国内英语新闻:China's contribution to Copenhagen climate talks praised

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- World media reports have praised China's efforts in promoting international cooperation to combat climate change and its contribution to a substantive result at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

    The per capita carbon emission in China is far lower than that in Western countries, the state media from different countries, including India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Central Africa Republic and Malawi, said recently.

    Acknowledging that China was facing a heavy task of development, they said that China's demand for due right to development was justifiable and reasonable.

    Alongside economic development, China has increased spending on combating climate change, greatly encouraged science and technology, and become a world leader in the use of green energy, they said.

    During the Copenhagen Conference, China made all efforts to communicate and negotiate with other countries. It especially brought together developing nations to jointly safeguard their common interests and made a remarkable contribution to a substantive result of the conference, they said.

    Meanwhile, media in small island states, including Antigua and Barbuda, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, also spoke highly of China's responsible attitude and forceful measures on tackling climate change, saying China's effort could match that of any developed countries.

    They said that some countries' criticism of China on the issue was groundless and irresponsible.

    The words were echoed by France's Le Figaro magazine, which said in an editorial that the environment issue cannot be solved without considering the people's interests and national development.

    Being a leader in such technologies as wind power, solar energy and carbon capture, China has also spared no efforts in developing nuclear energy, the magazine said.

    Le Figaro in an article titled "In Defense of China," called on the international community to learn more about China.

    The article said that China's development has contributed to all mankind because it lifted a great number of Chinese people out of poverty and also benefited neighboring countries and the global economy.

    It is groundless to say that China did nothing to improve the environment, the article said, citing China's achievements in developing solar energy and a forestation.

    The world should be confident in China's ability to combat climate change, it added.