UK - China Cooperation

Introduction

On 10 May 2006 Tony Blair and Premier Hu Jintao issued a joint statement for developing co-operation between the UK and China. The two sides reaffirmed their wish to strengthen exchanges on environmental issues including climate change. This included agreement on the need to share experience of the science and economics of climate change.

The project fostered Sino-UK cooperation at the scientific and political levels on climate change impacts and adaptation policy. These exchanges resulted in enhanced capacity, particularly within Chinese partner organisations.

In addition to direct communication between the British Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier, the project has precipitated the following exchanges at the political level:

• DfID minister Gareth Thomas and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Gordon Conway visited Ningxia with Prof. Lin Erda as their host in November 2007.
• The project benefited from the support of Ningxia's Governor as well as that of the Minsitry of Science and Technology of China Minister.
• At the suggestion of Prof. Lin Erda of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Ningxia Meteorological Bureau, the Ningxia Leading Group to Address Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Pollution was established in Ningxia. This was a direct consequence of the work undertaken by ICCCA on climate change impacts and adaptation policy in Ningxia.

At the scientific level, numerous exchanges and capacity building activities took place over the course of the project. For instance, a number of Chinese scientists carried out research visits to the UK and gained valuable experience of a number of climate models, and capacity to run climate and crop impact models within Ningxia's Meteorological Bureau has been developed. Furthermore, staff from the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (CAAS) and other Chinese researchers and Government officials have made a series of study tours to the UK.

In addition, ICCCA team members and other specialists from the UK made regular visits to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, and to Ningxia partner organisations leading to a better understanding of the situation on the ground in China.