Diplomats tour green energy projects

More than 20 envoys from 15 countries were given a tour of green energy and environmental protection projects in four Jiangsu province cities recently.

During the tour, which was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' department of foreign affairs management, the envoys visited more than 10 green energy projects and businesses in Nantong, Wuxi, Changzhou and the provincial capital Nanjing from Monday to Thursday last week.

They saw electric car production workshops, solar panels built into fish ponds and experienced self-driving vehicles. They also had exchanges with government officials and leaders of China's green energy industry and attended a green energy industry conference.

Many of the envoys said the tour had left a deep impression on them and they are looking forward to more cooperation in green energy between their countries and China.

Grahame Morton, New Zealand's ambassador to China, said he visited green technology giant Envision Group and was impressed by Wuxi's flourishing green energy industry. He added that he expected more cooperation with Wuxi as New Zealand has potential offshore wind energy.

Irit Ben-Abba, Israel's ambassador to China, said that Israel and Jiangsu already have effective cooperation and she is looking forward to deepening cooperation with the province in more fields.

"Jiangsu's development is quite impressive and plenty of the new energy projects are fascinating," said the ambassador, who has visited Changzhou three times.

After visiting several photovoltaic projects and an energy storage project, she said that Changzhou is an innovative city. Changzhou is home to the China-Israel Changzhou Innovation Park and has signed a friendship city agreement with Netanya in Israel.

"China's green development and green technologies are very impressive and China is moving ahead (in these fields) very quickly and is very well developed," she said. "Maybe the two countries can cooperate more."

Fang Wei, vice-governor of Jiangsu, said that the province has made great achievements in recent years since it made green and low-carbon energy the main focus of adjusting its energy structure and promoting energy transformation.

"Jiangsu is willing to deepen exchanges with countries around the world through envoys and diplomats to China and deepen cooperation in various fields," said Fang when meeting with the visiting envoys and introducing the province's advantages in green energy.

Marko Tiesmaki, a counselor at Finland's embassy to China, said that China has taken climate change very seriously, and that the world can tackle the challenge through the joint efforts of global players.

"Without China succeeding (in reducing carbon emissions), the world cannot succeed," he said. "Finland wants to be there supporting China achieving the goals," Tiesmaki said.