China, India sign on to Copenhagen climate change accord, but with reservations

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - China and India have given their qualified approval to the Copenhagen climate accord calling for voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 100 countries had earlier responded to a request to be "associated" with the nonbinding agreement brokered by President Barack Obama at the December climate change summit in the Danish capital.

But the delay in replying by the world's two fastest-growing polluters had raised concern the accord could be rendered meaningless, even though India and China were among a small group of nations that negotiated the deal.

China's one-sentence note to the U.N. climate change secretariat, dated Tuesday, said it agreed to be listed in the accord, which was seen as weaker language than asking to be associated with it.