Foreign media: Pakistan's solar energy boom undermines coal-fired power plants invested by China. The think tank Renewables First in Pakistan released a report stating that over the past five years, the country has rapidly shifted to distributed solar power generation, importing 39 gigawatts of solar panels (most from China), equivalent to about three-quarters of the country's total installed capacity. This trend has compressed the market space for Chinese-funded coal-fired power plants, increasing the risk of stranded assets. Mohammad Basti Gohar, author of the think tank report, said, "China's solar panels are beating China's power plants." The report pointed out that China needs to choose between funding coal-fired power plants and exporting solar panels, as both cannot succeed in the same market. The report calls on China to play a leading role in Pakistan's energy transition, establishing a clean energy model for reference by "Global South" countries, especially after the United States withdrew from climate diplomacy; however, a Chinese energy scholar questioned whether this plan might be too costly.

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