China and the United States might see more opportunities for
trade by boosting joint energy development, Minister of China's
National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Ma Kai said Tuesday.
"There could be great potential and fat opportunities for both
countries in improving coal efficiency and promoting clean energy,"
Ma said ahead of the high-profile China-U.S. Strategic Economic
Dialogue, which opens Wednesday.
Ma urged two sides to find new ways for joint energy
development, saying the United States had advanced technologies and
experience to improve coal efficiency and develop clean energy,
which were valuable to China.
The Chinese government had been promoting the use of a variety
of cleaner energy sources to reduce its reliance on coal, as well
improving its energy efficiency and pollutant control.
His remarks also came as the two countries signed a slew of
agreements, including pacts on energy cooperation, at the 18th
China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT)
Tuesday.
One of the 14 documents was a memorandum of understanding on
cooperation of biofuel development signed by the NDRC and the U.S.
departments of agriculture and energy.
"As two of the world's largest consumers of oil, this document
may help reduce each country's dependence on imported oil,
benefiting both U.S. and Chinese consumers," the U.S. Department of
Agriculture said in a statement released at the JCCT.
Ma said earlier Tuesday that the Chinese side would work out
executive plans, and wished to start work soon.
China is promoting development of biofuels with financial
support, as the country saw biofuels as environmental-friendly
energy sources.
Ma hoped both countries would also launch initiatives "as soon
as possible" to implement a memorandum of understanding signed in
September, which outlines cooperation in upgrading industrial
energy efficiency.
Tuesday's JCCT also saw U.S. firm Peabody Energy become an
equity partner in China's "GreenGen" project, the country's first
near-zero emissions coal-fueled power plant with carbon capture and
storage.
Ma said the NDRC had drawn up a guideline with dozens of
suggestions on cooperation in power generation, coal, petroleum and
natural gas, renewable energy, as well as energy conservation and
environmental protection, in a bid to boost joint energy
development.
"Joint energy development between the two countries would be
mutually beneficial," he said, adding it would not only help China
improve energy consumption structure, reduce greenhouse emissions
and cut pollutant discharges, but could also bring commercial
benefits to the U.S. side.
The commission said China would lift the proportion of renewable
energy consumption to about 10 percent by 2010, and to 20 percent
by 2020.
China would focus on development of hydropower, bio-mass energy,
wind power and solar power in the future, according to a medium and
long-term plan for renewable energy published by the NDRC in
September.
Almost 70 percent of China's energy use came from coal in 2006,
with other forms of energy each accounting for a tiny
proportion.
(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2007)
