China's transformation into a "power nation" holds significant importance for the world
Building a "power nation" with clean energy as the mainstay is not only an important achievement of the Chinese path to modernization, but also a historic exploration related to sustainable human development
Energy is a crucial foundation and driving force for the progress of human civilization. Since the Industrial Revolution, the large-scale development and utilization of fossil fuels have significantly propelled human civilization forward. However, the massive consumption of fossil fuels has led to a notable increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exacerbating global climate change and posing severe challenges to the safety of the global ecosystem. Faced with the real threats posed by climate change, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the substitution of clean energy have become urgent issues that the international community must jointly address.
China is a staunch advocate of energy transformation. Over the past half century, China has undergone the largest and fastest industrialization process in human history, significantly improving the living standards of its people. While accelerating industrialization, China has placed ecological and environmental protection in an important position, continuously promoting the construction of ecological civilization, and laying a solid foundation in policy and practice for shifting to a development model dominated by clean energy. Nowadays, more and more production and living scenarios are powered by electricity, and China is becoming a "power country" with clean energy as the mainstay. The significance of this green transformation is comparable to the historic transformation driven by fossil fuels during the Industrial Revolution.
From the supply side, China has continuously achieved new breakthroughs in the installed capacity of renewable energy, and the supply capacity of clean electricity has continued to increase. By the end of 2025, the total installed capacity of renewable energy in China had reached 2.34 billion kilowatts, accounting for about 60% of the country's total electricity installed capacity; nearly 4 out of every 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed by the whole society were green electricity, and all the increase in electricity consumption was provided by the newly added electricity generated by renewable energy. According to a report released by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, headquartered in Finland, relying on the continuous expansion of wind power and photovoltaic power, China's installed capacity of renewable energy is expected to reach 3,500 GW by 2030 and increase to 5,000 GW by 2035; by then, the proportion of electricity generated by non-fossil energy is expected to reach about 65%, and carbon emissions from the power industry are expected to decrease by about 30%.
From the consumer side, China's electrification transformation in the transportation sector has achieved remarkable results. In 2025, China's production and sales of new energy vehicles exceeded 16 million units, ranking first globally for 11 consecutive years, and accounting for over 50% of domestic new car sales in China. The electrification process of freight transportation has also accelerated, with rapid growth in the sales of new energy heavy-duty trucks. The electrification transformation in the transportation sector has changed the way people travel and logistics are transported, continuously reducing the application space of fossil fuels, and providing strong support for the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society.
China's promotion of green energy transformation has not only profoundly changed its own energy structure but also provided green impetus for global energy transformation, becoming an important driving force for global clean energy construction. China exports wind power, photovoltaic, new energy vehicles, and other products to more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, supplying 70% of wind power equipment and 80% of photovoltaic module equipment globally, driving down the costs of global wind power and photovoltaic power generation by more than 60% and 80% respectively. Relying on continuous technological innovation, a complete industrial system, and large-scale manufacturing capabilities, China provides high-quality clean energy products and services to the world, enabling countries, especially developing countries, to access clean, reliable, and affordable energy, creating favorable conditions for countries to jointly address the challenges of climate change.
Building a "power nation" with clean energy as the mainstay is not only an important achievement of the Chinese path to modernization, but also a historic exploration related to sustainable human development. With decades of strategic determination to deeply cultivate green development, continuous iterative innovation capabilities, and persevering determination to transform, China's energy transformation will become increasingly solid. This will not only inject lasting green momentum into its own modernization drive, but also contribute more practical experience to global climate governance and common development.
(Source: People's Daily, written by an Australian writer, historian, and social critic)
