cooperation is
important work and in the interests of both countries and the world. He said the two
countries should advance cooperation in this area to bring benefit to the human
beings and future generations.
Wen made the remarks when meeting
with participants of the Strategic Forum for US-China Clean Energy Cooperation
that began in
Beijing
Wednesday. The forum will last to Friday.
The forum was co-sponsored by the
Chinese think tank
China
Institute of Strategy and Management and the Brookings Institution of the
United States
.
Participants include Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, former US Vice President
Al Gore and high-ranking officials from both governments.
US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu will deliver video-taped address at
the meeting Thursday.
Wen said since
China
and the
United States
are both major energy
producers and consumers, the two countries share common interests in developing
clean energy and addressing climate changes. He said bilateral cooperation in
this area has strategic significance and broad prospect.
Wen said the two sides should
earnestly implement the agreement on the 10-year energy and environment
cooperation framework they signed in June 2008.
He called for the governments,
enterprises and researching institutes of both countries to join effort for
this end.
Wen said energy efficiency and
environment protection are both a basic strategy of
China
to achieve sustainable
economic and social development and a major measure to cope with climate
changes.
The American guests made positive
comments on the efforts that
China
has made in developing clean energy and addressing climate changes.
They expressed the wish that the
two countries should set up common targets and carry out constructive,
practical cooperation in this respect.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/21/content_12292932.htm )
October 19 (China Daily) –With
China
's rapid
economic growth, the energy demand, as well as its overall national greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions, is seeing corresponding increase.
China
must transform to a low-carbon economy,
because the new model would not only ensure
China
honoring its international commitment but also help
China
alter its economic growth
pattern. At a time when
China
faces challenges to achieve a low-carbon development, this would contribute to
protecting the environment.
First,
China
now is exploring the
feasibility of a low-carbon economy as part of its endeavor to realize
industrialization and urbanization, characterized by fast economic growth and
high-energy demand. Meanwhile, the process is accompanied by various challenges,
such as climate change, poverty alleviation and energy pinch etc. Therefore,
the study of energy demand in this particular period should be the starting
point toward the goal of a low-carbon economy.
Second, the concept, content and
pathway of a low-carbon economy should be identified. Through a low-carbon
economy,
China
would be able to readjust its present energy-intensive and high-emission model
of economic growth. Given the current strained energy resources and
deteriorated environment,
China
needs to develop its own model of energy expenditure and lifestyle in line with
national circumstances, which is different from the old way of developed
countries. The government could guide millions of Chinese to choose low-carbon
consumption.
Some economic development
policies and strategies should be revised. For example, whether
China
needs
such a huge auto industry needs to be considered afresh. The development
priority should be given to metropolis or medium-and small-sized cities. The
approach to a low-carbon economy should include improving city planning and
design (low-carbon city) featuring high efficiency and low emission. Policy
incentives should be initiated by local governments and financial support by
the banking sector to drive technology innovation and capital flow and to
popularize low-carbon know-how.
Third, the key for
China
to move
to a low-carbon economy is in the field of energy production and consumption,
which requires a corresponding adjustment of national energy strategy.
Developing low-carbon economy calls for changes in traditional energy strategy,
which only focuses on meeting energy demand in terms of energy supply. With
rising energy prices, the stable growth of
China
's economy would suffer more
and more impact of international energy prices, which, in turn, will hamper
energy conservation and emission reduction. So
China
's energy security should be
redefined more comprehensively.
Fourth, more policy support is
needed for
China
's
future low-carbon economy. The essence of a low-carbon economy is energy
efficiency and a low-carbon energy structure. A series of policies should be in
line with the low-carbon development model needs to be drafted. The risks of
energy scarcity, rising prices and environmental deterioration should be fully
assessed and
China
needs to gradually reduce excessive dependence on the international energy
market. Carrying out energy price fixing reform could be an important driving
force in developing low-carbon economy.
Fifth, energy subsidy is an
important component of macroeconomic policy of developing countries. It is
sensible, sometimes essential, for developing countries to subsidize energy
consumption in economic transition. While the impact on carbon emission by
energy subsidy should not be underestimated or ignored.
China
should
reform its mode of energy subsidy and study the potential impact on national
economy and environment, especially on low-income groups, if the energy subsidy
is abolished.
Sixth, different levels of carbon
emission require corresponding energy structures, which would result in
different energy costs. The potential impact on economic growth and employment
by different energy structures should be carefully considered that whether a
certain degree of restriction on carbon emission is acceptable from the
perspective of maintaining sound social and economic development. Thereby, we
can choose the energy structure that is conducive to fulfilling the goal of
low-carbon economy.
China
has come out of the global crisis with a
strong recovery momentum. Boosting the development of green industry could
become an important means to stimulate economic growth. The stimulus package
put forward by the central government in order to address the crisis has stated
clearly that we should persist in upgrading and reorganizing the industrial
structure, improving efficiency and maintaining sustainable development.
Therefore, developing low-carbon economy is in accordance with current industry
needs of restructuring.
The author Lin Boqiang is director of the China Center
for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/19/content_8812121.htm )
U.S.
Commerce chief lauds
China
's efforts
to tackle energy challenges
October 28 (Xinhua) –Visiting U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on
Wednesday hailed
China
's
actions to confront energy challenges.
"Chinese should be rightly be lauded for taking actions that are
commensurate with the energy challenges we face," Locke told aworking
breakfast in
Hangzhou
in east
China
's
Zhejiang
Province
.
The gathering involved around 50 executives from
U.S.
companies
that are participants of U.S.-China clean energy cooperation programs,
including Boeing, Intel and others.
"
China
's
leaders have begun making important progress confronting the causes of climate
change," Locke said.
Along with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture chief Tom Vilsack, Locke was here from Wednesday to Thursday for the
annual Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT)talks with Chinese Vice
Premier Wang Qishan.
"
China
has already adopted the most aggressive energy efficiency program in the entire
world, and they are on track to exceed many of their renewable energy adoption
goals," he said.
Looking to the future U.S.-China energy cooperation, Locke said
China
's strong
and forward thinking rules for clean energy production can help "spur more
American and Chinese innovations into the clean energy market."
"To speed up the development of energy efficiency solutions, as
well as the production of new fuels and other new energy technologies, it's
critical that U.S. and China firms leverage each other' talents," Locke
said.
The
U.S.
commerce
chief said earlier that he expected the upcoming JCCT talks would pave the way
for significant improvements and progress in the trade relationship between the
two countries when President Barack Obama visits
China
next month.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/28/content_12348688.htm )
China
to develop low-carbon cities
October 14 (People's Daily Online) - Low-carbon industry, low-carbon museums,
green economy… From 2008, the launch of low-carbon city pilots, an
energy-saving and emission-reducing project was initiated in
China
's major
cities.
Only one year later many cities
have put forward the concept of building low-carbon cities, creating the new
layout of coordinated development between energy consumption and economic
growth.
Competing to create "low carbon" cards
At the beginning of 2008,
Shanghai
and
Baoding
became
the first cities joining a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative to explore
ways for low carbon development in
China
's urban areas.
According to WWF, a low-carbon
city means, in the context of a city's rapid economic development, energy
consumption and carbon dioxide emissions kept at low levels.
Nowadays, "low-carbon
cities" are favorable across
China
. Many cities, such as Zhuhai,
Shenzhen,
Hangzhou
,
Guiyang
,
Jilin
,
Nanchang
,
Guangyuan, Ganzhou,
Wuxi
,
have put forward the concept of low-carbon cities.
Low-carbon city fever marks that
the new concept of urban development has been widely accepted, and it also
shows it is the inevitable choice for future sustainable development in urban
areas, said Li Yujun, professor of the Center for Environment and Development
at the
Chinese
Academy
of Social Science.
In Ganzhou city eastern
China
's
Jiangxi
province, Qiandong Rare Earth Groups and another 17 energy-hungry enterprises
have signed letters of responsibility for energy-saving targets. In 2008, these
enterprises saved 110,000 tons of standard coal. They not only reduced carbon
dioxide emission but also greatly cut costs of doing business.
Under the joint efforts of
governments and enterprises,
China
is speeding up the construction of low-carbon cities.
Zhuhai and
Jilin
have applied for setting up low-carbon
economy pilots.
Hangzhou
has put forward to develop low-carbon industry and a low-carbon city and plans
to build a low-carbon museum.
Win-win of low-carbon cities
Low-carbon cities have realized
coordinate development of environment and economy, said Li Yujun.
With the goal of setting up
low-carbon cities and through establishment and implementation of policies
promoting low-carbon economy, governments are guiding enterprises to develop
green industries, improve resource and energy efficiency to achieve win-win
situation of environmental protection and economic growth, while reducing
resource consumption and pollutant emissions, said Li.
According to statistics on
economic development issued by
Hebei
province
in 2008, the growth rate of industrial increase value and finance revenue in
Baoding
climbed to first place in
Hebei
province. And the growth rate of
low-carbon industry amounted to 40 percent.
