China is winning praise for its efforts in solar. US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said China is leading the world in this area. Chu also says that China holds that position, not through its cheap labor, but through cutting edge technology.

China's solar photovoltaic energy industry is rapidly developing. It now accounts for 40 percent of the global output. Within the world's ten top solar panel producers, 5 of them are Chinese. In October this year, China's Suntech Solar Sower Company established a branch in Arizona. The factory is high-tech and automated and it even boosted local employment by hiring nearly 80 local residents.

Guo Weitai, VP Marketing of Suntech Power Company said "We have the world's leading technology in solar power. Our chairman Mr. Shi Zhengrong used to be an engineer in a leading lab in Australia... he came back to China and has applied the latest technology to our mass production. We are now producing the most advanced solar panel at a lower cost."

Even though many of China's innovative solar technologies have attracted the world's attention, many companies say a better supply chain is needed if the industry wants to stay competitive in the international arena.