European Union officials today said they had won China’s support of the Kyoto treaty on climate change. On Sunday, Chinese Environment Minster Xie Zhenhua joined environmental ministers from South Korea and Japan in a joint statement urging President Bush to reconsider his decision to have the U.S. withdraw from the treaty. China said the decision was “irresponsible” and criticized Bush for saying he opposes the pact because it does not require developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Kjell Larsson, the Swedish environmental minister, praised China for beginning to curb its use of coal and increasing energy efficiency.