In 2008,
Baoding
's
China
Power
Valley
construction project sold 500 MW of solar products and 5089 MW of wind power
products, the equivalent of 10.64 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
"Urban Blue Book:
China
's Urban Development Report (No.2)",
published by
Chinese
Academy
of Social
Sciences, also suggested that construction of low-carbon cities is an important
carrier for energy emissions and developing low-carbon economy. It will lead
the future of the new trend of urban construction.
It also pointed out that
low-carbon development is the inevitable choice during the process of
urbanization in
China
for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and effective use of low-carbon
energy is the core of urban construction.
Low-carbon city, a long way to go
Low-carbon city, a new thing, has
continued the momentum of rapid development. But a large number of
"low-carbon economic zones" or "renewable energy economy
zones" under construction has also contributed to excess capacity of
photovoltaic, silicon and other industries. Low-carbon city is not easy, and it
needs a long-term, continuous process of change, said Li Yujun.
Li Yujun proposed that building
low-carbon cities should be based on their existing characteristics. The
construction planning should be put forward on the bases of full argument and
analysis and implemented step by step.
Low-carbon industry, low-carbon
technology and low-carbon consumption are the three pillars needed to build
low-carbon cities. In
China
,
construction of low-carbon cities faces huge challenges in the three areas.
(http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6781237.html )
October 26 (China Daily) -
China
is attempting to rein in
overcapacity in the country's solar energy sector despite the government's
ambitious goal to increase solar capacity from 50 megawatts in 2008 to between
10 and 20 gigawatts by 2020.
Enterprises flocking to boost markets in industries such as steel
and cement have been common in recent years, with the government then stepping
in to correct potential overcapacity.
The central government last week announced plans to curb the
expansion of six industry sectors by withholding approval for new investments
and tightening financing.
Surprisingly, considering its role in the fast-growing renewable
energy sector, polysilicon, which is used to make solar panels and wind power
equipment, was included in the industry sectors targeted by the government.
China
will order commercial banks not to finance projects in the targeted
sectors, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), along with 10
ministries, said in a statement.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission, the country's capital
markets watchdog, also will review applications from the country's solar energy
firms for fundraising activities such as issuing additional shares and private
share placement. According to local media reports, the commission is likely to
reject such proposals.
The move was triggered by fears of overcapacity in the sector. A
government document showed that
China
's
polysilicon production capacity is 20,000 tons a year, with an output of about
4,000 tons in 2008.
Projects designed for an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons
are under construction.
In 2008, solar cell production in
China
accounted for 40 percent of
the global output. Seven of the world's top 15 solar cell manufacturers are
Chinese companies.
Chen Bin, chief director of the NDRC's industry coordination
department, said another reason polysilicon was targeted is because of the high
energy costs involved in production of the wafers.
Electricity expenses account for 35 to 40 percent of the total cost
to produce polysilicon, he said.
"Currently, the domestic solar energy sector has not yet
started up extensively, but 98 percent of the solar cells, which use
domestically produced polysilicon, are exported - equivalent to exporting large
stores of energy indirectly," Chen said.
Apart from driving down prices and profits, overcapacity also tempts
Chinese manufacturers to sell their excess output overseas.
As a result, trade tensions are high with the European Union over
Chinese exports of steel and tires and also possibly over Chinese solar energy
products, according to reports.
Some
US
and European solar firms reported suffering declines in demand because Chinese
competitors wanting to expand their market share in Western countries had
forced down their prices for polysilicon.
The chief executive of German manufacturer Conergy AG claimed that
Chinese prices are close to what other countries consider "dumping".
This month's guidelines followed overcapacity instructions issued
last month by the State Council.
The government's actions also point to concerns that too much of
China
's 4
trillion yuan economic stimulus package is finding its way into industrial
sectors, rather than infrastructure, affordable housing, rural development and
technology upgrades.
Suntech's story
Visiting the high technology zone in
China
's
eastern city of
Wuxi
near
Shanghai
, guests are impressed by the massive
6,900-sq-m solar energy panel outside the new headquarters of Suntech Power.
The facility's one-megawatt solar facade is the world's largest
grid-connected, building-integrated solar system, according to Suntech, the
world's largest solar module manufacturer.
Suntech has benefited from the Chinese government's subsidies for
solar photovoltaic rooftop installations and construction of solar energy
plants - known as the "Golden Sun" program.
Suntech reported $321 million in revenues for the second quarter
this year, up from $315.7 million in the first quarter, according to the
company's second-quarter statement.
Suntech, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, also helped Shi
Zhengrong, its founder, chairman and CEO, to become one of the country's
wealthiest people.
His picture was on the cover of the
US
newsmagazine Time just six years after the photovoltaic and renewable energy
expert graduated from the
University
of
New South Wales
and
began his new career in the country of his birth.
The Suntech story has encouraged more companies to join the solar
power energy field, including Sunvim, a Zhejiang-based textile maker known for
one of the country's popular towel brands.
The government has put in place two significant subsidies for solar
photovoltaic installations.
Through the "Golden Sun" program, the National Energy
Administration and ministries of Finance, Science and Technology are offering
to subsidize half of the construction and connection costs of on-grid solar
power plants and 70 percent of the cost of off-grid installations from now
until 2011. The program's goal is to produce 500 megawatts of solar power.
An earlier plan established subsidies for rooftop demonstration
projects. In addition, many local governments have solar subsidy programs of
their own.
Not surprisingly, these initiatives have spurred more companies to
enter the solar sector.
Fifty-plus firms
According to domestic media reports, more than 50 solar companies
from 20 provinces - including
Sichuan
,
Hunan
,
Jiangsu
and
Zhejiang
- are
constructing or expanding polysilicon production lines. The overall
construction capacity has reached a potential 100,000 tons.
Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Chairman Li Xianshou expressed his
concerns about the oversupply situation.
"There was huge production capacity last year, but how much is
qualified? Many enterprises will face the possibility of being push out,"
Li said.
Still, the first half of 2008 was a profitable time for many
polysilicon producers.
"During that time, the polysilicon supply fell short of demand,
and sometimes buyers couldn't get orders even if they delivered full payments
first," said a sales manager at a polysilicon company based in
Zhejiang
.
The sales manager said his company's supplies would empty overnight
during busy times.
In
Zhejiang
,
the traditional textile manufacturing hub of Jiaxing, is turning itself into a
polysilicon manufacturing hub.
"It requires 100 million yuan for a startup in the solar
photovoltaic industry," said Shen Fuxin, general secretary of the Zhejiang
Solar Energy Industry Association.
"But many companies were still scrambling to come on board, as
the industry's average profit return could reach 20 percent or 30
percent," Shen said.
However, the solar manufacturing industry has been hit hard since
the end of last year due to a freeze in credit resulting from the global
financial crisis, as well as an oversupply of solar panels that have sharply
reduced prices.
The government's new guidelines to curb the solar industry's
oversupply might push newcomers or small players out of the market, but apparently
won't affect the major players, sources said.
Yingli Energy Group, one of
China
's leading solar cell
manufacturers, is reporting increased sales this year.
"We saw shipments increase quickly since the middle of this
year," said a sales manager from Yingli who declined to be named.
He said the government's crackdown on oversupply will negatively
affect small companies, but added that large companies will continue to win
market share because of brand reputation.
Agencies contributed to the
story
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/26/content_8849919.htm )
October 22 (Xinhua) --
JINAN
:
Chinese President Hu Jintao has urged the country's companies to reduce
operation costs by speeding up the development of renewable energy and help
improve the country's energy structure.
"Developing renewable energy vigorously is necessary for taking
up the front line in the new round of global energy revolution," said Hu
while visiting a wind energy project besides the
Bohai
Sea
during his inspection tour in
Shandong
Province
from Oct. 16 to 19.
The project, when finished, will produce more than 95 million kw of
electricity every year and will play an important part in improving the local
energy structure.
After attending the opening ceremony of the 11th Chinese National
Games in
Jinan
, capital city of
Shandong
, Hu inspected
the province on local economic development and Communist Party building.
Hu called upon companies to focus on technical innovation and
scientific management to improve their sustainable development.
While visiting the country's large oil base Shengli Oilfield, Hu
climbed onto a well drilling platform to meet with the workers. He praised the
workers for their hard work and outstanding professional skills.
During an inspection in a paper making company, Hu asked about the
methods for emission reduction and encouraged the company to continue to improve
recycling economy and put more efforts in environmental protection.
Hu also visited a village called Liujihou in the city of
Dongying
. The village set
up its Communist Party branch in 1925 --one of the four oldest Party branches
in the province.
Hu urged Party members in the village to seek benefits for
villagers, solve their problems and encourage them to develop modern
agriculture in a scientific way.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/19/content_12270856.htm )
Taipei
firms on use of renewable sources of energy
October 21 (HK Edition) – TAIPEI: The head of the Executive Yuan, Wu Den-yih,
said yesterday, the administration is continuing to push the development of
renewable energy in a bid to cut consumption of fossil fuels and reduce
Taiwan's carbon dioxide emissions.
During a hearing at the Legislative Yuan, Wu said the government has
promoted renewable energy development based on three principles - offering
incentives, allowing renewable energy producers to make profits and ensuring
social equality.
