China Ramps Up the Rhetoric on Climate Change

Senior Chinese official warns that climate-related temperature rises could seriously affect the country’s harvests and major infrastructure projects.

Zheng Guogang, head of the China Meteorological Administration, says future variations in climate are likely to reduce crop yields and damage the environment.

In one of the strongest official statements to date on the challenges faced, Zheng told China’s official Xinhua news agency that climate change could have a “huge impact” on the country, with a growing risk of climate-related disasters.

“To face the challenges from past and future climate change, we must respect nature and live in harmony with it,” Zheng said.  “We must promote the idea of nature, and emphasise climate security.”

Violent rainstorms
Zheng said temperature rises in China over the past century have been higher than the global average.  He warned that river flows and harvests are likely to suffer as the incidence of droughts and violent rainstorms across the country increases.

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