1. China passes draft regulation to enforce environmental evaluation on projects

BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council passed a draft regulation on environmental evaluation over new projects to prevent pollution or ecological destruction from the beginning.

Under the regulation, environmental evaluations are required before the planning of development projects could be approved, according to an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao on Aug 12.

Such a regulation covers all development activities, from land use and the development of rivers or oceans, to development projects related to industrial, agricultural, husbandry, and forestry sectors as well as energy, water conservation, transportation, urban construction, tourism, and exploration of natural resources.

In the latest case, the Ministry of Environmental Protection in June suspended two hydropower station projects over the Jinshajiang River, upstream of Yangtze River, which had been started without environmental approval.

China Huaneng Group and China Huadian Corporation, which owns the two plants, were ordered to conduct environment-friendly improvement to their high energy-consuming and highly polluting projects.

The regulation would be revised and later publicized by the State Council for enforcement, according to the meeting.

The government also reiterated its stance of sticking to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" established by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, according to a statement issued after the meeting of the State Council on Aug. 12.

The government would continue to work with other countries and play a constructive role for the success of the Copenhagen conference, according to the statement.

China would also include its strategy against climate change into its economic and social development planning, it said.

The country would work hard to fulfil the target of reducing energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan (1,470.6 U.S. dollars) of GDP by 20 percent by 2010, raising the ratio of renewable energy to 10 percent of the total, and achieving a forest coverage of 20 percent by then, in its effort to fight the climate change.

2. Foreign envoys in China visit Xinjiang after July 5 riot

URUMQI, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Diplomatic envoys from 26 countries and regions in China on Monday began a five-day visit to northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Monday, about a month after the deadly riot in the regional capital of Urumqi, for a better understanding of Xinjiang's development over the past several decades in various respects, including its politics, economy, ethnic and religious policies, preservation of cultural relics and the livelihood of local residents.

The envoys on Wednesday visited the centuries-old Karez Wells, or subterranean canals, which are regarded as one of China's three greatest projects along with the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. Nearly 2,000 Karez Wells still exist in Xinjiang.

"The three sites are the historical evidence that people in Xinjiang have long a civilization. They are proof that Xinjiang is not a neglected area," said Sudrajat, Indonesian ambassador to China. "I very much enjoyed seeing the people in the area live stable, prosperous and harmonious life."

"The Imin tower is the symbol of the early stage of Muslim civilization in Xinjiang. People that I talked to appreciate that the central government spent so much money in protecting the heritage," he said. "Indonesia understands that Muslims will be a good bridge between Indonesia and China."

The visitors also went to the Imin Minaret, a pagoda that was built in 1777 devoted to Islam, and the Jiaohe Ruins, an ancient city on the Silk Road. Both are under state-level protection.

Since last year, authorities in Xinjiang have started a 182 million U.S.-dollar renovation of the Karez irrigation system, a program that is intended to improve irrigation and ease the impact of drought. The project will run till 2010.