China has made notable progress in energy transition over the past decade, with "historical breakthroughs" achieved in green and low-carbon energy development as the country is moving toward building a clean, diversified, secure and resilient energy supply system, according to a white paper titled "China's Energy Transition" released by the State Council Information Office on Thursday.

The white paper listed an array of impressive figures that document milestones in China's energy transition in the past decade and highlight the country's outstanding contribution to the global green agenda. For example, last year, electricity generated by clean energy accounted for nearly 40 percent of China's total electricity generation. Also, the country's exports of wind and photovoltaic (PV) products helped other countries reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 810 million tons in 2023. 

Observers said that China's energy transition will play an exemplary role, illustrating a path that is cost-effective, economically feasible and brings far-reaching effect to the global energy industry. It also proves that China's overwhelming edges in renewable energy is stemming from continuous innovation and a complete industrial chain, rather than certain Western fallacy of subsidies-driven growth.

The white paper also offers a detailed elaboration on China's commitment to fulfilling its responsibility as a major developing country as well as its willingness to work with other countries to keep global energy industrial and supply chains stable and maintaining energy security in an open environment. 

Historic achievements 

According to the white paper, China has been fast tracking clean energy development and there's a growing share of green energy in China's energy mix.

Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times that over the past decade, "China has led the global energy transition, not only in the speed of its transformation but also in the expansion of new-energy production capacity and output." 

Building on the momentum, Chinese officials and industry insiders have expressed confidence that China, the world's largest energy producer and consumer, has the capacity and is steadily marching toward its "dual carbon" goal of reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060. 

Industry insiders stressed that China's successful energy transition course plays an exemplary role for developing countries and sets a global model. It is also a lesson to other developed countries, which - amid global energy shortage in the last few years— have shown certain level of retreatment from their climate goals, Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

An engine for global energy transition

China's green energy development has become an engine for global energy transition, and the country's new energy industry has also "added to the global energy supply and eased global inflation pressures," it noted. 

The white paper cited data from the International Energy Agency as saying that from 2014 to 2023, the global share of non-fossil fuels in energy consumption rose from 13.6 percent to 18.5 percent, with China contributing 45.2 percent to this increase. Over the past decade, the average cost per kilowatt-hour of global wind power projects has decreased by more than 60 percent, and PV power projects by more than 80 percent. The reductions are largely attributable to China's efforts.

Analysts said that the white paper provides a fresh rebuttal to Western smearing campaign on China's new-energy industry, which it claimed was stimulated by subsidies. "It laid bare that the West-concocted 'overcapacity' tag on Chinese industries does not stand a ground and is motivated by hegemonic mindset," Cao said. 

Lin noted that it also sounds the alarm to Western countries which plan to slap tariffs on China's new-energy exports in the name of "industrial overcapacity." It warns them that this politicization of economic issues will "heavily hinder the global green transition, hinder energy structure optimization, and delay climate change efforts," Lin said.

The white paper stressed that China opposes all forms of unilateralism or protectionism, and rejects all forms of "decoupling" and the "small yard and high fence" approach. It calls for major countries to "focus more on the future of the earth and humanity and act in a responsible manner by ensuring global energy security, promoting green development and maintaining market order."

Chinese airlines continue to show strong interest in expanding their global market presence, with some carriers doubling their overseas traffic volumes, and market watchers said that the airlines will maintain a fast recovery pace for flying international routes. 

Data released by the information provider VariFlight on Sunday showed that the actual number of passenger flights on overseas routes carried by Chinese airlines was 130,000 in the just concluded two-months' summer travel rush ended on Saturday, an increase of 59 percent year-on-year in 2023, recovering to more than 70 percent of the corresponding period in 2019. 

The data could be lifted further given the concrete measures taken by the airlines, and rising overseas travel demand, Gong Yiting, head of branding department of VariFlight told the Global Times. 

The remarks came after Chinese airlines reported narrowed losses in the released fiscal reports of the first half of this year brought by the rising demand, highlighting a stable recovery of the aviation industry. 

