China has adhered to a stance on the global battle against climate change that the bulk of responsibility for battling climate change still rests with industrialized countries, which are financially and technologically more capable to cap emissions.

China also prefers to calculate GHG emissions in per-capita terms. Quoting statistics from the International Energy Agency, the report says, in 2004 China's per capita carbon dioxide emissions were 3.65 tons, compared to a world average of 4.20 tons and an average of 10.95 tons for the Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

Ma said even if China overtook the United States as the world's biggest emitter of GHG, given that the former's population is four times as much as the latter, China's per-capita greenhouse gas emissions would stay at one fourth of that of the United States.

"China is a developing country. Although we do not have an obligation to cut emissions, it does not mean we do not want to shoulder our share of responsibilities," said Ma.

Answering questions at the press conference, Ma rebutted the argument that China is a "menace to the global environment."

"I don't see how China can be labeled a menace. Compared to industrialized countries, until recently China had low GHG emissions and its emissions are still relatively low in per capita terms. Rises in gross domestic product in China produce smaller hikes in carbon dioxide discharges than in other countries. This kind of talk is grossly exaggerated and unfair," Ma said.

Although the newly released plan fails to give out an overall quantifiable goal on GHG emissions of China, it can be calculated from the figures in the report that if all the objectives in upgrading energy industry were achieved, on hydro and nuclear power generation, upgrading of thermal power generation, facilitation of coal-bed-gas development, the use of renewable energy resources such as wind power, solar power and terrestrial heat, China would reduce its GHG emissions by 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2010.

Both the UN and Greenpeace welcomed China's act as a step forward.

Yang Ailun, Greenpeace China's climate change campaign manager told The Guardian, "This is a first. It shows China has done its homework about what needs to be done. Even though the plan is mostly a compilation of existing policies, that shouldn't detract from its significance or the current level of effort."

Achim Steiner, head of the UN Environment Program, said China and other developing nations should focus on building greener energy sources such as methane power plants. "The infrastructure now being built will serve for the next 30 to 50 years. We cannot ask for more at this stage," he said.

Goals in Capping Greenhouse Gas Emissions To reduce 20-percent energy consumption per unit GDP by 2010, and consequently reduce carbon dioxide emissions; To raise the proportion of renewable energy (including large-scale hydropower) in primary energy supply up to 10 percent; To extract coal bed methane up to 10 billion cubic meters; To maintain emissions of nitrous oxide at the level of 2005; To promote biogas utilization to control the growth rate of methane emissions; To increase the forest coverage rate to 20 percent. Goals of Enhancing Adaptation Capacity to Climate Change To increase the improved grassland by 24 million hectares, restore the grassland suffering from degradation, desertification, and salinity by 52 million hectares; To increase the efficient utilization coefficient of agricultural irrigation water to 0.5; To put 90 percent of typical forest ecosystems and national key wildlife under effective protection; To boost nature reserve areas to 16 percent of the total territory; To bring 22 million hectares of desertified land under control. (Source: China's National Climate Change Program)