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IPFS News Link • China

China has 'no other choice' but to rely on coal power for now, official says

• https://www.cnbc.com, Evelyn Cheng

President Xi Jinping said in September that the country's carbon emissions would begin to decline by 2030, and he said the country will reach carbon neutrality by 2060 — in four decades.

In the meantime, policymakers are making clear that economic growth remains a top priority — and that growth depends largely on coal power. Beijing has a GDP target of 6% this year, a level which analysts say would allow authorities to tackle long-term problems such as the country's high debt levels.

"China's energy structure is dominated by coal power. This is an objective reality," said Su Wei, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission. CNBC translated his Mandarin-language comments, which he made late last week following Xi's separate remarks at a U.S.-led global leaders climate summit.


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