China must reorient its economic development to cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to a legislative resolution passed Thursday that, however, made no mention of any reduction targets.

China maintains that rich countries ought to shoulder the main responsibility for mitigating global warming as they have historically emitted most of the greenhouse gases at the root of the problem.

The resolution passed by the standing committee of the National People's Congress reiterated that stance, but also said China must "actively deal with climate change" by encouraging a more efficient, low-carbon economy.

The resolution is the latest in a series of recent public statements laying out China's position against mandatory emissions cuts as the world prepares for key climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December.

The talks in Denmark are aimed at hammering out a new climate change pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.

As a developing nation with low per-capita emissions, China is not required to set emissions cuts under the UN Framework on Climate Change.

The resolution said China should "accelerate the transformation of our economic model to do our utmost to control greenhouse gas emissions."

China also should "base national development on a green and a low-carbon economy," according to a copy of the resolution posted on the NPC website.

The text offered no specific policy prescriptions.

China is competing with the United States for the rank of world's top emitter of greenhouse gases -- a position that has made it a focus of attention ahead of the Copenhagen talks.