Xi stresses high-quality development of new energy in China

BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed vigorously promoting the high-quality development of new energy in China to make greater contributions to building a clean and beautiful world.

Xi made the remarks on Thursday while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Noting that energy security impacts a country's overall economic and social development, Xi said developing clean energy and promoting green and low-carbon transformation have become the consensus of the international community to cope with global climate change.

China's energy development still faces a series of challenges, such as huge demand pressure, supply constraints, and the arduous tasks of green and low-carbon transition, he said.

"To meet these challenges, the way out is to vigorously develop new energy," Xi said.

Rich in wind power, photovoltaic and other resources, China shows huge development potential in new energy, Xi said. He noted that China has now built the world's largest clean power supply system, and its new energy vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products are also highly competitive in the global market.

Xi called for efforts to handle the relationship between new and traditional energy, the whole and the part, government and market, energy development and energy saving and utilization, and promote the high-quality development of new energy.

Efforts should be made to strengthen joint research on core technologies in key fields, strengthen the transformation and application of scientific research achievements, and cultivate energy technology and its related industries into new growth points to drive China's industrial upgrading and promote the development of new productive forces, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that it is necessary to further build the new energy infrastructure network, and promote the intelligent transformation of power grid infrastructure and the construction of smart microgrids.

The country should accelerate the construction of charging infrastructure network system to support the rapid development of new energy vehicles, Xi said.

Xi stressed the need to deepen international cooperation in new energy sci-tech innovation, promote the establishment of a fair, just, balanced and inclusive global energy governance system. He also called for improving the efficiency of sci-tech innovation investment.