Wu was responding to a question from ruling Kuomintang legislator
Lee Ching-hua on whether the administration's plans to impose "green"
taxes, including energy and carbon taxes, were conceived to raise tax revenues
or to conserve energy and reduce green house gas emissions.
The legislator contended that the KMT administration should provide
renewable energy options for people to choose from rather than increasing or
levying new taxes to reduce energy consumption.
Meanwhile, Wu reiterated that the government will not begin levying
an energy tax without sound planning and said there is no timetable for the
measure at present.
Wu said that although the proposed energy tax is commendable and has
been implemented in several industrially-advanced countries, the time is not
ripe yet to adopt it in
Taiwan
,
especially "when the domestic economy has just begun to bottom out from a
year-long downturn and the people's lives are still difficult."
Wu assured the public on Monday that a proposed energy tax will not
be levied soon.
He said the energy tax, which would be assessed on the consumption
of gasoline, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel, fuel oil, and natural gas, is still
on the drawing board, and that if it is imposed, complementary measures will be
adopted to ease its sting.
"The fuel consumption fee and other taxes would be
dropped," the premier said.
Amendments to existing laws would also have to be screened and approved
by the legislature before the tax could be implemented, he added.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hkedition/2009-10/21/content_8822466.htm )
October
26 (China Daily) - The rush to produce more energy-efficient automobiles is
fueling aggressive efforts by
China
's
automotive sector.
"The
fuel-efficient and new energy vehicles should account for 10 percent of the
total industry in 2012," Science and Technology Minister Wang Gang said
recently in
Beijing
.
That
expectation is twice the 5 percent share that the Chinese government called for
in its automobile industry restructuring and revitalization plan announced in
January.
With
China
's
vehicle output expected to surpass 10 million units this year, domestic
automakers are eager to produce green vehicles that also will allow them to
better compete with global rivals in the industry.
But
industry and government analysts are voicing concerns about whether the rush to
manufacture more new energy vehicles will translate to comparable sales to
consumers.
According
to statistics, more than 30 Chinese automakers in recent years have invested in
research and development of cars fueled by alternative energy or electricity.
Shanghai
Automotive Industry Corporation Group (SAIC),
China
's largest automaker, in July
announced plans to invest 12 billion yuan in research and development of hybrid
engines. SAIC plans to begin manufacturing its own brand of fuel-saving cars in
2010, the company said.
According
to SAIC, the first model will be a hybrid Roewe 750, which consumes 20 percent
less gasoline.
Altogether,
the company will invest in 41 major projects, including hybrid and electric
cars.
Dongfeng
Motor Group,
China
's
third-largest automotive company, will cooperate with the Dutch electric car
startup Detroit Electric to research, develop and sell electric vehicles in
China
Chongqing
Chang'an Automobile Group recently announced that it is creating a new
manufacturing base with an investment of 2.5 billion yuan for alternative
energy vehicles.
The
new manufacturing base will help Chang'an Motors produce 300,000 alternative
energy cars and 1 million engines per year after manufacturing begins in 2012,
according to the company.
New
hybrids
Geely,
a Zhejiang-based privately owned company, began a five-year new energy program,
and plans to develop five hybrid sedan models. Geely's goal is to sell 10,000
hybrid cars by 2010.
Geely
also announced plans to release its first electric car, the Geely Panda, within
the next year.
BYD
Co,
China
's privately owned
battery and automobile maker, has established a manufacturing base with a
capacity of 400,000 units in
Changsha
,
Hunan
province, to focus on
electric vehicles. BYD acquired bus maker Hunan Midea Coach in July.
Some
regional governments in areas where automobiles are major industries also have
recently announced plans to help make
China
a new energy car hub.
The
Beijing
municipal
government plans to have 10,000 alternative energy vehicles produced and sold
by Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) in 2010.
Shanghai
expects to have a capacity of 10,000 green vehicles in 2010 and ten
times that number in 2012.
The
mainland's financial hub hopes to have 300,000 new energy vehicles by 2015 and
become a leading city in the clean automobile industry.
Guangzhou
- a city where
Japanese automakers
Toyota
,
Honda and Nissan have manufacturing bases - plans to produce 800,000 green
vehicles by 2020.
Altogether,
the goals of automakers and cities would well exceed
China
's target of 1 million green
cars by 2012.
Overheating
concerns
However,
some government and industry officials have recently warned against the possibility
of an overheated market.
Xin
Guobin is chief of the industry policy department under the National
Development and Reform Commission, the nation's economic planning agency,
recently said that the rush to produce green cars has raised the risk of
redundant projects and potential overcapacity.
Chen
Bin, director of the commission's Department of Industry, said
China
has too
many enterprises involved in green vehicle development.
"Many
companies simply do not have the research and development capabilities,"
Chen said at a recent auto industry forum.
Some
that cannot master core technologies have to outsource key components for
assembly, he added.
"This
kind of auto manufacturing should be curbed, as it's not conducive to healthy
development of the automobile industry," Chen said.
Some
analysts are concerned whether there will be a market for 1 million green
vehicles that tend to cost more than traditional vehicles.
Consulting
firm PricewaterhouseCoopers recently reported that even in
Europe
,
which has been a leader in green energy development, electric, hybrid and other
alternative energy cars only account for 10 percent to 15 percent of the total
automobile market. The report cited inconvenience and higher prices as a reason
for lower acceptance in the marketplace.
According
to statistics from the National Passenger Car Information Exchange Association,
Japan
's
Toyota
last year sold only 899 units of its
hybrid Prius - currently the world's best-selling new energy car.
Since
the model entered
China
market in 2006, total sales had only reached 3,500 units by the end of 2008.
BYD's
F3DM, the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid to hit the international market
last December, has reported stagnant sales due to recharging problems.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/26/content_8848083.htm )
October
26 (China Daily) --
China
's
light vehicle market has achieved more in the first nine months of 2009 than
all of 2008. Driven by another record-setting month in September, year-to-date
sales of passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles (less than 6-tons)
topped 9.1 million units, while the 12-month total for 2008 reached only 8.77
million units.
Sales
in September totaled 1.26 million units, up a startling 75 percent
year-on-year. Both passenger vehicle and light commercial vehicles achieved
similar growth rates, with cars up by 76 percent to 867,000 units and light
vehicles up by 73 percent to 395,000 units.
Considering
seasonal differences, September sales indicate a full year sales of 14.9
million light vehicles. September marks the sixth straight monthly rise in the
seasonally adjusted annual sales rate and the third consecutive month above 14
million units.
Recently
released economic data confirms that
China
is set to become the world's
largest market for new light vehicles this year.
China
's GDP growth in the third quarter of 8.9 percent meets the expectation
of policymakers. Confidence is growing that
China
will achieve the full-year
target growth rate of 8 percent. The decline in exports finally began to ease
in September. Industrial output continues a V-shaped recovery, supported by
strong investment and retail sales. Importantly, foreign direct investment is
again accelerating.
Another
positive indicator for
China
's
economy is the upturn in medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Offering a
window into economic activity and the confidence of business owners, strong
commercial vehicles sales in September turned year-to-date sales from negative
to positive.
Registration
data shows that passenger vehicles sales grew the fastest in inner provinces
such as
Sichuan
,
Henan
,
Shaanxi
,
Jiangxi
and
Gansu
.
Demand in developing provinces has been stimulated largely by government policy
and supported by booming growth this year.
Many
listed automakers are projecting strong profits for the third quarter,
including SAIC, Chang'an Auto and BYD. Manufacturers maintain high expectations
for the fourth quarter, pointing to uncertainty in government incentives beyond
the fourth quarter. New purchase intenders that want to take advantage of the
tax incentive will likely try to execute their purchase this year.
Looking
ahead to government incentives in 2010, there is an early indication that the
government will add a scrap incentive program next year. With discussion
continuing on extending or redefining the tax incentive for small engine
vehicles, expectations are rising that the government will continue to
encourage auto consumption. The industry support will not likely be stopped
suddenly, but rather extended or replaced with new programs.
With
expectations the government will continue to encourage automotive consumption,
our optimism at JD Power Asia Pacific for 2010 has further improved. We have
increased our forecast growth rate for passenger vehicles to 4.6 percent,
representing a market of 8.8 million units. For light commercial vehicles, we
still expect a 3.3 percent decline in 2010.
The author Jenny Gu is a senior market analyst from JD Power
Consulting (
Shanghai
) Co Ltd
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bw/2009-10/26/content_8846018.htm )
October 21 (China
Daily) -
China
's
auto industry yesterday sped past an impressive milestone as the 10-millionth
vehicle - a heavy-duty "Jiefang" truck - rolled off the production
line.
The unit, which was
produced at FAW Group Corp's factory in
Changchun
,
made
China
the third country
- after the
United States
and
Japan
- to produce 10 million vehicles this year. Auto output in both the
US
and
Japan
has geared down this year because of the global economic slowdown but, in
China
, the
industry is booming.
Industry officials
and executives attending the ceremony marking the milestone predicted that
China
will
produce more than 12 million units in 2009, up from 9.35 million last year.
Miao Wei,
vice-minister of Industry and Information Technology, said the production of 10
million vehicles means
China
is becoming a global player in the auto industry.
