China will push for Kyoto Protocol renewal

BEIJING, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- China has released a government white paper on climate change ahead of next week's international climate talks in Durban, South Africa.

Xie Zhenhua, head of the Chinese delegation to the Durban meeting, said China will join other developing nations in pursuing the renewal of the Kyoto Protocol, the official Xinhua news service reported Tuesday.

The protocol reflects "common but differentiated responsibilities" Xie said.

The Guardian (Britain) said the white paper spelled out the measures the government has taken to meet the commitment made at Copenhagen to reduce carbon emissions relative to GDP by 40 percent to 45 percent between 2005 and 2020.

The white paper also covered the steps that will be taken during the next five years to increase forest cover by about 30 million acres, the newspaper said.