Green growth is the key

AS THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST ECONOMY, China surely matters a lot to international efforts to avoid a double-dip recession.

However, in addition to fundamental reforms debt-laden rich countries require for the global recovery to thrive, China needs to rapidly transform its model to pursue greener and more sustainable growth.

The latest call by Premier Wen Jiabao for local governments to be aware of the "extreme significance and urgency" of the task of energy conservation and emissions reduction was thus more than necessary.