L'AQUILA, Italy: A senior Chinese climate change official urged developed countries to set a mid-term target for emission cuts, which is a "significant support" to the long-term goal.

Su Wei, director-general of the Department of Climate Change from the National Development and Reform Commission, made the remarks here yesterday after G8 industrialized nations and G5 emerging economies committed themselves only to "substantially reducing global emissions by 2050", but failed to agree a specific target.

The G8 agreed on Wednesday to limit global warming to within 2 C above pre-industrial levels, but watered down a target of halving greenhouse gas emission by 2050.