The Chinese government has announced its first national action plan to respond to climate change during a state council conference chaired by the premier Wen Jiabao.

The action plan describes climate change effects and outlines policies and measures China will adopt, said a statement from the State Council without describing specific policies and measures.

Also in the plan, China clarified its basic stance on global warming and called for international cooperation.

China would adhere to the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the statement said.

Climate change should be dealt with under the framework of sustainable development, it said.

Global warming was affecting China's ecological system and natural resources as well as life of the public. To cope with it, China had been taking a series of measures, including changing the economic growth pattern by adjusting economic structure and energy mix and controlling population growth.

The meeting emphasized joint efforts by international community to address this issue.

The meeting also urged governments and sectors at all levels to implement the action plan and called for a public awareness campaign on environment protection.