"To be a strong
player, China has to meet three requirements - it must have internationally
competitive automakers and brands that use resources at home and abroad, it
must grab significant market share abroad, and it must grasp core and new
technology," said Miao, who was previously president of the Dongfeng Motor
Corp, one of China's largest auto makers.
Foreign brands, including
Volkswagen, General Motors and
Toyota
, currently
account for two-thirds of
China
's
passenger car market.
Despite the global
financial crisis,
China
's
vehicle market has been growing rapidly this year, being driven forward by the
government's stimulus spending.
Sales in
China
surged by 34.24 percent year-on-year to 9.66 million units in the first nine
months, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
In January,
China
halved
the purchasing tax - to 5 percent - on vehicles with an engine capacity less
than 1.6 liters. The central government also earmarked a total of 5 billion
yuan ($735 million) this year to subsidize rural buyers of minibuses and
trucks.
Dong Yang,
vice-chairman of the auto association, said the industry is "strongly"
hoping the government will keep the incentives in place next year to continue
to promote auto sales.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/21/content_8827118.htm)
October
19 (China Daily) - As many as 5.5 million cars will be on
Beijing
's roads by 2015, although the growth
rate will stabilize in the next five years, a senior local transport official
said.
Beijing
's car community will hit
4 million by the beginning of next year and will then grow by an average of
300,000 cars a year, compared to the present rate of 400,000, to reach 5.5
million in 2015, Liu Xiaoming, director of the
Beijing
municipal committee of communications,
said.
Liu
said the municipal government would not restrict the number of cars on the road
at the moment, but would not rule out doing so in the future.
"But
efforts would be made to reduce public needs for cars and restrict their use
and parking through overall traffic planning and related policies," he
said.
By
next year,
Beijing
's
car community will have grown by 1 million in only two-and-a-half years. It
took cities like
Tokyo
12 years to reach that rate of growth.
Authorities
have tried to ease persistent traffic jams and reduce emissions with an
on-going car ban in the city, which stops motorists from driving one day every
week based on their license plate number.
They
have also attempted to enlarge and enhance the city's public transport system.
Official estimates show public transport would make up to 50 percent of the
total passenger trips in the central urban areas by 2015, while 20 percent of
journeys will be made on bicycles.
Liu
said that less reliance on private cars would ensure that vehicle emissions do
not exceed that of 2008, despite increasing vehicles.
But
Jia Yuanhua, a transportation professor at
Beijing
Jiaotong
University
who is a
proponent for car controls, said the government should control the number of
vehicles since the road resources are limited.
"The
government would not restrict the purchase of cars because they need to support
the growth of the industry and increase GDP during the financial crisis,"
he said.
"But
that is not sustainable and we have to take into consideration the traffic
capacity."
Lu
Huapu, director of the institute of transportation engineering,
Tsinghua
University
, also expressed concern over
the city's infrastructure capacity.
"The
Chinese people like to use their cars frequently once they have one and I
really doubt whether we can support such an enormous need," Lu said.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-10/19/content_8808565.htm)
October 20 (China
Daily) -- A new fleet of electric hybrid taxis will hit
Beijing
roads next year, one of a number of
transportation plans to reduce pollution in the capital.
An
environmentally-friendly taxi is being manufactured by the Beijing Hyundai
Motor Co and will be introduced sometime next year pending government approval
from transportation as well as environmental protection authorities.
If approved, the
green taxi fleet will follow the government's introduction of 860
hybrid-powered buses later this year. Authorities are also planning to begin a
test of 50 electric buses. Fifty hybrid buses, powered by fuel and batteries,
underwent a test-run beginning June 20.
The Hyundai taxi has
a hybrid engine that uses gasoline as its main power and also runs on electric
power, which will work for the vehicle at idle or initial speed. Hyundai is not
the first to introduce a hybrid taxi. Chery Auto rolled out a small fleet of 50
hybrid electric taxis last year.
Beijing Hyundai said
this green technology reduces fuel consumption for taxi drivers by 10 percent
and puts out less carbon emissions into the capital than regular gas-run
vehicles.
Li Feng, deputy
general manager of Beijing Hyundai, said the company was in talks with
authorities over its approval. An official from the company in the public
relations department declined to approximate how many taxis would be
introduced. A name for the hybrid model has yet to be released.
Cabdrivers said they
would support the new hybrid taxi but were reluctant to pay higher lease fee
for the cars.
"I paid 20,000
yuan for renting a Hyundai Elantra on a five-year contract, and I am afraid the
new car will cost more," said 38-year-old taxi driver Liu Shengyi
yesterday.
Hyundai admitted the
car's cost will rise but declined to give a price.
"But its
energy-saving trait can cut the cost in the meantime, " Li said.
"What's more, it protects the environment."
Forty-year-old taxi
driver Su Jing -long said he would swap his existing Volkswagen Jetta for the
greener car if the price was reasonable.
Su said he paid an
average 130 yuan per day for fuel, and if the new car saves 10 percent in fuel
costs, he would probably save about 4,700 yuan per year.
Li Xin, chief
engineer at Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, said if the car
uses less fuel, there will be less exhaust emissions into the city's
atmosphere.
Authorities have
already tried to ease persistent traffic jams and reduce emissions when it
introduced a traffic restriction system during the Olympics.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cityguide/2009-10/20/content_8818788.htm )
China
deal
to help Hummer go fuel efficient
October
11 (China Daily) -- Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co, the buyer of
General Motors' Hummer brand, will hopefully clear government approval of the
deal as early as the end of this year, the company's CEO said Saturday.
The
company will try to parry the unfavorable oil-guzzling image of Hummer and
cultivate markets outside the
United
States
, according to Tengzhong CEO Yang Yi.
"If
everything goes smoothly, we will be able to get approval from Ministry of
Commerce (MofCom) in the fourth quarter (of this year) or at some point in the
beginning of next year," Tengzhong CEO Yang Yi, who was in Detroit for the
signing of the acquisition deal, told China Daily in a telephone interview.
MofCom
said Saturday that it has not yet received application about Tengzhong's
bid for Hummer.
"Currently,
the
Sichuan
province commerce office is preparing to report the situation to the MofCom,
and because the specifics of the purchase agreement are unknown yet, for now
(the ministry) will not give any comment," the State radio cited an
unnamed MofCom official as saying.
General
Motors Co signed a deal Friday to sell its iconic but tarnished Hummer
brand to an investment partnership headed by Tengzhong, a privately owned
machinery manufacture in southwest
China
's
Sichuan
province.
The
deal still needs approval from the Chinese government, including the MofCom,
which holds the ultimate authority over such acquisitions.
Hummer's
daunting oil tanks are an apparent challenge to
Beijing
's efforts to foster energy-efficient
consumption behavior. The Chinese government halved the purchase tax on cars
with 1.6 liter or smaller engines earlier this year to encourage sales of small
vehicles.
Yang
said his company will try to make Hummer adapt to the new trend.
"Tengzhong
has been aware of the importance of energy-efficient vehicles."
"A
series of fuel-efficient vehicles, including electric models have already been
under development. Environment-friendly products will be introduced to the
market soon," he said, without elaborating.
Tengzhong
will devote marketing efforts to areas outside the
United States
, where sales of
Hummer plunged by 64 percent by far this year from a year earlier.
Tengzhong's
track record shows little experience in passenger vehicle manufacturing. It's
is a manufacturer of heavy machinery equipment, including special-use vehicles,
road and bridge components and constructions as well as energy industry
equipment, according to the company's website.
But
Yang said this would be no problem. The company has already had several
automobile-related acquisitions prior to the Hummer deal, and plans to focus
more on high-end sport-utility vehicles in future development, he noted.
The
funds for Hummer acquisition mostly come from Tengzhong's own assets while the
rest will be financed through an investment firm，according to Yang.
The
CEO refused to disclose any financial details. Sources familiar with the deal
said the sale is worth $150 million.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-10/11/content_8777073.htm )
Audi Sees
China
Sales Surpassing
Germany
by 2013
October 5 (The Wall Street Journal) – FRANKFURT: Audi AG will significantly exceed its sales target in
China
this year
and expects the country to outpace its German home turf as its largest single
market in 2012 or 2013 at the latest.
The projection
underscores a broader geographic shift among auto makers toward Asian growth
markets.
"Today we're at
118,000 car sales already. We're on
track to significantly surpass our initial target in
China
this year" of selling
130,000 cars, said Peter
Schwarzenbauer, Audi's executive board member responsible for sales and
marketing, in an interview.
He said the
Ingolstadt-based company will launch its A3 hatchback in
China
next year
as part of a wider move to attract a broader customer base there, in addition
to the new Q5 small sport-utility vehicle, which is being rolled out globally.
Audi ranks third in
global luxury- car sales behind BMW AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz. But it
keeps a firm grip on the top position in China, which it gained thanks partly
to the early market entry of its parent company, Volkswagen AG.
Mr. Schwarzenbauer
said annual sales in
China
might soar to 250,000 cars by 2012 or 2013 as Audi is preparing to launch
several new or revamped models, ramping up local production and expanding its
dealership network.
