China warns of "empty talk" before G8 climate change meet

By Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said it is open to general discussion of longer-term goals and industrial targets to combat global warming at the G8 summit, but fended off talk of any specific pledges, stressing rich nations should lead the way.

Despite its growing economic and diplomatic clout, China is not a member of the Group of Eight industrialised countries whose leaders meet in northern Japan next week.

But Chinese President Hu Jintao is attending the talks around the G8 gathering, and his country is sure to be the focus of many issues, including climate change and economic policy.

The G8 countries have been discussing among themselves whether to take on the medium-term targets, with China and other developing countries saying rich nations should make big cuts in the next few decades.

A senior official in charge of steering China's climate change policy told a news conference on Thursday that his government was open to discussing longer-term commitments, and Tokyo's proposals for emissions goals for specific industries.

But the official, Su Wei, director-general of the Office of China's National Leading Group on Climate Change, said developed countries should show leadership in cutting emissions and transferring pollution-cutting technology.

"China has a very open attitude towards discussing any issues about responding to climate change," said Su, while pouring cold water on the idea that China was now considering specific international greenhouse goals of its own.

"We should focus on real, practical shorter-term and medium-term actions," Su said. "Empty talk of long-term goals does not produce any specific results to address climate change."