Belt, Road Initiative powering teamwork on energy

China is ready to work with other countries to strengthen energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, create favorable conditions for common development, jointly contribute to the sustainable development of global energy and safeguard world energy security, President Xi Jinping said.

Xi’s comments were included in a congratulatory letter to the Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference and 2018 International Forum on Energy Transitions, which both opened on Thursday in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Xi stressed that energy cooperation has been a key field in jointly building the Belt and Road.

In the letter, he called for in-depth discussions and consensus during the conference on major issues such as deepening international energy cooperation and promoting global energy transition. That would facilitate the establishment of the Belt and Road energy cooperative partnership that can contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, he said.

“We are willing to work with all parties to continue joint efforts and stick to the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, to make in-depth and solid progress in Belt and Road cooperation and better benefit people of all countries,” Xi said.

More than 70 new multilateral energy-related cooperation mechanisms have been established under the initiative, and more than 100 energy cooperation documents have been signed.

China has agreed on energy cooperation plans with more than 10 Belt and Road economies. Energy cooperation centers are already under construction for China and the Arab League, China and the African Union and China and Central and Eastern European countries.

A large number of cross-border energy infrastructure projects, which China and related countries completed together, have improved the energy infrastructure of the countries involved, improved regional energy resource allocation and enhanced regional energy security, State Councilor Wang Yong said in a keynote speech at the conference’s opening ceremony.

Related projects also have encouraged more green, low-carbon energy structures to help cope with climate change and environmental protection, and have been aiming to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to local people.

He said Belt and Road energy cooperation has bright prospects and far-reaching significance.

Guests attending the joint opening ceremony included energy ministers and high-ranking officials from 29 countries and economies, heads and senior representatives of seven international or national organizations, executives of 53 wellknown energy companies from China and abroad, and local city and provincial leaders.