He said Audi also plans
to establish a broader leasing and financing business in
China
to tap
rising customer demand. Most Chinese buyers tend to pay cash for their
vehicles.
China
has proved to be one of the few bright spots for luxury-car makers after sales
collapsed in other major geographies amid the economic downturn. Demand has
been backed by a government stimulus package and tax break.
A move to halve the
purchase tax on autos with 1.6-liter engines or less to 5% has
fostered demand, particularly for smaller cars.
In the January-August
period, passenger-vehicle sales in China rose
37% to 6.23 million, according to the China Association of Automobile
Manufacturers, while total vehicle sales rose 29% on the year to 8.33 million.
Some analysts have
voiced concern that the tax break advanced future demand and sales may collapse
when it expires. Mr. Schwarzenbauer said Audi "sees no signs" of an
imminent market slump. He noted that the premium segment in
China
still
accounts for only 5% of the overall market, but is expected to grow to around
8% by 2015, with the overall market rising to between 12 million and 14 million
annual vehicle sales by then.
He said he regards
BMW as the company's main competitor looking forward, due to a similar
positioning of the brand, with Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand
competing more directly with Mercedes-Benz.
Audi steered through
the industry gloom better than its peers and narrowed the gap with its larger
rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz,
mainly due to new products, its large footprint in
China
and a relatively small exposure to the troubled
U.S.
market.
Mr. Schwarzenbauer
confirmed that Audi will slightly exceed its global sales target of 900,000
cars this year, possibly by around 20,000 vehicles. He said Audi's global sales
are poised to rise again in 2010, including growth in Europe and the
U.S.
,
but said it might take "two to three years" before reaching the one
million threshold from last year again.
Mr. Schwarzenbauer
said Audi currently has no plans to bring its new small A1 model, which is due
to be launched early 2010, to the
U.S.
and
China
.
But the company might launch the second generation of the A
1 in
these two markets, possibly
including electric or hybrid versions.
He said Audi's
U.S.
sales are
expected to come in at around 80,000 vehicles in 2009 after 86,000 last year,
slightly better than the initially anticipated decline of 10% on the year.
Mr. Schwarzenbauer
said he sees significant sales growth in the
U.S.
next year, driven, for
example, by the small Q5 SUV, as the country's
economy is expected to rebound faster than other major markets. But he said he
doesn't believe the
U.S.
market will return to levels of between 16 million and 17 million vehicles
again because these levels were fueled by "extreme incentives"
granted by
Detroit
's
Big Three at the time.
Mr. Schwarzenbauer
said he expects the
U.S.
market to return to between 14 million and 15 million annual vehicle sales in
the mid-term, with the premium segment accounting for about 10% of the overall
market.
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703574604574500792662303328.html )
October
14 (Xinhua) --
BEIJING
- Russian Prime Minister
Putin said here on Tuesday that
Russia
and
China
are working on a huge oil and gas cooperation project.
In
an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Putin said the two countries have signed a
20-year oil supply agreement and laid more than 2,000 kilometers of crude oil
pipelines for this.
China
is also laying on its side the corresponding pipeline, he said, adding the two
counties are studying the feasibility of building a refinery in
China
.
Putin
said as the world's nuclear power,
Russia
keeps an open mind towards
cooperation in this field.
"
Russia
and
China
are very active in the
nuclear energy cooperation, "Putin said, citing the Tianwan Nuclear Power
Plant as a good example.
Tianwan
Nuclear Power Plant, located in the
Lianyungang
city in eastern
China
's
Jiangsu
Province
,
is so far the largest nuclear power cooperative program between
China
and
Russia
.
Putin
said
Russia
is willing to
supply coal to
China
and the
supply is increasing rapidly, noting
China
has good equipment and
technology on coal processing.
As
for natural gas cooperation, Putin said negotiations are underway and would
certainly yield satisfactory results.
On
the specific ways of gas supply and the pricing, he said those issues should be
resolved at the enterprise level.
"The
most important thing is that
Russia
and
China
have the need and capacity to enhance cooperation and the two economies are
complementary to each other," Putin said, adding such cooperation would
last for decades.
With
regard to the problems and frictions in the bilateral trade, Putin said those
small problems would not impact the general strategic cooperation between the
two countries.
He
took the "gray custom clearance" as an example. It was the name given
to the illegal practice of getting items across the border without official
customs approval.
The
illegal practice would make the government unable to supervise domestic
industries and lead to bankruptcies and unemployment, which might cause more
troubles to the society against the backdrop of the financial crisis, he said.
Putin
called upon the two countries to establish a set of unified rules, which would
be obeyed by both sides, so as to achieve a just, sound and civilized mechanism
of cooperation.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/14/content_12226374.htm )
October
24 (Agencies) -- China's State-owned oil giants are likely to lose out to
global rivals in a race for top energy assets, as they lack experience and hit
a protectionist wall, forcing them to settle for smaller, but riskier buys.
This
inability to buy top assets could limit growth potential at PetroChina, Sinopec
and CNOOC, and put CNOOC at risk of missing its ambitious production targets,
analysts said.
Kosmos
Energy's recent decision to award its prized Jubilee oil field stake in
Ghana
to Exxon
Mobil over CNOOC is the latest sign that Chinese energy companies are not ready
for oil prime time, bankers said.
"The
other (oil field) partners like Tullow and Anadarko would probably prefer Exxon
to be successful as it has greater technical capability," said David
Hewitt, an analyst with CLSA.
Chinese
oil firms are already being hemmed in by recent consolidation that has limited
the number of assets on the global market. Protectionism has also limited their
options in markets from
Australia
to the
US
.
Such
concerns derailed CNOOC's $18.5 billion bid for Unocal in 2005, and observers
said similar worries have left China National Petroleum Corp's (CNPC) bid for a
majority stake in Repsol's Argentine unit YPF on life support.
"The
challenge they face in large corporate deals is one of resource
nationalism," said Neil Beveridge, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein.
With
so many options off the table, remaining possibilities could include Canadian
oil firm Opti Canada Inc, which may be on PetroChina's radar, and its peer
Nexen Inc, which CNOOC and CNPC may be interested in, bankers said.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/22/content_8832606.htm )
China
considers new law to protect oil pipelines
October
27 (Xinhua) –Chinese legislators are discussing a draft law on the protection
of oil and gas pipelines, which, they say, are facing growing problems due to
rapid urbanization and the expansion of pipeline networks.
Those
who steal from pipelines could face heavy fines of up to 10 times the value of
the stolen oil or gas, according to the draft law tabled with the country's top
legislature on Tuesday.
State
Council (China's Cabinet) official Cao Kangtai told lawmakers the safety of oil
and natural gas pipelines in China "urgently needs protection"
through legislation.
The
network, which carries 70 percent of the country's crude oil and 99 percent of
its natural gas, was "threatened by rampant theft of oil and gas through
illegal siphoning on the pipelines, as well as possible terrorist
attacks," said Cao, director of the State Council's Legislative Affairs
Office.
Rapid
urbanization had resulted in the reckless construction of buildings and roads
within buffer areas for the pipelines in recent years, making their protection
increasingly difficult, Cao said.
"We
need a special law to regulate and better coordinate pipeline construction with
urban planning, to enhance protective measures, and to clarify responsibilities
of different departments," he told the 11th meeting of the Standing
Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), which is convening from
Oct 27 to 31.
The
draft law requires governments at different levels, particularly state and
provincial-level energy departments, to enhance supervision of protection work.
The
draft also detailed the responsibility of enterprises that own and operate the
pipelines, as well as the planning, the construction and protective measures.
Because
of growing dependence on oil and gas, the total length of oil and gas pipelines
in
China
has risen to 70,000 km from 22,000 km in 1997, stretching from oil and
gasfields in western and northeastern regions to densely populated coastal
areas in the east.
China
was working with
Kazakhstan
,
Russia
and
Myanmar
to
build transregional pipelines, Cao said. By the end of 2010, the network would
exceed 90,000 km.
A
document circulated at the meeting said the China National Petroleum
Corporation (CNPC), which owns 65 percent of the country's oil and gas
pipelines, reported more than 36,000 cases of oil theft from pipelines between
2002 and 2006.
Surveys
conducted by the CNPC and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation
(Sinopec) in 2006 found about 15,000 buildings were illegally constructed above
or near the pipelines.
The
draft law would prohibit activities that could threaten the safety of
pipelines, such as opening or shutting pipeline valves without authority, and
moving, dismantling or drilling pipelines.
Driving
heavy vehicles where pipelines are buried, and removing or damaging signs on
pipelines would also become criminal offences.
Certain
activities, such as mining, tree-planting, construction of buildings, blasting
and digging near pipelines, must be done with official authority, according to
the draft.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/27/content_8856857.htm )
October 30 (China
Daily) -- Scientists predict
China
will become one of the first countries to begin production of gas hydrates, an
enormous untapped energy source.
Production of gas
hydrates, also known as flammable ice, will begin in
China
's tundras around 2020 and
underwater after 2030, scientists predicted.
