Will honour climate commitments: Wen

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, speaks on the podium at the plenary session of the climate summit in Copenhagen, on Friday. Photo: AP.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, has defended his country’s climate commitments at the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen, saying “we will honour our word with real action.”

Mr. Wen says China’s voluntary targets of reducing its carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent will require “tremendous efforts.”

He spoke after a meeting with President Barack Obama and 19 other world leaders.

China has been criticized at the two-week summit for not offering stronger carbon emissions targets and for resisting international monitoring of its actions. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, says progress in climate talks on Friday was being held back by China.