Chinese vice premier stresses Belt and Road energy cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses the second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng stressed the Belt and Road Energy Partnership (BREP) at the second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference on Monday, which he attended via video link.

With much effort made to promote the BREP, energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has made remarkable progress, he said.

Against the backdrop of climate-change crisis, energy in the Belt and Road countries should become more green and inclusive through efficient, clean and diversified supply, he said.

Joint efforts should be made to promote green and low-carbon energy transformation and deepen cooperation on nuclear electricity, new-energy generation and smart energy, Han said.

He highlighted the importance of technological innovation to tackle the constraints on energy and resources.

He called for cooperation on sustainable energy and energy access to help developing countries improve their energy-security capacity.

More should be done to promote inclusive energy development and respect the rights of different countries to choose their own energy development strategies, he said.

The conference was held by the National Energy Administration and the Shandong provincial government, with the theme of "Join Hands towards a Greener and More Inclusive Energy Future."