Developed countries should continue to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions after 2012 when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Monday.

Speaking at a UN climate change meeting in New York, Yang said that the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" should be adhered to in global efforts to address the challenges of climate change.

Developed countries should meet their emission reduction targets set in the Kyoto Protocol, help developing countries build the capacity to tackle climate change and continue to take the lead in reducing emissions after 2012, he said.

Developing countries should also take proactive measures and control the growth of greenhouse gas emissions to the best of their ability and in keeping with their particular conditions, he said.

The top Chinese diplomat said that the basic framework established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) must be upheld and the convention, which has played a leading role in global cooperation in climate change, should continue to serve as the framework for future cooperation.

Mitigation, adaptation, financing and technology, being all important means in addressing climate change, should receive equal attention, Yang said.

It is necessary to increase financial assistance and technology transfer to developing countries. But in doing so, one should not put undue emphasis on the role of the market mechanism, he added.

Expounding the policies and measures taken by China, a developing country severely affected by climate change, Yang said the Chinese government takes environmental protection as a basic national policy and scientific thinking on development as a guiding principle in governance.

China has set up the National Leading Group on Addressing Climate Change, passed a series of laws and regulations and formulated the National Program on Addressing Climate Change, he said.

"Acting in accordance with the UNFCCC, its protocol and the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities,' China is living up to its due international responsibilities and obligations and will make a greater contribution to international cooperation in climate change," he said.

China will also continue to act according to its ability to help Africa and Small Island Developing States enhance their capacity to adapt to climate change, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2007)