US, China cooperate to stop illegal loggingTags: china united states cooperation bilateral government
Washington, USA - The United States and China sealed their first deal to stop illegal logging in a bid to ease deforestation, fight climate change and preserve wildlife, the US State Department said Wednesday.
The US and Chinese governments reached a memorandum of understanding on illegal logging and associated trade at a meeting this week of the US-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, it said in a statement.
"This is the first-ever commitment between the two countries to focus on addressing the devastating problem of illegal logging and the trade in illegally harvested timber," the State Department said.
"This joint understanding clearly demonstrates that we and China recognize our shared responsibilities as the world's largest timber producers, consumers and traders," Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science Claudia McMurray said in the statement.
The deal provides for steps that will "help conserve forests and their wildlife and reduce deforestation -- a major factor in the global effort to address climate change," the statement said.
"Nearly 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions results from deforestation and other land use changes," it added.
Under the arrangement, the two countries will work together to promote "both sustainable forest management and trade in legally-sourced forest products, as well as encourage public-private partnerships."
The understanding will also pave the way for a more "detailed bilateral agreement to be concluded at the next round of economic talks" in the first few months of next year in Washington, the State Department said.
© AFP - 2007-12-12
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