Pullout deals blow to Kyoto

BEIJING - Canada's official pullout from the Kyoto Protocol on Monday drew strong criticism, as the move dealt another heavy blow to the already shaky global framework on fighting climate change.

Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent made the announcement on Monday, when some negotiators were still on their way back home after an intense final few days at the Durban climate conference, which ended on Sunday morning in South Africa.

The move by the Canadian government is "regrettable", Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a news briefing in Beijing.