China

Officials behind China's self-developed nuclear reactor, known as the CAP1400, expect to sign the first overseas deals for the technology this year, most likely from South America or Asia, according to a report in the China Daily yesterday.

China’s tax authorities will wait at least another year to introduce a tax on carbon, deferring to concern that economic growth might suffer, according to a Ministry of Finance (MoF) official. Planning for a carbon tax has been underway since China’s 12th Five-year Plan was announced two years ago. At the beginning of last year MoF experts suggested levying a carbon tax in 2012 at 10 yuan (USD1.6) per tonne of CO2, increasing to 50 yuan (USD8) per tonne by 2020. Just last month Jia Chen, head of the Ministry of Finance’s Tax Policy Division, revealed a new set of taxation policies, including a tax on CO2 emissions, designed to preserve the environment.

Read Full Story China vehicle manufacturer Geely Holding Group has urged the government to include other types of fuel-efficient cars such as hybrids in its subsidy program.

Out-going Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has told China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) – the country’s rubber-stamp legislature – that the government should adopt effective measures to prevent and control pollution in response to peoples’ expectations of having a good living environment. This obvious assertion came as Wen delivered his final work report to the NPC, which opened for its annual meeting this week. Next year China’s premier-in-waiting, Li Keqiang – who takes over as the head of China’s government at the close of this NPC session at the end of next week – will be delivering the work report.

An offer by the Japanese Government to provide free air pollution monitoring instruments and technical support to China has so far received a cold shoulder, according to environment minister Nobuteru Ishihara.