People.com.cn from Washington.DC on July 11,  Mr. Yang Jiechi, the representative of Chairman Xi Jinping and State Councilor signed at the signing ceremony of China-US Ecopartnership program.

The Ecopartnership program was launched in December 2008 with the aim of improving cooperation between local governments, enterprises and research institutes from China and the US in related fields. Until now, 18 pairs of partners have initiated cooperation in energy conservation , efficiency improving, clean energy, ecological protection and recycling economy through joint studies, project demonstration, technology exchanges and capacity building. On July 11, another 6 partners officially joined the program.

Yang Jiechi said that China and the US faced many common challenges in climate change and energy environment, thus the two countries had wide interests in cooperation. He also said that Chinese government attached great importance to climate change and ecological civilization. President Obama also made domestic and international plans for climate change. The concrete cooperation between the two countries in policy coordination is not only consistent with the two nations’ interests, but also enhances global sustainable development.

Yang Jiechi said that as the innovation mechanism under the 10-Year Energy and Environment Cooperation Framework, Ecopartnership established a good platform for local governments, enterprises and research institutes of the two countries to complement each other and to realize mutual benefits; he also expressed the hope that China-US Ecopartnership would make great contributions to the sustainable development and new major power relations.

Mr. Burns, Deputy Secretary of US Department of State attended the signing ceremony on behalf of the US government. He expressed that Ecopartnership is the best of the best. The US hopes to benefit the people of the two countries and the world through cooperation in energy and environment.