POZNAN (Poland) - CHINA'S top negotiator at the latest UN talks on climate change hailed a European deal to cut greenhouse gases as a 'positive step' on Friday but criticised carbon reduction goals set by US President-elect Barack Obama as too weak.

In an interview with AFP, Mr Su Wei said the deal struck at the European Union's summit in Brussels as 'a positive step'. 'We welcome that,' Mr Su said. 'It is important that EU continue to take the lead in the international cooperation to address climate change.'

He added, though: 'Maybe some of the positions have been watered down compared to 2007.'

'Of course, we understand in the face of the international financial crisis, countries put more efforts to address that crisis. But we think measures to address climate change should not in any way be delayed or watered down.'

Mr Su said, however: 'I also heard the very firm political commitments from the ministers of the EU and from the European environment commissioner, Mr Stavros Dimas.'

The EU's so-called '20-20-20' package seeks to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 from 1990 levels, make 20-per cent energy savings and bring renewable energy sources up to 20 per cent of total energy use.

At the same time, the Chinese negotiator said US President-elect Obama's plan to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 fell well short of the mark.

'We don't think it is ambitious enough,' said Mr Su, a top official for climate at the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, which the United States signed but then refused to ratify, the US was required to reduce its emissions by seven percent by 2012 over 1990 levels. They are now 16 percent above this benchmark.

Even if the US met Mr Obama's 2020 target it would 'mean that they are 20 years behind what is required,' said Mr Su.

Some 11,000 participants from more than 190 countries have gathered in Poznan to lay the groundwork for a treaty under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to curb greenhouse gases beyond 2012. -- AFP