The Third Meeting of China Council For International Cooperation on environment and Development was held in Beijing from September 20 to 22, 1994. With the concerted efforts of various parties, the meeting achieved great success.

1. A Review of the Meeting

75 participants attended the meeting, including national and international Council members, specially invited guests, international observers and Co-Chairs of the Working groups. Mr. Song Jian, Chairman of the Council, presided over the opening ceremony. Madam Huguette Labelle was elected International Vice-Chair of the Council, and the adjusted membership of the Council was approved at the meeting. Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen attended the opening ceremony, and made an important speech. He said that environmental protection is one of China's basic state policies, and that China will stand for and actively participate in international cooperation on environment and development. He also pointed out that" a new international partnership" put forward at the Rio Conference 1992 should be set up most urgently. It requires us to fulfil our commitment made at the conference, to carryout our "common but differentiated responsibilities" an d to together fight against actions that aimed at limiting the economic and trade development of developing countries in the name of environmental protection. Vice premier Qian hopes that the China Council serves as a bridge for international cooperation on environment and development.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Mr. Song song Jian reviewed the three major achievements China had made in environment and development in the past year. He also raised the suggestion, according to China's present situation, that apart from making researches and providing advice on strategy and policy planning at a macro level, the China Council should try its best to provide more opportunities for establishing projects of China's sustainable development through facilitating China's communication and cooperation with international financial, commercial and industrial circles. Madam Labelle, International Vice-Chair of the Council, and Vice-Chairmen Qu Geping and Gu Ming also made speech at the opening ceremony.

During the three days' meeting, the Council members heard report by the General Secretary of the Secretariat of CCICED on the follow-up activities and the implementation of the recommendations after the second meeting; heard and examined reports from the six working groups, namely Biodiversity Protection Working Group, Monitoring, Data Collection and Pollution Control Working Group, Resource Accounting, environmental Economics and Pricing Policy Working Group, Scientific Research, Technological Development and Training Working Group, and Energy Strategies and Technologies Working Group; heard and discussed reports on China's implementation of Agenda 21 and the related international conventions given by speakers from State Planning Commission, State Scientific and Technological Commission, National Environ mental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Forestry, the State Meteorological Administration, and the United Nation's Development Programme; heard and discussed representations made by 9 national and foreign experts on such substantive issues as trade and environment, environmental protection policies and measures under market economy, transportation and environment, public participation and clean technology. After inquiring into problems of common concern in the field of environment and development in China, participants of the meeting came up with number o f constructive suggestions based on China's real conditions. In the end, the Council examined and approved the financial report of the Council and recommendations that were to be submitted to the Chinese Government.

On the afternoon of September 22, Mr. Li Ruihuan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and Chairman of the National People's Political Consultative Conference met with all the international Council members and made an important speech. He emphasized on China's importance with regard to environment, and pointed out that it is of great significance to the world to help China in solving its environmental problems. He also raised three suggestions on improving China's environmental protection work:

a. we should raise the environmental awareness of the people, especially o f leaders at all levels through publicity and education. It should be understood that environmental protection is a long-term task that matters with all people and all aspects of life, and that all other effort would come to nothing if environmental protection is not properly carried out and the earth is damaged;

b. economic, social and environmental interests are three in one, and should not be separated. We must not grab for partial economic profits at the expense of overall social interest. Instead, we should handle properly the relation between economic development and environmental protection, and, by using legal, economic and social means, establish a system based on the principle - who pollutes, who pays, and who treats, who benefits;

c. The solution to the problems of environmental pollution lies in science and technology, therefore, we should pay more attention to scientific research, apply advanced technology in production and treatment measures, and learn from the developed countries. Mr. Li Ruihuan also said that the Chinese Government values the experiences of the advanced countries, and is interested in a fruitful and wide-ranging cooperation with the international community. He hopes that the China Council will continue its effort in providing valuable advice and making other contributions as well to China's development and environmental protection.

