China, deemed vital to the fight against global warming, is now taking the issue of climate change "extremely seriously," EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso said Friday.

Meanwhile US President Barack Obama had effected a "sea-change" on environmental policy there, he said.

China had become "fully and constructively engaged in the international negotiations, while domestically it was pursuing very ambitious targets to reduce energy intensity by 20 percent under its current five-year plan," said Barroso in a speech to close the EU's Green Week.

He offered special congratulations to experts at Chinese Academy of Sciences for their "influential work on climate policy" adding that "we fully share your view that low-carbon development has to be the way forward."

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

As a developing country China is not bound by the current Kyoto Protocol on climate change and says the bulk of the responsibility for emissions cuts lies with developed nations.

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

Barroso said that "all countries except the very poorest will need to contribute" to the efforts to keep global warming down to two degrees centigrade, though with the developed countries taking the lead.

"While we are not there yet, the prospects for agreement at Copenhagen have brightened over the past year," he said.

Barroso's European Commission announced Wednesday that it would provide financing up to 50 million euros (70 million dollars) to help China build a coal-fired power plant equipped with new carbon storage technology to give it near-zero emissions.

Europe deems the carbon capture and storage technology, which is in its infancy, to be a key factor in fighting climate change, and a demonstration plant would be particularly significant in China, which produces and uses a massive amount of coal.

Barroso also said the world was paying abnormal attention to the machinations of the US government on climate change policy under President Barack Obama.

"President Obama's personal commitment, both to domestic action and to a successful outcome in Copenhagen, has amounted to nothing less than a sea-change in the US position," he said

"His leadership means that the United States is now back at the table," Barroso added. "Rarely, perhaps, has the progress of US domestic legislation been so carefully monitored internationally."

The "American Clean Energy and Security Act" aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, while creating "green" jobs.

In Washington Friday, Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer predicted his party would have the 218 votes needed to ensure passage of historic legislation to battle global warming.

Barroso admitted he was ready to "put aside the normal conventions here and be very clear.

"We want the US to go as far and as fast as they can on climate change."

But above all, Europe wants the bill to succeed, he said.