The Chinese Foreign Ministry has set up a leading group in charge of the international work on climate change, the Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu announced on Tuesday.

Jiang said the group was headed by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and has two deputy heads, Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, adding a mechanism on the international work on climate change has also been set up.

"The Ministry's move is not only an important step to implement China’s national action plan to respond to climate change, but also shows the Chinese government's active participation in the international cooperation on responding to climate change," said Jiang at a regular press conference.

The Chinese government had announced its first national action plan to respond to climate change and set the goal of reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent and major pollutant discharges by 10 percent by the end of 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Aug. 27 in a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The State Council had also set up a leading group for the work of responding to climate change, headed by Premier Wen.

Jiang noted that all the acts showed China's positive position and determination of responding to climate change, and China will continue to make unremitting efforts to respond to climate change and promote the international cooperation in this regard.

Jiang added that the Foreign Ministry has appointed Yu Qingtai, former Chinese ambassador to Tanzania as the special representative for climate change negotiations.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2007)