China, Other Nations To Reject US-Aussie APEC Climate "Plan" - Bush, Howard "Lack Credibility" - AFP

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Developing nations led by China are set for a bruising battle with the United States and Australia on climate change, a senior official at a key summit of Asia Pacific nations said Monday.

The veteran Southeast Asian foreign ministry official, who asked not to be named, said talks to craft a separate leaders' statement on climate change at this week's APEC are expected to be "bloody." China and a group of developing countries that are gravitating towards Beijing's position on the thorny issue are ranged against developed nations such as summit host Australia and its ally the United States. "There's going to be a very big debate," the official told reporters as officials prepared to draft the statement for their leaders. "The debates will just accentuate the differences."

Presidents and prime ministers of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum are to issue a statement on climate change at the end of their September 8-9 leaders' meeting, but differences remain significant. China and other developing countries feel Australia and the United States -- the only two developed nations to have refused to ratify the Kyoto accord on curbing global warming -- are trying to undermine the treaty, the source said.

Australia has proposed that APEC set a goal of reducing "energy intensity" across the region by 25 percent by 2030, but developing countries have opposed this, saying it would change the rules under Kyoto. Setting quantitative targets "is the most contentious," the source added. "They are essentially changing the rules," he said, adding that APEC was not a negotiating body.

His remarks followed criticisms by Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz that Australia and the United States should not hijack the APEC summit to discuss climate change. The two countries did not have the credentials to use APEC as a place to tackle climate change because they are not signatories to the Kyoto accord, said Rafidah, who will attend the meetings in Sydney.

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http://www.terradaily.com/2007/070903074445.9pd3w1z5.html