Respected members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

　　The 2nd Meeting of the 2nd Phase of China Council for International Cooperation on Environmental and Development has successfully accomplished all its agendas a nd it to be closed today. This meeting has reviewed thework report of the Head O ffice Secretariat of CCICED, listened to and reviewed the reports from eight wor king groups and one task force, listened to the briefing on the imple

　　entation of international conventions by the State Planning and Develpment Commi ssion of China and five other departments, listened to the introduction on envir onment and development by four provinces and municipaity including Beijing and p ut forward the proposal to the Chinese Government. Duringthe eeting, we have fre ely expressed our ideas and brought about coinstructive suggestions. The meeting has reached its goals as expected and is a complete success. Entrusted by Chair man Wen Jiabao, and on behalf of the bureau, I would like to express ou sincere gratitude to each member and guest.

　　This meeting has secured three major achievements. First, CCICED has integrated the suggestions from both national and international members, and after six revi sions have put forward a wise policy proposal to the Chinese government. Seond, members have elaborated the role of CCICED in China's economic reform and indent ified its future work direction. Third, CCICED is committed to producing substan tial and focused work that is targeted in more secific operational areas.

　　This morning, Premier Zhu Rogji met with all the members participating in this m eeting and with theChairmen of the working groups. He was briefed by Vice Chairp erson Labell and Sir Crispin and then he frankly stated the situation of environ ment and development that China is facing and the measures necessary for improve ment. Premier Zhu also extended thanks to all the embers of the council, and the foreign members in particular, for their contributions to China's environment a nd development enterprise.

　　China is at the primary stage of socialism. During this stage, we should place e conomic development at the forefront. However, economic development must not be pursued at the expense of the environment. We must pursue sustainable developmen t. While drawing on the experiences of other countries, we must remember China's current situation.

　　TheChinese government attaches great importance to environmental protection. In the early 1980's, environmental protection was identified as a basic state polic y. In 1997 and 1998 the Central Committee of the CPC consecutively convened symo posiums on family planning and environmentalprotection. President Jiang Zemin de livered important speeches at each meeting. He noted that these symposia should be held each yearto hear the reportson environmental protection and the resoulut ion of problems encountered in our environ

　　ental protection efforts. That is to say, environ

　　ental proection has been integrated into the agenda of the top decision - making level in China. President Jiang also apealed to the governments at variousl lev els to do a good job of family planning and environmental protection, ont only i n the last years of this centuy, but also into the next century and even during the entire time of socialism's primary stage. At present, China is seeing a tran sition of economic institutions, a growing economy, and promotion of strategies designed to rejuvenate China through science and eduction andsustainalbe develpm ent. This situation has also created the condition for CCICED to bring it sown i nitiative into full play in this field.

　　CCICED enjoys a unique privilege in helping China deal with environment and deve lopment. The foreign members are mostly scholars and experts and have rudimentar y and unique views in the field of environment and development, while the Chines e members are mostly leaders specialized in certain fields. All of them have bro ad working experience. CCICED brings together all these members from home and ab road, devoted to the enterprise of environment and development, and asks them to draw upon each other's experience and to pool their wisdom and propose suggesti ons and give advie to the Chinese government which will wield a profound impact on the China's sustainable development.

　　There days, environment protection is a chaacteristic of global cooperation. To protect the environmkent is the common desire of eneryone. Chia can learn from t he successful experience and treatment technologies of the developed countries. And the developed coiuntriescan protect the earth's environment by helping the d eveloping countries strengthen their knowledge.

　　The environmental issue is not a technological issue alone; it also impacts the economic, political, social, cultural and scientific fields. In order to solve e nvironmental problems, the entire situation should be taken into full considerat kion, and policy support, financial input, treatment technologies, information e xchange, internationa aid and public participation are indispensable ingredients . It is expected CCICED will continue to be a bidge by integrating China's actua l problems with the application of internatinally advanced experience and techno logies, and thereby conduct focused research and undertake pilot projects. After the success of the polot project, the results can be promotednationwide. CCICED consists of eight working groups and one task force covering many fields and in volving various experts. This combination itself is conducive to integrating the problems of environment and development and gaining solutions.

　　To solve Chia's environmental problems, as some of the members have noted, we sh ould surpass convention methods and, starting with the best of international env ironmental science and technology, try to adopt sost - efficient technologies. I t is expected that each member of the Council and the experts of the working gro ups will closely flolow the international trend to integate the progress of the knowedge economy, along with scientific and technological invention, with enviro nmental protection. This must be placed against the background of global economi c integration, take the world siuation into consideration, rely on fundamental r esearch, and use common sense to solve China's environmental problems, and in th is way make contributins to global environetal protection.

　　Ladies and gentlemen,

　　The efforts of CCICED have great attention from senior levels of the Chinese gov ernment, and positive community. We should further our efforts to advance China' s environmental developmnt. I am convinced that, under the guidance of the great banner of Dang Xiaoping Theory, under the leadership with Prsident Jiang Zemin at the core, and with unremitting efforts, the Chinese people will unquestionabl y usher a dynamic China into thenew millennium.

　　Now. I declare that that the 2nd Meeting of the 2nd Phase of CCICED closed. Let us meet again next October in Beijing.