Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing Sunday that China will take resource-saving as a fundamental national policy and strive for harmony between economic progress, resources and environment.

Premier Wen gave the remarks during his meeting with international members of the third session of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), an consulting agency to the Chinese government, who are present at the session's fourth annual meeting.

The next five years will be a crucial period for Chinese economic development, but also a period with emergence of outstanding problems, during which various kinds of contradictions, including those concerning resource and environment, will be most prominent, he acknowledged.

"We will consider in an all-round way the capability of resource and environment, push forward the strategic restructure of economy and transform the economic growth pattern," Wen said.

China will also develop a recycling-economy, protect natural environment, speed up the construction of a resource-saving and environmental-friendly society, he noted.

The protection of resources and environment and the accomplishment of sustained development requires the unremitting efforts of the Chinese government and people, he said, adding that advanced experience and technologies should be emulated from overseas.

Moreover, Wen said he hope that experts of other countries will contribute more to China's sustainable development.

Those international members were here attending a three-day annual meeting of the CCICED third session.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2005)