https://www.scmp.com/rss/507654/feed Xiaojun Wang is executive director of Manila-based People of Asia for Climate Solutions. He worked for almost 20 years in Beijing as a journalist and writer. From 2005 to 2018, Xiaojun led the communications work for environmental and public health organisations, including Greenpeace and Tobacco Free Kids. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com At the 76th UN General Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced that “China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad”. While international climate watchers applauded the second part of the announcement, Chinese renewable energy companies are cheering the first half. An end to coal means a door opened wider for renewable energy. China is the world’s largest producer, investor and user of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3150295/chinas-pledge-stop-building-coal-power-plants-abroad-opens-door-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3150295/chinas-pledge-stop-building-coal-power-plants-abroad-opens-door-its?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Sep 2021 22:45:09 +0000 Last month, China published a “Green Development Work Guide for Overseas Investment and Cooperation”, mainly targeting state-owned enterprises (SOEs), but also copied to key players in its Belt and Road Initiative, such as the China Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of China and the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation. Jointly put out by the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Ecology and Environment, this green guide aims for Chinese SOEs “to gain a proactive stance in global... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3143347/will-chinas-green-guide-burnish-belt-and-roads-environmental?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3143347/will-chinas-green-guide-burnish-belt-and-roads-environmental?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Aug 2021 06:30:21 +0000 Last year, for the first time, a greater proportion of China’s overseas energy investment went into renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. Solar, wind and hydropower projects accounted for 57 per cent of China’s overseas energy investment, compared to 39 per cent in 2019, while coal, oil and gas accounted for the remaining 43 per cent, according to Beijing-based think tank Green Belt and Road Initiative Centre. Although coal projects still made up 27 per cent of China’s overseas energy... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120834/be-true-climate-leader-china-should-commit-clean-energy-belt-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120834/be-true-climate-leader-china-should-commit-clean-energy-belt-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Feb 2021 12:45:04 +0000 The “water and boat” metaphor is often used in China to refer to the relationship between the people and the government. About 2,500 years ago, Chinese philosopher Xunzi, writing about governance, said that “people are the water while the rulers, the boat. Water can support the boat, or overturn it.” This metaphor has often been quoted as a reminder to rulers of the importance of the people. Today, when China’s influence reaches into countries around the world with its Belt and Road Initiative,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3107132/china-must-listen-those-directly-affected-its-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3107132/china-must-listen-those-directly-affected-its-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:30:13 +0000