【By Observer Net, Chen Sijia】 In recent years, China has made rapid progress in the "new three" areas of new energy: batteries, electric vehicles, and solar power, and has taken a leading position in these industries. Despite some Western countries continuously spreading so-called "trade imbalances" to try to resist Chinese green technology, more and more countries have chosen to use Chinese products to develop renewable energy.

On March 9 local time, James Jackson, a researcher at the University of Manchester in the UK, and Matthias Larrson, a senior policy researcher at the London School of Economics, published a paper pointing out that China's new energy technology has changed the global energy transition landscape, and refusing to use Chinese products may only slow down the global effort to address climate issues. Countries may eventually have to admit that they cannot compete with China in this field.

The article states that through long-term industrial planning, national investment, and support for domestic manufacturers, China has established massive production capacity for solar panels, electric vehicles, and batteries, allowing people and companies to purchase these products at lower prices. The global supply chain also relies on the thriving Chinese manufacturing industry, with many countries' renewable energy products produced in China.

However, some countries have begun to worry that relying on foreign supply chains for critical infrastructure could pose "risks." Jackson and Larrson point out that this idea has changed the way climate policy discussions are conducted, and some policymakers have started considering how to gain economic benefits from green industry layouts and promote the development of their own new energy technology industries.

Especially in Europe and the United States, Western governments are heavily investing in factories and supply chains, trying to compete with China's new energy industry.

The article states that while these policies aim to increase domestic economic security and protect jobs, they may also lead to tensions. More importantly, China already holds an absolute dominant position in these technological fields, and it is often more expensive and slower for Western countries to produce related products, making them unable to compete with China.

On March 11, in Yinchuan, Ningxia, the 4,000-megawatt photovoltaic project in Lingshu Baiyugang Township, IC photo

For example, in the electric vehicle market, besides Tesla Company in the United States, few companies have the capability to compete with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, and many European automakers highly rely on parts supplied by Chinese suppliers. "China's dominance is so strong that people need to think: Is there really competition with China today, or is it actually only competition within China?"

Jackson said: "The fastest way to reduce emissions may be to deploy the lowest-cost technologies, which are mostly produced in China. Political pressure to reduce dependence on foreign manufacturing may prompt multiple countries' governments to prioritize developing domestic industries, even if this slows down the speed of technology deployment. As the world strives to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, whether climate action succeeds may not only depend on technological innovation but also on how countries manage increasingly intensifying industrial competition."

He frankly stated: "China's dominant position in the production of the 'new three' technologies is so obvious that governments of various countries may ultimately have to accept a fact: at this stage, it is basically impossible to compete with China."

A report released by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), based in Finland, on February 5 showed that in 2025, China's clean energy industry created an economic output of 1.54 trillion yuan.

The report shows that over one-third of China's economic growth last year came from the clean energy industry, and more than 90% of the investment growth were also contributed by this sector. The economic output generated by the clean energy industry accounted for 11.4% of the country's GDP. If this industry were considered a country, its economic scale would rank eighth globally, equivalent to Canada or Brazil's GDP.

The report points out that the main driver of industry growth comes from the "new three" industries, namely new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics, which account for about two-thirds of the added value in the clean energy industry and attract more than half of the total investment.

CREA also mentioned that most of China's new production capacity is used to meet the demand for large-scale promotion of wind power and photovoltaics domestically, and the speed of this is almost twice the total of other regions in the world recently.

China's energy structure is expected to undergo a major turning point in 2026. The China Electricity Council released the "Analysis and Forecast Report on the Supply and Demand Situation of Electricity in the Country for the Years 2025-2026," which predicts that this year China's solar power generation capacity will exceed coal power generation capacity for the first time, and by the end of the year, the combined installed capacity of wind power and solar power will reach half of the total power generation capacity.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7616363865252626996/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.