FACT SHEET: U.S.-CHINA FORUM ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
(Forum working on a number of major agreements, projects)

Washington -- The U.S.-China Forum on Environment and Development, which is co-chaired by Vice President Al Gore and Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, will meet for its second session April 9 in Washington.

Currently the United States and China are negotiating a number of major agreements and projects under the auspices of the forum, including:

• a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a $1OO Million Clean Energy Program to accelerate the deployment of clean U.S. technologies in the area of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and pollution reduction.

• a second meeting of the U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum to explore issues associated with access to information, markets, acreage, and parity for foreign companies and China's state enterprises.

• a Statement of Intent on a Cooperative Study of Natural Gas Utilization in China to assess the potential for expanding natural gas production; the climate, environmental and health benefits of increased gas use; and related policies.

• a Feasibility Study on the Use of Market Mechanisms to Achieve Sulfur Dioxide (S02) Emissions Reductions in China.

• a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the U.S.-China Housing Initiative announced during President Clinton's visit to China last June.

• a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint development of a natural gas pipeline in south central China.

• a Statement of Intent on Cleaner Air and Cleaner Energy Technology Cooperation, focused on energy efficiency improvements in industrial coal-fired boilers; clean coal technology; high-efficiency electric motors; and grid-connected wind electric power.

• further cooperation on Y2K issues, including exchanges of information on contingency planning and remediation in critical sectors.

Following is the text of the White House fact sheet on the forum:

(begin fact sheet)

U.S.-China Forum on Environment and Development
Co-Chaired by Vice President Al Gore and Premier Zhu Rongji
2nd Session, April 9, 1999
Washington, DC

FACT SHEET

Forum Background

Founding: Vice President Gore and then-Premier Li Peng co-chaired the first session of the U.S.-China Forum on Environment and Development in March 1997 in Beijing. The purpose of the Forum is to expand cooperation and intensify dialogue between the U.S. and China on issues related to sustainable development, particularly protection of the global environment. The Forum will hold its second plenary meeting April 9, 1999 in Washington in the Loy Henderson Conference Room at the Department of State.

During President Jiang's 1997 visit, former Secretary of Energy Federico Pena and State Planning Commission Vice Chairman Zeng Peiyan signed the Energy and Environment Cooperation Initiative (EECI), an outgrowth of the Forum designed to focus cooperative efforts on the intersection of energy and environmental science, technology, and trade. Specific target areas include: (1) urban air quality; (2) rural electrification; and (3) clean energy sources and energy efficiency.

Structure: The Forum is divided into working groups that address four broad areas of mutual interest: 1) the Energy Policy Working Group discusses issues of energy generation, and major energy-using activities in the industrial, transportation, building, and utility sectors; 2) the Environmental Policy Working Group consults and coordinates on multilateral and bilateral environmental issues, such as climate change, forestry, pollution prevention and control, waste management, remediation, and health impact of pollution; 3) Science for Sustainable Development looks at the application of science and technology to understand and foster sustainable development; and 4) Commercial Cooperation promotes trade in energy, environment, agriculture, and other aspects of sustainable development.

Co-chaired by representatives from various agencies, these working groups act as coordinating mechanisms for activities taking place under the Forum, as well as those outside its structure. Working groups schedule their own meetings and projects throughout the year. The full Forum gathers in plenary session when the two countries deem necessary to report to the Vice President and Premier on the progress of projects and to discuss further cooperation.

The Premier's visit provides an opportunity for the Vice President and Premier to discuss a variety of sensitive bilateral and global issues. Topics include economics, human rights, non-proliferation, and other security issues.

Activities: Through the Forum and the Energy and Environment Cooperation Initiative (EECI), the U.S. and China are working together to improve China's air quality monitoring network; implement projects in rural energy development, including solar power installations and biomass activities; train Chinese personnel in wind resource assessments, renewable energy business development, disaster response, integrated coastal management, and energy finance. The U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum helps U.S. companies identify new opportunities in China's energy sector, and promotes exchanges to help China secure reliable, economical and environmentally responsible sources of oil and natural gas. This has led to several major commercial contracts in the energy sector.

Forum Schedule

Friday, April 9, the second plenary of the U.S.-China Forum on Environment and Development begins at 10:00 with the opening remarks of the Vice President and Premier. These remarks are open to the press. The Vice President and Premier will depart after their remarks, and Dr. Neal Lane, the President's Science Advisor, and Madame Zhu Lilan, China's Minister of Science and Technology, will continue to co-chair the plenary session.

