'China supports Fiji's chairmanship of G77'

A high-ranking Chinese official met this week with the chair of the Group of 77 and Fiji's permanent representative to the United Nations, assuring China's support to Fiji's chairmanship of G77, the Fijian government said Thursday.

Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, met Ambassador Peter Thomson in New York, and discussed the multilateral process of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and related matters, Fiji's Ministry of Information said in a statement.

Xie "took the opportunity to acknowledge Fiji's effective work in maintaining G77 unity across the broad range of issues that the G77 is active on this year. At the same time, he assured Ambassador Thomson of China's active and constructive role in supporting Fiji's Chairmanship of the global body", said the statement.

The Chinese official was in New York to meet with UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and key stakeholders, including the G77, to discuss this year's work program of climate change negotiations.

Xie and Thomson discussed the elements of the joint declaration of the meeting of BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) from their meeting earlier in the year which had outlined the position of the BASIC countries on the UNFCCC process, said the statement.

Key elements include the need to build on the consensus reached in Doha during the 18th yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP18) and to ensure that the commitments made there are honored and implemented. The two leaders also stressed the importance of political will in the approach to COP 19, due to be held in Warsaw, Poland in November.

This includes ensuring that the concerns of developing countries relating to financing for climate change are taken into account through clear solutions being provided for financing, including the implementation of the commitment to mobilize 100 billion dollars for climate financing before 2020.

The meeting concluded "with a reiteration of China's support of the G77 and the work being conducted for the Group through Fiji's chairmanship", said Fiji's Ministry of Information.