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Development top priority of developing nations: Chinese PM
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday asked rich nations to face the fact that development will be the top priority of developing countries as he described the outcome of the Copenhagen climate change meeting as "hard-won".
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday asked rich nations to face the fact that development will be the top priority of developing countries as he described the outcome of the Copenhagen climate change meeting as "hard-won".
The world should understand the fact that development remained the top priority of developing countries, Wen said.
"Some say that we should not get bogged down by history (that industrialised countries contributed the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in past centuries). But this is a fact that we must face," Wen was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.
Around the world 1.6 billion people still had no access to electricity while 2.3 billion people had to burn coal or wood to keep warm or to cook, he noted.
"Without looking at the history, one would never understand why there is a gap between the rich and the poor, not mention the fact that developing countries regard development as their top concern," Wen, who played a key role in brokering the Copenhagen Accord with US President Barack Obama, said.
Wen urged all nations to recognise the hard-won results of the Copenhagen climate change conference this month and build consensus for future action against climate change.
"We should look forward and work together to address climate change. Chinese government will continue to stick to this position," he said.