From 10:30 to 11:15 the VP and Premier will co-chair a business roundtable with 17 top executives of U.S. companies with commercial interests in the environment, automotive and energy sectors in China. The four working groups will have individual lunch events at various locations, followed by their respective working group sessions. At 1:20, the Vice President and the Premier will witness the signing of forum agreements and make brief concluding statements.

Current Work

The following major agreements and projects have been under negotiation by the two sides:

• The U.S. Export-Import Bank, DOE, the China Development Bank, and the State Development Planning Commission have negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a $1OO Million Clean Energy Program. The purpose of the program is to accelerate the deployment of clean U.S. technologies in the area of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and pollution reduction. Funds will be used to finance U.S. exports to China.

• The two sides have been working on plans for a second meeting of the U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum to explore issues associated with access to information, markets, acreage, and parity for foreign companies and China's state enterprises.

• The two sides have been negotiating a Statement of Intent on a Cooperative Study of Natural Gas Utilization in China to assess the potential for expanding natural gas production; the climate, environmental and health benefits of increased gas use; and related policies.

• EPA and State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) have been working on a Feasibility Study on the Use of Market Mechanisms to Achieve Sulfur Dioxide (S02) Emissions Reductions in China.

• The two sides will conclude a Memorandum of Understanding by the U.S. Department of Commerce and China's Ministry of Construction to implement the U.S.-China Housing Initiative announced during President Clinton's visit to China last June.

• The two sides have been negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding on a Natural Gas Pipeline Project by Enron and China National Petroleum Corporation for the joint development of a natural gas pipeline in south central China.

• The two sides have been negotiating a Statement of Intent on Cleaner Air and Cleaner Energy Technology Cooperation, focused on energy efficiency improvements in industrial coal-fired boilers; clean coal technology; high-efficiency electric motors; and grid-connected wind electric power.

• The two sides have been discussing further cooperation on Y2K issues, including exchanges of information on contingency planning and remediation in critical sectors.

Working Group Co-Chairs

Working Group

Energy Policy

Environmental Policy

Science for Sustainable Development

Commercial Cooperation

U.S. Co-Chair

David Jhirad, Senior Advisor for
International Affairs, Department
of Energy

Administrator Carol Browner, EPA

Undersecretary of State Frank Loy

Dr. Neal Lane, Assistant to the
President for Science and Technology

Alan Bowser, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Basic Industry,
Department of Commerce

Chinese Co-Chair

Song Mi, Director-General,
Department of Basic Industries,
State Development Planning Commission

Minister Xie Zhenhua, State
Environmental Protection Administration

Minister of Science and Technology Zhu Lilan

Dai Yunlou, Deputy Director-General,
Department of America and Oceanic Affairs,
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation

Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson and Secretary of Commerce William Daley will also attend the opening of the plenary session.

US-CHINA FORUM ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
April 9, 1999

Co-Chairs: Vice President Al Gore; Premier Zhu Rongji

Moderator: Robert. A Kapp, President of U.S.-China Business Council

ENERGY COMPANIES

Peter I. Bijur - Chairman and CEO of Texaco Corporation

John F. Imle, Jr. - President of Unocal Corporation

Terence H. Thorn - Senior Vice President, Environmental and International Government Affairs, Enron Corp.

Richard H. Matzke - President of Chevron Overseas Petroleum Inc.

D. Howard Pierce - President and CEO of ABB Inc.

Lee R. Raymond - Chairman and CEO of the Exxon Corp.

Steven R. Specker - President, General Electric Nuclear Energy Company

AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES

Jacques A. Nasser - President and CEO of Ford Motor Company

John F. Smith, Jr. - Chairman and CEO of General Motors Corporation

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANIES

Anthony J. Drexel Biddle III - CEO of Liberty-ELM Environmental, LLC

Michael R. Bonsignore - Chairman and CEO of Honeywell Inc.

Diane C. Creel - President and CEO of Earth Tech

Albert E. Gosselin, Jr. President and Chief Engineer of Dasibi Environmental Corporation

Frederick J. Holland, P.E. - President of Camp Dresser & McKee International Inc.

Gerhard J. Neumaier - Chairman and CEO of Ecology and Environment, Inc.

Viet H. Ngo - President and CEO of Lemna International

Henry G. Schwartz, Jr. - President of Sverdrup Civil, Inc.

(end fact sheet)

---

Return to The United States and China.

Return to IIP Home Page.