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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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32 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation themthaneverbefore. Asthescarcityoftraditionalenergyandclimatechangeemergedasserious problems economicgrowthpatternsinvariouscountriesgraduallyevolvedina directionthatsuitednewenergysources.TheEUandtheUnitedStates as globalsuperpowers aspiretocornerfutureenergymarketsthroughnegotiations onreducingcarbonemissions coupledwithadesiretodominatethedrivetoward cleanenergyandenergyefficiencyandinnovationbybuildingaclimatechange regime.However manydevelopingcountries includingChina whicharestill attheindustrialisationstage arestillpursuingtheWesterncountrieseconomic model whichis growthoriented unsustainableandresourceconstrained datingfromthelateeighteenthcentury.Chinahasanurgentneedtopromote developmentwhilejoiningintheglobalstruggleagainstglobalwarmingand contributingto globalenergy security.Sincethe1990s China has paid increasingattentiontoenvironmentalprotectionandthegrowinghazardsposed byclimatechange.Infact inits2008 whitepaperonclimatechange the Chinesegovernmentacknowledgedthat Chinaisoneofthecountriesmost susceptibletotheadverseeffectsofclimatechange mainlyinthefieldsof agriculture livestockbreeding forestry naturalecosystems waterresources andcoastalzones BBC MonitoringAsiaPacificPolitical2008 .Asoneofthe worldsleadingeconomicpowers Chinaiscentraltoregionalandglobalefforts tofightglobalwarmingandclimatechange.Anysuccessfulinternationaleffort tomitigatethreatstohumanandnationalsecurityposedbyclimatechangemust inevitablyincludeChina Harris2004 Elliott2002 .Chinaspopulationhasnow reached1.3billion anditseconomyisoneoftheworldslargestandfastest growing.Consequently Chinaisexperiencing widespreadand often acute environmentalchallengeswithseverelocal nationalandregionalconsequences Smil1993 Japan EnvironmentalCouncil2000 World Bank1997 .Ithas producedvastamountsofgreenhousegases especiallycarbondioxidefromthe burningoffossilfuels coal oilandnaturalgas .Duetoitshigheconomic developmentandlowenergyefficiency Chinaintheearly1990sbecamethe secondlargestnationalsourceofgreenhousegasesanditwillbecomethelargest sourceby2020 UNFCCC 2003 Chinas Officeof NationalCoordination CommitteeforClimateChange2003 .ConcerningChinashighcarbonenergy mix itisnowtheprincipalemitterofgreenhousegasesandshouldbearglobal responsibilityforaddressingtheproblemofclimatechangeandenergysecurity. Chinaspracticewithregardtoclimatechangeandenergymustsafeguardand coordinatebalanced developmentbetween energyconsumption theearths climateandeconomicgrowth.