The comments came after a visit by US climate change envoy Todd Stern aimed at pressing the Asian giant to commit to hard numbers on emissions reductions ahead of December talks in Copenhagen on a new global warming treaty.

"China is still a developing country and the present task confronting China is to develop its economy and alleviate poverty, as well as raise the living standard of its people," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.

"Given that, it is natural for China to have some increase in its emissions, so it is not possible for China in that context to accept a binding or compulsory target."

China and the United States are the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Earlier, the United States issued a statement describing the meetings as "a step in the right direction on the road to Copenhagen and to charting a global path to a clean energy future."

"We deepened our dialogue with our Chinese counterparts through a candid discussion of the challenges we must overcome and the opportunities we must seize if we and the world are to reach an international climate agreement," it said.

During his four-day visit, Stern met key Chinese officials including Vice Premier Li Keqiang and climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua.

In an interview with the state English-language China Daily, Stern indicated he had backed down on insisting that China adopt a binding cap on emissions.

"We don't expect China to take a national cap at this stage," the China Daily quoted Stern as saying.

"We understand China's paramount need to grow and develop for its people... our demand is that the development with the available technologies is based on low carbon growth."

As part of ongoing global negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012, China has said the bulk of the responsibility for emissions cuts lies with developed nations.

It has pledged to play a constructive role in the negotiations in Copenhagen, while implementing domestic energy targets and developing alternative and clean energies.

Such efforts have been "very impressive," the paper quoted Stern as saying. The US negotiator added he believed that China was "willing to do more".

Officials at the US embassy in Beijing refused to immediately comment on Stern's interview with the China Daily.

Last week, Stern said in a speech in Washington: "China and other developing countries do not need to take the same actions that developed nations are taking.

"But they do need to take significant national actions that they commit to internationally, that they quantify and that are ambitious enough to be broadly consistent with the lessons of science."

The US refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol largely due to a lack of commitments by developing nations to cut emissions.

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