2. Agreement reached at the meeting

After listening to the reports and discussions, the Council sets a high value on the actions China has taken in the field of environment and development, and appreciates very much the work of the Working Groups and the Secretariat. Members of the Council all agree that:

a. China has played a leading role in the world in implementing international conventions on environment. China's Agenda 21 has set up a detailed and comprehensive framework for future development, and has an important position in the world 's sustainable development since the Rio Conference in 1992. It is sincerely expected by the Council members that China will integrate this document in real earnest in its 9th Five-Year Plan and all its other economic planning and management activities.

b. The implementation of the 7 recommendations to the Chinese Government propose d by the Second Meeting of the Council has been quite satisfactory. The Chinese Government has paid a considerable amount of attention to the problems raised. And the related departments have formulated policies and taken actions in such fields as energy structure adjustment, biodiversity protection, environmental legal system building, public participation and others as well, with fruitful results.

c. The Working Groups have done a sound and excellent job, and have contributed much to the work of the Council. During the past year, the Working Groups have come to the stage to analyze the materials collected, and produce results therefrom. Targeting at those important, difficult and characteristic problems in the field of environment and development in China, each Working Group has made a great deal of research, and has turned out a number wide-ranging suggestions based on China's real conditions - from energy development strategies to pricing models of coal, water and forests, from theories and methods of urban and industrial pollution control to the specific steps of clean production promotion, and from the designing of environmental monitoring network to the establishment of a biodiversity protection data base. They are of great value to the work of environmental protection and development in China.

d. The establishment of the Council is a great pioneering work, and if of significance to the environment and development of both China and the world. Since its establishment, it has produced fruitful results in policy research and has provided much advice to the Government. It is expected that, while continuing its effort to influence policy-making of the Chinese Government, it shall gradually shift its focus to practical work, and attract the participation of the industrial and commercial circles so as to improve its work to a higher level.

3. Recommendations to the Chinese Government

The recommendations produced by the Council were based on the repots of the six Working Groups and the subsequent discussions. They are:

a. to improve energy saving and distribution; diversify China's energy sources; develop alternative technologies, especially cleaner coal technology and clean production in the field of steel making and commercial building; ensure the integration of energy and environmental policies and the implementation of the United Nation's Framework convention on Climate Change.

b. to enforce laws on natural resources protection; extend areas of protection; cooperate closely with the neighboring countries to stop trade in endangered species; organize educational activities on the importance of biodiversity protect ion; speed up the restoration of degraded land.

c. to improve the environmental monitoring work, and establish a comprehensive data base on environmental quality; develop clean technology and promote clean production learn from the advanced technologies of foreign countries; make good use of such administrative means as pollution permits, environmental taxes and pollution levies.

d. to improve theoretical researches on resource accounting; make more use of economic means in environmental management and increase the amount of pollution discharge levies; apply environmental impact assessment to projects old and new; reform gradually prices of the important natural resources such as water, timber and coal, and abolish the unreasonable subsidies; set about researching on the transportation; pay more attention to the influence of environment on international trade.

4. Suggestions on the Future Work

After discussion, the Council members put forward suggestions on the Council's work in 1995:

a. Taking advantages of their prestige and power of influence, the Council members are expected to facilitate to facilitate China in its communication and cooperation with international financial, commercial and industrial circles, so as to attract more financial and technological support to China's sustainable development projects, especially the 9-area 62 priority projects identified in China's Agenda 21.

b. The Secretariat of CCICED is authorized to establish an Environment-Trade Working Group as soon as possible based on the opinions collected from various par ties concerned. It is also authorized to start thinking about and looking for funds for the setting-up of another new Working Group on Transportation and Environment. It is also expected to continue its support of the research on the practical steps in integrating environmental protection and economic planning carried out by Mr. Martin Lees in collaboration with the related departments in China.

c. Coordination within the Working Groups, and between the Council members and the working Groups should be strengthened through various forms. The Working Groups could combine their efforts in making researches on the overlapping and cross-cutting themes. It is also suggested that the Council member should attend the Working Group meetings in accordance with their own interest.

d. With regard to the next Council meeting in 1995, the Secretariat is authorize d to decide upon the time, place, the major themes and other related activities of the meeting, and submit it to the Council Bureau and Council members for approval.