Chinas Practices in Trade and Environment

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Chinas Practices in Trade and Environment

• LI Yihong
• E-mail liyihong_at_mofcom.gov.cn

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• Part I
• Chinas Policy on
• Environment Protection

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Part I Chinas Policy on Environment Protection

• Eleventh Five-year Plan Main Indicators on
  Resources and Environment

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Part I Chinas Policy on Environment Protection

• Eleventh Five-year Plan
• Part VII Building up a energy-saving and
  environmentally friendly society
• --Development of Circular Economy
• --Protection and Recovery of Ecosystem
• --Reinforcement of Environment Protection
• --Strengthening of Resources Management
• --Rationally Utilization of Marine Climate
  Resources

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Part I Chinas Policy on Environment Protection

• REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT
  (Delivered by Premier Wenjiabao at the Fifth
  Session of
• the Tenth National People's Congress on
  March 5, 2007 )
• Achievements of Eleventh Five-year Plan in 2006
• --While energy consumption per unit of GDP for
  the previous three years rose by 4.9, 5.5 and
  0.2 respectively, it dropped by 1.2 in 2006.
• --Growth in total emission of major pollutants
  declined
• Chemical oxygen demand rose 1.2, down
  from an increase of
• 5.6 the year before.
• Discharge of sulfur dioxide
  rose 1.8, down from 13.1 in
• the previous year.

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Part I Chinas Policy on Environment Protection

• REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT
  (Delivered by Premier Wenjiabao at the Fifth
  Session of
• the Tenth National People's Congress on
  March 5, 2007 )
• Main goals for China's economic and social
  development in 2007
• --On the basis of structural improvement,
  improved productivity, reduced consumption of
  energy and environmental protection, GDP is
  projected to increase by 8.
• --The number of jobs created in urban areas is
  to be at least 9 million, and the rate of
  registered urban unemployment is expected to be
  kept below 4.6.
• --The overall inflation level is to remain
  comparatively stable. The increase of consumer
  prices is projected to stay below 3, and it is
  expected to improve the imbalance of
  international payments.

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Part I Chinas Policy on Environment Protection

• REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT
  (Delivered by Premier Wenjiabao at the Fifth
  Session of
• the Tenth National People's Congress on
  March 5, 2007 )
• In order to achieve the goals and fulfill the
  tasks for this year's economic and social
  development, the following principles are
  stressed to adhere
• endeavor to improve the quality and
  efficiency of economic growth. Emphasis should be
  laid on saving energy and resources, protecting
  the environment and using land intensively

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Part I Chinas Policy on Environment Protection

• REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT
  (Delivered by Premier Wenjiabao at the Fifth
  Session of
• the Tenth National People's Congress on
  March 5, 2007 )
• Priorities for the 2007
• --Reinforced measures will be taken to save
  energy, lower energy consumption, protect the
  environment and use land economically and
  intensively.
• --The focus of energy-saving and environmental
  protection efforts will be made on the following
  areas
• Improve and tighten enforcement of energy
  consumption and environmental protection
  standards
• Resolutely close down backward production
  facilities
• Concentrate work on key industries and
  enterprises
• Improve the policy agenda on energy-saving
  environmental protection
• Accelerate the development of energy-saving and
  environmentally friendly technologies
• Beef up the measures on elimination of pollution
  and protection of environment
• Strengthen supervision and governance of
  compliance with the law
• Fulfill the objective-outcome performance system
  for saving energy and protecting environment

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Part II Chinas Practice in Economic Cooperation
Agreements
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Part II Chinas Practice in Economic Cooperation
Agreements

• General Practice
• Environment cooperation is usually as a part
  in the Economic Cooperation Agreements concluded
  by China and its trade partners.
• Note Economic Cooperation Agreements only
  refer to those no market access issues have
  been touched upon.

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Part II Chinas Practice in Economic Cooperation
Agreements

• Examples
• China-Australia Trade and Economic Framework
  Arrangement
• Paragraph 3 The parties will take steps to
  promote strategic cooperation in industries with
  outstanding potential. The main sectors are,
  inter alia, agriculture, energy and mining
  resources, TCF, mechanical and electronic
  products, tourism, education, inspection and
  quarantine, customs, environmental protection.

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Part II Chinas Practice in Economic Cooperation
Agreements

• Examples China-New Zealand Trade and
  Economic Cooperation Framework
• Paragraph 2 The Parties will take steps
  to promote strategic cooperation in areas of
  significant mutual economic potential, inter
  alia agriculture animal husbandry forestry
  wool services, including education, tourism, air
  services, and labor and rofessional services
  science and technology environmental protection

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• Part III
• Chinas Practice in FTAs

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Part III Chinas Practice in FTAs

• General Practice
• There is no Environment Chapter in any FTAs
  signed or under negotiation, while environment
  goods and services are included in the goods and
  services parts respectively.

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Part III Chinas Practice in FTAs

• Approaches
• No environment language
• Sustainable development mentioned in the
  preamble
• Common understanding that environment
  measures could be considered when to interpret
  the General Exceptions
• To be reflected in the Cooperation Chapter

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Part III Chinas Practice in FTAs

• China-Chile FTA
• Article 108 Labor, Social Security and
  Environmental Cooperation
• The Parties shall enhance their communication
  and cooperation on labor,
• social security and environment through
  both the Memorandum of
• Understanding on Labor and Social Security
  Cooperation, and the
• Environmental Cooperation Agreement
  between the Parties.

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Thank You!