Reference News Network, November 13 report: The U.S. "Foreign Policy" magazine website published an article on November 11 titled "How China Became a Solar Power," authored by Christina Lu. The following is the translated content:

Although President Trump may look down on solar energy, it has not slowed down the pace of the solar revolution at all. This energy revolution is sweeping across almost every corner of the world, from Pakistan to Chile.

The main driving force behind this transformation comes from one country: China. According to the International Energy Agency, China now controls more than 80% of the global solar industry supply chain. However, this figure only partially reflects the astonishing speed and scale of China's development in the solar field.

According to data from the UK's clean energy think tank "Rystad Energy," in the first half of this year, China's new photovoltaic installation capacity was more than twice that of the rest of the world combined. Lauri Myllyvirta, chief analyst at the Finnish independent research institution Energy and Clean Air Research Center, estimated that in May alone, China installed about 230 million solar panels.

Richard Black, director of policy and strategy at "Rystad Energy," said, "China has completely changed the global solar industry landscape."

Between 2011 and 2022, China's photovoltaic manufacturing capacity experienced explosive growth. According to the International Energy Agency, China invested over $50 billion to build new supply capacities, a scale ten times that of the European continent.

As China's solar industry continues to expand, costs have dropped significantly, and the export volume of related products has grown rapidly.

Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Center at the Asia Society Policy Institute, pointed out: "Although it cannot be said that China dominates the entire situation, I believe it is close to that."

China's ambitions in the solar field are a reflection of its broader goal of moving toward a green energy future. This move is partly driven by China's desire to reduce its reliance on imported oil and natural gas. Although China remains the world's largest coal consumer and has been the largest carbon emitter in recent years, its investment in clean energy has been remarkable. Data from "Rystad Energy" shows that China has become the largest investor in global new energy technology.

Professor Joshua Busby from the University of Texas at Austin said, "China controls most areas of the new energy economy of the 21st century."

This dominant position is most evident in the solar field, and China also holds an important position in wind power, batteries, and electric vehicle supply chains, which are precisely the areas the Trump administration has abandoned so far.

This development trend has set the tone for the opening of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on November 10 in Belem, Brazil. While diplomats and representatives from various countries prepare for another round of arduous negotiations, the Trump administration seems completely unwilling to participate in climate negotiations, instead strongly supporting the U.S. oil and gas industry and forcing other countries to purchase American fossil fuels.

China is racing toward a different energy future, with solar energy being the core pillar of its global strategy.

From Latin America to the Middle East, the impact of China's solar industry development can be seen around the world.

For example, in Africa, more than 600 million people on the continent still lack access to electricity. According to data from "Rystad Energy," the import of Chinese solar panels in Africa increased by 60% between July 2024 and June 2025.

However, African countries' imports of Chinese solar panels do not match those of Pakistan. Myllyvirta said that when China significantly expanded its production of solar panels, Pakistan was experiencing the pain of a power crisis. Now, Pakistan has become one of the largest importers of solar panels in the world.

As for China, its actions in the solar field are clearly escalating. Ilaria Mazzocco from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said, "China views renewable energy as a more efficient, economical, and secure form of energy, and also sees it as an important export industry."

Mazzocco said, "For China, developing renewable energy has now become a priority. But in the United States, this is clearly no longer a priority." (Translated by Wu Mei)

A 1GW "thermal + photovoltaic" integrated project in Shanshan County, Turpan City, Xinjiang (Xinhua News Agency)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572127200863732224/

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