That promise will make it much more likely to realize the peaking of global greenhouse gas emissions between 2020-2030, an important condition for controlling global warming, Li commented.
"China's pledges are very forceful if compared with those of some developed countries," he said.
With the carbon target it sets for 2030, China has to reduce carbon emissions by an average annual rate of 3.6 percent to 4.1 percent between 2005 and 2030, a faster decrease than the United States and EU, Li estimated.
The United States has announced a target of cutting its emissions by 26 to 28 percent from its 2005 level by 2025, while the EU eyes a reduction of at least 40 percent by 2030 on the basis of the 1990 level.
Those targets demand an average annual emission decrease of 3.5 percent to 3.6 percent for the United States and 3.2 percent for the EU, according to Li's calculations.
In its INDC, China called on developed countries to "undertake ambitious economy-wide absolute quantified emission reduction targets by 2030" in accordance with their historical responsibilities.
It reiterated its stance that climate talks should follow the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities, equity and respective capabilities.
The Paris agreement should set quantified targets and a roadmap for developed countries' financial support to developing countries in the fight against climate change, according to the document.
It said the scale of financing should increase yearly starting from 100 billion U.S. dollars per year from 2020 and that the fund should primarily come from public finance.
China has reached out to other developing countries to help them cope with climate change. Since 2011, China has accumulatively invested around 44 million U.S. dollars in South-South cooperation and provided assistance to other developing countries through low-carbon products, training and capacity building.
CATALYST FOR GREEN ECONOMY
As a developing country with a population of more than 1.3 billion, China is among those countries that are most severely affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, according to China's INDC.
Chinese leaders have "declared war" on pollution that has taken a heavy toll on its air, water and soil after a three-decade dash for economic growth.
Apart from the emission target, China also lays out plans to expand the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to around 20 percent by 2030 from the 11.2-percent ratio in 2014, and increase the forest stock volume by 4.5 billion cubic meters from the 2005 level.
To realize that goal, non-fossil fuel use is expected to increase by about 800 million tonnes in the country in next 16 years, cutting carbon emissions by nearly 2 billion tonnes every year, Li Junfeng said.
More non-fossil fuels make it necessary to boost investment in clean energy such as nuclear, hydro and solar power, providing new engines for China's economy as its growth slows.
To fulfill its climate pledges, China's total investment in low-carbon industries in the coming 16 years will exceed 40 trillion yuan (6.45 trillion U.S. dollars), according to NCSC estimates.
"None of the developed countries had to cope with the challenge of transforming to low-carbon economy while in the midst of industrialization and urbanization, which is what China has to do now," Li said. "If China successfully creates a new path of green development, it will set good examples for other developing countries."
