WELCOME

　　l Welcome to all of our Chinese and International colleagues, especially those who travelled great distances to be here today despite the challenge of international travel in difficult and dangerous times.

　　l The fact you are all here today reflects the dedication we have seen from China Council Members over the years.

　　WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO ACCOMPLISH AT THIS FINAL MEETING OF PHASE Ⅱ?

　　l As always, we have some work to do over the next three days:

　　l We will review and discuss a series of high quality reports prepared for this meeting by the Task Force and Working Groups;

　　l We will decide on the Recommendations which the Council will formally present to the Chinese government; of course, we are counting on Sir Crispin to help us in this area as he has done so ably in the past;

　　l We will discuss Phase II of the China Council. In this regard, Minister Xie and I look forward to further discussions with you on the third phase before any final decisions are made.

　　l However, this meeting is not just about work; we are also meeting to celebrate the achievements of the Council during Phase Ⅱ and to honour all Council Members, Working Group Co-Chairs, Working Group experts, and Secretariat staff.

　　l We are celebrating their work and the many warm working relationships and friendships that have developed during the course of this Phase of China Council

　　FOR ME, CHINA COUNCIL HAS BEEN A PERSONALLY REWARDING EXPERIENCE

　　l For those of us from outside China, the Council has provided a unique opportunity to work in one of the world's most important and complex countries during a period of rapid and fundamental change. The council has tackled a broad array of problems emerging from China's rapid economic and social transformation and has produced recommendations designed to cope with the large scale social impacts caused by this rapid change.

　　l It is extremely gratifying to contribute positively to China's current transformation, all the more so because it is clear that China's decision-makers are making excellent use of the work of China Council. As last year's "Self Assessment" report demonstrated, China's senior leaders have a genuine interest in your work. Many Council recommendations find their way into government policies and programs.

　　l Over the past 50 years, and particularly in the last decade, we have seen evidence of the increasing interdependence of countries around the world.

　　l Trade interests are converging and the WTO is no longer a small club of wealthy nations.

　　l It is increasingly apparent that many environmental problems are global in nature and that the solutions to these problems must also be global.

　　l Interdependence requires greater mutual understanding, and the China Council clearly has a contribution to make in this area.

　　CONCLUSION

　　In conclusion, for both policy reasons and personal reasons, I am honored to be associated with the work of the China Council and with you the Members of the China Council. I feel privileged to be part of what in ten short years has earned it a reputation as an effective and influential institution for positive change in China in the area of environment and development.

　　I look forward to our deliberations over the next three days and am confident that this meeting will be as productive and successful as those in the past.