"In the next
decade, scientists will probe the reserves of gas hydrates," said Zhang
Hongtao, chief geologist with the Ministry of Land and Resources.
Analysts believe
that by 2020, nearly 65 percent of the oil consumed in
China
will have
to be imported.
The development
of flammable ice is expected to ease the country's dependence on oil and coal,
Zhang said.
Not only
China
, but
countries all over the world are taking strides to put commercial production of
gas hydrates into reality before the earth's supply of oil is used up, he
added.
Scientists
believe there are about 156 billion tons of oil reserves, enough to last for 41
years. Global reserves of natural gas are estimated to be 175 trillion cu m,
enough for 67 years.
The size of the
global gas hydrate reserve is about 21,000 trillion cu m, and holds twice the
energy capacity of all other fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas
combined, said Zhang Haiqi, chief scientist of the China Geological Survey.
Flammable ice is
almost pure methane mixed with water and frozen under high pressure in
permafrost or under the sea.
One cu m of gas
hydrate could release at least 164 cu m of methane.
"With its
huge energy potential, countries all over the world are speeding up their
preparations for commercial production of gas hydrate, but we are not in a big
rush until its environmental impacts are clear," Zhang said.
Gas hydrates, as
an energy resource, may play important roles in the global carbon cycle, he
said. Methane, which is 10 times more damaging than carbon dioxide, will cause
the earth's temperature to increase, raising sea levels and speeding up climate
change.
No country has
been able to produce the resource commercially due to the challenging
conditions of the gas hydrate and the unpredictable environmental impact.
So far,
China
does not
have a specific commercial exploration plan, Zhang said.
Energy experts
told Wenweipo earlier this month that the government will invest more than 1
billion yuan to accelerate its exploration and realize commercial production in
tundras around 2030.
China
started gas hydrate research in the late 1990s.
On May 1, 2007,
the country collected its first gas hydrate samples in the South China Sea,
becoming the world's fourth country to confirm its findings under water after
the
United States
,
Japan
and
India
. Analysis showed there are
about 16 billion cu m of gas hydrate in the area.
Last month,
China
confirmed the existence of the resource in
Qilian
Mountain
in
Qinghai
province, becoming the world's
third country to confirm its finding in tundras after the
US
and
Canada
. The estimated potential gas
hydrate in
China
's
permafrost is about the equivalent of more than 35 billion tons of oil.
Gas hydrates have
been found in nearly 80 countries and regions and more than 30 countries have
begun searching underwater for the resource, with the
US
and
Japan
leading the world's marine
expedition for gas hydrates.
China
has
pledged more investment in developing alternative energy resources, including
biomass fuel, liquefied coal and flammable ice.
Previous page 1 2 Next Page
(http://www.chinadaily.net/china/2009-10/30/content_8871226.htm )
China
oil giant PetroChina says profit down 23%
October 29 (Agencies) – BEIJING:
PetroChina Ltd., Asia's biggest oil producer, said Thursday its third-quarter
profit plunged 23.4 percent from a year earlier as it suffered a double blow
from lower crude prices and weak demand.
Profit for the three months ending September
30 was 30.8 billion yuan ($4.5 billion) or 0.17 yuan ($0.02) per share,
compared with 40.1 billion yuan or 0.22 yuan per share a year earlier, the
Beijing-based oil company reported.
Total revenue fell 12 percent from a year
earlier to 267.7 billion yuan ($39.3 billion) on weak demand amid the global
economic crisis, PetroChina said.
The company said its production unit
suffered from sharply lower crude prices, earning an average $49 per barrel
over the first nine months of the year, compared with $97.24 for the same
period of 2008. It did not give third-quarter figures.
Oil production for the first nine months of
the year fell 3.7 percent to 631 million barrels, the company said.
PetroChina and rival Sinopec, or China
Petroleum & Chemical Corp., have been hurt by government controls that
blocked them from passing on 2008's record-high crude costs to Chinese
consumers. Retail prices were cut this year as crude costs fell, preventing the
producers from taking advantage of the decline to reap fatter profits.
Despite the slump in demand at home,
PetroChina said it was taking advantage of lower prices abroad to pursue access
to oil and gas resources.
In August, it agreed to buy liquefied
natural gas from
Australia
's
Gorgon field in a deal worth 50 billion Australian dollars.
PetroChina, with shares traded in
New York
, Hong Kong and
Shanghai
, is the world's most valuable
company by market capitalization after Exxon Mobil Corp.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-10/29/content_8867510.htm )
October
20 (China Daily) -- China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), the country's
leading offshore oil producer, has received its first cargo of liquefied
natural gas (LNG) from
Qatar
,
after a long-term supply deal signed last year.
The
cargo, of 216,000 cu m, arrived at CNOOC's Dapeng LNG terminal in Shenzhen on
Sunday. The terminal is about 45 km away from downtown of the southern city.
It
comes under a long-term supply agreement signed between CNOOC and Qatargas last
June, under which
Qatar
would supply 2 million tons of LNG per annum for 25 years.
The
first shipment serves as an important landmark in the energy cooperation
between
China
and
Qatar
, said Fu
Chengyu, chairman of the State-owned CNOOC, at the receiving ceremony
yesterday.
"It
will help
China
improve the utilization of clean energy and optimize the energy consumption
structure and strengthen CNOOC's role in developing clean energy," he
added.
Faisal
Al-Suwadi, CEO of Qatargas, said the new partnership would be highly
beneficial. "The world's largest LNG producing company has begun supplying
what may become the world's largest LNG market," he said.
The
LNG from
Qatar
will be
offloaded to other terminals of CNOOC, including the existing one in eastern
China
's
Fujian
province and the soon-to-be operational one in
Shanghai
,
to serve the booming economy in coastal areas of eastern and southern
China
, Fu said
earlier.
China
will see rapid increase of natural gas consumption in the next few
years, as the government is encouraging more use of clean fuels to reduce
pollution, Raymond Ng, partner at Ernst & Young told China Daily.
The
deal value has not been disclosed yet, but some market observers speculated
that the price of Qatari LNG would be indirectly pegged with the index of the
Japan Customs-cleared Crude, which will be higher than what the domestic users
can support.
However,
a CNOOC insider told China Daily that the company was under no pressure to sell
the fuel and that the cost would be greatly reduced once the LNG consumption
market matures.
"Currently,
the big consumers of LNG are power plants and industrial users," he said.
"It has great potential to cut the costs during the gasifying process, so
the contracted price of the LNG doesn't mean a lot."
It
has been reported that Shenzhen Nanshan Power Co and its Dongguan holding
company will soon sign a long-term purchase deal with CNOOC's
Guangdong
trading company.
Meanwhile,
CNOOC Gas & Power Group, a subsidiary of CNOOC, has also inked an agreement
in August with CNOOC's refining complex in Huizhou, reportedly for an annual
gas supply volume of 680,000 tons.
October 30 (China Daily) -- China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), the country's largest oil and
gas producer, plans to invest 200 billion yuan in the
Xinjiang
Uygur
autonomous region between next year and 2015 to boost
economic development in the region, said a company official.
The investment will mainly go toward oil and
gas production facilities, oil refining and chemicals manufacturing bases,
crude and refined oil reserves and oil and gas pipelines, said Zhou Jiping,
vice-president of the company.
Xinjiang has 30 percent of
China
's onshore
oil reserves and 34 percent of the country's natural gas reserves, available
statistics indicate. At present, CNPC's largest oil and gas production base and
oil refining facilities in western
China
are all located in Xinjiang.
In September, the company started operating
its Dushanzi oil-refining complex in Xinjiang. With a crude processing capacity
of 10 million tons a year and an ethylene production capacity of 1 million tons
annually, the project is also the largest oil-refining complex in western
China
.
Last year, CNPC discovered a natural gas
field with proven reserves of 100 billion cu m in northern Xinjiang. The
Klameli field is the first reserve of this size ever discovered around the
Junggar
Basin
.
Discovery of the field, about 250 km from
the city of
Karamay
,
will alleviate the gas shortage in northern Xinjiang, according to the company.
With large oil and gas reserves, Xinjiang is
of strategic importance to CNPC as well as to
China
's energy sector. More
advanced technology is needed to develop the rich resources in the region, said
analysts.
In September,
China
started construction of seven
energy projects with a total investment of 23 billion yuan in Xinjiang.
The projects include the Dushanzi strategic
oil reserve base, which is part of
China
's second phase of strategic
oil reserve bases. The base has a capacity of 5.4 million cu m and will
stockpile crude mainly from
Kazakhstan
,
according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).
China
has finished its first phase of strategic
oil reserves, which consists of four bases in the country's coastal provinces.
The first four bases have a total capacity of 16.4 million cu m and they were
all filled last year, according to the NEA.
Zhang Guobao, head of the NEA, told
reporters in September that the country would build more strategic oil
reserves, like the Dushanzi project, in inland areas.
Besides the Dushanzi reserve, other
under-construction projects in Xinjiang include three plants that will provide
electricity and heating to local people, one power transmission line, one coal
mine and one liquefied natural gas project.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/30/content_8871477.htm )
October 22 (People's Daily Online) --
President Hu Jintao is upbeat about the prospects for a positive outcome at the
Copenhagen climate change summit in December - as long as the international
community collaborates based on agreed principles and achievements made so far.