In detail, the revenues of the three major airlines - Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines - reached 228.509 billion yuan ($32.22 billion) in the first half of this year, led by China Southern, which loss was narrowed by more than half. 

Air China and China Eastern Airlines reported revenues of 79.52 billion yuan and 64.199 billion yuan, respectively, with year-on-year increases of over 30 percent and nearly 30 percent. Each airline's net losses narrowed by nearly 20 percent and over 50 percent year-on-year than the same period of last year, per fiscal reports. 

In addition, the total revenue of four private carriers of Hainan Airlines, Spring Airlines, Juneyao Airlines and China Express in the first half of the year exceeded 50 billion yuan, and net profit totaled 1.24 billion yuan.

Meanwhile, the international air passenger transport market saw continued rapid recovery in the first half of the year. 

Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China showed that the recovery level for five consecutive months since February this year has exceeded 80 percent of the same period in 2019.

Airlines have also continued to make efforts to grow international routes, such as China Southern said on Friday that its overseas flights have recovered to about 80 percent of the same period in 2019, and it will strive to fully resume routes from Guangzhou to Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

Spring Airlines reported that the recovery rate for its Japanese routes is nearly 100 percent. The airline currently flies to eight destinations in Japan, surpassing the peak levels of 2019.

Airlines are also actively planning their expansion plans for the whole year. Hainan Airlines said it will strive to restore the weekly flight volume of international routes to 100 percent of the average weekly flight volume of international routes in 2019.

Juneyao Airlines said it achieved a growth rate of more than 20 percent compared with the same period in 2019 in terms of the overseas traffic, and it will continue to expand its operations in the Southeast Asian and European markets.

China and India held their 31st meeting of the working mechanism for consultations and coordination on border affairs, the second within a month and with the shortest interval in the series of meetings, except for 2020 when six rounds of talks were held after the Galwan skirmish. Analysts said the recent frequent interactions between China and India signal that both sides are actively seeking to accelerate a resolution to the border standoff and to get bilateral relations back on track.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Hong Liang and Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division of Ministry of External Affairs of India Gourangalal Das co-chaired the 31st Meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs in Beijing on Thursday.

The release noted that the meeting was held in a "positive, friendly and frank atmosphere" and the two sides agreed to work together to turn over a new leaf in the border situation at an early date.

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, said that recently, communication and negotiations between China and India on border issues have shown positive progress.

The Thursday meeting was the second within a month. The foreign ministers from China and India had also met twice in July, which indicates that both sides are actively seeking to accelerate a resolution to border standoff issues, Qian said.

China and India held six rounds of WMCC meetings on border affairs in 2020 following the Galwan Valley border skirmish on June 15, 2020. Except for that year, since the first WMCC meeting on border affairs started in 2012, the two sides have held WMCC meetings on border affairs one to three times a year, analysts said.

Qian said the recent interactions between China and India are positive signals as China-India relations are emerging from a low point and stabilizing. Both countries are looking for a common solution to put bilateral relations back onto a healthy development track.

This Thursday meeting is not intended to solve the border problem once and for all but provides a new perspective on resolving the standoff in the western sector that has lasted over four years. Overall, despite current uncertainties, the positive attitude and efforts of both sides have been commendable, Qian said.

In the early morning light of Jingmen, Central China's Hubei Province, the city hums with the rhythmic sound of tennis balls colliding rackets.
Residents come out of their homes to watch those on the court without a single complaint about the noise. In this small city with a population of approximately 600,000, there are more than 340 high-standard tennis courts and over 100,000 tennis enthusiasts.

"Hubei's success in tennis isn't just a coincidence or a discipline, but it's a tradition and an inheritance," Luo Le, a sports industry scholar at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology told the Global Times.

The accessibility of tennis courts - within a 15-minute walk - may explain why Hubei has nurtured so many tennis prodigies.
Rising star

August 3 is a day that many Chinese tennis fans will never forget. Zheng Qinwen, nicknamed "Queen Wen," a 21-year-old Chinese tennis player from Hubei, clinched China's first-ever gold medal in women's singles tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics. She also became the first Asian player to reach the top of the podium in women's singles tennis at the Olympics.

