On November 26, the Sixth China-Japan Forum on Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection, jointly organized by the China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Commerce, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Japan-China Economic Association, was held in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Since 2006, the forum has been successfully held five times and has been given great attention by the governments of China and Japan. With the forum as a platform, research institutions, enterprises and other units engaging in energy conservation and emission reduction work in both countries signed 120 cooperation agreements, achieving a number of significant results and giving strong impetus to Sino-Japanese exchange and cooperation in the field of energy conservation and environmental protection. The opening ceremony was attended by over a thousand people including Vice Premier Li Keqiang, Director of the NDRC Zhang Ping, Minister of Finance Xie Xuren, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Zhang Lijun, assistant to the Minister of Commerce Li Jinzao, and other Chinese government leaders, as well as Yukio Edan, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and other Japanese government officials. Experts, scholars, and business representatives from both countries were also in attendance.

Vice Premier Li Keqiang presented a keynote speech entitled "Deepening energy saving cooperation to promote the transition to innovation and development", in which he put forward three proposals, namely the strengthening of policy dialogue, the implementation of key projects, and the sharing of technological achievements. Government leaders from both countries then gave speeches in which they pointed out the significance and far-reaching impact of strengthening Sino-Japanese cooperation in energy conservation and environmental protection, not only in terms of enabling China to draw on Japan's advanced energy-saving technology and management experience, but also in terms of enabling Japan to fully exploit the advantages of China's energy conservation and environmental protection market, thereby boosting Japan's economic development.

CNIS President Wang Zhongmin and Vice President Li Aixian attended the forum by invitation, accompanied by Zhang Xin, vice president of the CNIS Sub-Institute of Resource and Environmental Standardization, and relevant personnel. The main topic of discussion at the forum was China's plans to focus on the research and implementation of the "Pacesetter" energy conservation program during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. As the main research unit for the program, CNIS participated in the Pacesetter Program sub-forum, engaging in an in-depth exchange of views with government departments, research institutions and business representatives from both countries, in which a broad consensus was reached. During the signing and exchanging ceremony in the main forum, as the first project signed at the forum, the President of CNIS Wang Zhongmin concluded a cooperative research agreement with the Institute of Energy Economics, an authoritative Japanese institution in charge of research into energy policy and related economic policy. With regard to the Pacesetter program, energy efficiency standards and labeling and other areas of consensus reached by both sides, China and Japan pledged to strengthen academic exchange, broaden areas of cooperation, and increase collaborative research efforts in order to further improve the energy-saving technology and policy research capacities of both countries, raising their levels of standardization and policy research in respect of energy conservation and emission reduction.

The two sides signed a total of 51 cooperation projects at the forum. The implementation of these projects is certain to significantly promote in-depth cooperation between Japan and China in the field of energy conservation and environmental protection, the results of which will further benefit the peoples of both countries.