China submits draft biodiversity declaration to United Nations

Chinawill urge countries to recognise the importance ofbiodiversityin human health and endorse key Chinese Communist Party slogans about protecting natural ecosystems, according to adraftdeclarationsubmitted to theUnitedNationsthis week.

Chinawants the "KunmingDeclaration" to be agreed by all parties ahead of delayed "COP 15"biodiversitytalks due to take place in October in the southwestern city of Kunming, with the aim of sealing a new global treaty.

The "zerodraft" of thedeclaration, published on the official website of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity on Thursday, includes the key Chinese Communist Party concept of "ecological civilisation".

It also includes the formulation of "lucid water and lush mountains", first used in a 2005 speech by President Xi Jinping and included in dozens of Chinese policy documents and propaganda campaigns since he became leader in 2012.

The document also calls on parties to "mainstream"biodiversityprotection in decisionmaking, and recognise the importance of conservation in protecting human health - a prominent theme amongChina's leaders in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been blamed on wildlife trading and ecosystem destruction.

Chinawants the international community to sign thedeclarationduring the virtual Kunming talks on Oct. 11, with the aim of building a consensus behind a more detailed global treaty to be finalised in person next May.

Governments have been invited to give their "feedback" to thedraftbefore Sept. 6, according to a covering letter sent to theUnitedNationsby Chinese environment minister Huang Runqiu.

"Ambition will need to be built up over the next month," said Li Shuo, senior climate advisor with the environment group Greenpeace in Beijing.

"As the technical negotiations sink deeper in the mud, theDeclarationshould help forge the consensus that technocrats are unable to," he added.