"It is essential that any result from
the conference should embody the basic principles of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol and lock in the
achievements of the Bali Roadmap," Hu said yesterday.
He was referring to an action plan agreed at
the UN climate talks in December 2007 that kicked off the negotiations aimed at
finding a broader agreement capable of expanding or replacing the Kyoto
Protocol after it expires in 2012. That process is meant to conclude in
Copenhagen
.
Hu made his remarks during a phone
conversation with his
United States
counterpart, Barack Obama, who is scheduled to visit
China
next month.
During the conversation, which was aimed at
breaking the deadlock in international climate negotiations, the leaders agreed
to extend collaboration on tackling global warming between the world's two
biggest greenhouse gas emitters.
"Developing cooperation between the two
sides on climate change issues would not only benefit the international
community in its efforts to tackle climate change, but also have great
significance for promoting the development of China-US ties," Xinhua News
Agency quoted Hu as saying.
Hu added that "the two nations face
common challenges in tackling climate change and share common interests".
Obama said both the
US
and
China
had taken important steps in dealing with climate change, and he said the two
should push for concrete and meaningful steps to meet the challenges and make
the
Copenhagen
conference a success.
The leaders met at the UN climate change
summit in
New York
in September, during which
Hu pledged that
China
will "notably cut" carbon intensity by 2020. Hu did not set a
specific goal at that time.
There is a good deal of speculation that the
two nations will reach a bilateral climate change agreement before the
Copenhagen
conference
begins.
Analysts said any deal at
Copenhagen
will need to have the full support
of the world's two largest emitters.
"
China
and the
US
must coordinate
and reach a concrete and practical solution acceptable to both countries that
can be brought to
Copenhagen
," said Zhou
Qi, a senior
US
expert with
the
Chinese
Academy
of Social Sciences. "Both
sides have to make compromises."
There has been growing concern recently among
politicians and the public around the world that the UN climate talks on
expanding the fight against global warming have largely stalled, making the
outcome of the
Copenhagen
summit uncertain.
The last round of climate talks, which was
held in
Bangkok
between Sept 28 and Oct 9, resulted in progress toward a draft text for a
likely agreement but failed to break the deadlock in key areas.
Developed countries have been calling on
emerging nations - including
China
and
India
- to commit to reduce carbon emissions.
However, developing countries have insisted
that they will not agree to reductions without a transfer of finances and
technology from rich nations.
Yuan Peng, head of the
Institute
of
US Studies
, affiliated to the China
Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said a compromise calls for
the
US
to agree to the
technology transfer while
China
must agree to a detailed carbon reduction target.
"The
US
has to accept that
China
,
as a developing nation, is not in the position to commit to a binding emission
reduction target," said Zhou.
Washington
senator Maria Cantwell said early last month that the US and
China
are likely to sign an agreement to combat
climate change during Obama's visit to
Beijing
in November.
Cantwell said a deal between the two nations
would help build global confidence in the fight against global warming.
Xinhua,
Reuters contributed to the story
(http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6790180.html )
October 8 (Bloomberg-Reuters) -
China
said climate change is a more formidable challenge than the global recession
and one it shares with the world.
The world's third-largest economy has taken
"responsible" steps to fight climate change, Liu Yanhua,
vice-minister of science and technology, said at a conference in
Hong Kong
on Wednesday.
Industrialized economies such as the US and
developing countries led by China are deadlocked on how much rich nations
should help poor ones deal with climate change and to what extent wealthy
countries should cut emissions.
President Hu Jintao said last month
China
will cut
emissions in proportion to economic growth, without giving specific targets or
goals.
China
is among more than 190 nations gathering in
Copenhagen
on Dec 7 for the final round of
talks on a climate accord to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Developed nations should share
carbon-reducing technologies with poorer countries to help them cut emissions,
Liu said. He also said developed countries should take the lead in committing
to binding emission caps.
Emerging economies including
India
have said
they need access to funds, and technologies such as wind turbines, to meet
emission curbs and sustain growth.
China
is
lagging at least 10 years behind the West in the development of technology for
energy reduction and clean electricity production, said Wang Xiaokang,
president of the China Energy Conservation Investment Corp, which advises
companies on emission and pollution reduction.
China
is considering a plan to develop alternative forms of energy, such
as wind and nuclear, and may announce the proposal before the
Copenhagen
talks.
The New-Energy Development Plan will include
some revised "bigger and bolder" goals to develop new types of
energy, said Zhou Fengqi, an advisor to the energy research institute at the
National Development and Reform Commission.
China
hit
out at rich nations on Tuesday, saying failure to honor past climate
commitments was undermining UN-led efforts to try to seal a broader pact in
December to fight global warming.
Speaking on the sidelines of climate talks in
the Thai capital of
Bangkok
,
Yu Qingtai
,
China
's
special envoy for climate change, said some nations needed to do some
"deep soul-searching".
"What is happening right now in these
negotiations is not very encouraging to say the least," Yu said, repeating
a fear he expressed on Monday that some nations were trying to
"terminate" the Kyoto Protocol, the UN's top weapon to curb climate
change.
"Are we serious about the commitments
that we undertake? Are we serious about the agreements that we reach? Do we
have the political will to act on the basis on what we say?"
Yu said rich nations seemed to be shifting
their positions to meet the stance of the
US
.
Washington
wants any steps to cut emissions
to be effective under domestic law but has been ambiguous on whether any new
climate pact from 2013 should be internationally binding.
The
US
never ratified
Kyoto
,
which binds 37 industrialized nations to emissions targets during its first
commitment period from 2008 to 2012.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-10/08/content_8767823.htm )
China
reiterates responsibilities principle on climate
October 14 (Xinhua) -
BEIJING
:
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday reiterated
China
's stance on the climate
change issue, stressing the principle of "common but differentiated
responsibilities".
Li made the remarks while meeting with
Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong.
Li said that climate change, not only an
environmental issue but also a development issue, should be solved with joint
efforts and common development of the international community.
Li reiterated the "common but
differentiated responsibilities", set up in the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed by more than 150 countries in 1992, saying that
to tackle climate change should be integrated with sustainable development,
fostering new economic growth points and balanced world economic development.
State and government leaders from about 190
countries will attend the UN Climate Conference in
Copenhagen
in December, which is expected to
renew greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets set by the UNFCCC Kyoto
Protocol, which are to expire in 2012.
China
holds that the developed countries should take the lead in cutting gas
emissions and honor their commitments to support developing countries with
funds and technology transfers.
In September, Chinese President Hu Jintao
unveiled a number of climate targets and plans in his address to the opening
session of the United Nations climate summit in
New York
,
including a promise that
China
would cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product by
"a notable margin" by 2020 from the 2005 level.
Wong is in
Beijing
to discuss with Chinese officials on
cooperation on the climate change. She will hold talks with Xie Zhenhua, vice
minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
later Wednesday. Xie is also the country's top representative to international
climate change negotiations.
"
China
and
Australia
have cooperative mechanism, and also have good cooperative relations in this
regard," Li told Wong.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-10/14/content_8793552.htm )
October 30 (HK-Edition) –Building on the
environmental protection initiatives in the past two years, the policy
direction of this year's policy address in environmental terms is threefold,
Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau told China Daily.
The first is air quality in relation to
protection of public health. In July, the government published an Air Quality
Objectives review to consult the public, with a view to using the Air Quality
Guidelines of the World Health Organization as the goal, he said.
The consultation will expire at the end of
November.
Second, the government will consult the
public on a solid waste management scheme, following the largely successful
introduction of a levy on plastic bags in July this year.
Yau noted the rate of waste recovery in the
commercial sector is quite satisfactory at 61 percent against merely 31 percent
for household recoveries.
Particularly, the disposal of electronic
products such as computers, mobile handsets and electrical appliances that are
still quite new and in useable condition is rather serious in
Hong
Kong
as a wealthy society.
Hoping to tackle the increasing food waste
problem, the government will construct a recycling centre in Siu Ho Wan on
Lantau
Island
to convert food waste into useful resources such as compost and biogas.
"The waste management scheme cannot be
more pressing as we can no longer rely on landfills alone to deal with solid
waste, and we need to decide on a suitable site to build incinerators next
year," Yau said, adding that Hong Kong is trailing
Guangzhou
and Shenzhen in the use of
incineration technology.
Climate change is another important issue
that the government needs to address, said the environment minister.
In
Hong Kong
,
63 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions come from power generation against
16 percent from vehicle emissions. As to emissions from power generation, 89
percent come from buildings, i.e. power consumption from use of
air-conditioners, lighting and elevators.
"There is a need to have a minimal
energy efficiency standard in
Hong Kong
,"
he proposed.
Although there is an energy efficiency code
in force and over 1,000 buildings are practicing this code, it is not
legally-binding while 75 percent of these buildings are government buildings.
"In this connection, the government is
going to enact an energy efficiency law that requires all buildings to comply
with. We will introduce a bill into the Legislative Council by the end of the
year. The law will cover residential, commercial or industrial buildings,
although different standards will apply," Yau said.
