China welcomes a US climate change bill and hopes it would take stronger measures to cut carbon emissions, Xie Zhenhua, deputy chief of the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Friday.

"We think we should give a positive evaluation to the bill," Xie said during a group interview. "But in the area of tackling climate change, especially on the issue of cutting emissions, if the US could take some more positive and stronger measures, it would give a bigger impetus to the Copenhagen conference at the end of the year."

The bill, named the American Clean Energy and Security Act, is intended to cap and reduce US greenhouse gas emissions and lower the country's dependence on foreign oil.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2009)