浪花直播

In 2023, China was both the largest producer and importer of coal, and the largest importer of oil. It鈥檚 also the largest importer of lithium, and controls 60% of the world鈥檚 lithium mining capacity.  

When it comes to energy policy, the People鈥檚 Republic of China (PRC) raises red flags all around. 

There are those who sharply criticize the PRC鈥檚 expanding use and production of fossil fuels. In 2022 alone, China produced more than tons of coal and consumed just under 5 billion tons, making up 53% of global consumption. In that same year, it permitted more coal plants to be built on Chinese soil than in 2021鈥攅quivalent to two new coal power plants per week, and six times the number of plants starting construction throughout the rest of world.  

Others criticize energy鈥檚 role in China鈥檚 foreign policies and partnerships. In 2023, the PRC imported barrels of crude oil per day, 10% more than the year before. It imports large quantities of discounted oil from Russia in the face of efforts by the US and Europe to economically isolate the Kremlin. It also imports vast quantities of oil from Iran. As part of its Belt and Road Initiative, which some say too often strangles developing nations with unsustainable debt, more than of China鈥檚 energy financing has gone toward nonrenewable resources. 

But the PRC is also criticized for its ambitious production of renewable energy and technologies. China spent per year between 2021 and 2023 on renewable energy鈥攁bout of all such energy investments worldwide, and more than all developing nations combined. In the solar energy sector, the PRC achieved in 2023鈥攊nstalling more solar panels than the US ever has. In fact, over the past two decades, China鈥檚 share of global production of solar panel components has increased from . This growing dominance has led to calls in the US for and restrictions on Chinese-made solar technology.  

Still more criticism is aimed at the PRC for its pursuit of critical minerals at the heart of the world鈥檚 transition to a new energy future, especially around advanced battery technology. China is not only the largest importer of lithium, which is essential to most new battery innovations, but it is also the world鈥檚 producer. On top of domestic production, the PRC has acquired approximately $5.6 billion worth of lithium assets in countries like Chile, Canada, and Australia over the last decade. The Chinese banks who finance critical minerals mining and processing are moving aggressively and show little aversion to either political instability or poor living standards in client countries. On the other hand, passed in 2022 offers incentives to electric-vehicle manufacturers to buy minerals domestically or from countries with whom the US has free-trade agreements. Even with the US government鈥檚 aggressive actions aimed at developing and supporting US and US-aligned critical mineral sectors, the PRC鈥檚 share of cobalt supply鈥攁lso essential for electric vehicle batteries鈥攔ose over the last few years, reaching of global output in 2023. 

Finally, the PRC is also receiving criticism in the West for its production and sale of products that are part of the new energy transition鈥攍ike electric vehicles鈥攁t what the US and Europe have termed unfairly subsidized low prices. On June 12, the European Union announced plans to impose additional tariffs of up to on electric vehicles imported from China as part of their strategy to safeguard the region鈥檚 manufacturers, following proposed by the Biden administration. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the US is worried that China鈥檚 unfair competition in the sector 鈥渄istorts global prices鈥� and 鈥渉urts American firms and workers, as well as firms and workers around the world.鈥� 

In other words, the PRC has been criticized for consuming and producing too much in fossil fuels. It has been criticized for how it鈥檚 securing the resources necessary for renewable energy production. And it鈥檚 been criticized for underpricing and subsidizing many of its products that are part of the world鈥檚 energy transition. 

While the PRC is certainly deserving of criticism for its single-minded pursuit of energy dominance, perhaps WE should be a little more 鈥渟ingle-minded鈥� ourselves. 

This blog was researched and drafted with help from Camilla Reitherman.