China puts economy before climate

China says its first and overriding priority in tackling climate change is to maintain economic development.
The remarks come in China's first national plan on climate change.
It says that China will cut greenhouse gas emissions by using more wind, nuclear and hydro power, and by making coal-fired plants more efficient.
The plan has been released as China's President Hu Jintao prepares to attend a G8 meeting in Germany, where climate change will be high on the agenda.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a new United Nations' protocol on climate change.
The UN Secretary General, Ban-ki Moon, has told the BBC that rich countries must agree firm targets to reduce emissions.
No firm targets
"The first and overriding priorities of developing countries are sustainable development and poverty eradication," says the Chinese plan.

President Hu will attend the G8 summit this week
"China will continue to actively tackle climate change issues in accordance with its national sustainable development strategy in the future."
China is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, but that does not oblige countries to set specific targets to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
The issue is likely to come under discussion at the G8 summit, with Germany calling for tougher emissions levels, while the US has stressed technological innovation as a key to tackle global warming.
US President George W Bush has proposed uniting a group of big emitters who would set non-binding targets by the end of next year.
But some analysts say this has been interpreted as a way of undercutting other initiatives - for example by the G8 or United Nations.
Meanwhile Australia - the only other major economic power apart from US not to have signed up to the Kyoto Protocol - has promised to set up a carbon trading scheme to cut pollution.
Prime Minister John Howard said he would set a target next year for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and also pledged to put in place a carbon trading scheme by 2012.
He promised that Australia's carbon trading scheme would be better than those in place in Europe.
'Tragic'
UN Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon has urged the leaders of the world's richest countries to agree firm targets in cutting polluting emissions.
In a BBC interview, Mr Ban said it was now up to the richest countries to show leadership when they meet in Germany.
"It will be tragic if we don't take any action," he said.
"My main message is that to galvanise this political will at the leaders level so that we can take necessary action."
The UN secretary-general has made tackling climate change one of his top priorities and called for a meeting of world leaders on the subject in September.
He wants the UN to be in the lead when it comes to agreeing what should replace the Kyoto Protocol, the current agreement curbing greenhouse gases, when it expires in 2012.
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