Energy week injects vitality into China-ASEAN clean energy cooperation

This photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows the management center of a zero-carbon demonstration zone in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

HAIKOU, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- An ongoing energy week event in south China has injected new vitality into clean energy cooperation between China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.

The 2023 China-ASEAN Clean Energy Week began Tuesday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, with delegates discussing topics concerning clean energy cooperation under the theme "For a Shared Future: Across the Ocean and Abreast into Prosperity."

Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN, said that the focus of cooperation between ASEAN and China includes offshore wind energy, hydropower, electricity interconnection and green transportation. He expressed hopes that ASEAN and China will use clean energy week as an important platform to take further measures to jointly promote green and low-carbon energy transformation.

Arifin Tasrif, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia, said that Indonesia is willing to actively strengthen international cooperation in energy, especially practical exchanges in energy science and technology innovation, and aid the large-scale development of clean energy.

Zhang Jianhua, head of the National Energy Administration, said that China and ASEAN have great cooperation in energy access, innovative application of clean energy technologies, and green energy financing.

He added that China is willing to continue to strengthen practical cooperation with ASEAN countries in areas such as electricity connectivity, renewable energy and clean energy capacity building.

In Hainan, new energy has also become a main focus of the local government, as the island province strives to become a globally influential and high-level free trade port.

Currently, the installed capacity of clean energy in Hainan accounts for more than 70 percent of the total, and the number of new energy vehicles accounts for more than 13 percent of the total, ranking second in the country, said Feng Fei, secretary of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee.

In the future, Hainan will actively develop new energy and new technologies such as offshore wind power, solar energy and gas power, establish and improve urban and rural power grids and gas networks around the island, and accelerate the construction of a new power system, Feng said.

The energy week features three events and five sub-forums, with more than 300 delegates engaging in in-depth exchanges on topics such as new energy and new technologies, sustainable development of hydropower, green investment, and interconnection of power grids.