Zhou Shengxian, Minister of SEPA met with a high-level delegation from Party of European Socialists(PES), which was headed by Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, the PES President on July 3. Both sides exchanged views on responses to climate change, energy, and sewage treatment.

Mr. Zhou introduced the latest development of the country's environmental protection cause. He said China faced sharp and complicated environmental problems in a bid to promote industrialization and urbanization. The government took this matter seriously, and on the basis of summarizing the experience and lessons of China and the world on environmental protection, it adjusted the strategy for environmental development, and developed the guideline to achieve the historical transformations, the focus of which is to correctly regulate the relationship between economic growth and environmental protection.

Mr. Zhou said that according to this guideline, the government defined the working thoughts of "making progress in all sectors and laying focus on the priorities"for the moment and in the future, identifying the pollution control as the first priority and drinking water safety as the top task. In terms of water pollution control, the country would, in the principle of "rehabilitating the nationwide rivers and lakes", intensify water pollution control and speed up water pollution treatment by strictly controlling the total amount of pollutants and allocating the tasks to all levels and by guarantying through strictly prosecuting the liability of water pollution. As the environment authority of this country, SEPA is earnestly carrying out various policies made by the Party and the government on environmental protection and tries to enable the environmental protection cause to develop fast and sound.

Mr. Zhou pointed out that climate change is one of the world environmental problems calling for the common efforts of mankind. As a responsible developing country, China has given due attention to the world environmental problems, including the climate change, and made great efforts. The country adheres to the consensus agreed upon through Kyoto Protocol and other international conventions and shoulders the common but differentiated responsibility. China will, according to China National Climate Change Programme issued not long ago, take more active and effective approaches to make its due contributions to addressing climate change.

Mr. Zhou said that the experience, lessons and mature technologies of European countries on pollution treatment and environmental protection are well worth the study of China. Chinese government hoped to work with EU to extend communications and cooperation, in order to address environmental issues including climate change.

Mr. Rasmussen appreciated the country's efforts in protecting the environment and addressing climate change as well as the policy measures taken by it. He hoped both sides would cooperate on pollution treatment and climate change, share the experience and promote the development of the world environmental protection cause.