The government should provide incentives and support to push
cooperation on clean energy between private local companies and
their foreign counterparts.
So said Yao Wenping, vice-president of the China Chamber of
Commerce for the Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic
Products.
Yao said incentives and support should be part of the nation's
overall strategy, which emphasizes renewable energy and cleaner
development.
"Policy incentives, financial subsidies and information services
are vital to help Chinese companies find more opportunities to
cooperate with foreign partners on clean energy," Yao told China
Daily.
She said the United States, the world's leading player in
clean-energy technology, has shown it's willing to cooperate with
China in the sector. "The cooperation climate is sound and the
government should take this opportunity to push cleaner
technologies."
In December, during the two countries' strategic economic
dialogue, the Minister of the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) Ma Kai asked the United States to cooperate
with China on energy efficiency and clean energy.
"The US government hasn't prevented exports of wind, solar and
other clean-energy technologies to China - it's a good time to
strengthen cooperation," said Yao.
China plans to put clean and renewable energy at the top of its
development agenda. Last month, the government emphasized that
strategy in its first energy white paper. It will focus on
developing hydropower, biomass energy, wind power and solar power
in the future, according to a medium and long-term plan for
renewable energy. The NDRC has already listed the area as a
development priority in its revised industry catalogue for foreign
investment.
Most clean energy operations in China are currently run by
private companies. "Business development in the area is fledgling
and chaotic," said Yao.
She said the government needs to draw up a detailed plan to
bolster foreign cooperation with firms that have advanced
technologies.
Last month, the central government said it had created
guidelines for cooperation in power generation, coal, petroleum and
natural gas, renewable energy, energy conservation and
environmental protection, in a bid to boost joint energy
development.
"Joint energy development between the two countries would be
mutually beneficial," Yao said, adding it would not only help China
improve its energy consumption structure, reduce greenhouse
emissions and cut pollutant discharges, but could also bring
commercial benefits to the US side.
"The development will bring a lot of green jobs for the US,"
said Yao.
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 Daily January 10, 2008)
