China taking first steps in right direction

OK, so it's a tentative small step:

Japan and China issued a joint statement Wednesday to boost cooperation on 10 specific environment areas, featuring a commitment of "political will" to fight global warming in an envisioned new climate change framework from 2013. ...

The two countries "expressed our political will" to work with the international community to resolve climate change issues and said they will "actively participate" in the process of creating an effective post-Kyoto Protocol framework from 2013 for reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses, according to the statement.

Japan and China are keen to work together in the fight against global warming because Tokyo wants to take a leading role in global efforts to craft new emission rules, while Beijing needs Japan's technical aid to fight the worsening environmental situation in the country.

But the wingnuts have been telling me that China will never do anything and no matter what we do, China will choke us all to death!

On a serious note, I read somewhere [but can't find the link anymore] that the Chinese government is planning to pass a series of energy/environmental legislation in the fall. An "expression of political will" on the part of China is an enormous first step. Ideally, we would also state an "expression of political will" and work together with Japan to help find solutions for China.