China, Japan, increase energy conservation

BEIJING, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- China and Japan have signed contracts to work together toward energy conservation.

The contracts will allow China to use Japanese technology to cut its energy consumption, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Leaders met for the third time in a China-Japan energy conservation forum held in Tokyo. A total of 19 contracts were signed between government institutions and companies from both countries.

The Japanese technologies will help China decrease energy consumption while running everything from sewage treatment plants to garbage recycling plants.

"Cutting energy consumption and emission is an urgent task facing the Chinese government," said Xie Zhenhua, vice director of China's National Development and Reform Commission.

The Chinese government has set a goal to cut its energy consumption per every unit of GDP by 20 percent by 2010.