The third preparatory meeting of the “World Biofuel Forum†was held in Geneva from December 19 to December 20, 2006. The National Development and Reform Commission dispatched a delegation led by Deputy Director Xiong Bilin to attend the meeting. The Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations talks and counselors participate in the meeting. This meeting. At the meeting, representatives of China, the United States, the European Union, India, South Africa, and Brazil and other five countries mainly discussed the text of the "Declaration Draft of the World Ministerial Conference on Biofuels Forum" (hereinafter referred to as the "Draft Declaration"). Representatives of various countries believed that the text reflected the results of the two preparatory meetings as well as the common interests of the six parties. The words were concise and the principles were relatively neutral, but they also proposed amendments to their respective concerns. After fierce consultations, all parties’ representatives formed consensus on most of the contents of the Forum’s operational goals, membership qualifications, and the establishment of working groups. However, some of the contents still needed to be finalized when the “Declaration†was formally signed.
In order to promote the healthy and orderly development of the industry, the Chinese representative emphasized that population growth, resource constraints, food supply, and environmental degradation are common challenges facing human society. This year's increase in international food prices and the global reduction in grain production and international oil prices remain high. Countries have therefore increased their use of fuel ethanol. Therefore, China proposes that at the same time as industrial development, ensuring food security and safeguarding the stability of global food prices are the common responsibility of all countries in the world. In view of China’s basic situation in which there are many people and less land, the Chinese government has clearly adhered to the principle of using non-food as the mainstay for the development of the biofuels ethanol industry. This is also a common concern of the developing countries. Developing non-food agricultural products as raw materials and accelerating the industrialization of cellulosic ethanol has important strategic significance. This proposal was approved by most representatives of the conference. The participating countries further exchanged opinions on issues such as the timing of the ministerial meeting next year.
In order to promote the healthy and orderly development of the industry, the Chinese representative emphasized that population growth, resource constraints, food supply, and environmental degradation are common challenges facing human society. This year's increase in international food prices and the global reduction in grain production and international oil prices remain high. Countries have therefore increased their use of fuel ethanol. Therefore, China proposes that at the same time as industrial development, ensuring food security and safeguarding the stability of global food prices are the common responsibility of all countries in the world. In view of China’s basic situation in which there are many people and less land, the Chinese government has clearly adhered to the principle of using non-food as the mainstay for the development of the biofuels ethanol industry. This is also a common concern of the developing countries. Developing non-food agricultural products as raw materials and accelerating the industrialization of cellulosic ethanol has important strategic significance. This proposal was approved by most representatives of the conference. The participating countries further exchanged opinions on issues such as the timing of the ministerial meeting next year.