The law will not only apply to new buildings,
but also old buildings that undergo renovation, he added. As to the energy
efficiency standard, it is hoped that everyone can meet it; accordingly, it
will not be set too high.
As an initiative of the 2009-10 Budget, the
HK$4.5 million dollar-for-dollar matching fund for enterprises to carry out
carbon audits is working well. Since April this year, some 850 applications
have been received.
Taking the Ming Pao newspaper as example, he
was aware that the company spent about HK$56,000 for a carbon audit and
installation of energy-saving equipment. As a result, it achieved a
half-million dollar savings in its electricity bill over six months.
Yau further hailed the recent initiatives
that promote the use of clean fuel in
Hong Kong
.
While the construction work of the Second West-East Natural Gas Pipeline
commenced in February, energy companies on both sides have renewed an agreement
on supplying nuclear power for an additionial 20 years.
"If we follow the path of energy
efficiency, together with less power consumption and use of cleaner fuel,
Hong Kong
will become a much better and cleaner place to
live in," the environment minister pledged.
Asked if he can finish the numerous mammoth
tasks before his term expires in July 2012, Yau did not underestimate the
difficulties ahead of him.
Saying that environmental protection involves
concerted efforts of government and society, he will not adopt a
"cherry-picking" mentality by doing only the relatively easier things
and avoiding the tough jobs.
At the same time, he also called on the
public not to adopt the "not in my backyard" mindset with regard to
construction of environmental protection facilities in local communities.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hkedition/2009-10/30/content_8870415.htm )
China
, India ink climate co-op deal
October 22 (Xinhua) --
China
and
India
Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on cooperation in dealing with
climate change in
New Delhi
,
signaling an upgrading of Sino-Indian cooperation in the field.
The agreement was signed by Xie Zhenhua, vice
chairman of National Development and Reform Commission of China, and Jairam
Ramesh, Minister of Environment and Forestry of India at the national action
plan joint meeting on climate change held by the two governments.
According to the MoA,
China
and
India
will build partnership on
climate change and strengthen cooperation in alleviation, adaptation and
empowerment projects concerning climate change.
The two countries will also set up a Joint
Working Group which will hold meetings alternately every year in
China
and
India
, to exchange views on major
issues in global climate talks, domestic policies and measures, and
implementing related cooperative projects, according to the MoA.
Ramesh said that this is the first time for
both
India
and
China
to have
started such bilateral cooperation this way, so it can be looked upon as an
important step in the development of Indo- Chinese relations.
"There is no difference between the
Indian and Chinese negotiating positions and we are discussing further what the
two countries should be doing for a successful outcome at
Copenhagen
," said Ramesh.
Xie said that the climate change is the
result of unrestricted emission of greenhouse gases by developed countries in
two centuries of industrialization.
However, the adverse impact of climate change
affects everybody on earth. So it is necessary for the international community
to work together to tackle this problem.
Xie also said that both
China
and
India
are developing countries and
most vulnerable to climate change's adverse effects. Both countries are also in
the accelerating stage of industrialization and urbanization and are faced with
the multiple tasks of developing economy, wiping out poverty, improving people'
s life standard and protecting environment.
He said that both Chinese and Indian
governments pay great importance to climate change and have been issuing
national action plans to tackle this problem.
"As long as
China
and
India
further coordinate and cooperation over climate change, they can surely help
bring about a solution in negotiations by the international community, which
would take into account both environment protection and development of all
countries," he said.
Xie also said that while all countries expect
UN Copenhagen Climate Summit to be a milestone, the talks are being stalled
because some developed countries are trying to minimize their duties on
reducing emission and capital and technology transfer.
Therefore, it is more than necessary for
China
and
India
, as well as other developing
countries, to hold bilateral and multilateral consultations among themselves in
the process of the global negotiations, in order to better protect the common
interests of all developing countries, he added.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-10/22/content_8832302.htm )
CA to partner with
China
's
Jiangsu
to advance climate policies
October 3 (Xinhua) -- LOS ANGELES: Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on Friday that California and China's Jiangsu
Province will form a partnership to cope with climate change.
An agreement to this effect was signed by
representatives from the two sides on the sidelines of the Governors' Global
Climate Summit in
Los Angeles
.
The agreement commits the two sides to
further reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening government support for
renewable energy and technological cooperation, increasing energy security,
promoting economic activity and advancing environmental sustainability.
"
California
is proud to partner with
China
and we look forward to working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
improve energy efficiency and expand the market for renewable energy
sources," said Schwarzenegger.
"This kind of collaboration illustrates
the critical importance of mobilizing action at all levels of government. By
joining forces we will learn from each other and share ideas to foster
innovative policies that will further our commitment to solving the global
problem of climate change."
Fei Shaoyun, delegation leader of
Jiangsu
Province
,
said, "we are very excited to work with
California
on climate change, green
technology and environmental protection. We see this as a model for subnational
collaboration between US and
China
."
Much like
California
's
exceptional leadership on the environment ahead of national action,
Jiangsu
has promoted new energy industries and
environmental protection initiatives ahead of many provinces in
China
.
In fact, 18 cities in the province have
attained the title of "
National
Environmental
Protection
Model
City
,"
accounting for one- quarter of
China
's
population.
The
Jiangsu
government has issued plans and supporting policies for the invigoration of new
energy industry development and has developed the largest new energy industry
of any province in
China
.
Specifically, the framework agreement does
the following:
-- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
the sharing of successful climate policies related to energy efficiency, energy
conservation and renewable energy;
-- Strengthen government support for
renewable energy, energy efficiency and environmental protection;
-- Strengthen technological cooperation to
promote the development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable
energy technologies;
-- Foster development of new markets for
green and renewable energy technologies, including standards for green
buildings, cooling and heating, electrical appliances, lighting and solar
photovoltaic;
-- Promoting communication and exchange among
research personnel and academic institutions; and
-- Implementing specific training programs on
planning, policies, technologies government support, and data management,
tracking and reporting.
Over the past several years,
California
and
China
have successfully
collaborated in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy development,
and environmental protection.
Last April,
California
environmental officials joined
China
for the launch of its first voluntary greenhouse gas emissions registry. With
further social and economic development, both parties face increasing and
common challenges in the areas of climate change, energy security and
environmental protection.
More than 1,200 attendees from more than 70
states, provinces and countries were present at the three-day Governors' Global
Climate Summit which ended on Friday.
As the largest gathering of regional leaders
focused on climate solutions, this summit helped develop cooperative
partnerships and promote collaborative actions needed to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, build green economies and fight global climate change.
(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/03/content_12175547.htm )
October 16 (China Daily) - The world's
environment is deteriorating at an alarming speed. Economic growth has come at
a high environmental cost. Pollution of the air, water and land is having a
serious impact on the well-being and health of people and on the world's
ecosystems. These environmental problems are not only affecting
China
.
Emissions of CO2 contribute to global warming, and degradation of land and
forests and air pollution may have consequences far beyond national borders.
The Chinese government has now placed a
strong emphasis on improving the situation. In its efforts to achieve an
economic growth that is compatible with sustainable development,
China
has a mutual interest with
Norway
in
combating a deteriorating global environment.
Our two countries have cooperated on
environmental issues for more than a decade. A good platform for collaboration
has now been established. Dialogue and project cooperation within the spheres
of climate change, air and water pollution, hazardous substances and
biodiversity have been useful for both countries and have allowed for the
development of a common understanding and a strengthened capacity in dealing
with important environmental challenges.
Norway
supports projects that contribute to
China
's implementation of global
environmental conventions and involve Norwegian and Chinese partners working
jointly on environmental management issue. These include developing of
provincial strategies for climate change, using hazardous waste in cement kilns
in order to replace coal and secure an environmentally sound management of hazardous
waste, improving environmental planning effectiveness in five-year plans and
strengthening the ability of provincial environmental decision makers to reduce
mercury pollution and persistent organic pollutants. New projects in the
interface of climate change and air pollution, and climate change and
biodiversity are in pipeline.
Norway
financially supports the China Council for International Cooperation on
Environment and Development (CCICED), as well as attaching great interest to
its activities. With Chinese and international high-level participation, CCICED
undertakes research and makes valued recommendations to the Chinese government.
This makes it a unique institution.
Norway
is pleased to have experts
involved and that a former minister for the Environment hold the post as a
vice-chair.
This year CCICED's focus is on energy and the
environment. As the largest producer of coal in the world and as the largest
emitter of green house gases,
China
has an important role to play.
China
has set ambitious national targets on energy efficiency and
renewable energy and its role as a responsible international player with regard
to the Climate Change Conference in
Copenhagen
is very encouraging.
The stimulus package, presented as a response
to the economic crisis, provides
China
with real opportunities to
progress towards a low-carbon and green economy.
China
's need for a new development
path is not only a challenge, but also represents an opportunity for innovation
and a highly needed restructuring of its industry.
Norway
looks forward to continued collaboration with
China
on
environmental issues in a time of challenges and opportunities.
The
author, Nina Ror, is Environmental counselor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in
Beijing
.
(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-10/16/content_8801157.htm )
