Cooperation in clean energy to expand, Xi says

The Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum opens on Tuesday in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China to push sustainable development, bring more benefits, president vows in letter to forum

The country is ready to work with the international community to strengthen all-around energy cooperation, safeguard energy security and address climate change, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

China will also cooperate with other countries to promote ecological and environmental protection, push sustainable development and bring more benefits to people around the world, Xi said in a congratulatory letter sent to the Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum, which opened on Tuesday in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. The forum runs through Thursday.

Low-carbon energy development concerns the future of humanity, Xi said, adding that China attaches great importance to such development and actively promotes energy consumption, supply, technology and institutional transformation.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng attended the opening ceremony of the forum and said that all parties should enhance cooperation in energy security, clean energy and energy infrastructure to provide strong support for global sustainable development and the realization of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remark on Monday during his meeting with foreign guests attending the forum. He said major changes in the global energy picture and the evolution of geopolitics have brought about challenges to the stability of the international energy market and the balance of supply and demand.

"The Chinese government always attaches great importance to energy security and the development of clean low-carbon energy, and it stands ready to deepen cooperation with all parties," he said.

Former Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka said the world thinks highly of China's leading role in coping with climate change and promoting sustainable development. He expressed expectations of sharing low-carbon development experience and jointly strengthening global energy cooperation to realize clean growth through the forum.

China has shown unwavering determination and strong commitment to practicing low-carbon energy development and promoting clean energy use to tackle climate change, analysts said.

Liu Zhenmin, under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs at the UN, said he commends the government of China for its leadership on clean energy development and its efforts to promote renewable energy infrastructure at home and all over the world.

Liu also praised Shanxi province for being well-positioned to provide a platform for sharing its experiences and discussing opportunities for promoting energy transformation and sustainable development.

U Ohn Winn, union minister at Myanmar's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, said the forum is very timely as the world urgently needs action to achieve the Paris climate agreement goal of limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 C by striving in earnest to fulfill the commitments on mitigation and adaptation.

Alan Searl, director of the International Energy Agency's China cooperation department, said energy transition is a global and intergenerational process.

Xinhua contributed to this story.