Zheng follows in the footsteps of another legendary Hubei tennis player, Li Na. With two Grand Slam titles and a personal best world ranking of No.2 in women's tennis, Li transformed tennis from a niche sport to a mainstream passion in China, achieving unprecedented success for an Asian player.

The emergence of Li and Zheng as world champions begs the question: Why are tennis talent emerging from Hubei?

The region's deep-rooted passion for the sport dates back to the 1920s when tennis became part of the Hubei Provincial Games, which took the lead in including women in competitions, as reported by CCTV news.

With excellent infrastructure and a legacy of accomplished players returning as coaches, Hubei has become a breeding ground for tennis talent.

Names like Li Ting, Zhu Benqiang and Pan Bing are all synonymous with Hubei's tennis legacy. After retiring, Pan served as the head coach of the Hubei Provincial Tennis Team and the Chinese Women's National Tennis Team, contributing to the growth of future champions.

"Many outstanding players from Hubei returned as coaches. Along with well-established infrastructure, these are the main reasons for Hubei's success," Liu Mingyi, chief expert at the China Youth Sports and Physical Education Integration Public Policy Research Center and professor at Wuhan Sports University told the Global Times.

Liu noted that even 20 years ago, when tennis wasn't as popular, Wuhan in Hubei already boasted many tennis courts, including those at the Xinhua Road Stadium and Wuhan Sports University. "There were even indoor courts for training when weather was not good. The infrastructure was already very well-developed back then," Liu added.

He also highlighted the standardization and systematization of coaching in Hubei as key factors in the region's tennis success.

One of the most influential figures in this system is Yu Liqiao, who has shaped multiple generations of players since 1973, including both Li and Zheng. Under Yu's rigorous training, these athletes grew into world-class competitors. In Li's autobiography My Life, she recalls the intense training under Yu's guidance, which, though harsh, was emblematic of the times and also crucial to her success.

Zheng, who also trained under Yu, was later advanced to Potter's Wheel, where she honed her skills under top coaches, including Carlos Rodriguez. While there, she got the chance to have international tennis exchanges.

After the match, Zheng also reflected on the importance of "passing the torch."

"If today's victory can inspire more children to dream of playing tennis, then everything is worth it. I hope that in 10 or 20 years, you can stand on this stage," Zheng said.
Nurturing potential

Indeed, aside from tennis, many regions in China have developed distinctive features in the sports field, with regional characteristics remaining quite evident, especially based on economic and natural conditions. Each region utilizes its strengths, taking advantage of its training system and resources.

Looking back at each Olympic Games, many sports have formed "champion systems" in some specific Chinese provinces, such as table tennis in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, diving in the South China's Guangdong Province, and swimming in East China's Zhejiang Province.

"Local governments discover and nurture young talent, providing them

with training platforms and placing them in environments with suitable economic and training conditions. This is a comprehensive training system," Liu noted.

Having produced legends like Ma Lin, Ma Long, and Liu Shiwen, Liaoning Province is renowned for its dominance in table tennis. The city of Anshan, recognized by the General Administration of Sport of China, has become a crucial hub for table tennis, with a dedicated training center and the highest number of registered coaches in the country.

In Guangdong, particularly in Zhanjiang, the "Hometown of Diving," in proximity to the sea, offers an unparalleled environment for water sports.

It was here that Quan Hongchan, who was discovered at a rural elementary school by coach Chen Huaming, began her journey in diving. She then entered Zhanjiang Sports School at the age of 7 to start diving training.

Once talented individuals are identified, the school recommends them to higher-level teams. Chen recommended Quan to the Guangdong provincial diving team by sending video footage. She went on to win gold in the women's 10m platform event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, showcasing the success of Guangdong's comprehensive training system.

China widely organizes various sports events based on this talent identification and regional training system.

"The development of sports is indeed complex, not just limited to basic education facilities. It requires frequent competitions, guarantees, and a comprehensive training environment," Liu said.

"Now the system for training young athletes has changed as it combines the state-sponsored and market-oriented systems."