China's effort helping drive greener future

While blasting narratives that accuse China of "overcapacity" in green energy sectors, Liu Jieyi, a seasoned diplomat and senior official of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that "many countries are exporting what they produce best, and you cannot call that 'overcapacity'".

Liu, a member of the Standing Committee and vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with China Daily that covered a wide range of topics, including high-level opening-up, new quality productive forces and China's whole-process people's democracy.

The recent hostile narratives on China's so-called "overcapacity" have targeted the country's clean energy products, such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and lithium batteries.

"If you measure the future needs of the world for green energy — at least according to the International Energy Agency's projection — we are still falling short of the need to cope with climate change for green energy," Liu said.

"Therefore, it's not a matter of 'overcapacity'. It's a matter of more extensive use of green energy," he added.

If one puts the label of "overproduction" and "overcapacity" on a country that is exporting to meet the needs of other countries, "then we have many such countries", he said. "You cannot treat China differently simply because China is providing something that the world needs."

He noted that many other countries welcome such a contribution from China with open arms, and "it is not right to confuse such competitiveness with 'overproduction'".

"The best thing would be to rise above narrow national interests and political considerations behind this trade protectionism and to work together with China … for the sake of a cleaner future for future generations," he said.

Regarding high-level opening-up, Liu said the CPPCC National Committee has done a lot by holding seminars and consultations to look at ways that China can "achieve a greater degree of integration of the Chinese economy and global economic growth", and it has contributed to policy recommendations and formulation.

"We look at what improvements we can make to pilot free trade zones, to different areas where we can open up and provide more and better market access," he said when referring to the removal of restrictions on foreign direct investment in the manufacturing sector and giving greater market access to the service trade.

"Also, we are cutting short the negative lists," he said. "We have provided great certainty in this very uncertain international environment."

In response to growing global attention on China's cutting-edge sectors and its pursuit of new quality productive forces, Liu cited the unique strength of the CPPCC National Committee in pooling talent and wisdom.

"It has members coming from different fields and professions — from academia, enterprises and people with background in government," he said, noting that many members from scientific and technological sectors are leading experts in new quality productive forces including big data, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum technology.

The members carry out consultations on the basis of investigations and research, including visits to factories, research labs and universities, Liu said.

"They try to find ways to further develop such productivity and, in the process, to make sure that younger generations are brought on board," he added.

Noting that the CPPCC is a special consultative body, Liu said it is an important part of the country's whole-process people's democracy in terms of consultations and supervision.

He cited as an example a consultation held by the CPPCC on farming, with a live video feed from a sugarcane farm to the meeting venue in Beijing. "The participants, members and government officials in the consultations — some of them were ministers — could talk directly with the producers and farmers in the field.

"In this way, what happens at the grassroots is fed into the consultation process, is fed into either the implementation or the formulation of policy," he said.

The CPPCC has exchanged frequent visits with other nations and international organizations, and Liu noted that the foreign guests coming to Beijing have often asked "what Chinese modernization is", "why China has been successful in maintaining decades of robust economic development and social stability", and "what the secret behind such success is".

"The exchanges would look at these facts and the underlying logic of the success achieved by China," he said, adding that the CPPCC will expand exchanges with counterparts in the international community.

"When they know more about whole-process people's democracy and how to incorporate in it the people's wisdom and strengths, they see that indeed there is a very good way for developing countries to move forward in today's world," Liu said. "They also see things in China's success that are inspirational in their consideration of their way forward."