What's news?

Yesterday's most important news was certainly the new climate-change pact approved by nearly 190 countries at the end of the Bali conference. This pact has planned  a new treaty in two years in order to replace the Kyoto protocols,which expires in 2012.

This pact,supported by the Bush Administration, has pointed out the responsibility of the developing countries- China , India, etc.- on the climate change issues. The United States claimed to differentiate between poorer,smaller developing countries and big emerging economic powers that can afford pollution-reduction powers, which means countries like China, can not ever concentrate on economic growth, you must considerate the environment now.

I think it's a good idea to remind China of its responsibility for environmental protection. China's economy is growing super rapidly and more and more concerns, both from the central government and the normal people, about the over heating and a eventual crash down appeared. In forcing companies to transform their expansion ways to a environmental friendly one, China could avoid the threat of  the hard landing of its economy ,also could build a better image in the world, for the concerns about a emerging China is growing all over the world.

Actually this is what the Chinese government is trying to do. The problem lies in the difference between the central government and the local government. Since at the beginning of 1980s, Deng Xiaoping proposed the " Let a part of Chinese get rich firstly, then the others" policy, now there exist  a big gap between the rich coastal regions  and the poor western provinces. Seeing others getting richer, every local government has to focus on economic growth in order to calm down people's dissatisfaction of their life level in comparison of habitant in the richer provinces. Furthermore, the GDP growth rate has been considered for long time as a crucial element in the merit system of functionaries. So even if the central government calls for more restriction on polluting companies , it is hard for local government to apply it.

Now the Chinese central government led by the Chinese Communist Party  must overcome these difficulties, as it's becoming urgent to fight against the global warming crisis. And this is the only way for China to act really as friendly as it used to be.