Building a strong energy nation is a practical necessity for coordinating domestic and international affairs, development and security, and advancing China’s modernization. This is a systematic project that still requires adhering to the principles of establishing new systems before dismantling old ones and seeking progress while maintaining stability.

A careful review of the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposal reveals 16 goals for building a “powerful nation.” Among them, the concept of a “powerful energy nation” appears for the first time in the proposal. What is the significance of this?

Building a strong energy nation is a practical necessity for coordinating domestic and international affairs, development and security, and advancing China’s modernization.

Looking outward, the global energy supply and demand landscape is undergoing profound adjustments. The combined effects of geopolitics, climate change, and energy transition have made energy a priority area for national security in all countries.

Looking inward, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, my country’s energy consumption will continue its rigid growth, with an estimated annual increase of approximately 600 billion kilowatt-hours, posing significant pressure. As a large country with over 1.4 billion people, we cannot continue down the path of high energy consumption and high emissions taken by developed countries; we must shift to a green and low-carbon development track.

Therefore, building a strong energy nation means constructing a robust energy industry chain, supply chain, and innovation system; adhering to a multi-energy approach encompassing wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power; continuously increasing the proportion of new energy supply; promoting the safe, reliable, and orderly replacement of fossil fuels; and driving changes in energy production and consumption patterns. Only by firmly grasping fundamental aspects like energy and enhancing our capacity for independent development can we have a stronger foundation to gain new advantages in international competition.

We already possess numerous favorable conditions for building a strong energy nation. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, my country’s position as the world’s largest energy producer will be solidified, with an energy self-sufficiency rate remaining above 80%. As fossil fuel consumption peaks, dependence on imported oil and gas will gradually decrease to a reasonable level. my country has also built the world’s largest and most complete new energy industry chain, providing more than 80% of the world’s photovoltaic modules and 70% of its wind power equipment; many of its energy technologies and equipment are globally leading, with new breakthroughs achieved in areas such as megawatt-level hydropower, advanced nuclear power, heavy-duty gas turbines, and smart grids.

As the world’s largest developing country, my country still faces arduous tasks in economic development and improving people’s livelihoods, and energy development still faces many rigid constraints. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, building a strong energy nation is a systematic project that still requires adhering to the principles of establishing before dismantling, seeking progress while maintaining stability, and properly handling various relationships.

The relationship between energy security and transformation. Green transformation cannot be achieved overnight; it must be based on national conditions, proceed steadily, and, on the basis of the orderly phase-out of traditional energy, promote the early, early, and rapid establishment of new energy sources to achieve safe and reliable substitution.

The relationship between energy development and energy conservation. Building a strong energy nation requires focusing on the supply side and promoting green energy development; however, the demand side cannot be ignored, requiring efforts to improve energy efficiency and promote green and low-carbon production and lifestyles. Taking equipment energy conservation as an example, through a large-scale equipment upgrade program, my country upgraded over 20 million sets of equipment in key sectors by 2024, resulting in energy savings of approximately 25 million tons of standard coal, thus reducing carbon emissions at the source.

The relationship between the government and the market. We will further promote market-oriented reforms in competitive energy sectors, continuously improve the energy pricing mechanism, and stimulate endogenous growth and innovation.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, my country will accelerate the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system, transforming more wind, sun, and water resources into green energy and making more fossil energy use in a clean and efficient manner, thus helping to ensure a stable energy supply.